Calf with cough

[NORTH FLORIDA]

I have a six week old holstein with a cough. Two weeks ago I noticed the cough, he fevered and didn't want to eat. I treated with nuflor 2 shots sub que and he seemed better. About a week or two later same cough and fever. What should I give him?

 

[ctlbaron]

Try Baytril this time. Nuflor is really good but sometimes Baytril will do it if the Nuflor doesn't. I keep both on hand. Normally Nuflor will do it. Is he on a dusty type feed? If you notice him coughing when he's not eating thats when you need to be concerned. But they just cough sometimes and are not necessarily sick. Ask Milkmaid and see what she advises. Hope this helps.

 

[NORTH FLORIDA]

How is Baytril given, dose for a 100lb calf. I wouldn't worry about the cough, but after I treated him he seemed to be getting better. Then he gets feverish again, stays down and gets worse.

 

[milkmaid]

I'd go with Baytril (need to go with something different - whatever's responsible has likely built up resistance to Nuflor) and I'd do an extended day therapy (3 days) at the higher dosage. Check the box for the dosage. It's such a wide range from extended day to single day that I can't remember it off hand.

 

[NORTH FLORIDA]

Thank you for responding.

 

[alacattleman]

nuflor should have taken care of it he must be getting reinfected do you have him quarantined and the area clean

 

[milkmaid]

Something else I thought of. My vet said once that the two main reasons he sees for animals not responding to antibiotic therapy is 1) not a high enough dosage and 2) not treating long enough.

 

[NORTH FLORIDA]

The Vet split the dose for me, so I really don't know the exact dose. I move the calves around in 4x6 pens, so I don't think he is reinfected. We bottle feed and use metal bottle holders, I wonder if he could get reinfected from that?

 

[alacattleman]

i would mix some bleach in a pump spayer and try and disinfect as much as possible how about those bottles how are you cleaning them?

 

[NORTH FLORIDA]

Just soap and water.

 

[milkmaid]

I've always done my bottles with plain hot water between feedings, soap and water before using bottles for a set of calves the first time. But then my calves come from the same location and I haven't had problems. Picked up a load of calves from a different dairy week-before-last and I did disinfect all bottles with hot water, soap, and then soaked in chlorhexidine solution before I used them for the first time (since then I've just been rinsing with hot water and no problems with any calves).

My bet's on the calf still having the same problem he had before - you just didn't give enough antibiotic or for long enough to kill the bug completely, and it's showing up again now.

 

[NORTH FLORIDA]

What about lung damage? Will he always have a cough or can he recover fully? Probally no way to know the answer to that for now.

 

[alacattleman]

I've always done my bottles with plain hot water between feedings, soap and water before using bottles for a set of calves the first time. But then my calves come from the same location and I haven't had problems. Picked up a load of calves from a different dairy week-before-last and I did disinfect all bottles with hot water, soap, and then soaked in chlorhexidine solution before I used them for the first time (since then I've just been rinsing with hot water and no problems with any calves).

My bet's on the calf still having the same problem he had before - you just didn't give enough antibiotic or for long enough to kill the bug completely, and it's showing up again now.

yeah could have been that. not enough to knock it plumb out

 

[NORTH FLORIDA]

Milkmaid, what about lung damage? could he have long term damage? I'm worried about his lungs.

 

[milkmaid]

What about lung damage? Will he always have a cough or can he recover fully? Probally no way to know the answer to that for now.

I had one with a really bad case of pnemonia and some lung damage...she was a January calf, took until about May when she went out on pasture before her cough disappeared. Been a little over a year now and I haven't heard that cough since. I think it's kind of a wait-n-see thing; sometimes they heal up and sometimes they don't.

 

[NORTH FLORIDA]

Thanks for the tips!

 

[ctlbaron]

Good advice Milkmaid.

 

[milkmaid]

Thanks, baron

 

[Stocker Steve]

Something else I thought of. My vet said once that the two main reasons he sees for animals not responding to antibiotic therapy is 1) not a high enough dosage and 2) not treating long enough.

If you have a scale and a thermometer you can treat until they are gaining weight and their temp is back to normal. The standard 4 day treatment does not always do it. Otherwise you have to:

1) cross your fingers after treating after 4 days
2) keep treating with std medicaton until they eating well and look good
3) switch to a new medication and keep treating for more than 4 days

My latest approach is that - unless they are eating really well - I switch to sulfa plus injectable antibiotic after 4 days. This works better for me than option 1 or 2.

I have also gone to A180 rather than Nuflor initially. A180 seems to result in less repulls... I have no experience with Baytril. Any Baytril vs. A180 feedback?

 

[NORTH FLORIDA]

Well, I treated him with Baytril 4cc per day for 3 days and no more cough. I hope it doesn't come back. I think my vet split the nuflor dose in half and it wasn't enough. Just thought I'd tell ya'll how he's doing.