Hey guys I need some advice. I just noticed my big breeder buck has a chunk taken out the end(but still got a good ways to grow out) of his right main beam. What should I do? It seems like it is starting to heal over on its own because it is black and scabbed (I can get to within an arms length away so I got a good look), but I am not sure what to do with this. I have never had a breeder buck hit his antler and cause it to mess up antler growth. Any information or advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Velvet Injury
- Thread starter Ferguson288
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Joined Apr 2009
2,617 Posts | 0+
Edgar, WI
We had a 3 year old tear up his antlers last summer. If he is already healed up then just watch for flies. If not then you may want to clean the area and spray with Bluecoat to keep flies away. Flies and infection are you big concerns. Infection will show up as a spot of white or off white and may ooze from a small crack or hole.
Thanks. Today is the second day and it is just straight black, dried blood. I get an arms length away and see it with the naked eye pretty good. Will post a picture of it in the next day or two and let me know if he is in the clear.
Joined Apr 2009
524 Posts | 0+
Russell, MN
We had a yearling that looks like he may have gotten hoofed and broke one of his antlers off at the pedicle...or close to. Can't get close enough to him to see for sure. The whole thing is hanging down by his eye. He is clearly in pain cuz he when he runs, he hold his head weird.
My question is, would you call a vet and have them remove to ease his pain?
Would you leave on and let nature do it's thing? There is no visible broken velvet showing.....the whole thing is just hanging and broken inside, not outside. It does look swollen.....I'm assuming cuz of blood flow.
My question is, would you call a vet and have them remove to ease his pain?
Would you leave on and let nature do it's thing? There is no visible broken velvet showing.....the whole thing is just hanging and broken inside, not outside. It does look swollen.....I'm assuming cuz of blood flow.
Joined Apr 2009
2,617 Posts | 0+
Edgar, WI
Susan, I would guess the "swollen" look is blood flow into the antler. If it not broken open where flies are an issue then maybe just watch it to see what happens next. Can you post a couple of pics or make a video of it?
Joined Apr 2009
524 Posts | 0+
Russell, MN
I fixed one for a neighbor. A yearling that broke the antler off below the skin level...at the pedicle. The antler was swollen and giving lots of pain. We darted him, I took a knife and cut around the antler between base and G2 area. Then pulled the broken antler out of the head through the scalp and velvet of antler base. Then I flushed it out with a iodine wash and sewed it up. When I was done it was flush to the head and looked good. I had no idea how it would go from there but it healed up great . Jim
Susan, Jim is right on with the beam. I had a buck a few years ago break his beam and it hung down and swelled 5 times as big until he kicked it enough to break it open and drain the blood. I had the vet out the next morning to removed it. I tried to upload the video of how it was removed but I couldn`t get it to. The vet told me that the beam had died after the break and no longer had blood flow and would just rot if left there. The way Jim removed the one sounds like the way the vet removed this one. I`ll see if I can upload the video on an email and send it to you. Good luck.
Joined Apr 2009
524 Posts | 0+
Russell, MN
Thanks everyone.....I will get that picture tonight if possible. That situation sounds alot like ours. Randy is a taxidermist so I know he could sew it up real nice.
What about bleeding or since the antler is broken already, is the blood flow gone? We were more worried about being able to stop the bleeding if we did ourselves.
What about bleeding or since the antler is broken already, is the blood flow gone? We were more worried about being able to stop the bleeding if we did ourselves.
Susan in the case of my buck the vet had two hemostats but not sure if they were on the main blood vessels or just holding the surgical paper in place. I`m thinking there was no blood flow because he removed them before he stitched it up. Very minimal blood loss.
I just fixed a broken mainbeam on a yearling tonight. The broken part just hung down over his eye and had swelled to the size of a tennis ball. Took a knife and cut the velvet that was attached. Bled for a minute or two. Sprayed the wound with Catron IV to keep the flies off and put Cylence on between his shoulders. This will repel the flies and give it enough time to heal.
Joined Apr 2009
524 Posts | 0+
Russell, MN
We weren't able to get any pictures tonight between feeding fawns, feeding kids and husband and tagging a newborn...oh yeah and feeding the rest of the deer. Time just ran out. I'm pretty confident that we should be able to do what you all say and cut off. It sure sounds like the same kind of injury. Will get a picture tomorrow and then decide what to do.