We have a calf approx. 5 months old that is bloating EVERYDAY. We have to tube or poke him daily or he bloats to the extreme to breathing problems. This has been happening for approx. 2 weeks (never bloated before this) We have taken him completely off feed, just nurses the cow and is on grass. We have "reset" the stomach by giving neomycin and probiotics (which I read to do) Neomycin 3 days ago, probiotics morning and night for the last 3 days, but still bloating. Any Suggestions greatly appreciated!
Bloats EVERY day
- Thread starter Shorthorn
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bird dog
Well-known member
I think you are fighting a losing battle. Some can't be fixed without spending more than they are worth. Sometimes a respiratory disease will cause it.
You can consider finding a veterinarian that can conduct a button hole surgery. A hole is cut through the body wall and into the rumen wall and the two are stitched together to prevent leakage into the abdomen. The calf can then relieve pressure through the hole and wont bloat up and die on you. Doesn't correct whatever underlying problem is causing the bloat, but often that will resolve while the hole is open and over a couple months it will naturally seal back up and you can sell it or feed it out. Probably won't ever be your best do'er, but it may at least survive that way.
Try not to poke it, if at all possible. You are going to have poor outcomes doing that yourself.
Try not to poke it, if at all possible. You are going to have poor outcomes doing that yourself.
We used to ;ive just south of an old dry arsenic lake. Whenever the wind was out of the north we would get arsenic dust coating everything. The next day we would start dealing with bloat. Saved most but it was a recurring issue when we had that north wind. The ones that we didn;t manage to save all had liver flukes. Don;t know if that contributed or not but I had thought that maybe treating for flukes might have helped with the issue. Just for experiment sake you might want to treat it for flukes and see if that helps.
Very interesting this thread came up. My dad has one bloating every single day. I've heard of it, but never had one do that. We have been tubing this one with limited success. He won't run it through the yard, for moral reasons, for that matter, I wouldn't either. I think he is going to have his slaughtered.
Very interesting this thread came up. My dad has one bloating every single day. I've heard of it, but never had one do that. We have been tubing this one with limited success. He won't run it through the yard, for moral reasons, for that matter, I wouldn't either. I think he is going to have his slaughtered.
Aaron
Well-known member
Had one of those continual bloaters last year. He died at 8 months of age. My guess was that he had an ulcer, as he would do fine for a while as a calf and then go for a period of continual bloating and keep repeating the cycle.
Thank you all for responding!! Still dealing with this. I've been experimenting. He bloats no matter what he's eating! Put him in a stall for 24 hours with nothing but water and he was prefect. Tried him only on milk, bloated then a day only on grass, bloated today just calf starter grain already bloated!! I've asked vets and read all I can read! I will search for the gadget to insert that will allow the release!
He had pneumonia and was doctored back to health a few weeks before this started. Would that sickness our the meds have contributed to this?
He had pneumonia and was doctored back to health a few weeks before this started. Would that sickness our the meds have contributed to this?
MO_cows
Well-known member
Might try some probiotics. The antibiotics for the pneumonia might have killed off too many good bugs in the gut.
bird dog
Well-known member
Yes your pneumonia is most probably the causes. I had one that I bought at a sale barn and it got pneumonia. I gave her a shot of something good (Micotil I think) and she got over it in a few days. She started bloating a couple weeks later. I took her to a old time country vet and he wanted to keep her a few days to try a few things. Nothing worked and he told me to come get her. He told me it was a lost cause without one of those trocar type deals. Like yours, she would blow up no matter what she ate. I didn't spend any more money on mine.
Pneumonia can sometimes leave calves with swollen lymph nodes in the thorax that put pressure on the vagus nerve (important to rumen function) - the end result is chronic bloating.
I don't like the permanent trocars as I saw a really nasty case of peritonitis as a result of using one... but I'm certainly in favor of surgery that results in a permanent rumen fistula. Ask your vet.
Some people will also try transfaunation - putting rumen fluid from a healthy animal into the chronic bloater - which may help if the only problem is an imbalanced microbe population.
I don't like the permanent trocars as I saw a really nasty case of peritonitis as a result of using one... but I'm certainly in favor of surgery that results in a permanent rumen fistula. Ask your vet.
Some people will also try transfaunation - putting rumen fluid from a healthy animal into the chronic bloater - which may help if the only problem is an imbalanced microbe population.
Supa Dexta
Well-known member
Have used the troch's like the lower one in the picture of the above link. Usually leave them in a week or 10 days and then remove - but have never had once chronic like that, we just troch them when they balloon up in the feed yard to save them.
You shave the area and slice it with a razor most of the way thru and then cork screw it in - and stand clear as the gas exits.
Screw it back out after the week or so and just leave it to heal. They are a mess though, as stuff always oozes out of them, and you have to check them to make sure they don't get blocked - keep the center pin to poke it clear, but its rare.
You shave the area and slice it with a razor most of the way thru and then cork screw it in - and stand clear as the gas exits.
Screw it back out after the week or so and just leave it to heal. They are a mess though, as stuff always oozes out of them, and you have to check them to make sure they don't get blocked - keep the center pin to poke it clear, but its rare.
Thanks again!! I have given proboitics 5 days in a row morning and night. It's that enough?
And I read about giving healthy cud from another cow to him? So how does one go about getting it from one and giving to another??????
And I read about giving healthy cud from another cow to him? So how does one go about getting it from one and giving to another??????
I found that too.....I'm a bit confused with that. There's no cap?? I thought there would be something to open to release the air? Does it just stay an open hole? So air goes in and out? Sorry the questions. Just unsure.Howdyjabo":2nk14dyy said:
