3 day old calf

[gulfso]

Have a three day old calf from mother with very little if any milk. We think he may have received some milk but not enought to live on. Based on his stool (yellowish color) my mother (she is better at this than I am) thinks he got some of the colostrum from the mother and possibly some milk.

Have started him on milk replacer today and he did very good for the first time. Should I (at this late date) give him more of the colostrum? I bought a packet of the scour medicine at the coop today and thought I would give him some of that just to try and prevent problems later. Do you think that is advisable. I am open to ANY suggestions...........

:hat:

 

[milkmaid]

Colostrum isn't really any good at this point. It needs to be given within 24 hours to really help.

 

[gulfso]

Her bag is very tiny and I can not see any milk when he tries to suck. This is her second calf. The first one died, the vet said he didn't have an insinct to suck. This will be her last calf on my property, as soon as she picks up a little of her weight back she is in the trailer. After I put them in the pen this morning she jumped the fence and left him. I am waiting to see IF she even comes back to check on him.

What about the anti scour meds. It appears to be about like pediolite for critters. Thought it might give him a little boost

 

[milkmaid]

What about the anti scour meds. It appears to be about like pediolite for critters. Thought it might give him a little boost

Scour meds or antibiotics are one thing. Electrolytes are another. Which are you talking about?

 

[gulfso]

Re-Sorb
Oral hydration, electrolyte product.
Use to control dehydration associated with diarrhea.
Indications: Re-Sorb is a readily absorbed source of fluids and electrolytes. It is a convenient and effective means of increasing absorption of water, energy sources, and electrolytes. Re-Sorb is indicated for use in the control of dehydration associated with diarrhea (scours) in calves, including veal calves. Re-Sorb may be used by the livestock owner as an early treatment at the first signs of scouring. It may also be used as follow-up treatment for the dehydrated calf following intravenous fluid therapy.Re-Sorb, because of its ready source of fluid and electrolytes, makes it an ideal first feed (upon arrival) for newly purchased or severely stressed calves.

That is the label

 

[Alice]

Unless the calf is scoured, I wouldn't give it anything but the milk replacer. However, I would give it a click of probios at each feeding.

Alice

 

[gulfso]

Thank you for your assitance. I will hold off on the electrolites and try to get the probis.

 

[milkmaid]

I'm going to have to politely disagree here... I give electrolytes to healthy calves on occasion. My favorite type also has probiotics in it as well as the standard dextrose, sodium bicarb, sodium chloride, and vitamins and minerals. Haven't known it to hurt a thing yet, and I give it to anything that's stressed that I think needs an extra boost, or simply isn't acting quite right.

If you want to discuss dehydration... consider that dehydration isn't apparent until a calf loses 6% of its body weight in fluids, and a calf that's gone 3 days without eating/drinking is likely to be rather dehydrated.

I'd go ahead and give the electrolytes, give milk in another 6 hours (use the 'little and often' philosophy), and while you're at it, give some probiotics to help out the calf's digestion as the others suggested. Yogurt will work if you don't have access to probiotics right now.

Best of luck.

 

[Alice]

I apologize. I just reread...Milkmaid is right...electrolytes may very well be called for. Just make certain that the calf doesn't get so full of the electrolytes that at the next milk replacer feeding it doesn't want to drink it's milk replacer. Right now the calf needs the nutrients from the milk replacer.

Alice

 

[milkmaid]

Just make certain that the calf doesn't get so full of the electrolytes that at the next milk replacer feeding it doesn't want to drink it's milk replacer. Right now the calf needs the nutrients from the milk replacer.

Alice

Good advice. ;-)

 

[gulfso]

The directions for the second feeding of the electrolotes called for mixing it with the milk replacer.. I am thinking that I will do it this way ...more as a suppliment than a complete treatment which called ONLY for electrolites

 

[Alice]

The directions for the second feeding of the electrolotes called for mixing it with the milk replacer.. I am thinking that I will do it this way ...more as a suppliment than a complete treatment which called ONLY for electrolites

As long as the electrolytes package directions say that they can be mixed with the milk replacer, that's fine. Just DO NOT let the calf ever go without at least one feeding of milk replacer sometime thruout the day. The old school was to give electrolytes only in case of scours...and the old school let a lot of calves starve to death because of it...or let them get so weak that no amount of doctoring would save them.

Also, don't overfill the calf with liquid. If the calf is very young, or small in size, I use the full amount of the milk powder to 3 pints or a little less, of water. I read this in an article from a Canadian extension service...and I'm glad I did.

Alice

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Also, there are good milk replacers and there are poor ones. Buy the BEST milk replacer you can buy. It does make a difference - don't be cheap.

 

[Diamond-B]

Her bag is very tiny and I can not see any milk when he tries to suck.
Just because she has a small bag dosen't mean she dosen't have enough milk. I have a first calf heifer that just calved last week and she has one of the smallest bags I've ever had and her calf is doing just fine.
It's not the size of the bag it's the quality of the milk. But if you still think the calf isn't getting enough milk I would start with only one bottle feeding a day. If I were you I would get the cow in the chute and check and see if she is producing milk. Another idea take thecalf away from her for 5 or 6 hours maybe even 10 hours and see if her bag get full. Don't forget cows don't come into their full milk for two to three weeks.

 

[MoGal]

My vet advises to use a shot of Polyserum if you think the calf has not had colostrum.

Here's the link on it:

http://pbs.naccvp.com/view_label.php?u= ... um=1114030