Curious Scours...but eating

[MK]

Had to have someone watch a 6 week old leppy heifer.
They fed Sat AM/PM and Sun AM. Not exactly on the time schedule she is use to.
On Sun PM and Mon AM all was well.

Monday PM. She ate all of milk and ¾ of her water bottle. Looked at her behind. Runny greenish scours. Looked around and found more. Green/foamy/sticky. Gave her a sulfa/trimet pill.Went back out before bed and she was munching hay.

Tue AM. Cleaned her butt to keep her comfortable. Cut back on replacer part of relpacer/water ration. Water had electros in it. Ate all with enthusiasm. Still beat the bull calf. Started to munch hay as usual after feeding. Scours looked more solid, but still not normal.


Tue PM. Cleaned her bottom…Same feeding routine as morning with a sulfa/trimet pill in her milk. She was there and ate every bit. Went to check on her after feeding horse (20 minutes) and she was shaking from head to toe…hunched and straining. But munching hay. Watched and she let out some serious watery scours. Green and liquid. Want back before bed and she was laying there like no big deal.

Weds AM. Same routine minus sulfa. Considered a shot of LA 200 but decided to check her at noon. Scours looks brownish consistency of medium thick gravy. Slight lumps and snotty. Again she ate all and was munching hay when I left for work.
Noon I go home and she is out eating grass. Looks fine but there are some more greenish/brown scours around. Held off on LA 200 again.

SO now what. Through all her ears are up, only seen her look like she is in pain (hunching and shaking) one time, posture good, mooing at me to be fed. She is right there for every feeding….and she is not showing any signs of weakness.

I am going to give her a probiotic bolus tonight.
DO you think I should do a third dose of sulfa…what about LA 200. Any thoughts appreciated.
MK

 

[Kelly]

I would give the probiotics for sure & probably the pill too. Is she eating more grass lately? I would put a call in to your vet & see also what he thinks. I have had great luck with the probiotics & electrolytes at the first sign of any loose stools.

 

[Crowderfarms]

Appetite is a good sign, what brand of Milk Replacer are you using? try some Resorb, or Diaque as both are electrolytes. Diaque can be mixed in with the milk, unlike other brands. Let us know it's progress, and good luck.

 

[jkwilson]

I wouldn't be so quick on the antibiotics. She seems healthy other than the scours, and the antibiotics will cause scouring just as much as they'll cure it. You're killing the good bugs in her gut along with the bad ones. Give her the probioitic, and leave her alone if she stays on feed.

 

[TheBullLady]

I wouldn't give her antiobiotics either. Her stools will look different depending on what she's eating... hay and grass, grain, etc. As long as her appetite is good and she's acting normal I'd stay with your usual routine.

 

[Linda]

And, take her temperature. That will be a good indicator as to whether she is sick or not.

 

[Kelly]

I would be concerned if you only gave a couple doses of antibiotics and it called for a few more days that you maybe didn't quite kill off the bugs that started it in the first place - in which case they could build up resistance to the medicine. Maybe I am wrong but I am not a vet so it is just a thought. I just think that if you are going to use antibiotics , make sure you kill the bug so it can't turn into a stronger bug to kill.

 

[MK]

Well I really appreciate all the suggestions...what a nice group!

On the antibiotics....two days of that sulfa without a change kinda made me think I jumped into the antibiotics too quick...but with the dairy calves that's what worked. Instead of keeping up with the oral I switched to the LA200...to save her stomach as I agree that they can cause as much as cure a problem in the gut.

Last night and this morning I increased her milk ratio a bit and last night gave some more pepto. She seems fine now. No belly kicking last night or this morning. Running around and head butting her buddy................
SO I hope it was all just a little stomach upset caused either by the grass coming on more of the slight change in routine thatoccured this past weekend. I will keep you posted, especially if she takes a downward turn. I will be atching her closely the next couple days as the LA 200 wears off.

MK