# Calf w/ Swollen Knees?



## sweetsagefarm (Jul 24, 2009)

Last Monday morning I purchased a black bull bottle calf at the sale barn. I brought him straight home. We got him started well on the bottle and he now willingly takes his bottle twice a day. he does not have scours, a runny nose or a cough. He is strong and not at all thin. 

Today, a man was at our farm and was looking at the calf. He mentioned that he thought his front knees looked swollen and then asked what happened to his ears. The calf has ears, but to me, they look kind of like Shrek's ears. Really rounded on the ends.

Are these things that I should be concerned about? I have only raised 4 bottle calves. This is my fifth. The first one was a Holstein and we used him for veal. The second was also a Holstein and we ran into some financial issues and sold him very shortly after we got him. The third is an Angus heifer and she is now weaned and on pasture. The fourth was a Holstein and he died. Now this one is my fifth.

Thank you for any help or insight you can offer me.


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## TK04 (Apr 8, 2009)

I believe swollen knees can be a sign of naval ill. How old was the calf when you bought him and how old is he now? Is he running a higher than normal temperature? Just some thoughts.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

I second the idea of 'navel ill'. That is when a newborn calf absorbs an infection through its umbilical cord and the infection usually sets up in the knee joints. You should take his temp. 

The ears...probably got sucked on by other calves. Chances are there were a number of calves in the pen together and usually the littlest one gets their ears sucked on the most. they will also suck eachothers navel areas, which could explain both your questions. 

It is too late to do much about the ears. They will just look funny.


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

Also......probably a silly question but could be valid depending on how "cattle savvy" this man was......"not at all thin" and "black bull bottle calf".......is he possibly half or more Angus?? I had a Jersey/Holstien heifer calf born here this past spring and her joints were *huge* due to her bloodlines. Looked swollen when she was young but were not. She grew into them I am sure(sold her). She was jet black.
But failing that, I'd look into the navel ill.


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## sweetsagefarm (Jul 24, 2009)

TK04,

I am not sure how old he was when I bought him. My thoughts were that he was probably a week old or less. I've had him for a week and a day, so he's probably now just at or under two weeks old. I can take his temperature. If it is high, then what?


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## sweetsagefarm (Jul 24, 2009)

Emily,

I assumed he had a lot of Angus in him. That is mostly what sells at the sale barn that I went to. Angus and Angus crosses. I don't believe he has any dairy in him, but don't know enough about cattle breeds to know for certain. He is solid black andbuilt very sturdy. It was me saying that is is not at all thin. But I'n not what you would call cattle savvy, either. I'm just starting out.


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

Ok, are his knees truly swollen, or does he have very big bones?? If it is Navel ill, he should be running a temp and the infection should keep him from being too perky.


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## sweetsagefarm (Jul 24, 2009)

he's perky enough. about like the other well bottle calves we have had. i just took his temp and it is 102.1. as of this evening, he dos have a snotty nose.


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

Thats pretty normal temp. Have you felt his knees for any swelling or squishiness?
The one time a calf had navel ill here, it only swelled up one knee.


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## sweetsagefarm (Jul 24, 2009)

OK. first of all, i completely take back the snotty nose. my husband restrained him for my to take his temp and he slobbered a little and blew some white snot out of his nose.

we both went back down to the barn again just a few minutes ago and we both felt his knees. he has a fatty cushion on the fronts of both front knees, but neither of us felt like they were swollen.

just now, my husband went out to the pasture and felt our angus heifer's knees and he says hers feel about the same. she hasn't been sick a day in her life. she was a bottle baby too.

thank you for all the help. i feel much better now.

michelle


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Michelle, I've had cattle and reared calves for well over 30 years but will still look at some calves knees and frown. To reassure myself I go and have a feel and find out they just have knobbly knees. As Emily said, some calves "grow" into their knees.

However, it doesn't hurt to check these things because lack of attention can give you a dead calf or a calf that will be permanantly lame. Apart from being swollen and squishy as the condition becomes advancesd, they are also usually very warm, or even hot, to the touch.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## bigmudder77 (Jun 9, 2008)

do you have any pics of his knees?


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