Chronic cough

[Hogfarmer10]

My wife has a bottle calf. It's 3 months old. She got it from a friend with excellent herd health. It has always had a chronic dry cough. I've given it resflor gold, la-300, and draxxin over the course of the 3 months. Nothing has helped. She has others that came from the same source. They do not have a cough. The calf seems healthy and is growing fine, just coughs. Any ideas?

 

[bird dog]

Its a chronic. In the ones I have had they never completely get over it due to lung damage. They grow slow and most won't live to weaning age. It seems they struggle along until about 400 lbs and then suddenly relapse and die in a few days.

Excellent herd health does not really matter as some calves will get sick regardless. If they have IBR and you are slow to treat them, the lungs are damaged. Treating further is throwing good money after bad.

 

[Hogfarmer10]

Thank you

 

[gcreekrch]

Possible lung worm infection. Some Ivermectin won't hurt.

 

[WFfarm]

We have had a random one out on pasture with their mom that would have a chronic cough and slight raspy breathing. They appear healthy in all other aspects but not grow as fast as their herd mates. We believe that they got sick as a calf without showing much signs and just never fully recoverd and have a chronic lung issue.

 

[Hereford2]

Is it still on the bottle? I've had 2 calves that coughed the Entire time they were in the bottle, a week or so after weaning them, they stopped coughing and didn't cough anymore, my vet said they weren't closing the groove in their throat correctly and some of the milk was getting in the wrong tube causing the cough. They weren't sick,as in it didn't matter how many antibiotics you gave them it wasn't going to help. The first one the vet said give it this, this and that, . Then after that didn't work, they were like oh it's not actually sick, the other calf they figured out it was the throat instead of wanting to treat it. There's 3 different vet's that know stuff, about large animals in the office, The one I like is like let's figure out a treatment plan, If they are sick, the other one is like here's antibiotics use liberally, the other one is let's wait until the calf is dead, then I will subscribe you something. It took me a while to figure all that out plus reading on here and asking people. Sorry for getting off subject.

 

[Nesikep]

Is it still on the bottle? I've had 2 calves that coughed the Entire time they were in the bottle, a week or so after weaning them, they stopped coughing and didn't cough anymore, my vet said they weren't closing the groove in their throat correctly and some of the milk was getting in the wrong tube causing the cough. They weren't sick,as in it didn't matter how many antibiotics you gave them it wasn't going to help. The first one the vet said give it this, this and that, . Then after that didn't work, they were like oh it's not actually sick, the other calf they figured out it was the throat instead of wanting to treat it. There's 3 different vet's that know stuff, about large animals in the office, The one I like is like let's figure out a treatment plan, If they are sick, the other one is like here's antibiotics use liberally, the other one is let's wait until the calf is dead, then I will subscribe you something. It took me a while to figure all that out plus reading on here and asking people. Sorry for getting off subject.

My vet usually returns my call after the animal is dead

 

[Hereford2]

My vet usually returns my call after the animal is dead

Don't you love it.... Not..... There's a vet near me that Won't do a farm call unless you have brought an animal of that specie's into their office in the last year. ..

 

[Hogfarmer10]

Yes it's still on the bottle. I've noticed it gets worse after she's just finished the bottle. Planning on weaning her in a few more weeks. Definitely hope it's the throat thing. Thank y'all

 

[farmerjan]

@Hogfarmer10 ; If it is on the bottle... couple of things... first off, hold the bottle LOWER so that it is more in line like they would go under a cow and their head angled up... that makes the pathway to the lungs close properly. That is the number one mistake that so many make feeding calves on a bottle...
on a cow they are almost "ewe necked" when sucking the cow...
Second, if you have made the hole (X) in the nipple bigger, the milk is coming too fast... and we have ALL done that...
If possible, get the lamb nipple to go on the end of the bottle... they make them... the nipples are actually better shaped..and closer to many cows teat size.... and they HAVE to drink a little slower... PITA for the feeding person... but they will swallow the milk better down into the calf's stomach and not going into the lungs...

 

[Nesikep]

Don't you love it.... Not..... There's a vet near me that Won't do a farm call unless you have brought an animal of that specie's into their office in the last year. ..

The last one that had me REALLY fuming was when i had a really badly malpositioned calf that I couldn't get straightened out, they had no time for me, so I ended up spending $0.25 and digging a hole.. TEN DAYS LATER they call me and ask me if I still needed help.. WTF???

 

[Hereford2]

The last one that had me REALLY fuming was when i had a really badly malpositioned calf that I couldn't get straightened out, they had no time for me, so I ended up spending $0.25 and digging a hole.. TEN DAYS LATER they call me and ask me if I still needed help.. WTF???

WOW.....

 

[PSMCL]

We have had a random one out on pasture with their mom that would have a chronic cough and slight raspy breathing. They appear healthy in all other aspects but not grow as fast as their herd mates. We believe that they got sick as a calf without showing much signs and just never fully recoverd and have a chronic lung

We have had a random one out on pasture with their mom that would have a chronic cough and slight raspy breathing. They appear healthy in all other aspects but not grow as fast as their herd mates. We believe that they got sick as a calf without showing much signs and just never fully recoverd and have a chronic lung issue.

Ask your vet about the use of levamisol as an immunostimulant. It's as cheap as hell and it often works.

 

[Nesikep]

Ask your vet about the use of levamisol as an immunostimulant. It's as cheap as hell and it often works.

Maybe works for covid too?

 

[PSMCL]

Maybe works for covid too?

Levamisol, as well as being an anthelmintic, has immunostimulant properties:
"Levamisole is a synthetic imidazothiazole derivative that has been widely used in treatment of worm infestations in both humans and animals. As an anthelmintic, it probably works by targeting the nematode nicotinergic acetylcholine receptor. As an immunomodulator, it appears that Levamisole is an immunostimulant which has been shown to increase NK cells and activated T-cells"

Levamisole: Uses, Interactions, Mechanism of Action | DrugBank Online

Levamisole is levamisole is a nicotinic receptor agonist used to treat helminth infections and some skin infections.

go.drugbank.com

The following protocol has been used:
One half the recommended anthelmintic oral dose given on two consecutive days every week for about two months.
I have known this protocol to improve the long term prognoses of young cattle with chronic respiratory conditions. I am unaware of any studies on the effects of levamisol on covid.