C- Castrating Problem

[Janene]

Here’s my problem: We castrated Napoleon on the 3rd the ‘old-fashioned way’ by cutting. We assisted with our other 2 bull calves last year, so knew what we were doing. (Plus I’ve castrated thousands of piglets).
All looked fine for the first 4 days, except for a bit of normal swelling. After that, infection had started to set in, (all those nasty flies and laying in poo) more on the right side than the left. I called the local vet, he gave me some LA200. I gave Napoleon his shot in the neck (10cc per the vet & 5cc the next day) and made sure everything was draining (it was) and syringed some hydrogen peroxide mixed (equal parts) with sterile water into each incision hole—per the vet.
Things looked better for about 3-4 days, then all hell broke loose. He swelled up again, both sides got hard & pussy-draining. So I went & got some Penicillin last Friday & gave it to him for 4 days (2cc 2X per day). I made sure that all was draining & flushed all once a day.
Now his left side is ‘normal’, it looks like it should after being castrated. But, his right side is still swollen & HARD.
Tomorrow it will be 2 weeks since the deed was done & I am at a loss now as what to do. The vet wasn’t much help the first time, so I’d prefer not to call him if at all possible. (He is VERY ‘old-school’, brass, and is used to working with beef cows. I chit-chatted with him the first time, and he didn’t seem too concerned at all about Napoleon. The term ‘Family Cow’ is totally foreign to him!)
I would appreciate *any* help/suggestions. All I can figure out is the hardness is dried puss? (Like an old abscess?)
I am kicking myself for not pushing to get the penicillin the FIRST time; I got to thinking later (after the fact!) that LA200 is more for respiratory problems? I figured the vet would know what was best….at least I’ll be prepared if/when I need the vet the next time. (Boy am I thankful Dolly had no calving problems & needed a vet!) Whew!
Janene

PS The next closest vet is 45+ miles away...
Napoloen is such a trooper & such a loveable little guy--even after all of this!!

[Claire]

Could it be a harden wall of an abcess? If there is still an opening can you look or feel around to see if some thing nasty is still lurking up there? I would be tempted to pack the hole with some antibiotic gel.

[myersfarm]

Janene i cut all the time first problem ppl have is they DO NOT PULL the testicles out thats what you have to do as you pull you constrict the blood vessels and i very seldom have any blood....after you pull out the testicles you then cut the little cords that will be hanging down if you pull on them then cut off where they will be up inside the bag....but do not cut the testicles off pull them out till it breaks off then cut the cords they should look like strings real small.. rub a little iodine on the bag all over and you good to go .... i use the la 200 it is a good antibiotics but i do not understand the dosage you gave him la 200 it works for three days that why it works so good as to why you give a shot the second day i don't understand also you give la200 in a shot of 5 cc per 100 lbs if you calf weight 200 then the 10cc would be right don't know why you would need a shot next day of 5 cc ....the bags when you cut the calf's will close up and i am sure with the flys so bad it could have got infected but most the time they just swell up and the bottom closes back up and it looks like they are really swollen the next week but it will go down slowly.......the penicillin only works for hours then its gone unless it is the penicillin G and that last for days but to me the la 200 is better when giving at 5 cc per 100 if i did anything to him now would be to rub iodine on the bag let it seal and grow back together at the bottom would check him every day and just keep rubbing iodine on it..........might spray him with some kind of fly spray like permectin on the back and sides.......hope he gets better....john

[Deleted]

John, I castrated a hog once, but that is the limit of my ability. The hog protested terrible till the job was over, then was friendly to me in less than an hour.I numbed the pig first, but he had a spot that wasn't completely numb...poor fellow. I didn't pull them off, merely pulled them out and cut the top and bottom. It wasn't fly season so he was swollen quickly, shutting the wound from dirt and healed nicely. In less than an hour he was laying for a belly rub. He must of thought my husband and his friend who held his legs thru the wire did it, lol. They just screamed oh my, and ouch, and other things while I tried to just get it done. They were going to do it all, but once on the scene, I was lucky they held him with their eyes shut.


I need to know all this in case I ever need it done to a larger bull, I would prefer to do it myself. This would be a good post for the tree of knowledge.

Don't get me wrong, my vet is wonderful to my dog, but doesn't think 'farm animals' hurt as much. I took one older bull calf to the vet and he sliced and diced him and I never saw a more terrified bloodier animal than him when I picked him up. I cried and was furious since I asked for pain meds and a calming shot to be administered first. From the very cheap bill I saw he got nothing. I prefer to get the pre-measured shots with anesthetics and calmers from my vet and do it myself. I think he prefers it this way too, thinks I am too soft maybe, or more than likely he feels to busy to baby my critters. We have a new vet, he pulled Georgia out alive. He worked at a dairy while going to college. I think I will ask for him always for Fancy.

[Janene]

John--
That's pretty much what we did during the process. There was a bit of blood, but very little.
I forgot to add, the hard mass isn't hot to the touch, well, just hard. One scab came off last night & what it revealed was normal looking. Nothing smells, or anything like that.
I have been putting salve or iodine on it, but it all gets licked or rubbed off, and lots of fly spray, too.
About the LA200--I just did what the vet told me to do on that. I hadn't had any experience with it before this. That's why I went & got some Pen G (penecillin).
It doesn't seem to bother the calf, he is pooing and peeing normal.
Janene