calf won't suck

[mjjanssen]

we had a calf about 4-5 days old get stuck in a pond. think he was there for a couple days. he was very close to death when we got him out. tried to get him to suck on mom but mom was dry. he now has become a bottle feeder. I can't get him to drink from a bottle or pail. he sucks and chews the nipple and my fingers but he refused to swallow while doing it. he has had colostrum and we have been tubing him. know he was sucking on mom. I have tryed a sheep's nipple, squirting small amounts into his mouth and nothing. searched everywhere for answers. he went 10 hours today without food and he still didn't want to suck. can't keep tubing him because he is getting really strong and Hayes it causing him to get stressed out and getting away. he also seems to be lazy and spends most of his time standing in the shade or sleeping.

that's all I have to tell. I really need help so thx and I'm looking forward to your answers

 

[MRRherefords]

If he sucks on your fingers, then maybe you can direct his head down to a pail of milk. Good luck with him. We are feeding a rejected twin now and were very discouraged as she refused to suck at all. We tried everything I knew of. Then after several days of tubing, it just clicked for her. She is now two months old and doing really well. Sometimes will just take patience.

 

[cowgirl8]

He probably has organ damage. Only time will tell....Standing around, on a calf this young is not good. Sleeping is, but being stuck in a pond that long is not good. Cows rarely survive even though they're around water and you'd think dehydration would be the last thing they'd suffer. I'm going to guess this calf got very dehydrated. Sometimes they pull out of it, but most times they don't....good luck

 

[JeffK-MN]

We had a calf that wouldn't suck this spring. When it was born it sucked good then we had cold wet weather and she stopped nursing. We brought both in to the holding pen and tried to get to suck. With no luck. We tube feeder for 4 days the had the vet out and gave her a shot of vit.B and resflor.
The next morning she sucked a pop bottle flat put mom in the chute and got her back on mom. Now 2 months later running with the rest. Good luck Jeff

 

[Gators Rule]

We had a calf that was hard to get sucking a bottle. We tried both a calf and a goat nipple (the red ones that fit the big 4 pint bottles). Then found a more supple black goat nipple that fit on a coke bottle. Tried the black one while rubbing his anus, BOOM....success! Then worked back to the bigger red calf nipples (and no butt rubbing). Be patient. That was great advice given to me.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

The calf "may" be sick. Did you take it's temperature? Sick calves don't suck, lay around, listless. I would give it a shot of Selenium (BoSe or MuSe or Multi-Min, must get from vet) and if running a fever, get it on antibiotics. Never heard of a cow drying up after 3-4 days without calf sucking????

 

[Stocker Steve]

Karo syrup on nipple helps at times.

 

[wacocowboy]

The calf "may" be sick. Did you take it's temperature? Sick calves don't suck, lay around, listless. I would give it a shot of Selenium (BoSe or MuSe or Multi-Min, must get from vet) and if running a fever, get it on antibiotics. Never heard of a cow drying up after 3-4 days without calf sucking????

Yeah I have never seen a cow dry up that fast.

As others have stated I think you might have a medical problem that needs to be rooted out. If you can't diagnose it take to the vet or it will die.

 

[Gators Rule]

*PQQF*....I think the OP has left the building!