hurt Houston steer - please help

[nobody]

My son's steer that is supposed to show in Houston in 11 days stepped on a nail.  The vet packed the foot with some type of medicince for mastitis??  Is there anything else that can be given that won't test postive?  He is eating and drinking very good but doesn't want to put much weight on the foot.  Any help appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Silver]

I've had this happen and it was like a 6 inch railroad spike. He caught it in his front right hoof and it went up in there a good 3 inches. I had the foot packed in a peice of intertube, but that wasn't really working so I put him on a cement pad with rubber mats for 2 weeks. I kept it hosed off and clean, and then soaked his foot twice a day. It never got infected and the swelling was down after 4 days. I thought it would screw up his pefect gain for sure, but I still went in with 4.2lbs per day.

 

[nobody]

what did you soak it in...thanks.

 

[OH Breeder]

Couple of things you can do. Puncture wounds are difficult in general.
Soak the foot once a day in warm bucket of water with Epson Salts. This may sound crazy, but take a large bucket and fill with warm water - you can get Epson salt at any drug store or Walmart. Dry foot clean with betadine scrub.(being a puncture wound, you can put Betadine in spray bottle and spray the wound).  Put Bag Balm in the wound and wrap trying to keep it dry. Did the vet give anything for pain? It would be good to get some type of anti-inflammatory on board and pain med. If you do this for few days it should heal pretty quick. I would make sure your tetanus is up to date and double check to see what type of anitbiotic the vet gave the calf if it was injected. Is it something that needs repeated or is it good for one time deal. We have tetanus in the soil up here and give tetanus with any wound.
I am not a vet- i was an ER nurse for many years. Again always check with the vet. You also might check with the person that does your feet. They make a boot that is rubber and clamps on the back. You can dress the foot and put the rubber cover over it. Good luck.

PS
This close to show you would have careful on withdrawl. Aspirin is made in bolus form for cattle and has a super short half life and the withholding period for it is one day.

"FARAD recommended withdrawal period for all food animals following use at "usual dosages": milk 24 hours, meat one day. [1997](J4.211.w1) "

 

[herfluvr]

Hubby is a farrier and works on some calves that get themselves into trouble too.  Soaking in a bucket is a pain.  The innertube idea is better.  Take a standard tire innertube.  Cut in half.  It was probably Dry Cow he used to pack the foot and that is a great product to clean up some infection.  It shouldn't test. Place the foot halfway into the innertube with the open ends just above the lower joint.  Fill with the warmest water mixxed with Epsom salts  you can still stick your hand into so as not to scald the calf.  Take duct tape andrun around the leg above the joint so it can't fall down.  If you can do this 2 times a day that is great.  If I am soaking a hoof, I leave it on for about 2 hours.  Important to keep very clean and use iodine to clean wound since you cannot use antibiotics so close to show.  There is a product called "Ithamol" that is a great dressing as well.  If you can get him from being sore and can wrap to keep clean, farriers use elastikon to wrap a foot over a baby diaper with the ithamol or Dry cow on it to treat foot.  Good Luck.  Clean is the key here.  Even the inner tube over the foot helps too keep that foot out of the muck. 

 

[lightnin4]

As a previous poster said, Icthammol is a great product for drawing out infection.  You can pack the area of the puncture with it and wrap the hoof to keep it clean.  Change it twice a day. Only drawback to it is that its a tar-like substance, so it's messy and sticky.  Soaking in Epson salts helps too.  Another product to consider is AnimalIntex Poultice pads.  The Tractor Supply has them around here. Have used them on hoof abcesses in horses.  Just cut the pad down to a size that will cover the bottom of the hoof, wet it and wrap it on with vetrap and ducttape.  Change it twice a day.  If you wrap anything on with vetrap be sure not to pull it to tight where its above the hoof--it could cut off circulation.

 

[ba]

Soak in a bucket of Epsom salts warm water tied in the chute is puncture or abscess. I soak one for about ten days and got
the abscess to surface a few days before heading out and lanced it . Waked normal in a couple days.

keep after it and don't give up it just might work in your favor

 

[nobody]

Thanks everyone for the help...soaked foot today and rewrapped.  Called another vet and he gave an antibiotic shot that has a 4 day withdrawl, I don't know that name.  My husband just picked it up this afternoon.  Thanks again for the help.

 

[glw]

soak it in terpientine and it will harden it up and  let him walk. at the show give it a big does of asprin paste to let the pain go away, that MIGHT help it.. I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK!!!