I'm new here and hoping someone can help me out. I have a bottle calf that is 2 months old. He was born blind but his eyes cleared and he was getting along famously with a tremendous appetite and everything was fine... until tonight.
He didn't come up for his evening feeding, and I found him laying on his side in his sleeping hut, where he was unable to get up. He's urinated, but no bowel movement that I can see. I carried him up closer to the house and put him on a blanket, and covered him trying to retain body heat. I'm in FL and it was breezy but in the 70's here today. I attempted to give him a bottle (I'm using calf replacer) but he won't drink. He's able to scramble his legs in a weak fashion, but cannot attempt to stand and cannot raise his head. He's not starved. He can't blink, and I see when I hold his head up to that his eyes flicker/twitch in their sockets. This has all transpired in the last 12 hours.
I read quickly on the net that cattle can pick up a botulism form from poultry, I do raise poultry and the calf has had access to the poultry areas. I have no toxic plants on the place where I keep him (there are 35 other head of cattle from calves to old cows here and none of them are affected. Those cattle and my calf are separated by fence only). I cannot think of anything else that could be affecting this calf with the exception of I removed a fat tick from his anus last week, but checked the area where I removed it and it is fine, no indication of any problems where the tick was latched on.
Am I likely going to loose this calf tonight, or is there something I can try? I know of no cattle vets out here where I am that I can contact at this hour, let alone get one to come out here tonight. Any suggestions please? I'd had to loose this calf.
Julie in Florida
He didn't come up for his evening feeding, and I found him laying on his side in his sleeping hut, where he was unable to get up. He's urinated, but no bowel movement that I can see. I carried him up closer to the house and put him on a blanket, and covered him trying to retain body heat. I'm in FL and it was breezy but in the 70's here today. I attempted to give him a bottle (I'm using calf replacer) but he won't drink. He's able to scramble his legs in a weak fashion, but cannot attempt to stand and cannot raise his head. He's not starved. He can't blink, and I see when I hold his head up to that his eyes flicker/twitch in their sockets. This has all transpired in the last 12 hours.
I read quickly on the net that cattle can pick up a botulism form from poultry, I do raise poultry and the calf has had access to the poultry areas. I have no toxic plants on the place where I keep him (there are 35 other head of cattle from calves to old cows here and none of them are affected. Those cattle and my calf are separated by fence only). I cannot think of anything else that could be affecting this calf with the exception of I removed a fat tick from his anus last week, but checked the area where I removed it and it is fine, no indication of any problems where the tick was latched on.
Am I likely going to loose this calf tonight, or is there something I can try? I know of no cattle vets out here where I am that I can contact at this hour, let alone get one to come out here tonight. Any suggestions please? I'd had to loose this calf.
Julie in Florida
