We had a calf born and discovered 18 hrs after birth that it never sucked. The cow's bag was swollen enormous and calf could never figure it out. Heifer calf was born on Sunday, on Monday evening gave her a bottle of electrolytes (had nothing else), Tuesday gave Colostrum - tuesday evening she quit taking the bottle - started force feeding her. Her eyes were glassy looking on Tuesday, on Thursday the center turned yellow, on Friday they both turned solid white. Went to the vet on Monday, (she's 8 days old at this time) he gave her a shot of Baytril (Bayril - something like that) Vet doesn't know what it is. On Tuesday her eyes look like they might pop. It looks like the covering of her eye is filled full of fluid and it is bulging from the eye in an oval shape. She's gone down hill from where she was Sunday. (She's a registered Texas Longhorn if that makes any difference) Any ideas would be some much appreciated.
Calf ~ White, swollen eyes
- Thread starter jecyount
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warpaint
Well-known member
I also raise Longhorns, and can't say I've evr heard or seen this in a new calf. From some of the symptoms it sounds like an extreme case of pinkeye. But, as I said, I've never heard of it being passed on to a newborn. Pinkeye is passed from flies and contact with infected cattle. I also have not seen the yellow you described as an early symptom. Hope this works out for you. Keep me informed please.
Do you know if it was a very hard birth? Could maybe be trauma from the birth? Mineral deficiencies? Or an infection passed to the calf during birth? Is the calf malformed in any way? Does it have a fever? Chlamydial keratoconjunctivitis? Are you positive it did not nurse in 18 hours? 2 days old is probably too late for the colostrom. It would have been better to give that right away as I am sure you know by now. What was the follow up the vet told you to do? Any meds? How much are you force feeding and how? We need a little more info & I would have a different vet look at it before you lose it. Just my opinion.
It was actually more like 30 hours before we found her. I gave her colostrum on day 3. She did have a difficult birth, the cow was up and down several times and my husband ended up having to pull it and it was still very hard. She was an experienced cow and we never thought twice about watching her to make sure she latched on. When we discovered that she had probably never sucked, she would still look for it but she'd get the back leg or search under the mom's neck. The vet gave her a dose of Baytril on Monday, on Wednesday I gave her another 10 cc of Baytrili. Since Monday we have been using a drench bottle, she eats about 5 times a day, usually about 1 qt to 2 qts at a time. She has gotten more alert, she has spent most of her time laying down, she can't see and runs into everything. Her legs were much weaker when I got her up this morning. I can't decide what to do with her ~ keep trying or have her put down. The dam is current on all shots and always has been. Thanks for the help! (I need it)
The calf has no deformities at all - the first two days she was up wondering around like a normal calf, her eyes were just fine and she could see. She had a fever of 103.5 at 7 days old. All the cattle are given free choice of mineral - we've had a drought here but we also feed a Purina Breeders Cubes and hay to supplement our lack of pasture. Our cattle have stayed in good shape this year and you'd never know we have such a lack of grass. The drought didn't get real bad until July so I don't know if that would effect it or not.
GMN
Well-known member
bulging eyes makes me wonder if she has a brain tumor, or optic nerve damage. If I recall right we had a calf with bulging eyes also, many years ago, and the Vet said this could be a likely choice. Our calf didn't make it.
GMN
GMN
