Adult cattle scours

[WindyRidge]

I've read a lot about treating scours in calves, but not in adult cattle. I've got a cow, over 4 yrs old, that just started scouring after I took her 6mo old calf off her. She was eating hay, not green pasture and has never been sick before. I've gave 3 doses of Probios (15 MG) and she got better for a day. When I skipped two days she was right back where she started. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Don't want to loose her, but can't afford Vet visits.

 

[dun]

Is she getting grain, and what kind of hay?

dun

 

[WindyRidge]

Put her on good bermuda hay when I penned her. Tried feeding sweet feed (9%), range cubes, and calf pellets. She won't eat the sweet feed or calf pellets and only a few range cubes a day. Just nibbles at the hay, but not enough to keep her alive.

 

[jt]

several questions come to my mind...when was she wormed last? and is she the only one with this problem? did she scour about this time last year? it is starting to green up and maybe she is getting more green stuff that you think?? is what she is passing totally liquid or just real soft?


jt

 

[WindyRidge]

Wormed her 3 weeks ago. Used Argimctin pour on, same as always. At that time, she was losing weight, but not scouring. She seemed to be eating good then too. She was always the first one to the bale of hay. She hasn't been on green pasture. She is the only one of the herd that is scouring and she has never been sick before. She squirts pure liquid. I thought at first she might have hardware disease, so I gave her a magnet.
I've also given her sulmet in her water for about 3 days. Nothing sees to help.

 

[jerry27150]

have you tried any antibiotics? i would get something into her if she acts sick, price of cows you might be ahead to at least call a vet & ask advice

 

[WindyRidge]

haven't tried antibiotics yet. I think before I start that, I may just bite the bullet and try to get a Vet to take a look. Thanks

 

[dun]

haven't tried antibiotics yet. I think before I start that, I may just bite the bullet and try to get a Vet to take a look. Thanks

As a quicky, you might try to temp her and take astool sample to the vet and have them check for anything obvious.

dun

 

[joe]

Maybe Johnes? That is brought on by stress, such as weaning? Is she home raised or purchased?

 

[WindyRidge]

she was purchased about 3 years ago. Her calf has been off her since the end of January. I did talk to a vet a little earlier today. She suggested Johnes as well. I'm going to pull blood for her to test.

 

[Beefy]

I'm thinking johnes or some kind of viral diarrhea. agree about taking a stool sample and blood sample.

 

[shorty]

That sounds like it could be johnes , I don't a lot about it but I just found out that a local dairy farm is having problems with it. how is Johnes disease spread, My cattle are only about 1.5 miles from this dairy

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Johnes is spread through fecal exposure. I wouldn't let him spread manure on my land. And if you visit the farm, be sure to disinfect shoes/boots & clothes. Don't let him walk through your pastures. Sounds nasty, but it is a nasty disease.
Johnes usually only affects newborn calves. They ingest it through dirty teats or anything else they suck on that might have exposed manure. It can also be spread through colostrum, so do not use any dairyman's colostrum.
It sits in their system & usually doesn't show any affect til they are stressed. Usually, as a two year old calving, but this can be masked by good management.
There is no cure - just management to try to control it. Testing is "iffy". A positive is definately positive but a negative may not be accurate.
Less prevalent in beef herds.

 

[Dee]

http://www.johnes.org/

Has most of the answers to your questions

 

[texhallMT]

Windyridge, Ditto on dun's post on investing in the vet work. But stress can sometimes cause scours (easier to spell than diarrhea) in adult cattle. My "Beg Red" gal scoured badly when she lost her calf to dogs recently (yes, I did get a shot off at one of them later, haven't seen any of them back yet). We pulled her in the lot and gave her some antibiotics, bought her a new baby (she marked him really well!!!), and she cleared up in about a week to ten days. Losing a calf like to have caused me to scour as well
Get the gal closed in and close to water, watch her for dehydration signs (pinch the skin up and it should go back down easily, if it stays up, she's getting dehydrated). Hope you get her cleared up soon.

 

[WindyRidge]

Well, I took the blood sample to the Vet and she confirmed that the cow has Johnes. Now to get the rest of them tested and try to control pasture contamination. I've had her penned since she started scouring, so may not be as big a problem as first suspected. Thanks for all yall's help. I've learned a lot from your comments and suggestions.

 

[certherfbeef]

The only problem is that she may have been shedding that organism even before she showed the signs herself. An apparent healthy animal may have Johnes and be shedding (contaminating) your pasture. Ship her ASAP.
Good Luck to you