Treatment for fluid on hocks??

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SlickTxMaine

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
641
Location
Texas
Our show is this Friday.  Over the weekend we found fluid on one hock on our steer.  He is not favoring it, but since seeing it, I am paranoid.  Is there anything we can do to keep it from getting worse?  He weighs 1350lbs. and is turned out in a decent sized pen at all times.  Will cold hosing it help it go down?  What abour Absorbine?
 

steer-guy

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Joined
Mar 3, 2009
Messages
133
Unfortunately, there is not much you can do for this. Buddy of mine had his treated at Dr Warners clinic this year and it still didn't fix it.
 

OH Breeder

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Feb 14, 2007
Messages
5,954
Location
Ada, Ohio
There are a couple things that will help. You can put some icy hot to increase circulation to that area and it will help some. You can also do cold water rinse in that area and it will help with swelling. Usually when calves get toward the end of there finish they are carrying alot of weight, some cases you will see this happen.  If you notice restriction in movement have your vet take a look at it and see if he thinks an anti-inflammatory would help. Just an aspirin bolus in some cases will help with swelling and restriction in movement. You also want to make sure he has plenty of bedding. Hard surfaces will aggravate it and make it worse. Sometimes steroids will assist in the reduction of swelling as well.
 

OH Breeder

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Feb 14, 2007
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5,954
Location
Ada, Ohio
SlickTxMaine said:
OH Breeder,
   Our show is terminal......is the aspirin bolus okay for slaughter??

I would check with your vet that inspects for fair. Most terminal shows pull urine samples up here. I am not sure on aspirin. We changed to a softer bedding and made sure the lot the calves run in was also bedded down at night so they had softer surfaces.
I know icy hot and alterating cold water rinses helped us a bunch.
We did use Linament one time. Race horses after lots of stress will swell in there joints and linament helps reduce this.
 

evermoor

Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2009
Messages
20
With dairy they use DMSO and predef, mixed together. Rub into skin, apply  cotton, plastic wrap and vet wrap.  Remove after an hour or so it can burn skin so use caution and wear gloves.  No Idea if legal for terminal show but maybe on a heifer.
 
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