Client education There are several choices to consider with management of your calf. It must first be noted that an attempt to repair the fracture and infection of the calfŐs leg will be a very long, expensive process. We cannot guarantee that any treatment will provide a sound, useful breeding bull. While semen collection may be possible in the future, the bull may still exist in a very painful, stressed state, perhaps lowering the semen quality. Therefore, being aware of these factors, and depending on your intended use of the bull, euthanasia is an option. If you do choose to repair the fracture. Our first plan of action is to begin administration of antibiotics, to eliminate the infection in the fracture area. These antibiotics will first be given intravenously in the hospital, and following other treatments, we will discuss administration at your own farm. We will then surgically rid the area of the dead bone in the fracture area to help to speed up the healing process and reduce infection. During surgery we will stabilize the fracture using pins and a cast to help. Throughout the duration of the treatment analgesics will be administered as needed for pain. Following the surgery, it will be necessary to reevaluate the progress of healing. You have the option of leaving the bull in the hospital or caring for him at your own farm. If you choose to bring him home, it is necessary to keep him confined in a stall, and to keep that stall very clean. In approximately two weeks following the surgery, we will recheck the status of the infection, checking the effectiveness of the antibiotics. At the same time we check the progress of healing of the bone. However, it usually takes approximately one to two months (and possibly longer with the complication of infection) in order for the bone fracture to stabilize, at which time we will need to see the calf once more. After discontinuation of antibiotics we will reculture the infection site. If you do choose this method of treatment, it must be reemphasized that we are unsure of the prognosis, and there will be a high demand for time and money.