Calf is driving me out of my mind !!!! Help !!!!

[halfwaysharp]

Read my previous post. Now this calf is PERFECT to eat, drink. All vital signs are perfect. He shows no stress or discomfort. But !!! Now he is limping on the left front. He has never played like a normal calf. He does not want to go outside anymore. He walks like an 90 year old person. Does not show any signs of Joint Ill. He is as precious as can be but he just is not getting strong. It looks to me as he gaines weight that it is harder for him to move. He licks trace minerals, Is on a mixture of medicated milk, Kick Start and Colustrum replacer all mixed. He eats Calf Mana, grass and hay. He gets up and down fine. I am very baffled. He was administered Silynium once. B12. Banamine, Oxytet in the past. He his perfect other then just unable to move much. He thinks he is perfect. Now what can I do ? He is now 4 weeks old. :bang: Thank you for any experience to this subject. retty:

 

[E in PA]

You may not want to hear this but I"d sell him and start over with a new one. If he dies you will be out all your money and time you've invested in him. At least this way you'll get some of it back. I had on I messed around with for to long, one day fine, next bad, then a couple of good days, then a bad one etc. Fed him in the morning he was fine that afternoon he was dead. Lesson learned for me. Just curious why are you still feeding colustrum?

 

[gonzo]

I'd have it checked by a local vet 1st could be some thing simple it'll cost you 40 or50 bucks you'll waste more than that over time .

 

[halfwaysharp]

Imutek, Inc. swears that feeding the colostrum helps build the body up. Go to Imutek.com. This is my 4th calf to raise. 2 successful the 3rd I took advice to tube him and I believe I over fed him and he died the next day. The vet just keeps telling us to pump him with medicine. The reason I am trying to cure him is more for education and experience. I have found that more then not..the die. Today he is walking much better but I am still skeptical that he was ment to die. I also agree to more then likely sell him..but at this point..I would hate to put him thru the transition and the money for one calf..I could not sleep at night. But next one ??? if it goes south on me !!! I will not !! do this again. Thank you all !! for your input !!!

 

[lavacarancher]

Halfway, I don't mean to come across as being cruel or unfeeling but these little fellers sometimes just don't make it in spite of everything you do for them. And to me, it sounds like you're trying to make a pet out of him and you've become very attached. Cut your feelings loose. Even baby calves grow up into 1500 pound behemouths and a bottle fed pet will hurt you (or worse) when they grow up.

I am no vet and it sounds like you are not one either. Take the calf to the vet and get professional advice as to what the course of treatment should be and at the same time you will learn what's wrong with the the little feller.

Sorry to hear you're having trouble with it.

 

[halfwaysharp]

Final Up date on this very sick calf. I am telling you all. This is the worst case of starvation, joint ill, and the unknown cause of his wet chin that took the hide !! right off ! Like a burn !! I contacted Imutek , Inc. again and I mixed the Colostrum, Kick Start and the Medicated milk. This calf is like 95% healed. I am just so amazed. He now in 5 days of this diet goes outside and plays just a little but is social with the other orphan calves. His joints are free and he eats like a perfectly healthy calf. I am so relieved and it has been a very long 6 weeks. I ordered a huge pale of this product to keep on hand for the next unexpected. Where there is life, there is hope. Just have to help the little ones along to build their desire to want to drink and build up their imune system. There was times that it would be 72 hours before he drank before this regiment. It worked !!!!! Literally

 

[E in PA]

Glad it worked out for you! I checked out that website. That's some expensive stuff you used.

 

[medicinewoman]

Halfway,

I have read all your posts and what you are describing to me is that you are acquiring calves who were born with a compromised immune system, which in most cases is irreversible and results in death.

There are many good products out there to treat the symptoms but there is no product to repair the neurological damage that was present at birth.

The only way to be sure is to have a post done on one.
Have your vet look for lesions on the liver and inflammation ( redness ) of the small intestines.
The liver must float freely within the stomach cavity.
Also check the liver to see if it has grown fast to other organs and/or the stomach wall and if there is white stringy fibers growing from or in and around the liver.

Hope this is helpful
Best of luck

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Halfway,

I have read all your posts and what you are describing to me is that you are acquiring calves who were born with a compromised immune system, which in most cases is irreversible and results in death.

There are many good products out there to treat the symptoms but there is no product to repair the neurological damage that was present at birth.

The only way to be sure is to have a post done on one.
Have your vet look for lesions on the liver and inflammation ( redness ) of the small intestines.
The liver must float freely within the stomach cavity.
Also check the liver to see if it has grown fast to other organs and/or the stomach wall and if there is white stringy fibers growing from or in and around the liver.
Hope this is helpful
Best of luck

:shock: ??? I really wouldn't advise checking this calf's liver if it's doing great now! maybe if it goes down hill & dies, this would be good advice.

 

[dun]

The only way to be sure is to have a post done on one.

:shock: ??? I really wouldn't advise checking this calf's liver if it's doing great now! maybe if it goes down hill & dies, this would be good advice.

You may have missed this part

 

[medicinewoman]

I'm curious, have these calves had the scours and/or blood in their stool?

 

[djinwa]

You may not want to hear this but I"d sell him and start over with a new one. If he dies you will be out all your money and time you've invested in him. At least this way you'll get some of it back. I had on I messed around with for to long, one day fine, next bad, then a couple of good days, then a bad one etc. Fed him in the morning he was fine that afternoon he was dead. Lesson learned for me. Just curious why are you still feeding colustrum?

So to whom do you sell a calf that is about to die?

 

[E in PA]

sale barn if its not on its death bed. or put it down if its that bad. there has to be a point when you raise the white flag. that is some expensive feed they are pumping into it.

 

[chippie]

I think that the calf was going to get better on it's own. Colostrum has to be given with 24 hours after birth for the animal to be able to absorb and utilize it.

The amount of antibodies absorbed is related to the timing of colostrum feeding after birth. Within six hours after birth, the ability of the gut to absorb antibodies decreases by one-third. By 24 hours, the gut can absorb only 11% of what it originally could have absorbed at birth. Also,
at 24 hours of age, digestive enzymes break down and digest all of the antibodies.

http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/asc/asc161/asc161.pdf

Happy that it is doing better.

 

[Keren]

That was my thought exactly Chippie

 

[medicinewoman]

Colostrun can be beneficial to calves of all ages as it is low in fat, and high in carbohydrates, protein, in addition to antibodies to help keep the calf healthy. Colostrum is extremely easy to digest, high in concentrated nutrition and is therefore the perfect food for sick calves of all ages.
Colostrum has a laxative effect on the calves, helping him pass his early stools, which aids in the excretion of excess bilirubin and helps prevent jaundice.

 

[chippie]

medicinewoman,
I do not know who you are or what your qualifications are, however the antibodies in colostrum are not absorbed after the calf is over 24 hours old. They are digested, so they really don't do any good when the calf is over 3 weeks old. He is not talking about a newborn.

Most every veterinarian will advise that the colostrum should be given within 24 hours of birth for all species.

 

[dun]

medicinewoman,
I do not know who you are or what your qualifications are, however the antibodies in colostrum are not absorbed after the calf is over 24 hours old. They are digested, so they really don't do any good when the calf is over 3 weeks old. He is not talking about a newborn.

Most every veterinarian will advise that the colostrum should be given within 24 hours of birth for all species.

She's not addressing immunity transfer she's talking nutritional value!

 

[chippie]

Maybe I read her post wrong, but I don't think so.

Colostrun can be beneficial to calves of all ages as it is low in fat, and high in carbohydrates, protein, in addition to antibodies to help keep the calf healthy.

 

[regolith]

colostrum is also higher in fat than whole milk, not low, and lower in lactose. Are there carbohydrates other than lactose in colostrum?

Nutritionally, it's a good product for sick calves. Just don't expect any transfer of immunity from it.
I've used it for getting scouring calves going again, but it's worth saying that I'm not paying for it, I always have excess fresh colostrum during calving.