sore legged heifer update

[frostback]

Well its been a while so I will fill you in. I took off the splint and re wrapped the knee and let her go. She ran around her pen, hardly limped. She had one new little pus pocket that I popped and drained and she was still on penicillin so that was taken care of. The next time I rebandaged it was doing very well. No pus, no limping, she still has to have a bandage on her knee so the now 3 holes heal and not get reinfected but she is doing great. I have her in a small corral and she runs all around. I was worried when I put her in it she would hurt herself again but has done great. They had shaved her knee all around and it looks worse than it is when the bandage is off and she has a spot shaved on her neck because of the IV. She looks great though, this is probably the best heifer I have raised. Frostback

 

[red]

I am so glad! Isn't that always the way w/ the best animals though? It's never the duds you have problems with.
MLK32 was just telling me about a guy in her area the lost a show heifer to tetanus. Sounded like a terrible way to loss a calf.
Thanks for keeping us up to date!

Red

 

[knabe]

my great grandfather died of tetanus cleaning a sliver out of his finger with his "clean" knife during the prime of his life. bad disease.  all i can say is get your boosters (humans).  saw an article referenced in german titled "Tetanus in cattle caused by dehorning with rubber bands", though it might be a translation issue because of below article.

nice article about chlostridial diseases

http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:JsvI8bLbOeMJ:www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0888/ANR-0888.pdf%3FPHPSESSID%3Dad44dd73d8584c2f01753c5649a6e831+tetanus+in+cattle&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=us


note comment on banding older bull calves.  anyone know how young you should vaccinate for tetanus when using a bander, since in cattle the protection only lasts about 21 days?  on that note, why is it supposedly good in humans for 10 years, though some people would like to ratchet that down, particlularly for people outside a lot.

review article for humans

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/109/1/e2

 

[DL]

Cattle are particularly resistant to tetanus, sepecially when compared to horses and people. I give tetanus toxoid when I band anything, including babies; others have different protocols. I think you are referring to the 21 day slaughter withhold for the injection, which is not the same as the immunity developed from the vaccine   (cow) (cow) DL

 

[red]

DL- she thought the heifer stepped on something. Died 3 days later even had lockjaw. Said it was horrible.
I know I'm way behind on my shots. something I always forget about!

Red