2 wk old calf w/pnemonia

[Blackberry]

We bought a fairly newborn calf at the sale barn last Monday (April 8, 2013). We don't know the definite age of the calf but she still has the dried umbilical cord. Last week we had and unusually late ice storm come through Kansas and hung around for 2 days. During the ice storm I kept her in a small tin barn with a blanket around her for extra warmth. She came down with pneumonia, despite my best efforts, the calf was given a shot of Nufor and penicillin on Friday morning. All day Friday she was slow to eat but still ate all of the two bottles. Saturday the calf was excited and ate like a champ. Now this morning (Sunday) she flatly refuses to take any of her bottle. I have managed to use a turkey baster and forced 2 1/2 pints down her throat. I have given her another shot of Nufor and some more penicillin this morning. The calf has started going to the water trough and dunking its face in the water clear up to her eyes. I try to get her to drink more of the milk replacer but she still refuses even though she is wanting the water. I'm afraid that she will fill up on water and won't take anymore milk. What else can I do for this little girl? Does it know enough to keep its head out of the water so as not to drown?

 

[denvermartinfarms]

You need to use a tube feeder and get at least a gallon a day in the calf like. just like it would be getting from a bottle. And if it was me I would give the calf 5cc of zuprevo or baytril tomorrow. Because the nuflor is not working.

 

[hillsdown]

I would give her electrolytes , calves with high fevers sometimes have an electrolyte imbalance afterwards . Also add an anti inflam to her meds .

I agree about tubing if she will not drink, but remember smaller amounts throughout the day are better than a couple of large ones .

Btw if you are dealing with something viral it needs to run its course , no matter what meds they are given all you can do is add support to prevent secondary infections . She probably picked something up at the sale barn .

Pretty sure she won't drown herslef , but there is a reason why she keeps going to the trough .

The water consumption makes me think there is more going on here . I have seen that before and the calf ended up having some internal issues ,she would recover and then relapse continuously, at 2 1/2 months old she finally died . The necropsy discovered her main artery was not attached to her liver .

 

[dun]

If the tin barn was closed up that is part of the contribution to th elung problems. A 3 sided shed where she can get out of the wind and draft (no matter how cold it is) is always preferable to closing them in.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I agree about a closed shed being one of the worse things for a calf, unless you have a big barn set up for calves. And I also agree about feeding about 2 pints 4 or five times a day. And on electrolytes she probably does need them, but never feed milk and electrolytes within an hour of each other.

 

[Texas PaPaw]

Give her some gatorade. About a quart at a time. Tube her if necessary and alternate with milk a couple of hours apart. The gatorade will help rehydrate her with electolytes and give her energy. Also 2cc of banamine daily for 3 days will help with fever or could even give aspirin for fever. Am thinking the dunking her face in water may be due to fever.

I keep some gatorade powder on hand just for this situation.