Hi I have an 11 day old Angus heifer calf that I have had for 9 days and she used to drink her milk fine without choking, now even with a lambs nipple on the bottle, she will be breathing fine and she will start drinking and she starts sounding congested, last night she had a little milk come out of her nose, and she still sounded congested this morning and had snot in her nose, the calf bottle nipple is brand new, Never been cut same thing with the lamb nipple. It takes her 20 minutes with the lamb nipple to get a quart and a half down and she still chokes on it, she was about 30/35 pounds when I got her. She's gained about 10 pounds and height. She's still little, she finally started drinking water from a bucket 3 days ago, so far she Won't drink the milk from the Same bucket, she will halfheartedly suck on my fingers but backs away from the bucket if I try to use my fingers to lead her to the milk in the bucket.
Calf choking on milk
- Thread starter Hereford2
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MurraysMutts
Well-known member
The un cut nipple was a good start. Aspiration while nursing isn't normal. Usually it's from too much milk too fast. But she could have something wrong with her airway/throat allowing milk where it don't belong.
Could also have a touch of pneumonia. If she's having trouble breathing while nursing that would be a pretty decent guess.
Vet and/or a good antibiotic...
Could also have a touch of pneumonia. If she's having trouble breathing while nursing that would be a pretty decent guess.
Vet and/or a good antibiotic...
MurraysMutts
Well-known member
Can't say IT IS pneumonia or not but it's a possibility.
There could be an issue with that flapper thingy that closes off the esophageal groove.
How's her bite?
Where it's a small/premie calf, anything could be underdeveloped
I've had really good luck with Resflor Gold after consulting with my vet of coarse.
There could be an issue with that flapper thingy that closes off the esophageal groove.
How's her bite?
Where it's a small/premie calf, anything could be underdeveloped
I've had really good luck with Resflor Gold after consulting with my vet of coarse.
Hereford2
Well-known member
To me her mouth doesn't look right, I will ask my vet about Resflor Gold
farmerjan
Well-known member
Some of it could be the angle at which you are holding the bottle. Look at how a calf nurses from a cow.... it is more of a U shape... down under and up to the teat.
I would say it is very possible she has a touch of pneumonia due to milk in her lungs... but if she is that small, I would bet money the bottle is too high... you DO NOT WANT a "direct line" down the throat into the calf's stomachs. The abomasum is the "milk stomach" and the most important for the first couple of months... and a tiny calf needs milk a little longer . Not as much at a time, but more often is better.
Hold the bottle so that the calf has to bend her head a little down to get the nipple... and stick with the lamb nipple. That is what I use on 90% of the calves I raise... more the size of most cow teats...
I would say it is very possible she has a touch of pneumonia due to milk in her lungs... but if she is that small, I would bet money the bottle is too high... you DO NOT WANT a "direct line" down the throat into the calf's stomachs. The abomasum is the "milk stomach" and the most important for the first couple of months... and a tiny calf needs milk a little longer . Not as much at a time, but more often is better.
Hold the bottle so that the calf has to bend her head a little down to get the nipple... and stick with the lamb nipple. That is what I use on 90% of the calves I raise... more the size of most cow teats...
Hereford2
Well-known member
Im
I'm currently holding the bottle knee high on me, but I will try holding it lower, I noticed she's been holding her head so her neck isn't in a u . Thank you for your advice!
wbvs58
Well-known member
Have you checked her bite? I'm not being facetious here. Also have a look at the roof of her mouth for a cleft palate.
Ken
Did you take her temp before giving her Excede & Banamine? And absolutely what @farmerjan said about the angle of the bottle.
Hereford2
Well-known member
The top of
Thank you for the suggestion, I will, she seems to have trouble latching correctly.
Hereford2
Well-known member
Yes, and vet recommended the meds I gave her.
Hereford2
Well-known member
Thought I'd do an update on this calf, she's now 5 months old and doing Great! She was sick for the first 2 weeks that I had her, she Finally kicked it after 2 weeks. She had a problem with Aspirating the milk, because she wouldn't hold her head right, regardless of how I held the bottle,. She Finally started drinking the bottle with her neck right and she was Fine, once her lungs healed. Also a shot of Bo-Se Fixed the acting like her tongue didn't work. She's growing well Just a little slower than I thought she should be, but according to my neighbors who raise, Angus say she's growing like a Normal Angus purebred on the cow 
farmerjan
Well-known member
Glad to hear the calf finally "kicked the problems" and is doing good for you. It is sooooo often that we hold the bottle too high to get the calf to drink and it naturally gets into the lungs, causing pneumonia and other problems.
Good for you to get her this far.... hope she turns out to be a good brood cow for you.
Good for you to get her this far.... hope she turns out to be a good brood cow for you.
Hereford2
Well-known member
I understand bottle height has a lot to do with it, a good share of the time. But with this calf It didn't matter how low I held the bottle, she'd turn her head at a weird angle and she would choke.
farmerjan
Well-known member
You figured out what would work, that is the important thing. Most of the calves I feed on bottles I make them reach around to the side of my leg so the bottle is down and somewhat sideways... like they would do reaching up and under and around the momma....but so many are just a little different. I am just real glad you figured out what would work, and she has gone on and done so good for you.
