Calf with bloat

[agus132457689]

Our calf that we are bottle feeding has pasture bloat and we were wondering if simethicone, from your anti-gas pills would help "unbloat" it.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Alice]

I don't know about simethicone...never read what was in Tums...but I do know that several people here have given a big bunch of Tums to their bloated calves and they say it worked.

Were it me...and I didn't have any anti-bloat medicine on hand...and I was worried the bloat would kill the calf...I'd pour Tums down it in a heart beat...

I'd also run a slender hose down it's throat and into its belly...if I was really, really scared.

alice

 

[angie2]

Tums surely can be given, you have to give a lot. I give baking soda in water if I can't get bloat medicine, I mix according to directions on the side (plus a little extra). Bloat med is best but might be hard to get with Christmas and all. Our vets will give us a call if they get called into the office for any reason, and leave the meds outside for us to pick up. If someone near you raises calves, they may have some on hand. We and our neighbors are always bumping off each other.

If you do the hose down the belly, hold your nose, the air that comes out is toxic! Do that only if you absolutly have to. I lost a goat kid to bloat once because I waited too long.

Alice is right ~ don't hesitate to do what you need to do.

 

[TNfamilyfarm]

How old is the calf? What is the stool looking like? you can put some honey in the bottle if its to hard. Otherwise get hopping on the bloat or you won't have to bottle feed anymore.

 

[dun]

Gas-X pills will sork better then tums. They are straight simethicone

 

[agus132457689]

How much Gas X can be given? Calf is 4 months old. Stool looks normal.

 

[tom4018]

Mineral oil will also help bloat, some people use detergent but we have never tried it. If it bloated very bad it needs to be tubed soon.

 

[dun]

How much Gas X can be given? Calf is 4 months old. Stool looks normal.

I'ld start with half a dozen and see if that helps.

 

[agus132457689]

can you just have him drink therabloat via nursing bottle, or do you have to use a drench/stomach tube?

 

[larryshoat]

can you just have him drink therabloat via nursing bottle, or do you have to use a drench/stomach tube?

That would be great if he will do it.

Larry

 

[dun]

can you just have him drink therabloat via nursing bottle, or do you have to use a drench/stomach tube?

If it actaully bloat, getting tghem to drink anything volunterally is right next to impossible. They're having a hard time breathing and are uncomfortable and are for all intents and purposes full.

 

[agus132457689]

well we managed to get him the therabloat via tube, but that was an hour ago, and nothing has changed, the only thing that somewhat worked was the gas x pills, but he only shrunk slightly, and then he returned to being fully bloatedlater on so whats wrong? i know it is pasture bloat, because with pasture bloat the left side swells up more so than the right and this is true with our calve, well give him the stuff and his right side will go down, but his left wont.

 

[idylglade1]

We have used that Therabloat a couple of times and when that doesn't work we give them these pink boluses that are exactly like Pepto. Then we try to get them moving as much as possible. Has always worked for us. Good Luck!

 

[Alice]

Pull any dry feed you are giving him and feed him a really crunchy, grassy type hay...like coastal.

And, if you have to, run the slender hose/tube down his throat and into his belly to let off the pressure.

Might call a vet...

Alice

 

[angie2]

Might call a vet...
Alice

yes, the calf is worth more than what you will pay for the holiday farm trip.

 

[dun]

Bloat is on the left side. Run a half inch tube down into the the rumen. Don;t smoke or have your face anywhere near the end of the hose. If it is bloat and not just a good rumen fill I'm surprised it's still alive. Bloat severe enough to treat usually kills them within a short time.

 

[novatech]

I just got back from the pasture. I had seen this thread earlier but had nothing to add. Just so happened that I had a 650 lb. heifer with bloat, still standing, left side only. I tried to get her to the pen but i just recently weaned ,dehorned,vaccenated, and branded her. She was not about to go into the pen. So I spent the next hour chasing her around the pasture. She had a couple of bowel movements. I left and came back about 30 minutes latter and all was fine, bloat was gone. So if it will get up you may try the same thing. May not work but worth a try.
We did the same on a herd of Angus years ago when they would bloat on clover. Only had one to go to the vet.

 

[agus132457689]

A BIG thank you to all for responding to my son's posts. The calf is doing better. Not sure what is going on with him for sure, will call the Vet in the morning. (Christmas day today)
He was bloated like a HUGE pumpkin! BOTH sides were extended. Gas X pills worked the fastest, (gave before I was able to get Therabloat) right side came down, left remained extended. When we started drenching with the Therabloat, contents from his stomach were backing up into the drench bottle. Looked like ground up alfalfa...took off the drench bottle & fowl odor came out of stomach tube, left side was still bloated, right still smaller. Calf started to stress & just fell over - thought we were going to loose him. We lifted him back up on his feet and he just stood there...couple of minutes appeared better. Decided to let him be and see what happens.
This morning he looks like a different calf, his left side is still slightly bloated. He acts a lot better. We removed all of his alfalfa. We are only giving him Calf Manna pellets, water, and milk replacer.
Again, a BIG THANKS to all!