Bull calf - injured leg/foot?

[amysflock]

T-Bone, after spending most of today trying to mount our 3-year old cow with his little (or not so little anymore) 6.5-month old body, has developed a pronounced limp on the left front side. He's dragging his toes when he walks (like the tip of the toes), and standing on it but not putting as much weight on it as he is the others. It's sort of like he's not putting weight on his heel, almost.

I felt up and down and all around his leg and didn't feel anything, and he just looked at me and didn't jump or kick at me. I don't see anything physically wrong with his toes or heel, but can't pick up his foot to look closely at the underside, either. (Tips on how to do that?)

How concerned do I need to be about this? Is this "wait and see" or "call the vet" or "give him pain meds," or ???

Thanks!

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Maybe a sprain. I'd watch for a day or two and see how he does.

 

[laughingllama75]

sounds like either a sprain or maybe he pinched a nerve in his shoulder from the repetitive motion. I would wait a day or two also. Hopefully, the little brat will come out of it all on his own.

 

[amysflock]

Thanks, guys. Will do. (DH thinks it's his shoulder since he wouldn't lift his foot, so a sprain there would make sense after everything I saw, LOL.)

 

[amysflock]

So, today is Day 5 and he still has quite a limp. He looks a little better, but that maybe just because he's gotten used to walking that way so can go a little faster.

We have a vet coming out for a bunch of work on the cows on Wednesday (three more days)...is there anything else I can do for T-Bone between now and then, or should I just wait to have the vet check him and see if he can tell what's wrong?

I'm concerned he might be ruined for both beef and breeding from this injury (hopefully that's just my crazy brain exaggerating the situation).

 

[jhm47]

Just give him some time. The vet will be able to give you an accurate diagnosis. He will not be ruined for meat purposes, but possibly won't work for breeding.