Ram lamb with suspected broken femur

[Jerry]

Just had the vet out to a 10mth old ram lamb which was limping badly. No sign of feet issues so had the vet out.

He is mobile but barely putting any pressure on his rear left leg.

Vet examined and suspects a broken femur. He said to pop him into a small pen and see how it develops over 30 days as being young and lots of muscle in that area it may heal of sorts enough to get him away come spring.

Anyone else had similar? How did it turn out?

He's had metacam and is eating and drinking just fine.

 

[gatepost]

I have had similar, no sign of an actual break but may have been fractured, unable to put weight on it for several months but all eventually came right, if not a little stiff on that leg, over the yrs 2 rams presumed fighting, and one lamb kicked by a horse.

 

[Jerry]

I have had similar, no sign of an actual break but may have been fractured, unable to put weight on it for several months but all eventually came right, if not a little stiff on that leg, over the yrs 2 rams presumed fighting, and one lamb kicked by a horse.

Thanks. I've my fingers crossed as he is s decent ram. If he is not 100% in a while I do need a teaser and he might suit.

 

[bovine]

Ethically I'm not happy about an animal being left in a pen with a broken leg. You'd want more than a couple of ibuprofen. I hope no one finds out, you know as you post it on the internet............

 

[Woolless]

Ethically I'm not happy about an animal being left in a pen with a broken leg. You'd want more than a couple of ibuprofen. I hope no one finds out, you know as you post it on the internet............

Yes and the vet is complicit? I doubt that an animal with a broken leg would eat and drink normally. Perhaps it's a damaged stifle, typical fighting injury.

 

[neilo]

I had a stock ram with similar, even had him X-rayed at vets (he was a good ram) to confirm. He 'may' have come right to get him culled fat, if he'd been confined for a month or two, but would likely never be up to serving sheep again.
I didn't think it fair to put him through it, and 2ml of Metacam every couple of days for a month or so, to keep him comfortable, would have come to near the possible cull value anyway. He went to meet his maker instead.

 

[bovine]

Yes and the vet is complicit?

Oh yes

 

[Tim W]

A suspect broken bone would have made him a freezer lamb here ----

 

[cowgirl95]

Ethically I'm not happy about an animal being left in a pen with a broken leg. You'd want more than a couple of ibuprofen. I hope no one finds out, you know as you post it on the internet............

Don't talk rubbish we had a 8 month old bull stirk with a vet diagnosed broken front leg vet said get rid we perserved he bore no weight on it for two weeks but slowly made a full recovery over next 3 months and went to market without even a limp at 650kg at 17 months

 

[bovine]

Well either you'd have let me shoot it or I'd have had to report you to trading standards. Me leaving the farm knowing that an animal has a broken leg makes me as guilty as you. You and your vet could have been prosecuted for causing unnecessary suffering and if that happened your vet would also have been struck off.

However much Metacam he or she prescribed.

I'm not saying that these bones cannot potentially mend in some fashion, I am saying it is cruel and inhumane letting that happen.

I sometimes wonder about people, when we even need to have these discussions.

 

[cowgirl95]

The bone did not mend in some fashion as you call it the bone mended perfectly in 3 months the bull never looked distressed or in great pain and always helped his own recovery with how he acted and looked after himself in my experience modern vets do struggle for experience of animal recovery because they don't follow up wether an animal ever gets better or not after they treat them

 

[bovine]

1. we always follow uo
2. cows are pray animals and can have awful things wrong with them and show very few outward signs of pain. Its supposedly a survival advantage so the lions don't pick them out as weak and eat them

Don't confuse it with the animal not feeling pain. I've broken bones and it f**king hurts.

 

[cowgirl95]

Not saying the animal was not in pain of cause it was in pain but it was not in severe pain or distress and made a full recovery quite quickly I am just saying farm animals with broken legs can make full recoveries without treatment just tlc

 

[bovine]

Its cruel. If you were found out you (and your vet) could be prosecuted.

I doubt you'd find any sort of expert to defend you in court.

 

[cowgirl95]

So every time you find an animal in pain you put it down do you ?

 

[bovine]

Every time I find an animal with a broken leg that cannot be fixed - yes I do.

I've put down animals with things like twisted guts due to the pain. Animals with burns after a barn fire.

I honestly can't think of anything else that comes close to the pain of a broken leg hanging as the bone ends grate against each other.

My job is to be a 'custodian' of animal welfare. That comes above everything else. You know vets have to take an oath when they qualify?

 

[cowgirl95]

not arguing with you animals in severe untreatable pain should be put down but animals in severe discomfort with broken limbs can make full pain free recoveries with no vet treatment have seen it happen

 

[bovine]

Last post on this, because we are going around in circles.

I simply DO NOT BELIEVE that an animal with a broken leg is not in SEVERE PAIN.

Yes it will mend. Yes it will live. BUT it will SUFFER and that's not OK.

I don't believe that there is ever a justification for letting these animals live in a situation where the fracture cannot be adequately supported (by a cast).

You are putting money over animal welfare, that's not OK. There's no grey area, you are 100% wrong on this.

 

[cowgirl95]

Surely a couple of weeks of moderate suffering for the animal that recovers to go on and live a normal long life is worth it had a Angus cross heifer about twelve months old slip and break it's leg so could not go fat as it had a limp so it got bulled and went on to have 8 calves in 7 years I am sure that cow thought it's 2 or 3 weeks in pain when young was worth it as it lay in the sun during all those long summer days it experienced during its life

 

[unlacedgecko]

Surely a couple of weeks of moderate suffering for the animal that recovers to go on and live a normal long life is worth it had a Angus cross heifer about twelve months old slip and break it's leg so could not go fat as it had a limp so it got bulled and went on to have 8 calves in 7 years I am sure that cow thought it's 2 or 3 weeks in pain when young was worth it as it lay in the sun during all those long summer days it experienced during its life

How do you know it wasnt suffering for every day of those 7 years? I'm totally shocked you can even think this is ok?

Even with the best medical care and surgery people can suffer lifetime pain as a result of broken limbs. I can't believe you think it's acceptable for animals to suffer broken limbs without vet care.