Bleach for scours

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Medic24

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Hummm, I keep reading references regarding using bleach as part of an initial treatment to control scours. The idea sounds like it makes sense, but has anyone here ever used it as part of the formula to treat scours?

I would have thought that even a tsp or a tblsp would be a bit hard on the digestion of a young neonate calf....am I wrong? And I assume we are talking about standard household bleach?
:?:
As always ...thanks for the feed back.... your advice may prevent my bad experience. :cboy: up
 
I'm a bit lazy tonight, so I just copied and pasted this out of one of my old posts.

Old Time Scour Remedy

1.5 Litres (just over a Quart) Warm Water
2 TBSP Brown Sugar
1 TBSP Salt
1 Raw Egg
1 TBSP Javex Bleach
Mix well and administer by tubing.
Here's how it apparently works:
The sugar, salt, water mixture is the equivalent of electrolytes (keeps the calf from dehydrating and provides energy).
The egg coats the stomach wall (and possibly provides some protein).
The bleach kills the scours bacteria.

Now I haven't tried it myself yet, as I haven't had a case of scours here this year, but it's early for our area so I'm sure that I'll be dealing with it in another month or so.

BUT from what I do understand, one fellow responded to the original posting of this "recipe" with pretty glowing reports.

Apparently, he had a 'down & outer' calf (prone, sunken eyes, etc) that he had used all the modern drugs and goodies on(and had gotten little to show for the money and time spent on them), and he came across the recipe and decided "what the heck"(figured the calf would be dead in the morning anyway), dosed the calf and to his delight the calf was up and sucking vigorously the next a.m.

Take care and good luck with the calves.
 
One word of caution. Anytime you treat a calf with anything that "kills" bad bugs, you are also killing GOOD bugs. You should give the calf some type of lactobacyllis (sp?) like Probios Paste. Granted they can survive without it, but you are increasing it's chance of a quicker recovery & less chance of a relapse.
 
One that I have used in tandom with conventional methods like probious to get the rumens back is cinamen. Excuse the spelling but this really seams to work. I have used it alone with some animals in the absents of convetional methods. Jsut sprinkle on feed. Few tbls.


Scotty
 
Yep, probios has been a staple on our farm for a long, long time. we also feed lots of plain and vanilla yogurts, as it's cheap enuff insurance. In the past, when ever we use any antibiotics on out cattle, especially our calves, we folloed up immedietly with probios and yogurt. Heck we reckin that in addition to the good bacteria, we are also "feeding" the calf with yogurt as well.

We were just wondering if any recipes for calf scour treatment we out there that worked and would save us some money when we seem to be getting epidemic scouring problems. (we buy several dairy calves from distant farms and auction houses, a true incubater for pathogens)
 
CattleAnnie":65qz3749 said:
I'm a bit lazy tonight, so I just copied and pasted this out of one of my old posts.

Old Time Scour Remedy

1.5 Litres (just over a Quart) Warm Water
2 TBSP Brown Sugar
1 TBSP Salt
1 Raw Egg
1 TBSP Javex Bleach
Mix well and administer by tubing.
Here's how it apparently works:
The sugar, salt, water mixture is the equivalent of electrolytes (keeps the calf from dehydrating and provides energy).
The egg coats the stomach wall (and possibly provides some protein).
The bleach kills the scours bacteria.

I am fighting a case of scours, using standard methods, ie LA200, boluses, & electrolytes but was planning on trying the bleach treatment tomorrow if results were not forthcoming (he's back to nursing his ma late this evening, so maybe I'm over the hurdle). However, I'd still like to be prepared for the next time. A specific brand of bleach is listed which is not available in my area - what is this Javex Bleach? We can get Clorox & generic store brands, but not Javex. Thanks for any clarifications on the "type" of bleach recommended.
 
I am going to show my ignorance, but I am unfamiliar with the term Probios. Can someone explain, please----thanks
 
stocky":32e9qoql said:
I am going to show my ignorance, but I am unfamiliar with the term Probios. Can someone explain, please----thanks

Probios is a paste that is designed to replace good bacterium, etc in the animals digestive system. It contains lactobacillus, acidophilus, and a lot of other good things, too. It can be purchased at any veterinary clinic that deals with large animals. Don't feel ignorant just because you have never heard of it, I'd be willing to bet there are a number of people right there with you. I had never heard of it til last summer, got introduced when we had a bull with stomach problems.
 
old guys have used a lot of things (hydrated lime, whiskey, whiskey mixed with raw egg & others) i have used the wiskey & egg & it worked. they claim the whiskey cooks the egg in the gut & kills the bacteria, the cooked egg thickens the waste & comes out thick & guey. lots of the old cures work or they would not have been used & passed on
 
I wish I had this recipe 2 weeks ago but I have it for next time. Sounds good to me worth a try since nothing else worked. Thanks

Libby
 
Chuckie":2c6la1mr said:
Farminlund, let us know how this works. Sounds like it has worked for others.

From my cattle records database: "1 pt scours mix via bottle & 5 cc of LA200 in the field. 2PM - 3 pts kick-start (1 packet) & 2 boluses. 6PM nursing ok."

Never needed anymore assistance - went on & is doing just fine. That is the good news, the bad news is no report on bleach treatment for scours.
 
Hi, thanks for advice here. I'm in Ireland and have been using this trick for past 2 years now thanks to your original post. It worked perfectly with no after effects at all, Cured Crypto for me in a couple of calves that vet was getting no results from with expensive treatement. Vets make no money from giving you advice on home remedies. Thank you for this brilliant remedy.
 
I know you've resurrected a 17 yr old post, but, please. Just NO.
Don't give 'bleach'(sodium hypochlorite solution) orally (or IV) to a scouring calf. It's not going to 'kill' the 'bad bugs'... fortunately for the calf, the organic material (brown sugar and egg) in that concoction will likely tie-up and inactivate some of the bleach before it was poured into the calf. The 'modes of action' of some of those ingredients, as put forward by 'old-timers', who knew virtually nothing about science or physiology are so far off as to be almost laughable.

Commercially-prepared oral electrolyte solutions have been formulated precisely to meet the needs of scouring calves - with regard to replacing lost electrolytes, energy and protein, but in a pinch, I've made my own, following the forumula in the blurb below:

"In an emergency, you can make your own oral rehydration solution, using a formula consisting of 1 teaspoon low sodium salt, 2 teaspoons baking soda, one packet of fruit pectin and one can of beef consomme added to 2 quarts of water. This should be fed at a rate of 1 pint for every 10 pounds of the calf's body weight, three to four times daily. With commercial or homemade oral rehydration formulas, it's better to give the calf too much rather than too little."
 
A friend on the list contacted me by PM to remind me that incorporating Beef Consomme into that 'homemade electrolyte solution' would likely violate the FDA ban on feeding ruminant-derived protein sources back to ruminants. Oops!
That recipe has been in my file, in one form or another, since before BSE(Mad Cow Disease) came on the scene. Guess you could substitute chicken broth as a protein source.
 

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