Ill Joint

Indubitable

I am plagued with Ill Joint recently. Two calves have it now and I had one with it earlier in the year. If I catch them early enough normally I can get them out of it without any visible lameness but it is costing me €€€.

When I clean out the shed this year, after powerwashing if I were to throw some jeye's fluid or something in with the water and just spray it around the shed would it do much good? I always put some Iodine on the naval of the calves when they are born but maybe it isn't strong enough or maybe I should follow up a few weeks later. How strong should the iodine be?

PMU

Indubitable wrote: »

I am plagued with Ill Joint recently. Two calves have it now and I had one with it earlier in the year. If I catch them early enough normally I can get them out of it without any visible lameness but it is costing me €€€.

When I clean out the shed this year, after powerwashing if I were to throw some jeye's fluid or something in with the water and just spray it around the shed would it do much good? I always put some Iodine on the naval of the calves when they are born but maybe it isn't strong enough or maybe I should follow up a few weeks later. How strong should the iodine be?

the iodine should be 10%, and pour it on,dont spray. my vet says to repeat the iodine at about 24hrs to be sure!

reilig

In addition, lime is a cheap and effective way of killing bacteria in calving pens, cubicles and calf creep areas. A bag for Eur7 goes a long way!

snowman707

my theory on this is that more infections are picked up via the mouth than the navel
we never dip the navel but ensure the bedding is dry and clean and the teats are clean


if you are dipping use a iodine/methylated spirit mix (75/25), and use a small actimel container or similar, and discard the solution after each calf, do not use the same mix on different calves


also you try using white rhino lime under the bedding

Edit reilig types faster than me

whelan1

Yup make sure the end of the navel is fully immersed in the iodine, dont dilute the iodine, i use an old cup and use fresh for each calf, if the calf is sick a soaking of the navel in salt and water should help

dar31

PMU wrote: »

the iodine should be 10%, and pour it on,dont spray. my vet says to repeat the iodine at about 24hrs to be sure!

+1
24 hrs later

Indubitable

Thanks for the help lads. After cleaning the shed would I then spray it with a kind of lime-water mix? Then maybe throw some of the solid lime around in areas that need it?

reilig

Indubitable wrote: »

Thanks for the help lads. After cleaning the shed would I then spray it with a kind of lime-water mix? Then maybe throw some of the solid lime around in areas that need it?

Just sprinkle the dry lime around the floor and up on the walls with your hand. No need to make a water/lime mix - that's just messy;)

Bizzum

On a calf with Joint Ill what are people finding the most effective treatments?

reilig

Bizzum wrote: »

On a calf with Joint Ill what are people finding the most effective treatments?

Note: I'm not recommending this to anyone.

We have obtained a treatment in the past which by all accounts was illegal, but was extremely effective and saw several lambs and calves make a 100% recovery (we never had one that didn't recover). The treatment was made from an (illegal) alcohol which is brewed from spuds mixed with an unknown product.

Not to offend any medical professionals on here, but we did seek veterinary assistant for the initial animals with very poor success and turned to this "cure" only to ensure that the animal did not suffer. No farmer wants to see an animal suffering and sometimes conventional medicines just won't work.

Thankfully with improved animal hygiene and the construction of purpose built calving pens, we have not have a case of ill joint in over 10 years.

49801

we now avoid using water to clean out calving pens unless we get a quite period where we know we can allow it to dry out. bacteria just love water.

also note that many chemicals use a high ph and lime uses a low ph (if thats the right way around). so basically don't use both at the same time as the ph will stay neutral and bugs wont be killed.

use hydrated lime before spreading fresh straw now.

in cases where we've failed to get a cow off the slats before calving we admin synulox for 3 days rather than waiting for a thick navel.
using antibiotic's as routine is not a good idea for bacterial resistance.

dealing with a no suck reflex calf atm. bloody pain!!!

Indubitable

I use a bottle of white stuff for ill-joint. I forget the name of it but if any water gets into the bottle, it turns hard like cement. Works grand if you get them on time.

49801

Indubitable wrote: »

I use a bottle of white stuff for ill-joint. I forget the name of it but if any water gets into the bottle, it turns hard like cement. Works grand if you get them on time.

that would be 'synulux' or 'noraclav' you are talking about

Ford4000

reilig wrote: »

Note: I'm not recommending this to anyone.

We have obtained a treatment in the past which by all accounts was illegal, but was extremely effective and saw several lambs and calves make a 100% recovery (we never had one that didn't recover). The treatment was made from an (illegal) alcohol which is brewed from spuds mixed with an unknown product.

Not to offend any medical professionals on here, but we did seek veterinary assistant for the initial animals with very poor success and turned to this "cure" only to ensure that the animal did not suffer. No farmer wants to see an animal suffering and sometimes conventional medicines just won't work.

Thankfully with improved animal hygiene and the construction of purpose built calving pens, we have not have a case of ill joint in over 10 years.

Yes indeed if used a similar miracle fluid myself, came in a jameson bottle but the top wasnt sealed, how strange:p

pakalasa

Watch the concentration of Iodine when you are buying it. I got caught out this year. Bought low concentratin stuff. It hardly marked the naval.

whelan1

you know its good stuff when it stays on your hands for days after

greysides

Fifteen responses and no one has mentioned the preventative powers of 'enough colostrum'.

Infection pressure versus animals immunity is always going to be the deciding factor so posts about clean housing and navel dipping are totally relevant but ................. it seems the message about the benefits of colostrum hasn't been appreciated as a means of trying to prevent Joint Ill.

Animal Health Ireland will be doing road shows on calf disease and management soon. I would advise anyone who can to attend them. Some old, very treasured prejudices are about to have light shone on them.

adne

49801 wrote: »

that would be 'synulux' or 'noraclav' you are talking about

Ive a case at the moment, not bad, been injecting 4 ml of noraclav for 5 days on the trot but the navel is still hard although the calf showing no side affects

whelan1

sometimes it can be a hernia rather than an infection, get your vet to have a look, is it smelly? does the animal have a high temperature?

adne

whelan1 wrote: »

sometimes it can be a hernia rather than an infection, get your vet to have a look, is it smelly? does the animal have a high temperature?

No it not smelly no visible sign other than his navel is solid to touch. No high temp either. Will give it a few more days

Indubitable

49801 wrote: »

that would be 'synulux' or 'noraclav' you are talking about

Yeah Noraclav is the stuff.

The calf's knee joint is almost the size of a tennis ball. I should get him out of it though.

49801

adne wrote: »

Ive a case at the moment, not bad, been injecting 4 ml of noraclav for 5 days on the trot but the navel is still hard although the calf showing no side affects

far as i know once calf gets a thick navel it doesn't necessarily go away when they are cured. when a vet feels navel not only are they feeling if its thick but also does the calf have a pain reflex when they touch it

Indubitable wrote: »

Yeah Noraclav is the stuff.

The calf's knee joint is almost the size of a tennis ball. I should get him out of it though.

crikey! think we've used another drug for slightly more targeted effect once it gets into the joints proper. baytril maybe? vet advice consultation necessary!

PatQfarmer

greysides wrote: »

Fifteen responses and no one has mentioned the preventative powers of 'enough colostrum'.

Infection pressure versus animals immunity is always going to be the deciding factor so posts about clean housing and navel dipping are totally relevant but ................. it seems the message about the benefits of colostrum hasn't been appreciated as a means of trying to prevent Joint Ill.

Animal Health Ireland will be doing road shows on calf disease and management soon. I would advise anyone who can to attend them. Some old, very treasured prejudices are about to have light shone on them.

Coming to this late...because I searched for swollen navel!
Agree re colostrum. We bought calves from farmer and I am certain that the care after birth did not include enough colostrum as they have all bar one been sick in some form or other. Really low resistance, while calves from other farmers have thrived.
Needless (needles too!) to comment, I won't be back there again, first and last time.
Colostrum is the MOST important part of post-calving care, imo.
WRT the swollen navel, 6 days of Betamox and bathing has reduced it, but not yet shifted it. Blooming calf has had emphysema as well! So heavily invested into him now, that he has to stay alive!