does anything ever survive blackleg??

[johnspeehs]

Have a 600kg bulling hfr down and as we use our own broiler litter I assumed it was botulism,(we vaccinate but she was bought in and was only jabbed a Cpl of weeks). I saw the usual tell tale signs for a few days, licking her lips and always a leaf of grass hanging out of her mouth, lying on her own. lifted her and brought her inside and on to deep straw and have been moving her everyday, she has kept drinking and eating a little feed and has a very bright eye. Anyway she has a front leg that is swollen and very hard and hot, very like blackleg, we have it here too but again just a few days jabbed with bravoxin. So can anything survive black leg, would it have similar symptoms to botulism and if it is blackleg would the leg ever be any use??? Sorry if this is a bit long winded.

 

[S J H]

I thought they died within the same day with blackleg?

 

[valtra 101]

same here i thought blackleg just came on them like that then died,we lost 4 calves in one field last year within 24hrs and a cow the week before, we lost a calf yesterday that i suspected to be blackleg but vet thought was more like ccn?

 

[S J H]

same here i thought blackleg just came on them like that then died,we lost 4 calves in one field last year within 24hrs and a cow the week before, we lost a calf yesterday that i suspected to be blackleg but vet thought was more like ccn?

Are you vaccinating?

 

[reverand]

I think they die within 24 hr

 

[Princess Pooper]

Surely vaccinating an animal that already has it is no use (sorry your post was a bit confusing but that sounds like how you've 'treated' it?) Need to talk to a vet, thought only hope of survival was strong dose antibiotics early on?

 

[CharcoalWally]

Surely vaccinating an animal that already has it is no use (sorry your post was a bit confusing but that sounds like how you've 'treated' it?) Need to talk to a vet, thought only hope of survival was strong dose antibiotics early on?

I read it that @johnspeehs had already vaccinated the heifer but only a short time before the heifer took unwell? If I've read his post correctly he isn't sure if the heifer has had long enough time since vaccination to gain any protection from blackleg.

 

[jimmer]

the swollen leg is probably just a result of being led on it awkwardly , pr*ck it with a needle and see if she responds

 

[johnspeehs]

Thanks Charcoal wally, that's exactly what I meant. We vaccinate everything as they arrive here or are born but this hfr was only here a Cpl of weeks so I was thinking the vaccine wouldn't have had time to take affect. Sorry if it was a bit confusing, what I basically am asking was can an animal survive blackleg? Just waiting on the vet arriving.

 

[onthehoof]

Can survive if you catch them soon enough, bang them full of antibiotics, however you won't know you've got it till you've found a dead animal as it's difficult to diagnose in live ones.

 

[multi power]

they can recover, IF you catch them quick enough, i can remember vet saying about it, think there was a couple of dead ones in a bunch n a few others that were just early stages treated n recovered

 

[bovine]

I've never saved one. The disease hits very hard and fast.

 

[organicguy]

We've saved calves but usually you have to treat them within 12 hours of any symptons.
if she has survived a few days it is either not blackleg or she will get over it.

 

[Y Fan Wen]

I was walking home from a fencing job with Dad one day and just before reaching the yard we were looking at a ewe in the field walking stiff legged. 'Better have a look at her', he said. We put the tools away and walked round to the gate to see her lying down. Dad stayed by the gate and I walked across to it. He could not understand why I just grabbed it by the leg and started dragging it back. It had died while we were putting the tools away and it was already stinking when I got to it! Couple of minutes dead at the most!!

 

[Davy]

This came up in a search when i was trying to give myself some hope. Have an 11 month old bull, never been out of a shed yet took a swollen leg yesterday morning. Didnt think hed have gotten injured so treated him with antibiotics for i was suspucious of blackleg. Hes still alive but the hind leg is very swollen and you can feel the fluid just under the skin. Im hoping if hes made it this far he might keep going....

 

[organicguy]

Unlikely to be Black leg if in the shed IMO. Blackleg is soil borne anaerobic so usually picked up from disturbed soil through an injury.

 

[Davy]

Thats what i thought but the symptoms lead me there. Is it possible whatever is wrong could have been caused by some waste in the silage?

 

[Beef farmer]

Unlikely to be Black leg if in the shed IMO. Blackleg is soil borne anaerobic so usually picked up from disturbed soil through an injury.

Mmmmmm absolute cosh.
Used to house 1100 cattle in yards and never let them out, blackleg was our biggest killer. Soil maybe bought in with straw, silage and grain? But its definitely a problem that occurs in sheds.

 

[reverand]

would it not be dead by now?

 

[organicguy]

Mmmmmm absolute cosh.
Used to house 1100 cattle in yards and never let them out, blackleg was our biggest killer. Soil maybe bought in with straw, silage and grain? But its definitely a problem that occurs in sheds.

You learn something new every day. Only ever had it with cattle outside. How did you deal with it?
Vaccination?