Calf with Scours - please help...

[Sunny Citizen]

I have a Jersey cow that I bottled raised. She has had 3 heifer calves (her most recent born about 10 days ago - a pure Jersey heifer). I really wanted a bull for my freezer, but she hasn't cooperated. I decided to try her as a nurse cow and I just purchased a Brangus heifer (twin to a bull that was sold to me as a freemartin). Picked her up on Monday. She was "clean" in the rear end -- no evidence of loose stool. From a nice Brangus operation - sire was a registered Brangus and her dam was a "donor" cow. I was told she was also 10 days old. She has a dried up umbilical cord and 4 teeth. She was with a nurse cow and also on a bottle. This morning she had loose stool. She does not want a bottle, wants to nurse my cow. She did nurse my cow last night (her first night home). I don't know how much milk she got...I had separated my Jersey and her calf earlier and let this Brangus nurse first. I managed to give her a 1/2 bottle of Resorb tonight. Her stool tonight was runny. With a little - very little - blood. (I collected a small amount in a plastic baggie - in case I need to take that to the vet????)

I have her contained in a calf hutch and small fence about 10 x 5. She lays down and rests, walks around, bellers at mealtime (at least this short time I've had her).

Did I really mess up? Please tell me what to do? Can she be saved???? I plan to give her a bottle of Resorb first thing in the morning. Anxiously looking for any advice. Thank you in advance.

 

[JMJ Farms]

I don't know how much milk she is getting from the cow or how much from the bottle. My opinion is that she only needs one or the other. Try letting her nurse the cow and if she wants the bottle don't add milk. Just electrolytes for a couple of days. Just my opinion. As long as she's eating then that's a good thing.

 

[Randi]

If she is acting healthy, other than the runny stool, I would just give her some electrolytes and keep a close eye on her. It is quite possible that she just got too much milk, or the change in her diet from what she was getting at the original farm to what she's getting at yours.

If she starts acting off, not wanting to eat, looking dull, etc.. I would definitely want to get some good drugs into her fairly quickly. And keep the electrolytes going in addition to whatever milk you can get her to eat. And definitely talk to your vet, he will be able to decide what drugs would be best for her.