calf keeps bloating

[hnewman07]

we have a calf that is about 250lbs she keeps becoming bloated we first noticed it in the pasture we took her out and put her on alfalfa mix and she still got bloated. i seen her poop today but this is the third time she has been like this in three days. we fix it with a needle and some mineral oil. it is just air. why would she be doing this?

 

[dun]

Too hot of feed for her system to handle? What was she on that alfalfa would have the affect of less bloating? When she bloats, is she actaully in distress or just very distended?

 

[hnewman07]

she started doing i when she was out on the pasture which is just local grass field. i don't know if it is stress but whe we use the needle her side goes back to normal

 

[dun]

she started doing i when she was out on the pasture which is just local grass field. i don't know if it is stress but whe we use the needle her side goes back to normal

Does she have a hard time breathing, is she burping or farting, is the area just infront of the left hip bone distended?

 

[hnewman07]

when she is bloated she doesn't burp or fart but we havn't heard her do it when she it not bloated. he left side is expanted out pretty far ( I am not sure what distened means)

 

[dun]

when she is bloated she doesn't burp or fart but we havn't heard her do it when she it not bloated. he left side is expanted out pretty far ( I am not sure what distened means)

Balloon like would be distended. What does the area in front of the left hip look like. That would be the area that you would be sticking to relieve the pressure.

 

[hnewman07]

yes it does look like a ballon and when he uses the needle it deflates like a ballon.

 

[dun]

yes it does look like a ballon and when he uses the needle it deflates like a ballon.

The reson I asked is too often I see cattle that just have a very full (and gaseous) rumen that people think are bloated but they aren;t in distress, just full of gas.
There are bloat blocks that can be used to prevent bloat. I don;t recall the product name. They're just a block that you put out for the cattle to access. Very high quality grass when growing well expecially fertilized grass can cause bloat as can alfalfa or the other legumes other then lespedeza. If there is much clover in the pasture that can also contribute.
Then, sadly, there are those that are just chronic bloaters. Nothing to do with those except get rid of them or feed them dry grass hay or straw. Either way they're a problem just waiting to bite you if you happen to be gone and they decide to bloat. Bloat can kill very quickly, Quicker then most people imagine.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

As Dun "alluded" to - Alfalfa is the worse bloating agent. Do not feed any alfalfa hay or grass for now. Clover is 2nd. Just feed dry grass hay for a while & see how the calf does. If it quits bloating for a few days, start letting it eat grass for a few hours, then back on dry hay. Slowly introducing it to more & more grass.