Calf with neurological issues?

[wshn41]

He was born almost 2 weeks ago. Rancher said he never got up and nursed they gave colostrum and tried to bottle feed him for almost a week. He was weak and lethargic when they called me to give it a try. I have him eating, he's got a strong suck. But seems to weave and bob when pushed onto his chest from laying flat. He will move all his legs but can't seem to get further up then onto his chest. Am I wasting my time giving him a chance? I don't mind spending the time on him just don't want to prolong his suffering if he's suffering. No scours , has urinated and pooped. I've stood him up and while he stumbles and weaves has maintained his feet with me balancing him but the next time I do it won't help me much then back to trying next time. He did have involuntarily jerks and it's gotten better

 

[SDM]

I'd stick it out if you can and it's not suffering. When we first moved here, my wife's uncle gave me a bottle calf. Cow went nuts, tried to kill it, broke its leg, and jumped the fence. Took them a few days to round her up. Meanwhile they splinted the leg and Uncle was bottle feeding him. As it got colder (they calve in early fall) he offered it to me. Probably weighed 175# by then. Wouldn't walk in a straight line and kept its head tilted. I hadn't built any fence so put it in a stall in the barn. First thing it did was climb the wall, flip on its back, legs straight up in the air, rolled over and layed stone still for probably 30 seconds. I thought it died but it got up. It wasn't mean, but very unpredictable. He would kinda spazz out if you went in the stall, so I avoided that. When he finished a bottle, he'd go down on his front knees and just push around the stall with his back legs. Ended up with another bottle calf a couple months later but kept them separate because it was so much smaller. Got some fence built over the winter. Turned them out together that spring and all the unpredictability, spastic stuff ended instantly. I think some of it was wanting to be around other cattle. He still kept his head tilted, couldn't walk straight and that leg was little bowed, but he was fine. Was just under 700# when I sold him. They graded him well and he looked good in the ring.

 

[GoWyo]

He was born almost 2 weeks ago. Rancher said he never got up and nursed they gave colostrum and tried to bottle feed him for almost a week. He was weak and lethargic when they called me to give it a try. I have him eating, he's got a strong suck. But seems to weave and bob when pushed onto his chest from laying flat. He will move all his legs but can't seem to get further up then onto his chest. Am I wasting my time giving him a chance? I don't mind spending the time on him just don't want to prolong his suffering if he's suffering. No scours , has urinated and pooped. I've stood him up and while he stumbles and weaves has maintained his feet with me balancing him but the next time I do it won't help me much then back to trying next time. He did have involuntarily jerks and it's gotten better

Give it a shot of vitamin B complex. Low cost and it might straighten him out if he has a touch of polioencephalomalacia https://www.merckvetmanual.com/nerv...alomalacia/polioencephalomalacia-in-ruminants

 

[TCRanch]

Sounds like he was a dummy calf. The Madigan Squeeze may have perked him up right away. Even though he's almost 2 weeks, it may be worth a try. And agree with Vitamin B Complex.

Madigan Squeeze | Iowa Beef Center

www.iowabeefcenter.org

In addition to the link, if you Google "Madigan Squeeze", there are numerous videos that show you how, step by step.

 

[wshn41]

I've heard of it before and watched a video but I just assumed as he was already a week old it wouldn't help

 

[wshn41]

I've heard of it before and watched a video but I just assumed as he was already a week old it wouldn't help

 

[wbvs58]

I hope you prove me wrong but I think you are mad just taking on someone else's problem like this. Best of luck with it.

Ken

 

[wshn41]

This is what I do lol.

 

[wshn41]

Steer I took on 2 years ago. He's being evicted off the feed bill and into the freezer at the end of the month

 

[Brute 23]

My only question would be what is the end goal? Even if you get him standing and walking what next?

 

[Caustic Burno]

Sounds like he was a dummy calf. The Madigan Squeeze may have perked him up right away. Even though he's almost 2 weeks, it may be worth a try. And agree with Vitamin B Complex.

Madigan Squeeze | Iowa Beef Center

www.iowabeefcenter.org

In addition to the link, if you Google "Madigan Squeeze", there are numerous videos that show you how, step by step.

Exactly what I was thinking a dummy calf.
My best results with them has been with a 22 LR.

 

[wshn41]

If he doesn't manage to get up on his own and then thrive he will be euthanized. If he does make it then he will be fed up and become dinner. I keep any heifers I raise and put steer where steer usually end up.

 

[TCRanch]

I've heard of it before and watched a video but I just assumed as he was already a week old it wouldn't help

Worth a try!

 

[Hereford2]

Have you given him a shot of BO-SE? This has been a few years ago. I had a calf given to me that was born 4 or 5 weeks premature, the guy only AI'd and there's no bulls around his property, so he knew how early it was. Anyhow it couldn't maintain it's temperature and it would randomly have seizures, vet said it was low on Selenium and vitamin e. Ended up giving it a shot at half the dose for a few weeks and the seizures went away and it never had any trouble walking after that. It was a brown Swiss and the smallest one I have ever seen, he didn't even come to my knee, he didn't really have hair and he didn't have teeth.

 

[CowboyRam]

Have you given him a shot of BO-SE? This has been a few years ago. I had a calf given to me that was born 4 or 5 weeks premature, the guy only AI'd and there's no bulls around his property, so he knew how early it was. Anyhow it couldn't maintain it's temperature and it would randomly have seizures, vet said it was low on Selenium and vitamin e. Ended up giving it a shot at half the dose for a few weeks and the seizures went away and it never had any trouble walking after that. It was a brown Swiss and the smallest one I have ever seen, he didn't even come to my knee, he didn't really have hair and he didn't have teeth.

That is what I as thinking. Just last week I was at seminar put on by a local retailer for lick tubs, and the vet was saying that he thought our area was low in Selenium. He had some calves that he treated that were acting like that, gave them the BO-SE and they were up and acting like normal. Those symptoms sounded like low Selenium, but I'm no expert on the subject.

 

[GoWyo]

That is what I as thinking. Just last week I was at seminar put on by a local retailer for lick tubs, and the vet was saying that he thought our area was low in Selenium. He had some calves that he treated that were acting like that, gave them the BO-SE and they were up and acting like normal. Those symptoms sounded like low Selenium, but I'm no expert on the subject.

The north side of the Wind Rivers I always thought was high in sulfates and selenium. It's old sea bed and shale. Down on the river and gravel could be deficient though.

 

[gcreekrch]

If he doesn't manage to get up on his own and then thrive he will be euthanized. If he does make it then he will be fed up and become dinner. I keep any heifers I raise and put steer where steer usually end up.

I would try Borgal, Trivetrin or Trimidox. All the same drug from different companies. 4 cc a day for 3 days. They work well for brain infections such as Meningitis.