Calf Problem - Is it Shipping Fever?

[edhbs]

:help: I have a calf that I believe to be about two to three weeks old. We got her last Saturday from a man that could not take care of her. Until today, she has completely finished her two quart bottle morning and evening. Tonight, she left about a half pint in her bottle and when she was drinking her bottle she would stop every once in a while to give a little cough. She holds her tail out when she stands, but I have not noticed scours at all. Everything that I have cleaned out of her stall has been the normal "milk poop" color and consistency. She also has a very small amount of a cloudy color discharge from her nose. She does not act like she is sick (no droopy ears or weakness). I gave her a dose of Bio-mycin 200 as a precaution. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
edhbs

 

[Alice]

Get hold of your vet and ask that he/she sell you a bottle of nuflor or baytril or draxxin. The nuflor is pricey, but the draxxin is really pricey. Anyway, don't sit around and try Tylosin or LA200 or whatever, get the vet to sell you the good stuff. If that calf is having to pull off the bottle to cough, you need to act now.

Also, ask the vet to sell you banamine...and tell you how to administer it.

With the antibiotics...I don't care what kind it is...give that calf probios, at least once, preferably twice a day.

That's my 2 cents and I'm sticking to it.

Alice

 

[hillsdown]

Get hold of your vet and ask that he/she sell you a bottle of nuflor or baytril or draxxin. The nuflor is pricey, but the draxxin is really pricey. Anyway, don't sit around and try Tylosin or LA200 or whatever, get the vet to sell you the good stuff. If that calf is having to pull off the bottle to cough, you need to act now.

Also, ask the vet to sell you banamine...and tell you how to administer it.

With the antibiotics...I don't care what kind it is...give that calf probios, at least once, preferably twice a day.

That's my 2 cents and I'm sticking to it.

Alice

Yep and take its temp.That should have been the first thing you did when it didn't finish the bottle.Nuflor IM ,3cc'c and then 48 hours later 3cc's.

Go to vet first thing in the morn.

If you treat asap it should be OK.

 

[iowafarmer]

It could be that she is drinking so fast she is aspirating. She drinks os fast she tries to breathe also and gets some milk in her lungs. This is your most likly bet if she isn't running a temp. Sunds like she is a little pig and asperation is often seen in hungry calves or in pigs. Hope you figure out what the matter is and she gets better.

 

[rockridgecattle]

Agree with Alice and HD. Act fast before it becomes chronic. That happens fast if left untreated properly.

 

[simangus23]

I OPT WITH ALICE--- GET SOME DRAXXIN ( GOOD STUFF) AND MAKE SURE ALL YOUR BOTTLES ARE CLEANED REALLY WELL AFTER EACH FEEDING AND KEEP THAT PEN CLEAN

 

[iowafarmer]

She is pretty young to get shipping fever especially if she wasn't taken to a slaebarn. Its possible but I think its unlikely talk to your local vet is your best bet though since they are proffesionals and went to school for it and most improtantly can see the calf in person and see how it acts. And if it is shipping fever deffinatly act fast becasue I fought it all fall. It is hard to beatand if u aren't on top of it it akes a longtime to get them over it.

 

[dun]

She is pretty young to get shipping fever especially if she wasn't taken to a slaebarn. Its possible but I think its unlikely talk to your local vet is your best bet though since they are proffesionals and went to school for it and most improtantly can see the calf in person and see how it acts. And if it is shipping fever deffinatly act fast becasue I fought it all fall. It is hard to beatand if u aren't on top of it it akes a longtime to get them over it.

Shipping fever isn;t a single disease/illness/sickness. It's a complex of many things that are just lumped under the general heading of shipping fever. Any type of stress can bring it on, such as being uprooted from one environment, and/or a stressfull ride etc. If a calf stayed where it was born and was in a draughty environment with poor feed it can still suffer from "shipping fever". It's not called that then, it's called pneumonia, the snots, etc.