Maggots in a castration site

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simba

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 18, 2011
Messages
524
Location
Saskatchewan, Canada
We banded a late March bull calf two weeks ago and two days ago I found maggots in the open wound where his testicles meet his twist. He's been Cylenced regularly all summer but I covered his body in fly spray to keep the flies off of him and for the past two nights I've been rinsing out the wound with a garden hose and then spraying iodine into the wound. There doesn't appear to be any pus or anything like that and steer seems to be feeling fine- he's eating well and lets me clean it out without moving around too much or kicking at me a lot.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I could get rid of the maggots so the wound can heal or what else I should be doing? Thanks in advance.
 

cowman 52

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Joined
Jan 16, 2009
Messages
719
Location
San Angelo Texas
Don't know where you are but,  most feed stores have a wound spray,  mostly purple in color, in the south still have a screwworm spray,  don't take but one dose, it's not a pain causing deal and will get rid of your problem.
 

HelenH

Active member
Joined
Dec 25, 2009
Messages
37
A vet told me to have Dettol available when this occurs.  Dilute the Dettol with some water, yet strong enough to kill the grubs .  Usually, maggots just eat what needs to be eaten, but sometimes they don't stop.  Peroxide flushes out infection better than water.  Iodine inhibits healing.  Remember we use strong iodine to deaden the umbilical cord.  Low % iodine solution is used with peroxide in navel infection initially, but then change to straight peroxide.
 

simba

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 18, 2011
Messages
524
Location
Saskatchewan, Canada
I really appreciate the comments, they seem to have helped! The maggots are gone and it looks like it's healing well. This steer calf wins the disposition of the year award- he lays in the barn and chews his cud while I lift up his leg and check out the wound.

Cowman 52- I found some old "blue spray" (I think the name on it was Boroform) and sprayed that in and around the area and like you said the maggots were gone after the first application. I'm going to buy some more to keep around for the future.

HelenH- I forgot to say that I had bought some Dettol and used that the first night. I used the garden hose the second night because I thought it would help physically remove them- I hadn't even thought about the fact that  the Dettol would kill them. Thanks for the reminder about iodine, I'll use peroxide in the future!
 
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