Calf Question

[ChrisB]

Yesterday afternoon I found a 400 pound calf with wad of hay stuck in its mouth. I kept checking it for the next hour or so and determined that it was indeed "stuck". The calf was drooling, and attempting to cough but could not dislodge the hay. So I run it in the chute and pull the hay out. The calf finds a pail of water in the pen and "tries" to drink. I say "try" because I'm not sure if it's ever drank water before, it is a fall calf still on the cow, and our waterers have the floating ball in them and I haven't ever noticed any calves drinking from them yet. Anyway the calf does get some water I'm sure but it stands with it's head in the bucket for probably 15-20 minutes and only about a gallon is missing from the bucket and there is water all over the floor and the calf's head is soaked.

So I run the calf back in the chute and stick a hose down his throat to make sure there is no further blockage. Out of the chute and right over to the water bucket again with same result. I put some fresh corn silage in a bunk for the calf and some fresh calf feed and some hay and decide to leave the calf in the barn overnight so I could make sure it is eating. I check this morning and it looks like the calf only nosed around in the calf feed and didn't touch the hay or silage. The calf is used to eating both hay and silage so it's not foreign to him.

Could there be another problem? Or is the stress of being away from the cow the reason it isn't eating? I'm thinking I just turn the calf back out with the cow so it can at least get some milk and keep an eye on him. But I would really like to avoid the hassle of catching and sorting a single calf out in a day or two if I can avoid it. In hind sight I should have caught the cow too, but I figured it would be a quick deal with the calf. Let him go? Get a vet out? Other advice?

Thanks

 

[Rafter S]

With what cattle are worth now I believe I'd get a vet to look at him. If there's something wrong that can't be fixed at least you'll know, and may be able to salvage the meat. Hopefully he'll be okay.

 

[branguscowgirl]

I don't want to frighten you. But drooling, unable to swallow, and wanting water can be symptoms of Rabies.
Most likely there is another explanation, but I would be careful until you know.

 

[Lucky_P]

Always gotta consider Rabies.
Tetanus is a possibility. Had a 4-month old heifer with it last winter - other cows knocked her over, and wife thought she was injured. Worked with her for a couple of days before I came to the realization that it wasn't an injury. Had some hay clenched in her jaws when we drug her into the barn, and afterwards, wife said, "You know...when I watched her come in to the hay-feeding area, she was slow-moving, last calf in, and had that same piece of material in her mouth when she walked past me." Should have been the first clue...

Call your veterinarian.

 

[skyhightree1]

RABIES = :devil2:

 

[ChrisB]

I never considered either rabies or tetanus.

I told my Dad to let it go if it has eaten so I'm hoping when I get home the pen is empty. But with the way things have gone this year, I guessing it will still be there.

Thanks for the tips.

 

[ChrisB]

Update - Calf still can't swallow. Vet was out to examine and he came up with a list of things it could be including rabies, tetanus, polio, among others. He gave it some antibiotic, banamine, a thiamine shot and one other one that I can't remember at the moment. I gave it a second and third thiamine shot later last night and early this morning. This afternoon I will start him on dexamethasone. I think I will try and tube him with some milk replacer too just to get something in him as he acts hungry but just can't swallow. Physically he looks good and doesn't have a fever, head and ears are up, but this morning there is some whitish eye discharge. Despite his appearance I have a feeling it's a lost cause, maybe the steroid will help if he can hang in there another day.

 

[Lucky_P]

If he dies, you'd better have his head/brain sent off for Rabies testing...especially since you've been fooling around in his mouth.

 

[branguscowgirl]

If he dies, you'd better have his head/brain sent off for Rabies testing...especially since you've been fooling around in his mouth.

A big X 2!

 

[branguscowgirl]

Has anyone heard what has happened with this calf? Been thinking about it wandering.......

 

[skyhightree1]

If he dies, you'd better have his head/brain sent off for Rabies testing...especially since you've been fooling around in his mouth.

I had that done and I didnt have my barehand in his mouth but as a precaution they said i needed those dreadful shots.

 

[ChrisB]

Calf is still alive and not able to swallow. Calf looks fine, head and ears are up and doesn't have a temp. He seemed to lose sight in one eye though. Also seems his balance is a bit off, every once in a while he will have to take a corrective step to keep from falling over. Not often though. I'm still tubing him with milk replacer and vet gave me more dexamethasone and thiamine so I'm treating with that. It's been 6 days now, so vet thinks the odds of tetanus and rabies is getting less likely every day.

Vet kind of thinks it is from mold in the silage or hay that was toxic to him. There were about 120 head with him and he is the only one with a problem though.

 

[Koffi Babone]

Rabies in cattle typically have three clinical signs:
1) Drooling
2) Limping
3) Excessive vocalisation

Have you checked your vitamin E-selenium level?

And does the paragraph below sound like what you have:

"Initially, affected animals are anorectic, depressed, and disoriented. They may propel themselves into corners, lean against stationary objects, or circle toward the affected side. Facial paralysis with a drooping ear, deviated muzzle, flaccid lip, and lowered eyelid often develops on the affected side, as well as lack of a menace response and profuse, almost continuous, salivation; food material often becomes impacted in the cheek due to paralysis of the masticatory muscles. Terminally affected animals fall and, unable to rise, lie on the same side; involuntary running movements are common." ??

If it does, you may be dealing with listeriosis:

http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/general ... tle&alt=sh

Good luck, keep us posted.

 

[boondocks]

Ok, I'm a newbie but gotta say I'm skeptical that out of all those animals, only one would have a problem with the hay? Does that sound off to anyone else???

Koffi, thanks for the thought on listeriosis. That led me to a fact sheet: http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/FastFacts/ ... osis_F.PDF
which points out that in cattle, a common source of the guilty bacteria is contaminated corn silage. We get a good bit of corn silage from a neighbor--good to be aware of.

 

[alisonb]

Could be a ruminal obstruction - plastic bag, baling twine etc

 

[randiliana]

Ok, I'm a newbie but gotta say I'm skeptical that out of all those animals, only one would have a problem with the hay? Does that sound off to anyone else???

Koffi, thanks for the thought on listeriosis. That led me to a fact sheet: http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/FastFacts/ ... osis_F.PDF
which points out that in cattle, a common source of the guilty bacteria is contaminated corn silage. We get a good bit of corn silage from a neighbor--good to be aware of.

It wouldn't be the first time only one animal has a problem. Maybe he's more susceptible than the rest, maybe he's the only one that got into the bad feed. Its definitely not impossible, seen it happen many times, with various diseases and other issues.

 

[ChrisB]

The calf never really looked or acted off, if it wasn't for the fact that I saw hay sticking out both sides of it's mouth I would have never pulled it.

But Tuesday the calf had finally eaten a pound or so of feed but it's mouth was packed with hay again. So I pulled the hay from the bunk. Wednesday he didn't touch calf feed but his mouth was packed with silage so I pulled that from the bunk too. Yesterday he had cleaned up the feed and when I checked him, his mouth was clear. So I'm hoping I'm done tubing him and will keep him on just the calf feed for a week and then if things are going well I'll introduce corn silage again and see how he handles that for another week before trying hay again. His water consumption seems to be back up to normal also.

I really thought it was a losing battle at the beginning of the week, now I'm feeling pretty good about his chances of survival.

 

[Deepsouth]

The calf never really looked or acted off, if it wasn't for the fact that I saw hay sticking out both sides of it's mouth I would have never pulled it.

But Tuesday the calf had finally eaten a pound or so of feed but it's mouth was packed with hay again. So I pulled the hay from the bunk. Wednesday he didn't touch calf feed but his mouth was packed with silage so I pulled that from the bunk too. Yesterday he had cleaned up the feed and when I checked him, his mouth was clear. So I'm hoping I'm done tubing him and will keep him on just the calf feed for a week and then if things are going well I'll introduce corn silage again and see how he handles that for another week before trying hay again. His water consumption seems to be back up to normal also.

I really thought it was a losing battle at the beginning of the week, now I'm feeling pretty good about his chances of survival.

Glad things are making a turn for the better Chris. I hope it keeps getting better and thanks for the updates.