Bottel Calf Confusion...

[AALivestock]

ok I bought a bottel calf from the auction-- fresh umbillicle cord, I gave hime colostrum drank great, first couple of days was eating really well 4 times a day. Then he found the water and is drinking water. Now his bowl movements are like pure water, and is not wanting to drink a bottle. I even tried putting his milk in a bucket like the water was... but that didnt work. I dont know what to do, I dont want him to go down hill, he was doing great! Starting to wander and head but you, etc. Also when he starts drinking when he does latch on he shakes his head. We has one calf that had ear ticks and the were a green/blue--ish color, when you look in his ears he has the red things like little circle/balls very small. They are new there, because when I got him he didnt have anything. Any help would be appreciated!! Thanks

 

[milkmaid]

Scours.

Have any antibiotics on hand?

 

[AALivestock]

This is worse than scours... like imagine turning a water faucet of out its ... I have nuflor. What about a bolice (sp?)

 

[msscamp]

How much milk replacer were you giving him 4 times a day?

 

[milkmaid]

The term "scours", in my mind defines any bowel movements that are abnormally loose. Watery is severe scours.

Nuflor will work well. Boluses - sulfas would be ideal IMO. What type of boluses do you have on hand?

 

[vbd]

This baby needs electrolytes now...we use Electrolytes Plus (a sav-A-caf product) and I really like it. Antibiotics and Banamine in a series of shots. For us, scours seem to always bring on respitory problems which further dampens their desire to eat. You will find two schools of thought on milk while scoured. Some say don't give them any, other say keep feeding milk and provide electrolytes in between milk feedings. Honestly, we have tried both and I am of the opinion that each calf is different and I do not know what works best...very frustrating. Do you have a tube? If not, you will probably need it. You will have to keep the fluids going or the baby will dehydrate in a few hours.

When we bring a calf in from the sale barn, we give them 20cc of spectinomycin and then 10 cc a day for five days, as a preventitive measure. We never give a calf milk when they arrive, only electrolytes for the first evening. Too much stress on them from being hauled to the sale, poked with hot shots, etc. In this Texas heat, we have stopped bringing in any babies until the fall. They just cannot take the stress! :(

Good luck with the baby...keep us posted.

Van

 

[mnmtranching]

Scours, I would give Terramiacine [SP] bolus, electrolytes plus protien, fat and vitimin supplement. The head shaking is fever.
You will have to force him to drink, but most likely he can be saved. Good Luck

mnmt

 

[AALivestock]

Ok Im going out to give him nuflor and some electrolites. What do I do for the fever? Or will the antibiotics help??

 

[Alice]

antibiotics will help...and if you can get hold of some banamine/supressor, that will make a big difference with the fever.

Alice

 

[Alice]

In a pinch, I've been known to dissolve aspirin for the fever into whatever I'm feeding the calf.

Alice

 

[AALivestock]

How much banimine? He weighs 80 lbs. We gave him 2 cc's of Nuflor. and he ate 1/2 bottle of milk. In about 30-40 min Im going to go try to get him to drink some bounce back (elctrolights).

 

[Alice]

I think it's 1 cc per 100, so you should at least give him 1 cc. As sick as he sounds, were it me, I'd give him a heavy 1 and 1/2 cc, maybe even 2.

You gave him nuflor...did you give him any probios with it? If not, shoot that stuff in his mouth, and do it every time you give him any antibiotics.

 

[T&S Ranch]

I know this wont help this time but next time give him a blast nuflor as soon as you get him home from the sale barn.

 

[Alice]

Oh, another thing...keep in in the shade. I know how hot it is here in north central Texas...I can only imagine how hot it is in Bastrop. When a calf scours in this heat, it's a real struggle to keep it going. If you have a mister on your hose, mist him down thru out the day.

Alice

 

[milkmaid]

And to add to what Alice said, I'd also give a higher dose of Nuflor. The multi-day therapy is 3cc/100lbs, so the 2cc's you gave was only enough for a 66lb calf, and yours is 80lbs. He needs more. I think I'd give 4cc's today and repeat it 24 hours later - yes it's off label use, but sometimes circumstances call for that.

 

[AALivestock]

Ok we gave him the 2cc's of Nuflor this morning, and he drank 1/2 bottle. Then tonight we gave him 2 bolices (sp?) and he ate 1 full bottle-- he seemed very perking got up on his own when the other calf was eating, and sitting up. But... he seemed to have passed bowl movements that looked bloody. Also in his ears he has mucus looking substance coming out?!~ Also red bug looking things. Now with the mucus coming out do you still think he has a fever? If so should I give banimine? If so how much? Thanks for all the info!

 

[milkmaid]

There's a really easy way to check for a fever -- pull out a thermometer. ;-)

Banamine may help with the fever - mind that you have to treat the problem, not the symptoms. In other words, antibiotics are more important than something to reduce the fever. Banamine is ~ 1-2cc/100lbs.

Bowel movements looking bloody may be related to the fact that his digestive tract is under stress. If it continues, I'd consider one of the types of scour-causing organisms that generally result in bloody scours - OR - contemplate coccidiosis, although I tend to think that's more unlikely given the age of the calf.

 

[AALivestock]

What about the mucus coming out in his ears? Also the red bugs with a white spot on their back of the bug??

 

[dun]

What about the mucus coming out in his ears? Also the red bugs with a white spot on their back of the bug??

Might the bugs be ticks?

dun

 

[milkmaid]

No idea.

I wouldn't worry too much over the bugs - lots of little bugs that cows attract - mucous in the ears could be ear wax or a sign or an ear infection. If it's just wax don't worry about it, ear infection and Nuflor will take care of it.