15 month heifer with spring squirts

[moloss]

I have a 15 month old heifer that is all of a sudden looking terrible and has the squirts like she's on spring grass.....none of the other cows have it.....any ideas? thinking of taking her to the vet but can an antibiotic or something treat this? and how will the vet know if we can treat it? may sound real vague but her stool is just liquid.

 

[kerley]

The Vet will know

 

[James T]

When you say she's looking terrible, what do you mean? Can you give a description? Is she down or still up and getting around o.k.? Any signs of dehydration (take some skin on her neck between your thumb and index finger and twist it about 90 degrees or so and then let go. Does it snap back in place slowly?) If so, I would correct this right away (electrolytes) and work on what's causing the squirts. Take her temperature. Let us know. OR, just run her to the vet.

 

[djinwa]

My first thought would be coccidiosis - causes liquid manure. It's a parasite they pick up from ingesting manure from an infected animal. Can be from eating off the ground which has or had manure on it, or licking other cows with manure on them or whatever. Around bale rings can be nasty.

Anyway, before you run the heifer to the vet, try to collect some of the runny manure in a jar and take that in. They can look under the microscope to see the parasite. You may also want to isolate her as she could be spreading it around for others to be infected. Might consider preventive treatment for others - pour Corid in water.

At this stage, too late to treat the coccidiosis in this heifer, though may need to treat any complications. Hopefully she's still eating and drinking. After the infection she'll be immune. Other cows may already be immune if they've had some degree of infection, or maybe they weren't exposed to as much as she was - different eating habits?

Younger animals more likely to be infected due to lack of immunity.

All assumptions though, until you get a diagnosis.

 

[moloss]

thank y'all for the responses.....the earliest I can get her up is saturday, we'll see what the vet says

 

[moloss]

well I was able to take a stool sample up to the vet and she has coccidiosis....the vet gave me these giant pills (that's gonna be fun, not) and dectumax to help get rid of anything else she might have.....I went out and bought some worming licks for everybody else....anything else y'all would do? thanks for everything, Chris.

 

[Crazy Farmgirl]

My first thought would be coccidiosis - causes liquid manure. It's a parasite they pick up from ingesting manure from an infected animal. Can be from eating off the ground which has or had manure on it, or licking other cows with manure on them or whatever. Around bale rings can be nasty.

Anyway, before you run the heifer to the vet, try to collect some of the runny manure in a jar and take that in. They can look under the microscope to see the parasite. You may also want to isolate her as she could be spreading it around for others to be infected. Might consider preventive treatment for others - pour Corid in water.

At this stage, too late to treat the coccidiosis in this heifer, though may need to treat any complications. Hopefully she's still eating and drinking. After the infection she'll be immune. Other cows may already be immune if they've had some degree of infection, or maybe they weren't exposed to as much as she was - different eating habits?

Younger animals more likely to be infected due to lack of immunity.

All assumptions though, until you get a diagnosis.

I have never heard of a cow becoming "immune" to coccidiosis? To my understanding per the Vet all will have some in their system but during times of stress (illness, internal parasite, poor diet, ect) the level can increase to the point of overload then treatment is required.

Also don't understand why you believe it's "too late to treat this heifer"?

***********
Moloss

I would be concerned about what else is going on with this heifer to weaken her system to allow the cocci to overload.

As stated before watch for dehydration. I would also isolate her and keep an eye on the rest of the cattle for any signs of cocci. Did the vet suggest preventative treatment for the rest? Especially if you have young ones in the heard I'd be concerned as they are more susecptible.

 

[bigbull338]

she has a bad case of what i call winter dissentary.go to the vet an get her 2 shots of atropene or whatever they give for the squirts now.an that should fix her right up.

 

[dun]

she has a bad case of what i call winter dissentary.go to the vet an get her 2 shots of atropene or whatever they give for the squirts now.an that should fix her right up.

Did you happen to read where she was tested and has coccidiosis?

 

[bigbull338]

i overlooked that dun.but then again i never had a cow tested to see what she had.just went to the vets an got atropine shots.an it would clear up in 2 or 3 days.

 

[KNERSIE]

well I was able to take a stool sample up to the vet and she has coccidiosis....the vet gave me these giant pills (that's gonna be fun, not) and dectumax to help get rid of anything else she might have.....I went out and bought some worming licks for everybody else....anything else y'all would do? thanks for everything, Chris.

Not going against the vet's advice at all, by all means do as he tells you, but if the bolusses turn out to be too much of a PITA give her sulfamethidazene (sp?) at a double dose the first day followed up by a single dose for the next three days. I've never had a single case that this didn't cure. Usually one of two treatments should do, but i'd still recommend to give it for 4 consequtive days. Over here Disulfox and Maxisulf would be the most common brandnames and it available over the counter.

 

[moloss]

well I gave her the last round of pills when I got home from work last night.....everything went very well and while she was in the alley I noticed the squirts were gone! now if I can only get her to gain a 100# or so I'll be in high cotton! thanks for everyone's suggestions and comments......Chris.

 

[Gale Seddon]

Well, I'm glad your heifer is better, moloss.

I now have three weanlings with coccidia (moderate to heavy load per fecal test). They're on day 3 of CORID in their water trough (they're separated from the other cattle). Then I have to put them on a special grain with an additive in it for a while.

I'm going to a regional cattle association meeting on Thursday night; the topic is pinkeye, but the speaker who has a PhD in parasitology, so I plan to pick his brain about this. If I learn something of interest, I'll post back about it.

 

[moloss]

thanks that'll be awesome!

 

[Nesikep]

I had a couple 1 month old heifer calves this spring with what I think was Coccidiosis... Sulfa boluses didn't help at all,... I kept a close eye on them to make sure they were still sucking, and it took a long time (2 weeks) but they were just fine after that.. both weaned at 550 and they were from heifer cows.. I know the sulfa boluses didn't do any good because one of them would eat them from my hand like candy, so she got her share, but the other I couldn't get within 50 feet of (they both had lots of get up and go still), both got over it at the same time. Had the wild one suddenly gotten tame enough to catch, I would have been more concerned

Good to hear your heifer is well now though

 

[Gale Seddon]

I'm going to a regional cattle association meeting on Thursday night; the topic is pinkeye, but the speaker who has a PhD in parasitology, so I plan to pick his brain about this. If I learn something of interest, I'll post back about it.

Moloss, my 3 weanlings have finished the 5-day treatment phase of Corid in their water. I asked the PhD whether to put them on the grain with rumensin (or deccoxx) in it (one of them won't eat grain at all). He said as long as they are drinking the water with the Corid in it, I can continue that at the "prevention" level, which is half the amount of the treatment level Corid, so that's what I shall do. (I'd rather not get the grain with rumensin at $78 for a 50# bag, but also because that is poisonous to equine and I have donkeys here.)

I also asked about a 3 yr. old bull who has poop all over his butt; the answer to that was "benign neglect" - do nothing - probably just the result of green grass. Until now, I've never had any coccidiosis in my cattle; evidently, it usually affects the younger one, weanlings in particular. I will probably get another fecal done after 3 weeks of the prevention level and see where we stand.

Your heifer is older than my little guys; perhaps now that she has been treated, her appetite will improve and she'll pick up the weight she lost. I hope so. Not sure if any of this helps you with your heifer, but just wanted to share what I learned tonight (A LOT about pinkeye too!!!).