Hi All,
Thanks Ollie for trying to get my original post out where the people that responded to my follow up post could see it. Obviously the followup post made me seem quite brainless and without commom sense! Not too sure about how these 'Posts' work as far as replying and such.
To clear up this mess, I HAVE had 2 vets involved, including my regular vet who I called the day after he was born. I have followed instructions from both vets. Just frustrating when one vet tells you what is 'wrong' over the phone and is too busy to come out (I even asked if I could bring him into town - denied) and another comes out and tells you to treat with Nolvasan and didn't address the other problems nor seemed to care.
Anyway, this morning his temp is right around 102.1 which I am happy for. He is still alert, nursing well and starting to nibble on hay, but still breathing rapidly.
Thanks Dyann and Cattle Annie for your suggestions for Mycotil. If I don't have any Mycotil laying around not outdated, I can get it or any drug from my dairy counterparts as they can easily get it from their vets who show up at a moments notice. Dairy vets REFUSE to work on beef, I have begged and pleaded with more than one of them. I tell them I have a good clean lighted working area complete with squeeze chute and Palp cage, hot water, etc. and they still refuse. I tell them that other vets complain my whole herd is too friendly, they don't care.
Cattle Annie, you mentioned the lowered head, droopy ears, no appetite, in general depressed; this calf is none of that. He is very alert, eats like a hog, tries to be active but because of his splint he can't stand up for long (he had a 90 degree extremely rigid flexed pastern that is about a 45 degree angle now). He has gained at least 10 pounds since his birth weight of 87. And thanks for the thought about the nose being swollen from birth trauma, I figured his eyes were swollen from that, but didn't even think about his nose. Still doesn't explain the crusty lesions on ears and mouth.
I have spent the past 2 days researching and reading everything I can on the internet trying to find out what is wrong with this big guy to no avail. He doesn't have all the symptoms for any of the diseases. It seems as though I should have gone to vet school as I intended to many moons ago.
AAARRRGGHHHH!!! Soooo frustrating!!! I had a thought this morning.... Could his momma have something in her milk that is keeping him infected with something??
Thanks for any thoughts, not looking for any diagnoses!
Katherine