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Author Topic: Acute lameness - bull  (Read 2032 times)

YorkshireLass

  • Joined Mar 2010
  • Just when I thought I'd settled down...!
Acute lameness - bull
« on: April 17, 2017, 07:14:06 pm »
Hello, after some thoughts that aren't "stick 'em with antibiotics" as the very first reaction...


Bull has been lame for about 36 hours on right hind limb. He will rest it on ground and use it if he has to. He let me run my hands down the leg briefly and only moved away when I got right down to the fetlock (is it called fetlock in cattle??). I don't see any obvious injuries or foreign bodies. Tomorrow we plan to move him down into the crush and examine the foot closely.


My suspicion is simply that he's slipped, they are in on a deep litter system and there is now quite a drop from the bedded area down to the feeding area.


What would be your first thought(s)?


I will of course give medication if there is any sign of infection.

Buttermilk

  • Joined Jul 2014
Re: Acute lameness - bull
« Reply #1 on: April 17, 2017, 07:56:20 pm »
My first thought as he is on deep litter is foul of the foot.  Is there any sign of redness/crustiness on the skin between the cleats of the hoof?  The other thing that springs to mind is an abcess brewing.

YorkshireLass

  • Joined Mar 2010
  • Just when I thought I'd settled down...!
Re: Acute lameness - bull
« Reply #2 on: April 17, 2017, 08:31:38 pm »
Not that I saw, but he was loose in the pen so I didn't stick my head tooooo close! I'll be sure to check tomorrow.
His brisket is a little red, come to think of it. The bed was dirtier than normal before we added more straw today.


We do have some antibiotic spray in stock - worth a go for feet, or not much use? Otherwise would need to pop to the vet.

YorkshireLass

  • Joined Mar 2010
  • Just when I thought I'd settled down...!
Re: Acute lameness - bull
« Reply #3 on: April 18, 2017, 06:26:34 pm »
Crush was a no-go, so we used a rickety head-gate. Managed to rinse and poke out some crud from his feet and saw the toes were crossing and trapping said crud. Foot trimmer booked for later this week to have a proper-proper look. Gave a dose of foot spray, and when back in his pen, his penmates AND the ones in the next pen were obsessed with sniffing that foot?  ::)

twizzel

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: Acute lameness - bull
« Reply #4 on: April 19, 2017, 09:26:26 am »
Could he have picked up a stone right between the toes? Alternatively could have slipped or pulled something if he's been serving cows recently. Have you got any metacam- whilst it's probably not beneficial to give antibiotics until you find a cause it may be worth giving some anti-inflamatories to make him more comfortable until the trimmer comes. Might be worth checking his temperature too before you give the metacam.

YorkshireLass

  • Joined Mar 2010
  • Just when I thought I'd settled down...!
Re: Acute lameness - bull
« Reply #5 on: April 22, 2017, 08:10:20 pm »
Trimmer came out and found an old abscess in the foot that had burst. Stuck a block on to help take his weight. Later that day we finally turned him and his buddies out to grass, and he was almost not-limping.

 

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