Dehorning caused infection in heifer calf

[BlackWillowFarm]

I have a two month old heifer who recently had her horns burned off. One side got a little deep and bled some. It was trickling down the side of her face about 1/2 hour after she got done so we cauterized it with the iron again and it sealed it off pretty good. I did notice a little teeny bit of drainage the next couple of days and then it seemed to be dry. It's been about a week since this happened.

Yesterday when I went to give the calves milk, I noticed pus coming from the area so I cleaned it with a wet rag with disinfectant and put some wound spray on it. I pressed as much infection as I could out of it until it got sore and she started resisting. She's also been coughing lightly for the last two days. Don't know if they're related or separate?

I'll be calling the vet Monday, but thought I'd ask if there is something else I could be doing in the meantime? I do have some Pen G here if she needs antibiotics which I think is what the vet will tell me.

Any suggestions on what else I should be doing?

[tinknal]

Yep, hit her with the penicillin. Put plenty of fly spray on the wound to keep the maggots out.

[WstTxLady]

+1 for a shot of penicillin, won't hurt. plus clean, clean, clean & keep up with the spray to keep the bugs off. sometimes they will just annoy her to the point she might injure it further keeping them off.

[springvalley]

I third the pen-G Carla, and some ointment on the sore itself. > Marc