Calf problem

[Sevierite]

We have raised cattle for nearly 30 years and this is a first for us. Friday
morning we found a newborn calf that could not get up. It was cold that
day and we thought he might just be chilled. We brought him in, put some
storebought colostrum down him and put a heatlamp on him.

The critter is now nearly five days old and still cannot get to his feet. He
will stand if he is helped but the moment he falls down, he goes rigid. He
throws his head back and just stiffens up. He will suck a bottle but the
nipple has to be forced into his mouth. He's a good-sized calf...probably
80-85 pounds.

Any ideas?

 

[Findleyfarms]

I'm hoping that there will be an expert along to help you out with this poor calf. As a cattle newbie my first guesses would be a selenium/vitamin deficiency or nervous disorder. Have you given the calf a shot of selenium? I'm off to google the symptoms...

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I have to agree. My first response would be to load him up with selenium. If it were mine (and we are EXTREMELY SE deficient) I would give 4 cc of BoSe. You have to get this from the vet. BUT, not all areas are SE deficient. Your vet will know. Have you taken his temperature?

 

[double v]

Did you check its feet when it was born, to see if it was premature?

 

[rockridgecattle]

and teeth for prematurity.
Shot of a and D as well.
Talk to a vet about the symptoms

Are the cattle vaccinated?

 

[Findleyfarms]

I couldn't find any nervous disorders that fit the symptoms but I did find an article that sort of sounds like what going on-
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=340271
It refers back to the selenium and vitamins.

 

[DavisBeefmasters]

- Temperature of calf?
- Looks of the stool? (Liquid, firm, blood?, etc.)
- If you pinch the skin does it bounce back quickly? or does it stay tented and then return to smooth?
- eyes sunken in or OK? cloudy? blue tint? or normal?
- ears up or droopy?
- respiratory function (breathing fine or raspy?)

I've never seen this -- we had a calf 3 days old lose function to the back legs... however, that was after taking a head shot from a different cow that she tried to sneak a snack off of...

Good luck and please keep us posted as to what you may discover.

 

[Sevierite]

Here's the latest on the calf. Our vet advised us to take him to the clinic
at the University. He's there now. No one seems to know what is wrong
with him. In answer to a few of your questions....He is a full-term calf
and his temperature is normal. No blood or scours present. I'll keep you
posted.

 

[Alice]

Here's the latest on the calf. Our vet advised us to take him to the clinic
at the University. He's there now. No one seems to know what is wrong
with him. In answer to a few of your questions....He is a full-term calf
and his temperature is normal. No blood or scours present. I'll keep you
posted.

You are doing all you can. Please, keep us posted. We all can use knowledge...

Alice

 

[TheBullLady]

Sounds like a nervous disorder of some type. Epylepsy? (sp?)

Let us know the results. Good luck!

 

[Sevierite]

Well...our troubles are two-fold. We had another calf born with the same
problem. The university came back negative on the first one. They ran tests
and took xrays and reached a conclusion that it's a genetic flaw. It looks like
a bull is headed to the stockyard very soon. We cannot take chances like
this. It is an interesting fact that the bull is a black angus and all of his calves
until now have been black and healthy. These two were red.

 

[double v]

Strange if he's a true black angus bulls they are homo black. The red gene is ressisve, meaning your bull was heterozyous. Next time look at a blk gelbvieh or balancer bull. sorry to hear of the calving problems hope your luck turns around.

 

[dun]

Strange if he's a true black angus bulls they are homo black.

Not all black Angus are homozygous black!

 

[hillsdown]

Well...our troubles are two-fold. We had another calf born with the same
problem. The university came back negative on the first one. They ran tests
and took xrays and reached a conclusion that it's a genetic flaw. It looks like
a bull is headed to the stockyard very soon. We cannot take chances like
this. It is an interesting fact that the bull is a black angus and all of his calves
until now have been black and healthy. These two were red.

So what is going to happen to those calves ,they will not get better?

 

[Wewild]

Strange if he's a true black angus bulls they are homo black.

Not all black Angus are homozygous black!

I thought I had been told they were or they weren't really black angus???

 

[Sevierite]

We will probably put them down. A calf that cannot get itself onto its feet
doesn't have much of a future. The second calf born is now three days old
and wont even try to move its legs. It doesn't want to nurse the bottle,
either. The older calf is a week old today. He tries to get about. I may
intercede on his behalf and see if I can do more for him before I give up
on him.

 

[angie2]

I am sorry that this has happened to you......

You have had 2 calves now with this issue out of how many born?
How many calves are you yet expecting?

Please keep us updated ~

 

[Sevierite]

Forty two cows exposed over a period of four months. So far sixteen calves
born....fourteen black-hided and two red (the problem calves). We have
several springers right now. The old boy did his job. We bought the bull
from a neighbor who never had a problem with him. There is always
something new to contend with in this business. Wonder what will be next?

 

[dun]

Strange if he's a true black angus bulls they are homo black.

Not all black Angus are homozygous black!

I thought I had been told they were or they weren't really black angus???

Whoever told you was wrong. They are homozygous polled but can be heterozygous black.

 

[Wewild]

Whoever told you was wrong. They are homozygous polled but can be heterozygous black.

Well I quess it don't really matter to me anyway. They make good Lim heifer bulls regardless of the calf color.