Any Help?

[BlackBaldyMan]

Ok. First off a little background. 13 other fellow students and I run/completely operate a small feedlot through/on Washington State University campus. We have about 130 head or so which is about all I have room for. Take in donated calves from all over the state of Wa, some in ID and some in OR.

So to my question. Have this 6 weight Simmental steer in with 5 of ther Simmental calves at about same weights. He has been here for about a month and since day one has been a problem. First week he had snotty nose, ear hanging, typical signs so I used Tetradure/sulfa boluses. Tried that and Biomiacin as well and did nothing. So kicked the tetracylclings out. (All this time he is not eating hardly anything). So next we try Nu Flor figuring it will do somthing. It did, but about two weeks later same story, goes off of feed and just mopes around. We gave him a couple weeks without any med's to see if anything would happen and he got worst. So, I was pondering and bought a tube of ProBios from the local grange. I gave him some of that along with a little Penicillan and plan on giving the same thing in two days. I dont know, if this doesnt work I am going to have the vet out I think because I cant think of anything else to do.

Now, I have not been doing this for a long time so am pretty green to the feedlot scene and if you kind folks have any suggestions I would greatly appreciate.

 

[Howdyjabo]

Droopy ear and not getting better but not dying-- makes me think Mycoplasma
You'll know for sure if his joints start swelling.

Treatment regime is long term antibiotics - 10-14 days straight.
If the joints go just give up-- never had one come back from there. Tetracyclines are the cheapest-

 

[cbattaglia38]

did you follow up with a 2nd shot on the NuFlor?? I had a simmental bull with the same problem, almost lost him but he made it through. He was diagnosed with severe pneumonia in the middle of summer. Took him along time to recover but we kept throwing the meds to him and he pulled out of it. Nuflor, vitamins A,B Probios is a must. Keep him on that, that helps with his appetite. He needs to eat to have strenghth to kick whatever he has got. I hope everything works out, I know how it is to have something wrong and not be able to figure it out.
Good Luck.

 

[BlackBaldyMan]

We got a bunch of Deraxin donated to us so I am going to do this three day with penicillan and a hit of Probios at the beginning and end to see what it does. Give him a few days and if nothing we will try the Deraxin, somthing has to work.

He doesnt have the normal signs anymore, droopy head/ears and things like that. I went down this morning and he was at the bunk eating so might be on the uphill side, see what happens.

 

[dun]

That apparent uphill deal can get you in trouble. You will need to really keep an eye on this guy. He may have lung tissue damage and will alwasy be a chronic poor doer. If he doesn;t start performing, cut your losses and ship him. No use sending more money down the dumper for a calf that may very well never even come close to break even.

dun

 

[Alice]

Donated Draxin? Whoa!

Question...why mess around with the penicillan first? It's my understanding from the feed lot folks around here that they use the high dollar stuff, like Draxin, first, and work their way down.

Alice

 

[BlackBaldyMan]

Donated Draxin? Whoa!

Question...why mess around with the penicillan first? It's my understanding from the feed lot folks around here that they use the high dollar stuff, like Draxin, first, and work their way down.

Alice

Alice,

I have used Nu Flor, and some others already and saw no change that is why I was just trying somthing different. We get all our drugs donated so its a pretty nice deal. I am having the vet out tomarro, as the vet school is about 2 blocks away, lol

 

[Alice]

Yeah, I'd call that a real sweet deal!

Alice

 

[BlackBaldyMan]

Well...we split him off, and going to keep him on long hay. Vet said its an accute case of pnemonia (sp?) so hopefully he comes out of it.

 

[Alice]

Well...we split him off, and going to keep him on long hay. Vet said its an accute case of pnemonia (sp?) so hopefully he comes out of it.

Hope so, too. Like dun said, this kind of stuff can cause terminal damage. Hope you got to it in time.

BTW, what medication did the vet suggest?

Alice

 

[3MR]

Id like to knwo as well please.

 

[cbattaglia38]

me too.

I know rule of thumb is to keep them quarantined but in my situation as i mentioned earlier in this thread, that seemed to bring him down more. It was not until i turned him back out that he started perking up. I guess because they are herder animals,i don't know. At the time I did not have a big herd, so I let him out. He sure did seem like he did better .

 

[MikeC]

Test it for BVD.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Calves that have not received colostrum properly at birth, can be cronic "sickies" - not saying that he didn't, just a thought. He may have had lung damage previously making him susseptable to another lung problem when stressed - shipping, feedlot situation.
Maybe first time he has gotten sick & will be just fine. But, if you get him over this - and he gets sick again - I'll really think long & hard about cutting your loses.

 

[BlackBaldyMan]

Jeanne,

That is what I am thinking, he came in kind of like he was and never really took off to eating.

The vet said that on the one side ( I think left lung ) it has some swelling or inflamation to it and he was feeling breathing in and out. I have him in a separate pen by himself on long hay so we will try to start at the bottom and maybe he will work out of it, I doubt it though. Said its cronic pneumonia. Didnt suggest anymore drugs, just mainly get him going on a simple long hay diet.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Vet said:

Didnt suggest anymore drugs, just mainly get him going on a simple long hay diet.

So I take it, that means feed him hay for a non-stress diet, get the withholding time for the drugs out of the way - and ship him. Sounds like sound advice.

 

[BlackBaldyMan]

Yeah, thats the latest, he would never sell at an auction though so I think just keep feeding him hay and hope for the best, no sense in dumping more drugs into him

 

[Alice]

Yeah, thats the latest, he would never sell at an auction though so I think just keep feeding him hay and hope for the best, no sense in dumping more drugs into him

I can understand not dumping more drugs in him...but why would he not sell at an auction?

Another question...when you do "shoot him up" does he seem to be better for a few days?

Alice

 

[ENNOT]

CCF can't really sell the calf just because he got sick and they can't get him healthy. If I remember right?

 

[ropinbulls]

Ennot,
Since the calf is out of a custom pen and is not a donated calf it is ultimately up to the producer what he wants to do with the calf. I think we are just gonna wait and see what happens and kinda cross our fingers that he pulls out if it. Its a poor situation for us to be in but it is part of life and a feedlot...
Griffin