Almost Dead Calf

[gendronf]

This morning I found a scouring calf almost dead. He was laying flat. He had almost no reflex even if I was touching his eyes. His temperature was 94.3 F. I install a cathether. I had a real problem to find the vein. I had to lift his back with a rope. I used a number 20 cathether. Usually it's a 16. I gave him one liter of calf lite I V. It was 7:00 in the morning. At 10:00 I gave him 1/2 liter and the same thing at 14:00 and 18:00 and 22:00. He is under 2 heated lamps. Wen I left him, he was able to hold his head and the succing reflex was back. His temperature is now 102.2. He is born feb 13. This morning I tought that I was wasting money with him but now I think he could be saved.
Marcel

 

[TNfamilyfarm]

pour the antibiotics and the milk to him

 

[gendronf]

(tnfamilyfarm): Yesterday he got 3 cc of Trimidox. He was too weak to have anything in his stomac.
This morning he can stand on his feet. He does't run but he is up. I gave him another bottle IV, just in case and he drank 1/2 liter of milk. I think he is on the good way.
Marcel

 

[Alice]

That is good news. Right now, were it me, I'd alternate small amounts of electrolytes and milk thruout the day...and for the next several days...but that's just me.

Alice

 

[bward]

Isn't it amazing how they survive when given the right stuff? Sounds like he was a heart beat away from death. Good job.

 

[cfpinz]

I gotta hand it to ya. You done more than i would have. Some people spend more money on these calves than what they are worth. From a money making standpoint that is career suicide. I commend you for your efforts though. I would have put it down from the outset as i have a full time job and dont have the time to be babysitting a sick calf. Again though i commend you for your efforts. You should be proud of yourself that you got the calf this far. I just dont have sick cattle. I have a good vaccination program, good mineral program, and automatic waterers. No sickness. Now my friends they have good vaccination programs, good mineral programs as we all use the same stuff, but they let their cattle drink out of ponds and have sick cattle all the time. If they have clean fresh water that cuts down on sickness drastically in my opinion. Last year I had some coccidiosis due to the extremely wet weather. It was two cases and they werent bad enough to really do anything to the calves health wise. I corrected it with corrid in the water and everything was good.

You should write a book.

cfpinz

 

[gendronf]

(Alice) Today I alternate milk and electrolyte. Like you preach since the beginning. (I have listen to you and obey ) He is saved now.

(bward) The right stuff... very often it's very hard to figure out. For dehydratation, the best is IV. There is no mistake with this method. Since I can do it myself I never take a chance with dehydrated calf. IV is my choice.

(cowboyup216) You say: "I gotta hand it to ya. You done more than i would have. Some people spend more money on these calves than what they are worth. From a money making standpoint that is career suicide." First of all I think that if you have calf you should do what is reasonnable to keep them alive. I did'nt call the vet, I did it myself. My cost for this calf
Cathether = $1.87 , Small tube= $.75, 4 bottle of Calf lite= $32.00 Total =$34.59 I am gonna sell this calf at around 800 pounds 1 buck/pound $800.00 Me it's my living and I got to do everything to keep them alive (with no excess). That's what I am working for. It's my job. That's why I asked my vet (a while ago) to teach me how to set catheter. You it's different.

Herds of less than 50 heads dont have real problems of health. (not all off them). When you are in hundreds, even if you have a good vaccination program, good mineral program, and automatic waterers and clear water, it could be different sometime.

Marcel

 

[Alice]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Good on you, marcel! Now, get out there and save another one!

Seriously, I wish I knew how to IV one...I know it makes a huge difference.

Alice

 

[randiliana]

(cowboyup216) You say: "I gotta hand it to ya. You done more than i would have. Some people spend more money on these calves than what they are worth. From a money making standpoint that is career suicide." First of all I think that if you have calf you should do what is reasonnable to keep them alive. I did'nt call the vet, I did it myself. My cost for this calf
Cathether = $1.87 , Small tube= $.75, 4 bottle of Calf lite= $32.00 Total =$34.59 I am gonna sell this calf at around 800 pounds 1 buck/pound $800.00 Me it's my living and I got to do everything to keep them alive (with no excess). That's what I am working for. It's my job. That's why I asked my vet (a while ago) to teach me how to set catheter. You it's different.

Herds of less than 50 heads dont have real problems of health. (not all off them). When you are in hundreds, even if you have a good vaccination program, good mineral program, and automatic waterers and clear water, it could be different sometime.

Marcel

To add to that, for every calf that dies you can figure on losing AT LEAST $300 for the feeding, pasturing, vaccination and whatever other costs you put into that cow over the past 6-8 months.

 

[TNfamilyfarm]

(Alice) Today I alternate milk and electrolyte. Like you preach since the beginning. (I have listen to you and obey ) He is saved now.

(bward) The right stuff... very often it's very hard to figure out. For dehydratation, the best is IV. There is no mistake with this method. Since I can do it myself I never take a chance with dehydrated calf. IV is my choice.

first good job.. i completely agree in making every effort to save the calves that get down.
do you rebolus the calf with antibiotics or just that initial dose?
Marcel

 

[gendronf]

do you rebolus the calf with antibiotics or just that initial dose?

I gave the calf 3 cc of trimidox, an antibiotic with large spec. The main purpose for giving this antibioticis is to avoid the bugs that I may give him when I set the cathether. I will give this dose for 3 days. Coli is very sensitive to this med. The scour that I am dealing with is a combination of Rotavirus and Cryptosporidium. My cows had been vaccinated this year two times with Ecostar (Rota, Corona, Coli) . For the Crypto there is no vet's med on the market. One of the worst scour for calf is this combination.

Marcel

 

[eric]

You should write a book.

cfpinz

When would he have the time? He is on pace to set a Cattle Today record, with almost 500 posts in a month and a half!

 

[cfpinz]

You should write a book.

cfpinz

When would he have the time? He is on pace to set a Cattle Today record, with almost 500 posts in a month and a half!

Wonder what the record is for number of usernames banned for one person?

cfpinz

 

[got_cows?]

(cowboyup216)I would have put it down from the outset as i have a full time job and dont have the time to be babysitting a sick calf.
Everyone has 24 hours in their day. I guess I wasn't aware that some people had more or less. :shock:

(cowboyup216)I just dont have sick cattle. I have a good vaccination program, good mineral program, and automatic waterers. No sickness.
Vaccination, mineral, water supplies, etc. are all well and good but they don't insure perfect health.

Marcel - you don't need to justify your wanting to save the calf. Proper timing and intervention can make the difference between a live or dead animal. The last time I looked a dead animal wasn't worth anything.

 

[milkmaid]

Good job, Marcel! :clap:

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

It's ALWAYS worth the effort. Even if they die, at least you know you tried.