Bloating problem

[mobetter11]

OK. While I'm waiting on a call back from the vet, I thought that I would throw this out and see what your opinions are.

I have a 7 month old calf that has been on feed basically since the day that she was born, momma was on feed and she ate with her, weaned her about 3 weeks ago, gave all vacs. and wormed her, she's on same feed, same hay, now she bloats about once a week. What do you guys think is causing it?

 

[txshowmom]

Are you sure its just bloat and not a hay/grass belly?

 

[certherfbeef]

Is she eating enough hay? I always heard that too much corn and not enough hay will cause the rumen bugs to start to shut down. I know you said she is getting the same feed and hay but maybe you ought to find out exactly how much hay she is actually eating in a day. Just my thoughts. Not worth much. Let me know what your vet said.

 

[mobetter11]

Are you sure its just bloat and not a hay/grass belly?

Yep it's bloat. She's really big and sticking out on her left side toward the top.

She's eating from 3 to 4 blocks of hay a day plus grass. Plus, I cut her back on feed to just 2 scoops in the morning and 2 scoops in the evening. Of course no feed on the days that she is bloating.

The vet is in surgery removing a horse's eye this morning. So still waiting.

 

[txshowmom]

Keep us posted.

 

[Scotty]

You might try keeping a bloat block out. I had steer once that was a chronic and the only thing he would not bloat on was the hay. My question. Is this a gas or air bloat or a fluid. I think your method of treatment will be different. I have seen show calves bloat eating grain because they eat to fast and inhale air into the stomach.

 

[polledbull]

I had the same thing happen to a bull in our bull development pens . He weighed about 700 lbs . He was only getting bout 8 lbs of feed per day and he would bloat 2-3 times per week . We piped him several times . Put oil down him , and bloat drench .Put him on Just hay and he still bloated. This went on for about a month , and we finally sent him to slaughter. The vet later said he was a chronic bloater.

 

[Ryder]

Agree with both Scotty and polledbull. Some are just chronic bloaters. Question is how severly do they bloat, how big of a problem is it? Severe or only slight?
Bloat block may do the job. Give it a try.

 

[TheBullLady]

I just shipped a heifer that was a "chronic bloater". We actually tubed her once, but she routinely bloated

There's a product on the market called "Bloat Guard". it comes in a 25 lb. bag, and you can top dress feed with it. It works great.. worked on this heifer, but she wasn't worth keeping.

 

[bggoff]

The only thing I hate worse than a bloater is one with warts.Keep her off feed for a day and sell her.

 

[Linda]

One question is what quality/kind of hay are you feeding? A hot third crop hay (much leaf and little roughage) could cause bloat.

I wouldn't be supplementing with grain or grain products if I had a calf prone to bloat. I'd just feed straight grass if it's of good quality, or I'd feed the grass and hay you're feeding now. Eliminate all nonessential feeds and see how it goes. When you introduce or reintroduce a new feed, do it extremely gradually and only one change at a time. Give the calf a few weeks to get used to the new or reintroduced feed before making any more changes.

By any chance has the calf's feed been changed once, or more than once over the past few weeks?

Bloat block or additive can work well. We do use it when we make major feed changes. Keep in mind bloat preventative products are just that - preventatives. They don't treat bloat, and they must be fed every single day to remain effective.

 

[mobetter11]

One question is what quality/kind of hay are you feeding? A hot third crop hay (much leaf and little roughage) could cause bloat.

Coastal Hay from first cutting.

I wouldn't be supplementing with grain or grain products if I had a calf prone to bloat. I'd just feed straight grass if it's of good quality, or I'd feed the grass and hay you're feeding now. Eliminate all nonessential feeds and see how it goes. When you introduce or reintroduce a new feed, do it extremely gradually and only one change at a time. Give the calf a few weeks to get used to the new or reintroduced feed before making any more changes.

Feeding show heifer

By any chance has the calf's feed been changed once, or more than once over the past few weeks?

No same feed since birth

 

[mobetter11]

By the time the vet got here Friday, the bloat was gone. We ultrasounded her and couldn't find any kind of blockage or anything.

Since the only difference in her routine was no momma's milk, we think that maybe she is eating the feed too fast and therefore bloating. So for a while I'm feeding her a scoop at a time three to four times a day. So far, so good.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions.