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Calf with Joint ill.

burnt

Well-known member
Has anyone had any success in treating a calf with joint ill? That is the name that some in the past have used for the badly swollen joints that seem to be caused by a severe navel infection. The joint at the top of the one hock has broken open and is draining.

I am using penicillin, Predef2x and Cronyxin.

We haven't had any of this show up for many years and this spring we have had two, loosing the first one. The umbilical cords seemed to take a long time to dry up this year with the cool, wet weather we had through calving. I used either iodine or blue spray on the navels at birth.

The amazing thing is that the calf is growing in spite of the fact that it needs help to get up. Today I went back to find the cow standing over the calf so it could reach her udder and it was filling up!
 

milkmaid

Well-known member
I have one I'm treating right now... take a peek at my post on the Cattle Today forum.

http://cattletoday.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=48096

She's actually been off antibiotics since Tuesday evening, and now I'm just waiting to see what the result is. If she relapses she dies. I spent (way longer than I'm willing to admit) with one a few years back and refuse to ever do that again.

FWIW, although my vet book says systemic antibiotics (IM or SC) are the best way to treat it, my vet insists you're wasting your money if you do anything but inject the joint itself with antibiotics. So far I'm agreeing with him.
 

burnt

Well-known member
Thank you milkmaid. Good info in that thread. I think I have not been nearly aggressive enough with the penicillin. And it's hard to play catch up on this type of thing.
 

milkmaid

Well-known member
FWIW, I put my calf down yesterday... posted pictures on the thread I provided a link to. If y'all are interested (they are graphic) feel free to take a peek.
 

burnt

Well-known member
You made a tough choice but probably the right one. It's one of the hardest things to do when you've tried so hard to keep a calf going.
 
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