Bloated Calf

[aplusmnt]

I have a 41 days old calf that has serious case of bloat we stuck hose down it this evening. Wondering how fast should they visually not look bloated? Its belly Just did not seem to get much smaller even though I know we got a lot of gas out of it.

This calf is the growthiest calf I have ever had on the place. Been eating the new green grass like crazy. You would think he was 80 days old if you saw him or compared him to the other calves on the place.

Separated him from mother for tonight and put him in a dry pen. Any other suggestions?

 

[Beefy]

did you put anything down him besides the hose?

 

[msscamp]

Run him around, tube him with a little detergent, or mix a little Tide (or whatever detergent you have on hand) in his feed - the soap will decrease the surface tension of the bubbles and help relieve it. You might also consider putting out a bloat block or two to prevent it from happening to other calves.

 

[Beefy]

tide in the feed? is this a good idea if he eats feed? and he probably wont want to if hes still bloated will he?

 

[milkmaid]

Mineral oil and water works too.

My folks called me this afternoon - my younger brother has a ~4 month old calf that bloated, they tubed him, and said he deflated before their eyes. I haven't had them deflate like that before, but then, I don't usually run a tube all the way down; I just use a calf tuber to get the mineral oil down their throat.

 

[msscamp]

tide in the feed? is this a good idea if he eats feed? and he probably wont want to if hes still bloated will he?

It won't hurt him, we've fed soap to bloated calves (and a few older bovines, as well) with no problem at all. Whether he is still eating or not depends on how badly he's bloated, and whether or not he will eat it depends on the calf and what kind of feed is being fed - if it has any kind of molasses in it, he probably will because the soap sticks to the molasses.

 

[Beefy]

i dont have much bloat experience and most of those werent good bloat experiences, but i was under the impression that when you hose one they usually do deflate a whole bunch?

 

[Beefy]

tide in the feed? is this a good idea if he eats feed? and he probably wont want to if hes still bloated will he?

It won't hurt him, we've fed soap to bloated calves (and a few older bovines, as well) with no problem at all. Whether he is still eating or not depends on how badly he's bloated, and whether or not he will eat it depends on the calf and what kind of feed is being fed - if it has any kind of molasses in it, he probably will because the soap sticks to the molasses.

just asking. i figured feed would just complicate the bloating more.

 

[aplusmnt]

We Gave him a laxative (vet recommended it)

 

[msscamp]

tide in the feed? is this a good idea if he eats feed? and he probably wont want to if hes still bloated will he?

It won't hurt him, we've fed soap to bloated calves (and a few older bovines, as well) with no problem at all. Whether he is still eating or not depends on how badly he's bloated, and whether or not he will eat it depends on the calf and what kind of feed is being fed - if it has any kind of molasses in it, he probably will because the soap sticks to the molasses.

just asking. i figured feed would just complicate the bloating more.

No problem.

 

[DavisBeefmasters]

We turned the herd out into a new pasture on Saturday and had 1 calf that must have just found a nice hot patch of clovers... was dystended on both sides when I first saw him yesterday morning...

...tubed him and yes, he deflated quite rapidly before my eyes and put some mineral oil in the stomach...

...is there anything to do to the calf other than watch them after that?

...I penned him up with his dam in a corral and put him back on some dry hay for now

...they always do things like this when hubby goes out of town to work

 

[Bez>]

We turned the herd out into a new pasture on Saturday and had 1 calf that must have just found a nice hot patch of clovers... was dystended on both sides when I first saw him yesterday morning...

...tubed him and yes, he deflated quite rapidly before my eyes and put some mineral oil in the stomach...

...is there anything to do to the calf other than watch them after that?

...I penned him up with his dam in a corral and put him back on some dry hay for now

...they always do things like this when hubby goes out of town to work

This one is not a keeper - once a bloater, almost always a bloater.

Sometimes for nearly no reason.

Regards,

Bez>

 

[aplusmnt]

We turned the herd out into a new pasture on Saturday and had 1 calf that must have just found a nice hot patch of clovers... was dystended on both sides when I first saw him yesterday morning...

...tubed him and yes, he deflated quite rapidly before my eyes and put some mineral oil in the stomach...

...is there anything to do to the calf other than watch them after that?

...I penned him up with his dam in a corral and put him back on some dry hay for now

...they always do things like this when hubby goes out of town to work

This one is not a keeper - once a bloater, almost always a bloater.

Sometimes for nearly no reason.

Regards,

Bez>

I wondered about that, I had actually been watching this calf wondering if he could make a bull in future. He is out of my best cow and I would like to keep the genetics.

I am also wondering if bloating can be a trait that hereditary. I know that might sound silly. But I have had two calve bloat, first one two years ago was a heifer that I did not catch soon enough and she died and then this bull calf two years later. Both were out of same Cow, different bulls.

 

[DavisBeefmasters]

This bull calf was banded 2 weeks ago -- so no, not a keeper on the list anyway. Growthy, healthy whopper of a steer at 5 months of age.

Thanks Bez!