Blind calf

[Lazy M]

Never had this happen. Calf born today seems totally blind. Eyes appear clouded over.

Really had to work with it but finally got him to nurse. Luckily cow cooperated pretty well.

Not sure what my game plan should be from here on.. anyone had one like this?

 

[4hfarms]

As long as it sticks around mama and learns the ropes there on the farm,, there should be no issues. I have a mama I bought because she was pregnant and they wanted to put her down. Kept her and she produced a beautiful calf named June, now almost 2 years old. Hence the name. Both healthy and ..... well, let's just say she isn't the smartest cow in the yard. Mama is pregnant again.. I wonder how dumb tastes?

 

[Rydero]

I had one. Learned pretty quick how to find momma in the pen to suck. The first obstacle was getting her bred. In the end I decided to try them in the pasture and she did a great job of going back to feed him. He would trail behind the herd by a day or so. In the fall it ended up that I think she grew tired of it and weaned him. Had a couple missions to move him here or there, lol. I brought him home cause it got to be a pain worrying about him. Bought a Holstein bottle calf to keep him company and they bonded. The Holstein would help him get around but he could memorize a pen. We'd always show him where the water was. Kept him and the Holstein till he was 3 and they took a trailer ride together and came home in boxes. That's the tale of Gimpy the calf (he limped too).

 

[Dsth]

blind calves learn to use their other senses to survive. had one several years ago that was in a smaller lot with probably 3-4 other pairs. he learned to nurse and find the creep feed on his own. don't remember if he went to the sale barn with other calves or he stayed home for freezer meat but didn't have any problems with him.

 

[moses388]

From a past experience, I believe a blind calf can be the result of a vitamin A deficiency.

In 2019, there was a calf with a white cloudy left eye. She was having problems keeping up with Mom. At 5 days old, she was eating dirt and having difficulty nursing. She became a bottle calf. I gave her 2cc BO-SE and 4cc vitamin E-AD. A few weeks later the eye appeared normal. She acts normal now and should have her first calf in Fall 2021.

...I guess I don't recommend keeping bottle calves for replacements. They can be a pain. Bottle calves as adults can be harder to work through the chute. They won't move out of your way, you have to walk around them instead. They learn how to hook you when walking by with a feed pail. Bottle calves grow up to be stinkers.

Not to change topic, but I have read posts on Cattle Today regarding a cow missing a lactation due to a dead calf or bottle calf. Some people try to replace the calf with another. Does something happen to the cow if she goes a year not nursing a calf? Thanks.

 

[Silver]

I have had this (or similar) before and when I described it to the vet his best guess was an infection in the eyeball. He suggested Trivetrin and I have successfully treated two blind calves with it. Vet told me it was the best option for an antibiotic because its smaller molecule size gave it the best chance to make it's way into the eyeball.

 

[TCRanch]

I have had this (or similar) before and when I described it to the vet his best guess was an infection in the eyeball. He suggested Trivetrin and I have successfully treated two blind calves with it. Vet told me it was the best option for an antibiotic because its smaller molecule size gave it the best chance to make it's way into the eyeball.

Had to look it up. Not available in the US. Is it similar to Draxxin?

 

[Hereford2]

It could be low on vitamin A , may need Bo-Se. I had a calf that was born 6 weeks early and he was blind at first, but after I gave him an A&D shot and Bo-Se, his eyes cleared up and he was fine!

 

[Buck Randall]

Had to look it up. Not available in the US. Is it similar to Draxxin?

No. It's a sulfa drug, same as a Sustain bolus, but also has trimethoprim which makes the bacteria more susceptible to it. That combination isn't labeled for livestock in the states.

 

[Buck Randall]

Have the calf tested for BVD PI.

 

[Silver]

No. It's a sulfa drug, same as a Sustain bolus, but also has trimethoprim which makes the bacteria more susceptible to it. That combination isn't labeled for livestock in the states.

Can you get Trimidox or Borgal down there?

 

[Buck Randall]

Can you get Trimidox or Borgal down there?

Nope.

 

[Silver]

Nope.

That's insane. JMO

 

[Buck Randall]

That's insane. JMO

It will never come to market here. The FDA would probably not be interested in approving it due to its value for treating humans, and none of the major drug companies are currently putting much investment in bringing antibiotics to market. Reducing antibiotic use is where the money is currently going.

 

[Lazy M]

Have the calf tested for BVD PI.

Thanks. Now I won't sleep tonight.. I vaccinate the cattle for it annually but I'll speak to the vet tomorrow.

 

[bulldog04]

I have calf born with no eyeballs. It is 2 weeks old. I have it in the pasture with the other cows and momma stays with it and it will find her and start sucking.

 

[Mat Man]

I had one a few years back born blind.
a shot of LA300 and a shot of Multi-Min
a few day later it was fine

 

[Hereford2]

Knew a guy that had a calf born with no eyes he also had a calf born with no place to go to the bathroom. Ended up tracing both birth defects back to the bull. It was a Black Angus Bull. Don't know what line he was from.?

 

[Chevy]

We had a calf blind in one eye and something poke her other eye. We called her "Sketchy" she was real Sketch about everything, believe cause she could see. We think she could see some just not very good. We sold her to a guy that put her in a pen by herself, last we heard she doing good. He had planned on just feeding her for freezer meat I think he got attached to her. She is a good cow.
I had a deaf oned eyed black cat Wink one time. She acted like a dog, loved to ride skateboard and ride in the car. I loved that silly cat. She was a good kitty.

 

[Lazy M]

Gave calf a rapid BVD test, and it was negative. Pretty slick test.
He's figured out how to nurse on his own really well now in the barn. I'll probably keep the pair in there until breeding time in late May. Still seems blind as a bat.