Sores on heifers flank

[cattleman70]

We keep our heifers under misters and fans on cedar fiber.  We rinse 2 times a day and work hair.  We clean out the stalls regularly during the day, clean them well at night and put new cedar down as necessary - maybe every 3 weeks or so.  One of our heifers has a sore spot (approx 1.5") by her flank.  She is getting one on the other side now as well.  We have been treating it with fungacide but it has not really had any impact.  The spot has not hair and on the show side is like a circular wound.  We were told that this is a bacterial infection from the cedar fiber?  Has anyone else had this issue and if so how did you treat it? Thanks so much.

 

[rackranch]

Your certain its not caused by fungus?? Try some 2% athlets foot spray twice a day after you rinse and there is a product called nu-stock that will help the hair grow in after it dries up...

 

[farmin female]

I don't know that you can say it is a bacterial infection without a culture but....  Anyway, you can give her some penicillin, LA, or antibiotic of your choice, and I would treat with ringworm/fungus medications.  If it doesn't respond to the athletes foot spray, switch meds. Go to that section of the drug store where they sell ringworm medication and find another type.  And yes, you can use the products designed for yeast infections and they are highly effective is you have a certain type of bug.  I learned this with my son who is an athlete and has cultured every sort of bug known to man in his gymn clothes. 

 

[wws85]

What you have is probably rain rot. Google it and look at pictures and see if it seems similar.  Don't know if you got it from cedar fiber or not but we had it in one heifer where we caught it right away and we tried about everything we were told and finally gave her a shot of long acting penicillin and it took care of it in about 3 days. She had lots of little spots all over her. We also had it get in a couple of calves we are working and used same treatment.  It can get transferred via combs and brushes so sterilize equipment. Also keep the animal dry, the spots you are talking about when you blow them dry and you think they are dry keep blowing for a little while.  Also you probly need to quit running misters to keep the animal dry also try getting ahold of a product called shapely's MTG it really helps in getting hair back quick.  This is just my 2 cents and thought i would share my own experience.

 

[SWMO]

If your animal has really thick hair, it is possibly what I have been told is  a hot spot.  They are usually red and nasty looking with the hair falling out.  Make sure to keep the area dry and apply an anibacterial ointment.  Make sure after you rinse the animal that the area is completely blown dry.

If it is rain rot like someone else already posted penicillian seems to work the best on that.  The rainrot that we have had experience with comes up as bumps and spreads and gets a nasty pussy substance under the scabs.  I also with remove the scabs and use a surgical wash on it to dry up the infection.

 

[blinggirl]

cedar has natural oils in them that can cause animals to break out in sores , we dont use cedar under our calves but i have used it on my other animals and it cause them to get nasty sore on there butt area asked why they got it and they said it was from the oils in the cedar chips try using something else

 

[MCC]

I kinda agree with blinggirl. We have never had any trouble with cattle on cedar fiber or wood shavings, but I do know of a guy that bed his race horses on wood chips instead of straw. One horse cut her ankle up and it wouldn't heal. My uncle told him that the wood chips were putting off turpentine into the wound and irritating it. He put her on straw and she healed right up. Don't know if your heifer had a injury there but I'd change her bedding and see if that helps. Just an idea.