Ear Infection in Fawns

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Joined
Oct 29, 2012
Messages
1
Location
St. Paul, IN
I have lost 3 fawns in the last week and a half. I have never had this problem before in the last 8 years of raising deer. The problem seems to be heat related and the ear tags getting infected. When we tag our fawns we always put Neosporin topical ointment on the spike of the tag and tag closer to the head as possible. What is apparently happening is that the ear tags are causing an infection and overnight there is a large swelling where the ear attaches to the head. Treating with Penicillin (1 cc) as soon as we see it developing but doesn't seem to alter the course of the infection and they are dead within another 24 hours.



Any advice? The Penicillin doesn't seem to be changing anything - other antibiotic you would recommend? Herd vet coming tomorrow? Any pre-emptive measures you would recommend for remaining fawns?
 
I had one fawn this year with the same problem........I used the long lasting penicillin ....I definitely gave him more than he needed 3 cc's ...1 1/2 in his front shoulder and 1 1/2 in his rump.......plus I coated the infected area where the tag was with it as well....and sprayed him down with the alu guard spray to keep the flies off the wound.......wiped him up good with fly repellant too (not sure how long it lasted with mom licking him off)....but.......it seemed to work as he is up and running like he is supposed to be.......and he was not in good shape....I didn't expect to see him alive the next day.....I hope things turn around for you it is tough losing fawns.....
 
We had similar issue. If they're bottle feds then cut the tag out treat with iodine and give penicillin. We gave the penicillin orally twice a day. Paint their toes to keep em straight if you have more than one.

Anthony Salyers

Short Creek Whitetails
 
I use a tool that temple tag company sales

It cut a hole in the ear then I put the tag in the hole

No problems
 
Tom Gleason said:
I use a tool that temple tag company sales

It cut a hole in the ear then I put the tag in the hole

No problems



We use a regular paper hole punch and it's been working great for the past few years. We punch a hole with the punch then the tag goes in nice and easy. Clean holes with no extra skin getting pulled in.
 
WillPenn Whitetails said:
We use a regular paper hole punch and it's been working great for the past few years. We punch a hole with the punch then the tag goes in nice and easy. Clean holes with no extra skin getting pulled in.

Those are awesome ideas....but your still putting a hole in the ear and creating a chance for infection.....you can be as careful as possible and you still never know when you may have a fawn end up with an infection from tagging.....but this could help reduce the chances....anything is worth a try....the Main thing is to make sure the tools are sterile and void of bacteria!!
 
iodine on ear tag before putting it in the ear and make sure the tag is free in the ear and not bound up
 
I had some a few years back that did this. At the time I was using a long neck tag that I thought was rubbing when the fawn walked, making the ear raw. I then went back to smaller tags. I know alot of people use bigger tags n never have a problem. I went back to some bigger tags this year and only had a problem with 1 fawn. When I found her I cut the tag out, gave her penecillin, and sprayed the ear with alu shield. She is running with mom n doing fine. Always pull the tag n button apart if not this will cause friction.
 
Squirt Tetradure (oxytetracycline) around the puncture both front and back of the ear. We've never had much trouble with tagging but several years ago we had 2 or 3 fawns that had problems and the Tetradure cleaned them up in a couple of days.
 
go4drhunting - I think you have been getting some good info, but I believe your main problem has not gotten addressed yet. I think your problem could be multifaceted, but I also think the main problem lies within your placement of the tag. I of course have not seen where you are placing the tag, I'm only going by your statements and my experience of doing what I believe you said you are doing.

Sounds like , if your tagging as close to the head as possible, you're likely tagging into more of the 'meat' of the ear than you should, and you need to be in-between the ribbing of the ear and approx. half way to 3/5 of the way out on the ear from the head to the tip, and 1/3 of the way up from the bottom edge of the ear. This position works well because A) It places the tag in a thin area of the ear with no flesh/meat, only cartilage, and B) allows the tag to lay in a position to cause the least amount of friction to the ear because you are placing it below the curve/cup of the ear.

One year we tried changing locations of our tags. We moved them lower and closer to the head. We did this to allow a quicker and clearer reading of the tags as the deer got older, cause as the deer got older and their ears grew and their hair grew, we had trouble reading our tags. That year we had ALL KINDS OF TROUBLE with ear infections and lost fawns because of it. I incorporated 9 or 10 people that year to help me catch each and every one of my fawns to remove the tags, treat them, and put in new tags in new positions. We had ears so infected that they stunk with rot...because they were indeed rotted.

Here's what we have always done and RARELY had trouble after that one particular year:

1) We started by making sure we had tags designed to ward off infection (not sure how key this is , cause we used these kind of tags the year we had all the trouble, but it can't hurt).

2) Dipped the stud of the tag in alcohol

3) Thoroughly cleaned the front and the back of the ear with alcohol

4) Then, as you have already been advised by others, wiggle and pull the stud lose from the female part so it's not bound, and then spin the tag in the ear to make sure it's not bound there either.

5) We always, along with our other shots, gave the fawn a shot of Draxxin as well.

6) And of utmost importance, and as I said before I believe to be the main source of your problem, make sure you get that tag placed in a thin part of the ear, absent of flesh, and placed solely in cartilage between the ribbing of the ear.

This has been what has worked for us and has worked well. When I said ''RARELY'' did we have trouble, let me spell that out more clearly. Out of 40 to 50 fawns born and tagged each year, 1 fawn every 3rd or 4th year or so, MAYBE, would come up with an infected ear.

Hope this helps and hope the best for you and your deer...God Bless!!!
 
go4drhunting,

Jonathan and I talked about your problem along with his. He has had some do the same thing. He has also had problems with infected umbilical stumps. I wonder if due to the drought last year the limestone that is in his ground is causing this problem. He lives right on Hurrcane creek that has a lot of limestone bedrock. I know in standardbred race horses it will cause infection on the pasterns and back if they are not washed well after coming back off of the limestone track. I also wonder about some sort of bacteria or fungus in the ground surfacing last year during the drought. I suggested giving them a shot tetradure when they are born/tagged and may not hurt to follow up with a second. Iodine the navels and clean the ear good before tagging with iodine. Fusoguard when tagging probably wouldn't hurt either.



Jerrilee
 

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