Calves dying left and right

[Anonymous]

We've lost 5 calves in the last 4 days and have no explanation. The first calf that died was 12 hours old and was diagnosed with "Purple Gut". Since then 4 calves have expired 2 being newborns and then others being a few days old. Right now have another calf not much more than a few days old in the house which is trying to die. I have spent several hours with that calf today and have not been able to find anything that pulls him out of this.
The calf that is still barely alive, it's nostrills have been trying to swell shut and are very red/purple...he has blood seeping in his mouth. Now he has had mothers milk but now we've got him on electrolites and milk replacer. He wont die but he wont get up either.
All of the calves have been given "Clostridium Perfringens Types C and D Antitoxin and Bacterin-Toxoid" as they are born and it doesn't seem to be helping. As it all stands we are at about a 25% loss.

Does anyone have any idea what may be going on??

 

[dun]

My only guess and that's all it is, would be some form of toxin. Either from the environment or the cow. If from the cow it could be from before it's born or being passed in the milk. Get your vet to post several of the calves, that's probably the only way to really get a handle on it.

dun

 

[D.R. Cattle]

Nostrils swelling shut and blood out the nose? Sounds like a respiratory infection. Have you tried a dose of LA200? IT's tough to do anything with calves that haven't gotten the first milk. Even still, immune response may not be the same with LA for calves that young. We need a word from V the V.

 

[kjyoak]

We have lost a total of 13 calves now ourselves. As i posted the vet said it was scours which some did show the signs but others have not. Our vet now has sent a calf off to be tested. Hopefully soon we will find out what our problem is. This has been all in the last two weeks. Anywhere from a day old up to 5 or six days old. My husband spoke with someone else when he took the calf to columbus that was losing calves as well. But i don't remember if the nostrills were swelling or not but i do remember they were really red. My husband did notice the calves that had died had loose teeth as well and the healthier ones do not. Our calves will not get up either only the one that i am still caring for now will stand as long as i stand him up and he will walk around a little. I need to go down and check on him here shortly. I hope he is still holding on and pulls out of this. Out of the calves that have been we have lost about half. Still waiting for about 20 - 25 more to be born. My husband also realized that the calves that have died the mother did not clean up afterwards. The ones still doing well had. We are at a lost with this. They have never lost calves like this before.

 

[Anonymous]

My husband also realized that the calves that have died the mother did not clean up afterwards. The ones still doing well had.

See my answer in the other posting.....

Also, not cleaning makes me suspicious of Selenium deficiency--you may want to test one or two of the mothers who haven't cleaned...direct se or GSHPx (glutathion peroxidase which is an indirect enzyme test)

Again, good luck!
V