Legs swelling up -- Help!!!

willow_girl · #1 08/02/04, 12:12 PM

Once again, this is a cow on the farm where I work, not one of mine.

Yesterday I noticed her right front leg was considerably swollen, from top to bottom, and appeared to be painful. Today, it was still that way, and her left leg also was swollen, although not to the same degree. Both legs were trembly and she had a hard time getting up. There was no discoloration of the skin or flesh.

My boss was aware of the problem yesterday, I'm not sure if she was treated with anything (if so, it was something that had no milk restriction, as she wasn't banded this morning).

I'm wondering what has caused this? How can it be avoided? Is there anything I can do for the problem?????

Here is everything I know about this cow (in case there is a clue in here somewhere): She's in her fourth lactation, 102K lbs lifetime. She calved on June 6, twins, had a rough time. She didn't clean for four or five days (although she was trailing most of the placenta, which I gather, is better than if it all remains inside). She received penicillin for five days after calving, I also remember giving her oxytocin to try to get her to clean, and she was treated shortly thereafter for mastitis as well. Around that time, I noticed she had some symptoms (and certainly all the risk factors!) associated with ketosis, and suggested testing her, but my boss disagreed.

She has been in rough shape the entire two months -- thin, poor coat, etc. She is giving 39lbs now according to the tester's report from last Thursday, but that is down 39 lbs from the 78 lbs recorded last month. Obviously, something is going on here. She has a nasty, infected ulcer on the point of her left hip, which developed postpartum (I have a sneaking suspicion the night milker kicks the snot out of the cows to get them up, as we seem to have an inordinate number of cows who get these sores on their hips and butts.

) Since the sore is on the opposite side of the front leg giving her trouble, I tend to think it's not related.

Anyway. That's all the info I have on her ... anything you guys can suggest will be, as always, much appreciated!

Wanda · #2 08/02/04, 03:14 PM

Willow
Check the feet closely for smell, inflamation and oozing around top of hoofs. Could be a very bad case of hoof rot if the area they loaf in is mucky and they don't get a chance to have dry feet!!
Mr. Wanda
Mike

willow_girl · #3 08/02/04, 04:53 PM

OK Mike, I will do that tomorrow.
I didn't notice anything like that right off the bat today ...
Also I couldn't find any wound, etc. (although that probably wouldn't be the culprit anyway since both legs are swelling up).

Do you think a shot of FluNix (banamine) would help? Antibiotics?

I feel so sorry for this girl, she's had a rough time of it. In fact, I thought we were going to lose her postpartum ...

I did manage to get her in on the top of the line in the parlor today, and hose out that sore on her hip a bit. If she was mine, I'd stick her in the headgate and hose it for about 15 mins 2x a day (or, what is more likely, she wouldn't have gotten it in the first place! :no: )

willow_girl · #4 08/03/04, 07:07 PM

Talked to my boss and he said the swelling is caused by her being too big for our freestalls and 'banging' her leg getting up.

Apparently nothing can be done about it.

(I still think some banamine at least would bring the swelling down?)

I did move her into a different group of cows housed in a different (newer) barn with bigger stalls. Inexplicably, she seems to like the other barn better, though.

Hosed her abcess again, it looked better today. The 2nd leg which seemed to be swelling up too yesterday looked normal-sized today, she didn't seem to be in as much discomfort either.

Keep your fingers crossed folks!