Steer Planet - Show Steers and Club Calves Forum

I know that DL would have a better answer, but you might try splints? Personally, I'd call my vet or someone w/ a lot of cattle knowledge.

Best of luck!

Red

Thanks Dusty

I just called a guy, and he says he has had many born like that.  He said that all of his grow out of it without any problem.  He figured he must have been a big calf (which he was ~ 100 pounds).  He told me not to worry about it that he would be fine in a couple of days or so.

Anyone else have similar problems/stories?

I know it is tough, but give it a couple days

we have calves born like that every once in awhile... our vet told us put radiator hose around it then use vet wrap to secure it comfortably tight.  its worked every time so far!

Hey StillLearning,

Do you live in a Selenium deficient area? You might want to talk with  your vet and see if he/she thinks the calf needs Bo-Se.

Glad you got the rascal on the ground alive and hope he gets turned around quickly.

Malinda

So the cow I have been asking about had her calf.  He is a 100 lb bull calf.

I got home and found him.   The only thing is that he hasn't stood much since I got home, and when he did, he is walking on his front fetlocks.  Google search gives me a picture that looks like arthrogryposis. 

I was able to help him straigthen the joint, but he was like a pig on roller skates.  Any help or has my luck continued.  Is a vet call in order?

SL - What you are describing is "contracted tendons" a fairly common problem in the bovine calf. Because you can move the joint and straighten it means (to me) that he does not have arthrogryposis (which is basically fixed or frozen joints and limbs)

What happens with contracted tendons is this
There are tendons on both sides of the limb - flexor tendons (make the joint bend) are on one side and estensor tendons (straighten joint) on the other. If for example the flexor tendons are "contracted" (shortened) then the limb will be "curled up" - if the extensor tendons are contracted then it pulls the toes up and drops the fetlock.

The general thought is that these calves get "jammed up" in a certain position but there certainly could be other factors involved - generally they do fine

What you can  do - you can split the calf - probably will make him feel better (and you too) and move around more - you can splint with something as simple as the sticks you get to stir paint, cotton roll and duct tape - make sure the toes are warm and remove every couple of days.

You can stretch the limb in the proper direction a couple times a day or actually you can probably do nothing

I agree that you make sure the calf gets colostrum and if you are in a selenium deficient state talk to your vet about BoSe and maybe vitamins A,D and E

Good luck

i found some pics of the big guy....he made a full recovery and turned out just fine...
the first pic was taken about the 2nd or 3rd day he had them on, the second pic was taken after 1 week and we had just taken off one of them...
we changed them a couple times...would take them off to see if he was up on his hooves yet...