WARTS ON COWS - sometimes hundreds on a calf. How do I eliminate them without eliminating the calf?
A friend has some cows, and some of the calves get warts, sometimes hundreds. Does anybody have any ideas how to eliminate them? (Without eliminating the calves.)? Some local "cures", like using Easy-Off oven cleaner seem cruel. (Very acid and burns the skin.) Does anybody have a gentler solution?
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Aug 16, 2011. 8:03 PMkhouse2
says:
if you could keep castor oil on the warts, this will remove them; takes several weeks. this works good on people.
My cousin says to remove one of the warts and feed it to the cattle and the warts will come off.
My cousin says to remove one of the warts and feed it to the cattle and the warts will come off.
neosporin maybe? duct tape? or just leave them alone?
I have a farming friend and their cows have warts and they just applied SMALL AMOUNTS of easy-off oven cleaner. They sprayed a butt-load of the stuff into a towel then rubbed the towel over the cow and it worked really good (she won first place in a cow showing for her 4-H club just make sure you ruffle the fur when you do this or it will just run off
I have a farming friend and their cows have warts and they just applied SMALL AMOUNTS of easy-off oven cleaner. They sprayed a butt-load of the stuff into a towel then rubbed the towel over the cow and it worked really good (she won first place in a cow showing for her 4-H club just make sure you ruffle the fur when you do this or it will just run off
I removed a wart with duct tape, it left no scar. I cut a small circle of duct tape (large enough to cover the wart) and left it on for a week (that's what most instructions say -but I can't remember if it took longer). If the tape fell off I just applied another one right away. The wart completely disappeared without a mark. This is quite humane for a calf, however, since cows have fur, it may be a bit more difficult to apply to the skin.
That is certainly a new wart treatment for me, and seems friendly to the animal. I'll pass it on. I can't help but wonder why such a treatment might work, warts being virus caused. Maybe warts have needs, like for air, that the tape denies? Maybe holding in sweat has some effect? Your answer creates interesting questions.
Jul 25, 2009. 4:10 PMfangfriends
says:
I've tried the duct tape treatment, but it didn't work too well on my palm. On sweaty areas, the tape tends to fall off. But, the method could be worth a try!
Jun 30, 2009. 2:37 PMkarnuvap
says:
Warts are caused by a virus - Anti-viral drugs should clear them up. Many of the human treatments use acid but it is a particular mild acid - sylacillic acid otherwise known as aspirin! Hence kills the wart and numbs the pain at the same time. The reason why (even untreated) they disappear from us humans (eventually) is we generate our own immunity to the virus that causes them and our body then attacks them until they go.
The aspirin approach is a new one to me. Dissolving it in water and washing the area sounds gentle enough. I'll pass the idea on. Thanks.
Does it matter? Warts are largely cosmetic, if it affects commercial-value consult a vet'. L
It would matter to me if I had them. One can only imagine what matters to a calf.
Yes, it's a very cooperative community. Thank you all for your suggestions.
Jun 26, 2009. 2:46 PMorksecurity
says:
I would expect that the same cryo treatments that work on humans would work on the calves, but -- talk to the vet, not only to check this but to check whether this might be an indication that something else is going on.
Update on my other reply: The burning of warts might not be a good idea, unless the wind is blowing away from you. I have read a mention that doctors use cryo now because they were getting warts in their nose from burning.
Cryo would be nice to try, but liquid nitrogen is not easily available out here. I already mentioned that idea to my friend. If it was me, and I only had one, not hundreds, I would probably burn it off with my precision-tip soldering iron. (I sharpened the pointy tip and have used it successfully on moles and other skin blemishes.)
Jun 29, 2009. 8:23 AMorksecurity
says:
You can get freeze sprays marketed for wart removal as an over-the-counter item; try a drugstore. (Basically, they're the same stuff we used to use as circuit cooler when debugging electronics.)
Jun 26, 2009. 5:00 PMDELETED_GuardianFox
says:
This is a vet problem, it could be an indication of any number of other diseases including cancers and poxes. It'll be worth your friend's time and money to hire a guy. If you're concerned about the cost of treatment, consider the costs involved with losing the herd to disease or having their products recalled. Anyway, ask about herbal remedies if the disease is simply cosmetic. There are a number of essential oils which may help stop the growth of warts in humans and I'm certain that the vet will approve one or two for use on cattle.
I think my friend is probably trying to keep the solution low-budget and to not bring in a vet if he can avoid it. Another friend said she had horses with warts on their noses once. The vet said to smother the warts with oil, almost any kind. The oil idea sounds promising. Thank you for suggesting it. I'll pass it on.
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