3 Day Old Cow Wont Eat

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Mira was bad today! Is still bad... I came to give her the second feeding and she can't stand up even if I try to assist her and her breathing is heavy... She can still feed so I was able to give her some food but she's miserable you guys...
 
She can't stand up and keeps throwing her head back. She wants to drink the bottle but can't get herself to. It's almost like a seizure or something but she's not spasming like one. It's just bizarre and she wasn't doing that this morning. She can't stand and she throws her head so far I'm afraid she's gonna crack her skull... I gave her a vitamin b shot and I'm just sitting with her now... She wants to stand but it's like she's a newborn and forgot how to
 
MRRherefords":3owrkflf said:
Is she wheezing? Reminds me a bit of pneumonia. Hope it's not, but that can hit quick and cause havoc, especially on the weak immune.
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I don't hear wheezing. Just heavy breathing. Her stomach area twitches like it hurts or like when your stomach ripples and you have to puke.

She was able to stand up and feed for a few minutes but then fell back down and spazzed out again...
 
MRRherefords":253bxs2v said:
If her strength is way down, you may want to consider electrolytes. That has saved weak calves for us before.
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If I can get her to survive the night I'll get her some more first thing in the morning...
 
Okay so an hour later we're doing better. I think getting the shot, two pints of formula, and all my loving and pets and coos has helped out. She can stand again and is walking around but good golly Molly that was scary...

I feel bad. I usually come check her right after I get off work just to pet on her and love on her. But I had work to finish in the house and I needed to finish it so I thought she'd be okay and worked and took a small power nap... Come down to the barn to a basic cow seizure (or what looked like a mild seizure to me...)

I don't know what that was but I'll be keeping an eye on her throughout the night and watching how she does... Maybe she's not getting enough to eat...

Well I'll try not to freak out on it. I'll call the vet tomorrow and see what he thinks and then pick up anything I can afford to pick up from him or try what he suggests... Hmm.
 
She's making weird sounds. Sometimes it sounds like she's burping and fighting off the need to vomit and she also sounds like she swallowed a bucket of water. I know that can be bloating but if I shake her I don't hear a sloshing sound so I'm guessing she sucked her bottle down to quickly... My poor cow
 
Jeanne - Simme Valley":x50wun3h said:
Is she running a fever? It sounds like she is having a difficult time breathing. That sounds like pneumonia.
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No she's breathing okay. She's just breathing heavily. There's no discharge coming from her nose. She's peeing a lot more and she's still got no blood in her poop but it is sticking to her tail pretty thickly... Maybe it's a mild pneumonia... I don't know what but I'm telling you it was terrifying to see her throwing her head back and around like that.
 
Jeanne - Simme Valley":1jbqb7x5 said:
Fever - have you gotten a thermometer? Breathing "heavily" IS a sign of respiratory illness.
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No I haven't gotten a thermometer to take her temperature yet. I remember you all telling me to do so but she'd been improving so I never got around to doing it...

If I get one, it can be a simple drugstore one right? And it's recital inserted?
 
LizHartley1991":3gskdfdn said:
Jeanne - Simme Valley":3gskdfdn said:
Fever - have you gotten a thermometer? Breathing "heavily" IS a sign of respiratory illness.
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No I haven't gotten a thermometer to take her temperature yet. I remember you all telling me to do so but she'd been improving so I never got around to doing it...

If I get one, it can be a simple drugstore one right? And it's recital inserted?
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Correct a generic from the drugstore will work. Look in the package, most will have a correction chart/number if it isn;t completely accurate.
 
Fed Mira this morning. She's up and moving about and super extra affectionate with me. I came in early to let her get an hour of time with me before I had to get ready for work. My mother suggested that she's probably lonely and that since calves are used to constantly being around their mothers, Mira is probably wanting more affection too.

I'll be trying to come check on her more than I have been. She probably got used to me being in the barn more than I have been lately. I hope it helps. I'll be giving her an antibiotic shot later today since I just am not good at giving the injections. She bucks and wiggles to much for me to handle her alone without stabbing her wrong :/
 
Straddle her head with her head behind your knees and her body in front. Right near your knee, pull her skin a little away so that it is like a fold in between your 2 fingers, slip the needle into this and give the shot. It is under the skin, known as subcutaneous or subq. If you can get her head into a corner, between your knees, she will be pulling back so that most of her neck is pulling away from your knees, it isn't so hard.
And yes she is probably lonely. Do you have one other cow, or a cow/calf pair that is quiet enough that could "live with her"??? Or maybe a yearling animal? Really she would probably be happier with some cow company, and she will learn to "be a cow" alot faster if she is around another one of her kind.
 
farmerjan":zyevjaf3 said:
Straddle her head with her head behind your knees and her body in front. Right near your knee, pull her skin a little away so that it is like a fold in between your 2 fingers, slip the needle into this and give the shot. It is under the skin, known as subcutaneous or subq. If you can get her head into a corner, between your knees, she will be pulling back so that most of her neck is pulling away from your knees, it isn't so hard.
And yes she is probably lonely. Do you have one other cow, or a cow/calf pair that is quiet enough that could "live with her"??? Or maybe a yearling animal? Really she would probably be happier with some cow company, and she will learn to "be a cow" alot faster if she is around another one of her kind.
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I know HOW to give a shot now. I just am not good at holding her still well enough. I'm a small thing and if Mira was on her hind legs standing she'd be taller than me. So I struggle a bit.

And I wish we did but most of our cows and calves are a bit "wild" and rough. They tend to get aggressive if anyone goes near them and can be kinda mean. Plus if Mira has some kind of bad sickness, it wouldn't be wise to put her with another cow that could get exposed.

Can I ask a weird question? Is it normal if a calf or any cow poops while laying down? Mira seems to do this a lot and while her poop doesn't look bloody and seems to be gaining more brown to the color (it's still a darkish yellow), she's constantly pooping while laying down and it costs her tail, back of her legs, and bottom in general and she has hay all over her bottom. I try to clean her up but I don't like to too much cause it's cold out and even with warm water it can get cold still...
 

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