calf down, need help

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Thank you for all these posts. I continuing his medicated milk replacer. I wonder if it can't be nutrition bc he's been steadily gaining weight and muscle over three months and gets a calf grain mix very popular here and it's not cheap, unfortunately. He is now seperated minus his two heifer friends, but I make sure they don't eat his grain.
One thing I didn't try is corrid? I had a calf before that got scours tested and was treated w that. This was two months ago, and calf was fresh from sale lot and guaranteed. I don't believe his previous symptoms match what corrid treats? But that treats something my antibiotics wouldn't touch correct?
Am I wasting my time w the corrid?
I also got "digestance" a ready to use high energy nutrient w vitamins and energy support. And am
Continuing the probios tube also.
Question, does the corrid counter react w any of these things? Or the medicated milk replacer "sav a calf" for scours and pneumonia?
Since he just had those powerhouse long lasting antibiotics I haven't given him any new shots since the nuflor and banamene. Shoukd I give him more of something.
Tiday he is the same as yesterday. Still down. But solid healthy poop and alert w no snot.
 
Also it's been 10-20 degrees.. I don't think my 250 wat heat lamp in their 6ft by 4ft hut open on one side, is doing much. Unfortunately I don't have a warmer spot to move him.

I did not see blood in his scours. He's in deep hay, it soaks in, so I've just been forking it all out underneath him. It's possible I missed it. Last two days his stool look good tho. Darn that's just about only thing we haven't trued
 
Workinonit Farm":18eq188g said:
Corrid treats Coccidiosis. One of the signs of Coccidiosis is blood in the stool, bloddy diarrhea.

Katherine
Click to expand...
The easiest way to see if you need corrid is to have the vet check a stool sample.
 
What is the composition of the milk replacer? It should be milk and milk byproducts, no soy and at least 20% protein and 20% fat
 
About the only thing I can add without knowing more is that an iv bottle of dextrose can add a bunch of life and it won't hurt and it's cheap
 
It sounds like you are definitely giving the calf the best shot it has to thrive.

Have you tried giving it a bottle of "KickStart"? -- good dextrose premix you can buy to get them up and at 'em
Also, the milk replacer/milk should be of milk and not soy as dun as said - the soy protein is much more difficult for calves to break down and use as a protein vs. real milk replacers
 
Yeah, my dad has had experience with cattle 50+ years... Dairy, then beef, he can tell ya that soy milk replacer will starve a calf, they have a hard time growing on that.
I hope the little guy makes it, he's holding on this long.
 
Not enough info here.... plenty that can go wrong with a calf, ought to at least know if you're dealing with an infection or not. Temp will help determine that. Take a fecal sample in to your vet and have it checked for protozoa (eg coccidiosis). Check the calf's mouth for lesions (eg BVD might be a possibility). Find an excuse to have your vet do some other work and listen to the calf's lungs on the same farm call. Perhaps he has pneumonia or severely reduced lung function. Maybe the calf ate a plastic bag, has a heavy parasite load, is selenium deficient, or has a spinal injury or abscess responsible for him being down. Lotta options, need to narrow these down.

FWIW: he might have BEEN a $5 calf but at 3 months he's worth a lot more than $5 now. Holstein steers at 800-1,000lbs were selling at $1.05/lb this week in my area. Treat the calf based on his current value, not his purchase value.
 
Not enough info? Please let me know what info u haven't provided? Besides his tempature. I would do a fecal and ask that, however feeling I've already tried literally everything, I am giving him corrid already as of today.

I can not have a farm call as we live two hours from the vet and can not add that price to this calf. Last few days I'm akeady into him alot. I just can't afford it. The vet has given me everything possible I think ? Unless u have an idea of something the calf could have that I haven't tried? I can ask for anything from him?

He most likely does have pneumonia, however has been treated severely. This calf was given dectamax twice so I doubt it's parasites. Like I said tho he had scours and snotty nose severely the first few days.

My calves are kept in bison pens, as we live on bison ranch. There is 100 % no way anything I didn't put in that pen was in that own so there couldn't be a bag? I meam really unlikely the pend r 15 ft high and solid.
Selenium def is a good idea exspecially around here but we provide loose mineral specialized for this area and our lack of selenium. ? It's possible I guess but but he's had access for months? And is getting dosages of minerals and vitamins in his paste.? I could ask the vet for a sellinium shot but I don't think that could be it?

He is not injured as I made him walk today and yesterday and was very active the day before getting very sick and acted like he was half dead.

I keep hearing the tempature thing but in reality if he had a fever or not I treated him for everything that would point to already haven't I?

I will see if we have kick start here. The new milk replacer is "sav a calf" and is 22 percent protien and crude fat
Before getting sick minus getting good quality hay and grain, his milk was " calf balance" with 22 protien and 15 crude fat.
The new paste has 1 mcg selenium per serving. 50000 iu vitamin d and 6500 vitamin d. Looks like the third ingredient listed is dextrose but I can try kick start anyways?
 
He seemed better tonight muscle wise, he thought about getting up himself, (put his front feet out snd attempted) and last few days he never tried. So I'm taking that as a good sign. Still no more runny nose and good stool composition.
 
I would take that as a good sign too.
How many days/hours down is this?
I remember... my dad would sometimes treat some of these seemingly hopeless causes and say "kill or cure!!! Hopefully cure"

I hope he makes it.
 
I'm just reading these posts. My first suggestion would be to hit him with BoSe (Selenium). Even tho he has been offered mineral w/ SE, he may not have gotten enough. Lack of SE causes White Muscle Disease - affects large muscles - like lung, heart & legs (also tongue).
If he was SE deficient, it makes his resistance low.
Sounds like you have been doing a great job with him. If he weighs around 250# and is 3 months old - your doing a spendid job!
 
I will try that. He is still alert and no snot and good stools. Just no attempt to get up. It has been since New Year's Eve.
He seems stronger leg wise when I move him . We tried to make him stand again and he didnt want to try tho, but when u move him and he's mad he sure kicks his legs and pushes away lol.

Of course it's snowing hard again. I cleaned out his hut really well and did new bedding. Hopefully that makes him warmer.
 
Here is some more food for thought while we wait for Candeejocox to up date us on the little fellow's progress.
I have taken the liberty to redact some of the salient point from his first post and added my comments.

Re:
"I purchased a 5 dollar holstein calf.
he is Holstein/angus cross.
He was 90 pounds when I bought him, , and been bottle fed. "

Comments:
As this "bull" calf was purchased at action we have no way of knowing his pre-purchase history.
But, based on experience and logic, from what we do now we can make some assumptions.
IMO:
This calf came from a dairy farm and was breed for his meat value, not his milk value as a replacement heifer as he is an angus cross.
I don't know any dairyman who cross breed for beef and sell them off as bottle babies. Especially bull calves as they are the most valuable.
IMO:
This calf had an obvious preexisting medical condition, prior to purchase and was culled.
Hence the low price of only $5.00 when a 90 lb bull cross calf should bring up around $100.
I strongly suspect this calf is 2-3 months older then you arrived at based on his weight.
I also suspect he has gone through this same regiment of medication, at least one time, if not twice before, to put him on his feet to make him saleable

IMO:
If by some miracle he does manage to get back on his feet, it is only a matter of time before he goes down again.
If you are going to continue to look for the cause of his infliction, you will need to investigate his pre-purchase history.

Just some food for thought.
SL

PS: Q.
Re: " he had extreme scours/diarrhea, smelt HORRIBLE, "
What would make excretion smell "HORRIBLE" ?
What did it smell like?
 

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