calf with swollen tongue

[Anonymous]

i have a calf born 3 days ago.. that had to be pulled. he is huge.. the cow had been in labor over 24 hrs... to make a long story short we could not catch her due to all cowboys in the area i knew of gone to a big roping...

had her tranquilized and we pulled the calf and amazingly enough he was still alive, even though his feet had been showing for over a day... but his tongue was swollen and i am not sure he knows how to suck... i have been tubing him to keep him alive.. he will not suck a bottle... and i cant catch him nursing and is getting weak... his tongue has gone down now...

he has kind of bonded to us and i guess it is because his mother was out of it a while after his birth and we fed him... but she hates us.. and will get us if she can... i have the calf penned at this moment and will feed him back to strength a day or so before turning him back out... just wondering if anyone has had experience with such as this... or can offer advice here.. if i can get her to go into the pen, i will pen her with him.

do you think he will catch on?

thanks

gene



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[Anonymous]

I would keep tubing him, after a couple of days when he starts showing a little spunk, I'ld start trying to get him to suck a bottle. If he won't suck I'ld keep tubing him as much as required. If he acts rather dull he may have some damage (brain-lack of oxygen) from the protracted birthing process. I'ld give him a week at least, then if no improvement...........

dun

> i have a calf born 3 days ago..
> that had to be pulled. he is
> huge.. the cow had been in labor
> over 24 hrs... to make a long
> story short we could not catch her
> due to all cowboys in the area i
> knew of gone to a big roping...

> had her tranquilized and we pulled
> the calf and amazingly enough he
> was still alive, even though his
> feet had been showing for over a
> day... but his tongue was swollen
> and i am not sure he knows how to
> suck... i have been tubing him to
> keep him alive.. he will not suck
> a bottle... and i cant catch him
> nursing and is getting weak... his
> tongue has gone down now...

> he has kind of bonded to us and i
> guess it is because his mother was
> out of it a while after his birth
> and we fed him... but she hates
> us.. and will get us if she can...
> i have the calf penned at this
> moment and will feed him back to
> strength a day or so before
> turning him back out... just
> wondering if anyone has had
> experience with such as this... or
> can offer advice here.. if i can
> get her to go into the pen, i will
> pen her with him.

> do you think he will catch on?

> thanks

> gene

 

[Anonymous]

> i have a calf born 3 days ago..
> that had to be pulled. he is
> huge.. the cow had been in labor
> over 24 hrs... to make a long
> story short we could not catch her
> due to all cowboys in the area i
> knew of gone to a big roping...

> had her tranquilized and we pulled
> the calf and amazingly enough he
> was still alive, even though his
> feet had been showing for over a
> day... but his tongue was swollen
> and i am not sure he knows how to
> suck... i have been tubing him to
> keep him alive.. he will not suck
> a bottle... and i cant catch him
> nursing and is getting weak... his
> tongue has gone down now...

> he has kind of bonded to us and i
> guess it is because his mother was
> out of it a while after his birth
> and we fed him... but she hates
> us.. and will get us if she can...
> i have the calf penned at this
> moment and will feed him back to
> strength a day or so before
> turning him back out... just
> wondering if anyone has had
> experience with such as this... or
> can offer advice here.. if i can
> get her to go into the pen, i will
> pen her with him.

> do you think he will catch on?

> thanks

> gene

I have had the exact same experience. The swollen tongue is a sign he would not have been alive much longer. In some instances the calf's head is swollen. Keep tubing him (carefully and gently) as to not harm the esphosogus. If he dies you can say you did the best you could. Mine lived. Once he gets alittle strength you might try keeping him abit hungry instead of totally satisfying his appetite by tubing. Try rubbing the top of his mouth with your finger daily and periodically.

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