calf scouring and tried everything need help please

[mike calf raiser]

I currently have 10 calves that are weaned and weigh 225-350 and 10 that are on the bottle. The last five that i got are three weeks old. Out of these five only one has not made it through without getting scours. I used resorb and a pill called sustain III and was able to get one better. The other ones i am still trying to get better. I have gave them 2 cc of mictol and 4 baytril two days in a row and the sustain pill i have fed them some grain and i have pulled away the milk. I thought i might have killed the bacteria in the stomach and i gave the sulfttrem (small white pill) with yogurt and no luck. Today i went to another vet and he told me to try some charcoal pills and to use the stuff called Calf Pro, you mix in with milk. What should i do i am pouring electrolites down these calves.

 

[Alice]

How are they acting? Are they acting weak or sick? Will they drink milk and an hour or so later drink electrolytes? What color are the scours? What consistency? Are they eating grain?

Unless you know the milk is causing the scours, I, myself, wouldn't pull them off it. Or, I'd give them milk at one feeding and electrolytes at another. The optimum would be to feed milk, an hour or so later feed electrolytes...then in the evening feed them milk, and and hour or so later electrolytes.

What's the weather like there? If it's hot, make sure they stay in the shade.

I, myself, would get some spectam (it's red pig scour medicine) and give them 10 ccs at each feeding. And I'd dang sure squirt the ProBios down their throats, especially after all of the antibiotics you've given them.

Have the calves had scours their whole lives...well, at least, say after they turned a week old. If they're 3 weeks old, I, myself, would be pleased...my calves normally were ok after they turned 2 weeks old...and if they scoured later, I'd feed them milk thru it...especially if they were eating dry feed. Dry feed helps bind them up.

Now, if they've got Ecoli, or something like that, your vet should be able to culture it and find out.

I, myself, would not be real, real worried about it IF they are not acting sick, not looking dehydrated, and they are still taking the bottle and eating feed. BUT THAT'S JUST ME.

Alice

 

[msscamp]

The last five that i got are three weeks old. Out of these five only one has not made it through without getting scours.

Not enough information - How long have you had these calves? How much are you feeding them and how many times a day? What type of environment are they in - barn or out in the open with some type of shelter?

I used resorb and a pill called sustain III and was able to get one better. The other ones i am still trying to get better. I have gave them 2 cc of mictol and 4 baytril two days in a row and the sustain pill i have fed them some grain and i have pulled away the milk.

Micotil and Baytril are probably not going to have a whole lot of effect on scours, except to kill off the good bacteria and compound your problem. Unless there is another problem going on - such as respiratory problems, I would not use these types of antibiotics for scours. That is not what they were designed for. How much grain? Too much grain will cause acidosis, and one of the symptoms of acidosis is scours. Based on your post, it sounds to me like too many drugs and too many changes. Where is the hay in this equation? Are you feeding hay as well?

 

[mike calf raiser]

they are not acting weak and are drinking milk very well and electrolytes also. I have been trying to give them grain just to thicken up there stool. If i just give them milk they squirt yellow water and start to get weak, so i put them back on resorb and Deliver and they get weaker. It has been very hot here laterly and yes i know that is not helping me out one bit. I talked with the vet and he had me give them yogurt and sulfatrem for four day and i talked with him and they told me that it would be the same has giving them probias.
I have cut the milk back at the feedings and give resorb and bounce back and resorb to each of them at least 3 to 4 times a day. I also have very clean water for them and they have been shaded the whole time. Also i have made avaible to them brome and also fesue/clover third cutting grass hay.

 

[Alice]

they are not acting weak and are drinking milk very well and electrolytes also. I have been trying to give them grain just to thicken up there stool. If i just give them milk they squirt yellow water and start to get weak, so i put them back on resorb and Deliver and they get weaker. It has been very hot here laterly and yes i know that is not helping me out one bit. I talked with the vet and he had me give them yogurt and sulfatrem for four day and i talked with him and they told me that it would be the same has giving them probias.
I have cut the milk back at the feedings and give resorb and bounce back and resorb to each of them at least 3 to 4 times a day. I also have very clean water for them and they have been shaded the whole time. Also i have made avaible to them brome and also fesue/clover third cutting grass hay.

Is the milk replacer you are using at least 20/20 (20% fat/20% protien) and made from milk product rather than soy? That soy junk is just that...junk, in my opinion.

The heat may very well be the culprit here. The main reason we've quit raising bottle babies this summer is because of the intense heat we have during the summer here in TX...when calves get scoured here in the summer, they dehydrate quicker that you can imagine.

Scours are not fatal to a calf...it is the dehydration and electrolyte imbalance that can result from scours that is. If your calves are staying hydrated and are getting electrolytes throughout the day that replace those lost during the scours, and if they are staying nourished, then I would think you are doing all that you can and with a touch of good luck, your calves will be ok.

Just hang tough, don't give them anymore antibiotics unless your vet suggests it, watch and listen for anything that might sound/appear respiratory related (that's when antibiotics could come into play)...and stay vigilant and diligent. Good luck and let us know how it turns out, ok?

Alice

 

[GMN]

they are not acting weak and are drinking milk very well and electrolytes also. I have been trying to give them grain just to thicken up there stool. If i just give them milk they squirt yellow water and start to get weak, so i put them back on resorb and Deliver and they get weaker. It has been very hot here laterly and yes i know that is not helping me out one bit. I talked with the vet and he had me give them yogurt and sulfatrem for four day and i talked with him and they told me that it would be the same has giving them probias.
I have cut the milk back at the feedings and give resorb and bounce back and resorb to each of them at least 3 to 4 times a day. I also have very clean water for them and they have been shaded the whole time. Also i have made avaible to them brome and also fesue/clover third cutting grass hay.

I would put them on staight Deliver for 3 feedings, no milk. This will get their stool gelled up. I would give them each Nuflor, subQ, 6cc's, or 3cc's twice in a 24 hr period. If no nuflor, try Excenel. Also I have been giving mine this gel tube called Stand up, buy it at MFA, works real good. Each calf is different however, but the important thing first is to get the scours stopped. The combo of penicilled/sulfa pills works well also, if no nuflor or excenel is available.

When my calves are born now I use this bova mune, its a antiserum which so far has worked great, no scours at all in 10 calves so far, its given within 12 hours of birth 30cc's SQ, also can be used as a treatment.

If things get desparate, as they sometimes do, I had one before I started the bovamune regimen, real weak, dehydrated, I gave the stand up gel, plus SQ lactated ringers, in several areas all over, plus deliver, and by that nite the calf was perky, begging for food, i considered that calf to be a miracle, because really once they get real weak, wobbly they are in bad shape.

Hope this helps

Gail

 

[mermill2]

HI, Hate to hear about your calf. Have you taken his temp?? He may be getting a respiratory thing along with the scours That seems to go with scours, I donlt know if that is a given or not. I see you are getting pretty good advice from the others that have already replied. Milkmaid is another one that is good, You might want to pm her, see if she has additional insights. Merry

 

[ctlbaron]

Milk calf, you might try cutting the milk powder back by half for a couple of feedings but use the same amount of water. You are right to use the Sustain III tablets. They are great. Good for two days also. You will have a much better result when useing them with the Spectam as mentioned by Alice. Normally you will see a difference in them by the next feeding. Spectam 10cc morning and night. Three doses is the most I've ever had to give Spectam.

 

[brent6482003]

Terramycin (oxytetracycline HCI) /Scours Tablets/ 1 tablet per 100lb body wt. inserted orally once daily /w/ pill popper all purchased from TSC stopped my calf scours like a cork & he was shooting streams! Hope this helps you out...

 

[tom4018]

I will second GMN's suggestion on the Deliver. Stuff made a beliver out of me on a problem calf.