# Heifer Calf with red warm knot between back legs



## Anntonette (Sep 28, 2018)

My calf seems to have a large knot between her back legs (see photo) it’s warm and red. What is this? What do I do? this is my first calf so I’m very new to all this.


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## Latestarter (Sep 28, 2018)

Welcome back! Long time no see  I'll tag a few cowfolks and hopefully they can help. @farmerjan @greybeard There are other cow owners, and they may be able to help as well. Hope it's nothing serious. Grats on the new calf.


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## Wehner Homestead (Sep 28, 2018)

Call a vet. Needs looked over to see if it needs lanced or not. Definitely needs antibiotics.


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## Anntonette (Sep 28, 2018)

Latestarter said:


> Welcome back! Long time no see  I'll tag a few cowfolks and hopefully they can help. @farmerjan @greybeard There are other cow owners, and they may be able to help as well. Hope it's nothing serious. Grats on the new calf.


Thanks


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## Anntonette (Sep 28, 2018)

Wehner Homestead said:


> Call a vet. Needs looked over to see if it needs lanced or not. Definitely needs antibiotics.


Do you have any idea what could cause something like that?


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## OneFineAcre (Sep 28, 2018)

It looks like an abscess
It would be caused by some type of bacteria


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## farmerjan (Sep 28, 2018)

It does look like some sort of abscess or infection.  She could have gotten poked or a little cut you would never notice and it got infected.  A couple of questions.  It looks like she is a holstein?  did you get her directly from a farm or from a stockyard /sale barn?  Is she to be a milk cow for your family in the future?  Is there any possibility she was a twin to a bull and is a free martin?  When a heifer is twin to a bull calf, they usually are what is called a free martin.  The female organs do not usually fully form and they cannot breed in 90% plus of the cases.  There is also sometimes incomplete formation of the vaginal tract, and sometimes of the urinary and rectal tract.  Also sometimes they are "weak walled".  I am not saying this is the problem;  but it could be a consideration if there are no other reasons.  If there is a problem like that  then urine or manure can actually get into the space between the muscle and the skin.   Again, not frequent, but something to keep in the back of your mind if she was a twin. 

I would say that it is a simple abscess or infection.   One other thing to consider is that it may be in the ligament tissue that will support the udder in the future.  So you want to get it taken care of.  I would call either someone who is familiar with female cattle, preferably dairy type, or a vet.  It may just become a harder knot and will burst open on its own or could be lanced to drain it, but without seeing it in person, I would not be willing to make any definite diagnosis or suggestion.


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## Wehner Homestead (Sep 29, 2018)

I think @farmerjan rounded out the options. She has much more dairy experience than I do. 

I’m leaning toward abscess but without visualizing in person, I can’t say for sure.


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## Anntonette (Oct 2, 2018)

Thanks y’all! I called a vet who drained it and has instructed me to flush it out daily. It seems that she got a briar and it became infected. 

I appreciate all of the advise and help!!


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## Anntonette (Oct 2, 2018)

farmerjan said:


> It does look like some sort of abscess or infection.  She could have gotten poked or a little cut you would never notice and it got infected.  A couple of questions.  It looks like she is a holstein?  did you get her directly from a farm or from a stockyard /sale barn?  Is she to be a milk cow for your family in the future?  Is there any possibility she was a twin to a bull and is a free martin?  When a heifer is twin to a bull calf, they usually are what is called a free martin.  The female organs do not usually fully form and they cannot breed in 90% plus of the cases.  There is also sometimes incomplete formation of the vaginal tract, and sometimes of the urinary and rectal tract.  Also sometimes they are "weak walled".  I am not saying this is the problem;  but it could be a consideration if there are no other reasons.  If there is a problem like that  then urine or manure can actually get into the space between the muscle and the skin.   Again, not frequent, but something to keep in the back of your mind if she was a twin.
> 
> I would say that it is a simple abscess or infection.   One other thing to consider is that it may be in the ligament tissue that will support the udder in the future.  So you want to get it taken care of.  I would call either someone who is familiar with female cattle, preferably dairy type, or a vet.  It may just become a harder knot and will burst open on its own or could be lanced to drain it, but without seeing it in person, I would not be willing to make any definite diagnosis or suggestion.



I got her from another local farmer. I knew to ask if she was a freemartin, I was told no, and considering that’s she’s supposed to one day be our family’s milk cow I really hope not. She is a  Holstein. I had a vet come out and he says he was able to get a briar out of it and he drained it. I was instructed to flush it daily.


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## frustratedearthmother (Oct 2, 2018)

Glad it wasn't any worse!


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## Wehner Homestead (Oct 2, 2018)

Really glad that you called him out and that it’s minor enough that it shouldn’t have any lasting effects. I hope she turns into a great milk cow. Thanks for updating us!


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## farmerjan (Oct 2, 2018)

Glad that it turned out to be just an infection that could be taken care of pretty easily.  I was hoping for that outcome for you but just thought if you weren't well informed about  free martins, you would be raising a heifer that wouldn't be any good.   It sounds like the briar could have been on her tail and a couple of swats against her back end  and it embedded its self.  Like a splinter with us,  that gets in and then gets infected.  Good luck with her.


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## Latestarter (Oct 2, 2018)

Sweet end to that issue. Glad it wasn't anything more serious. Best of luck with her future as the family milk-mobile! Thanks for letting us know the outcome... too many times, we're left hanging and wondering "what ever became of that situation?"   Please stay around and visit now and again!


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