How Do You Treat Contracted Tendons in the Calf


Nutrition was not associated; However, it is important to consider other conditions that may resemble tendon problems. The calf should be examined for signs of white muscle discomfort, weak calf syndrome and arthrogryposis. Consult your veterinarian to find out how to identify symptoms. These conditions are rare but life-threatening and require immediate care. An extension of the toe can help stretch the soft tissues of a contracted limb, but if a contraction is so strong that when the calf puts the foot down, the ankles remain, stretching makes it worse. “The foot is already beyond the point where the front hoof wall is vertical, and if you lengthen the toe, the calf stumbles worse,” he says. “And if we can make a contracted limb lengthen a little bit with physiotherapy, we try to treat the calf – with physiotherapy and time – and braces/braces can be part of physical therapy,” Anderson says. This is also known as contracted tendons (buckling) or the exact opposite – lax tendons, in which the back of the fetus touches the ground. Sometimes a calf is born with crooked legs, flaccid or contracted tendons, or any other abnormality that may need care. Some situations recover with time and movement, while others require intervention, and some defects are so serious that the calf must be euthanized. In other situations, a newborn calf may suffer from a broken limb that must be poured or smoothed to ensure proper healing. After an uneventful pregnancy and normal childbirth, when the cow gives birth to a calf.

As he struggles at his feet, one is shocked to see that his legs are not straight. Some experts believe that contracted tendons are more common in spring calving herds, especially when breeders try to increase the mother`s body condition in the last months of pregnancy. This coincides with the time when calves grow the fastest. If supplementation focuses on energy and protein and does not provide adequate mineral nutrition, the body and calf muscles can grow faster than its bones and tendons. There are four possible causes. Most cases are of genetic origin; both parents must carry a recessive gene. The position of the calf in the uterus can also affect the degree of disability. Some cattle breeds known for large calves (such as the Belgian Blues) have an extremely high incidence of tendon problems. Also, eating poisonous plants through the perineum during pregnancy can cause these and other birth defects. “Calves born immature [fully term but not fully developed] may have weak, lax tendons with fetal joints falling to the ground or carpus [central front limb joint] bent back,” Anderson says.

Tendon contracture is the result of contracted extensor tendons, which results in forward bending of the leg. The condition, if mild, can be corrected when the calf tries to stand and exercise. In the case of manual procedures, frequent stretching of the joints to stretch the tendons helps during treatment. It is recommended to check for abrasions due to pressure points placed on other areas of the legs during manual leg flexion. If there is a strong contraction, a leg splint may be necessary. Consult your veterinarian. “For calves that are so impaired that they cannot move or that have difficulty getting up and moving, we recommend railing or throwing it. Physiotherapy can often help, especially in animals that can`t move. A person can put the calf on its side and stretch the contracted limb several times a day for at least 10 minutes.

Stretch it to the point where the calf resists, hold it there for 10-15 seconds and release it. Give them a break of about 20 seconds, then start again. Repeated stretching can help,” he says. On Monday, the calf looked even worse, not better. Ken told me that as soon as I went to work, he would wean the calf. I realized that the calf was probably too weak to do so and I understood the measures to be taken. Sometimes a calf is born with crooked legs, flaccid or contracted tendons. Many straighten up on their own with time and movement, while others require intervention. Some are so heavy that the calf must be euthanized. Contracted tendons are the most common abnormality of the limbs at birth. In my experience, this is more often the case with large calves. This happens because their size keeps these limbs bent in utero for the past few weeks.

I ran to the barn to find Ken, the owner of the farm, and explained to him breathlessly, “We have a new calf, but he can`t go up, and he ran down the hill in the stream. He reacted quickly by dropping the key in his hand and leading us to the back pasture of the Gator. On the way, he explained that the plan was to lift the calf into the Gator`s bed and take him to the barn. Mama Kuh was following us. Some plant toxins cause contractions because they reduce the mobility of the fetus as it develops. Usually, the fetus is always in motion, but some toxins (in lupine and hemlock) act as sedatives; The fetus does not move and the joints lock. As the bones grow, the muscles and tendons are not stretched if the fetus does not move. It is not uncommon for producers to have calves with contracted tendons (buckling) during the calving season or exactly the opposite – cases of lax tendons where the back of the fetus touches the ground. Although it is difficult to prevent these abnormalities, fortunately, they only occur sporadically. Nevertheless, it is important to know how to manage them successfully and when to intervene. .