Dr.iCow’s Diary
Date: 05.02.2020
Dear Dr.iCow,
My cow has a problem in the horn of left with a lot of something like mucus. Tell me doctor.
From: Robert Mutuma, County: Meru, Kenya.
Discussion:
The cow was dehorned in August 2019. Wounds usually heal well with no treatment. There are risks of complications like uncontrolled bleeding, fly contamination and bacterial infections and they do occur. In this case the dehorning wound healed but now some pus has been coming out on the left horn wound and this could be because of bacterial infection through contamination.
Dear Robert,
The cow with a problem of pus coming from the left horn wound after dehorning is having a complication of bacterial infections. Dehorning wounds usually heal well and quickly. The pus around the left horn following dehorning in August last year shows that the wound did not heal properly and the dehorned site could be septic or contaminated. The cow could be suffering from a condition called suppurative frontal sinusitis. Please call a vet doctor to examine and give treatment which may involve a minor surgical procedure.
Please note, after dehorning it is very important to have a post-operative management so as to prevent bacterial contamination. Poor management of wounds can result in very serious complications. Dehorning is a delicate procedure and should be performed by qualified veterinary professionals.
It is advisable to dehorn animals at young age at least before they attain the age of 2 months when horn buds become attached to the frontal bone of the skull.
Dehorning is part of cattle management. Dehorning has the benefit of having a herd free from damage like severe injuries and bruising caused by horns. There are various choices of dehorning methods like; chemical dehorning hot-iron dehorning and surgical disbudding. Disbudding and dehorning are surgical procedures. Calves and cattle require observation and aftercare following the procedure. Always consult a veterinary doctor.
Thank you
From your friend and advisor,
Dr.iCow