Post by freetodream on Apr 17, 2010 15:32:08 GMT -5
Hi everyone, well we brought our new milker and this special needs heifer home late last night. So far she's doing well and getting around ok. Her feet were badly overgrown even though she's only 6-8 mos so we laid her down and trimmed them this morning. they were overgrown to the point of starting to curl upwards so it'll be a process over the next 6-8 weeks to get them to look normal but they're much improved.
So the one hind fetlock sinks to the ground so she walks on her dewclaw as you can see in the pics, While she was done i took advantage of it and manipulated it to see whats going on; she's normal up until you get to the joint that flexes the foot and that does not bend it's as if it's fused. so the last joint that bends on that leg is the fetlock. I'm not sure why but I'd bet it's interesting on an xray. However even though this leg is like that she bears most of the weight on it. So I'm thinking that the injury or whatever is actually in the other hind leg and this is how she compensates.
The other hind leg that doesn't drop at the fetlock is crooked but in a "windswept" way at least thats what it's called with a horse foal. She just barely bears weight on the inside of her hoof only she never steps fully on it. I can't find anything in the lower leg wrong and the way she walks seems like it's higher in the pelvis/hip. So I don't know what came first really, if the injury is in the leg that doesn't drop and her compensation made the other fetlock drop or the fetlock dropping makes her hip's sore since she's walking unevenly.
I'd love some opinions though. She's a little thin but her coat is shiny and she looks healthy otherwise. Her appetite is great as well. We weighed her as well and she comes in at 497 lbs at 8 mos old so according to the growth charts I've found for guernseys say she's right on track growth wise. This is the chart I used:
www.das.psu.edu/research-extension/dairy/nutrition/pdf/ud006.pdf
These are pics from this morning:
I have a video clip of her walking but I'm not sure how to post it. It's uploaded to my photobucket acct.
Thanks for any thought's or speculations i appreciate it
Kjersti
So the one hind fetlock sinks to the ground so she walks on her dewclaw as you can see in the pics, While she was done i took advantage of it and manipulated it to see whats going on; she's normal up until you get to the joint that flexes the foot and that does not bend it's as if it's fused. so the last joint that bends on that leg is the fetlock. I'm not sure why but I'd bet it's interesting on an xray. However even though this leg is like that she bears most of the weight on it. So I'm thinking that the injury or whatever is actually in the other hind leg and this is how she compensates.
The other hind leg that doesn't drop at the fetlock is crooked but in a "windswept" way at least thats what it's called with a horse foal. She just barely bears weight on the inside of her hoof only she never steps fully on it. I can't find anything in the lower leg wrong and the way she walks seems like it's higher in the pelvis/hip. So I don't know what came first really, if the injury is in the leg that doesn't drop and her compensation made the other fetlock drop or the fetlock dropping makes her hip's sore since she's walking unevenly.
I'd love some opinions though. She's a little thin but her coat is shiny and she looks healthy otherwise. Her appetite is great as well. We weighed her as well and she comes in at 497 lbs at 8 mos old so according to the growth charts I've found for guernseys say she's right on track growth wise. This is the chart I used:
www.das.psu.edu/research-extension/dairy/nutrition/pdf/ud006.pdf
These are pics from this morning:
I have a video clip of her walking but I'm not sure how to post it. It's uploaded to my photobucket acct.
Thanks for any thought's or speculations i appreciate it
Kjersti