Lame calf (cow?)

[KnowOneSpecial]

I have a 6+ month old Holstein steer who has a lame left front leg.

This morning he seemed fine, but tonight when I went to check on the two calves and give them some feed the holstein didn't show up. I took the bucket to the edge of the cattle lot and I saw he was out in the pasture. He was just standing there and when he took a step I could see that he was limping. By the time I came to the house to get DH to come out and help me he had managed to walk into the barn (about 50-60 yards). He was still limping.

The left front leg is swollen around the joint closest to the ground. The middle joint looks a bit swollen, but not that much. The area between the joints is a tad swollen, too. There are no puncture wounds, scrapes, etc. I'm thinking that he twisted his leg in a soft spot in the pasture.

I have him isolated in the barn. He has been eating and drinking normally. Not making any noises out of the ordinary. He doesn't sound like he's in pain. He's still limping on it and it's swollen.

What should I do? Do I wrap it? Do I need to call the vet?

At what age are they no longer "calves"? And why do they wait for the first night in weeks that we've had any rain to get hurt?!

Any ideas or input is appreciated.

[willow_girl]

Hmm. How tame is he? If you can handle him, or have a restraint available, I'd want to examine that foot to make sure he doesn't have a puncture or abscess in the hoof.

Otherwise, I'd keep him confined to a small area where you can monitor his progress and whether he continues to eat/drink normally.

Cows sometimes hurt themselves -- he may have been mounting the other calf, for instance, and slipped and landed wrong.

I'd probably keep an eye on him for a couple days, and if he shows signs of distress, or doesn't improve, I'd consult the vet.

[springvalley]

Like Willow girl asked how tame is he ? You could make a soaking boot out of an old tire inner tube, cut the tube in half, tye off one end and slip it on his leg, then fill with warm water with epsom salt in it let it soak till it cools off, then remove the boot. Do that a couple times a day if you can, for two to three days. Or you can go get some liniment rub and put on his leg, could also give him a couple asprin in his feed. > Thanks Marc

[KnowOneSpecial]

No change as of this morning. He wasn't putting as much weight on it, but I'm not going to judge as I move a little more stiffly in the morning, too! He was able to get up, eat and drink without making any noises that indicated pain. It's still swollen, though. He did let me touch the leg until I got down to the joint closest to the ground. It wasn't hot or excessively warm. He also showed off how how he can still poop and pee, too.

Still going to give him a few days to work it out.

Thanks for the responses! Last time I worked with cattle was 20 years ago. I was 18 and I knew everything back then so I didn't care to pay attention!

[agmantoo]

You may want to consider giving a tetanus shot.

[springvalley]

Man I wish I was 38 again, I could take on the world.You don`t want to try what I told ya to do. > Thanks Marc