Wednesday got a call that one of my calves was breathing very heavy, went to the farm corraled and got him in the chute, slight temp gave Banamine and Nuflor... as of today, calf is doing excellent.
Went back home to get ready for Thanksgiving, all went well, everyone was well fed and happy.
Black Friday - got up at 2:30am to shower and head to my sisters to hit the sales... got some nice deals
Took a nap and headed to the farm...hubby was on call, so all farm chores fell on me, checked out hay situation, feed situation, checked on the calf I gave meds to on Wed - he looks good, checked the fencer... everything looking good.
Started checking other calves.... uh oh, find a big calf with bright red spots of blood on his back end... looks like he may be loose also for the amount of crap on tail and back end. Call the vet...
Vet says - wait another day, keep checking him, blood may be from a burst hemmoroid, or from diarhea, if on Sat you see more blood or he seems ill (as he doesn't at the moment) will come and check him out.
Check him a few more times on Friday til dark, and all seems well.
Sat am head to the farm first thing, check on #37 (butt problem calf) no blood that I can see, holding tail up a bit, still looks like he may be "loose".
Ran some errands, and went to grinding feed, mom came with me, as she doesn't like it when I am running equipment alone, (sweet lady). Pull grinder into lot and backup to steer stuffer, see #37 laying nearby, so I went to check on him... HOLY COW - got about 4 inches of rectal prolapse hanging out of him! Unload the feed, take mom home (as she has to work), call the vet en route to give him heads up and I'll call back when he's in the chute.
Get cattle in corral, seperated and got #37 locked up in the alley. Call the vet - he'll be there in hour to hour and a half... guess what? No more prolapse... UGH.
Feed hay to bull and heifers waiting for vet to arrive, last bale vet drives in, what great timing!
After Vet examines, says it's my call, surgery or no... I ask if it was his what would he do, he says he'd do it as I caught it early, and it may or may not happen again, probably caused by diarhea, give him some charcoal to help out his tum-tum, done with that, he gives me instruction on how to remove suture in about 2 to 3 weeks. Let him out and keep in penned for another hour til sedation wears off. Gives me instruction on things to keep an eye on of further problems. Check written vet leaves. By this time it is dark and I head out.
Sunday am, arrive at the farm and head out into pasture with calves to find #37, I start to walk by #73 who is laying down, I notice he's got slightly more than a runny nose, not dehydrated, breathing sounds fine, make note to check on him more. I get closer and he's watching me, but he doesn't get up, I get to him and actually give him a nudge and he gets up, stumbles and falls on top of me.. OUCH! He's struglling, I'm struggling, I get out and up and he's on all four, very unsteady, he's right near the corral gate, so I manuever him inside and kick out the few others that are in there, and lock the gate.... HOLY CRAP WHAT IS HAPPENING! I'm a bit shaken up, but I go back to check for the #37-butt problem, I find him and I am in fear there is more swelling that should be, looks to be better than a golf ball sized lump right under tail above butt-hole. Somehow I manage to get him in the corral also.
Call the vet - still shaking - UGH
Vet comes, butt problem is fine go to #73.
Temp is 105, vet listens and says some congestion in lungs, some in trach, gives banamine in vein, nuflor and a antiheistamine. We get the calf up so vet can check the unsteadyness... Either A) high fever causing it or B) possible menangitis or encephalitis or some type of brain stem swelling, either case, Nuflor is best.
Calf seems to be stumbling towards the right, or wanting to lean to the right, vet is checking while he is standing now, lungs, feeling around, etc, finds on his back on the left side, running down next to his spine the back muscle is hard as a rock, is wondering if calf was hurt in some way, but that would not account for high temp. Possibly pulled muscle from struggling to get up? Vet is a bit stumped, we talk for a bit, review calfs vacc's. Gives some instructions on further meds, what he is wanting to see the calf progress at, etc. Write the check, vet leaves.
Calf is standing, go do some chores, come back, calf is standing, do some more things, calf is down. Go over by him, and he struggles, but he gets up. Do some more things ( can ALWAYS find something to do) hour later calf is down, can't get him up, go to the house for a gun, end of story.
Called vet and left a message with the update.
Vet calls me this morning, and he talked with another vet about the situation, and asked me if blackleg vacc was given, yep it was.
He thinks he was correct with some type of brain swelling was the problem, (except for that hard back muscle has him puzzled) but for $1 a shot, perhaps another round of blackleg vacc would be in order.
Any opinions?
Michele
Went back home to get ready for Thanksgiving, all went well, everyone was well fed and happy.
Black Friday - got up at 2:30am to shower and head to my sisters to hit the sales... got some nice deals
Took a nap and headed to the farm...hubby was on call, so all farm chores fell on me, checked out hay situation, feed situation, checked on the calf I gave meds to on Wed - he looks good, checked the fencer... everything looking good.
Started checking other calves.... uh oh, find a big calf with bright red spots of blood on his back end... looks like he may be loose also for the amount of crap on tail and back end. Call the vet...
Vet says - wait another day, keep checking him, blood may be from a burst hemmoroid, or from diarhea, if on Sat you see more blood or he seems ill (as he doesn't at the moment) will come and check him out.
Check him a few more times on Friday til dark, and all seems well.
Sat am head to the farm first thing, check on #37 (butt problem calf) no blood that I can see, holding tail up a bit, still looks like he may be "loose".
Ran some errands, and went to grinding feed, mom came with me, as she doesn't like it when I am running equipment alone, (sweet lady). Pull grinder into lot and backup to steer stuffer, see #37 laying nearby, so I went to check on him... HOLY COW - got about 4 inches of rectal prolapse hanging out of him! Unload the feed, take mom home (as she has to work), call the vet en route to give him heads up and I'll call back when he's in the chute.
Get cattle in corral, seperated and got #37 locked up in the alley. Call the vet - he'll be there in hour to hour and a half... guess what? No more prolapse... UGH.
Feed hay to bull and heifers waiting for vet to arrive, last bale vet drives in, what great timing!
After Vet examines, says it's my call, surgery or no... I ask if it was his what would he do, he says he'd do it as I caught it early, and it may or may not happen again, probably caused by diarhea, give him some charcoal to help out his tum-tum, done with that, he gives me instruction on how to remove suture in about 2 to 3 weeks. Let him out and keep in penned for another hour til sedation wears off. Gives me instruction on things to keep an eye on of further problems. Check written vet leaves. By this time it is dark and I head out.
Sunday am, arrive at the farm and head out into pasture with calves to find #37, I start to walk by #73 who is laying down, I notice he's got slightly more than a runny nose, not dehydrated, breathing sounds fine, make note to check on him more. I get closer and he's watching me, but he doesn't get up, I get to him and actually give him a nudge and he gets up, stumbles and falls on top of me.. OUCH! He's struglling, I'm struggling, I get out and up and he's on all four, very unsteady, he's right near the corral gate, so I manuever him inside and kick out the few others that are in there, and lock the gate.... HOLY CRAP WHAT IS HAPPENING! I'm a bit shaken up, but I go back to check for the #37-butt problem, I find him and I am in fear there is more swelling that should be, looks to be better than a golf ball sized lump right under tail above butt-hole. Somehow I manage to get him in the corral also.
Call the vet - still shaking - UGH
Vet comes, butt problem is fine go to #73.
Temp is 105, vet listens and says some congestion in lungs, some in trach, gives banamine in vein, nuflor and a antiheistamine. We get the calf up so vet can check the unsteadyness... Either A) high fever causing it or B) possible menangitis or encephalitis or some type of brain stem swelling, either case, Nuflor is best.
Calf seems to be stumbling towards the right, or wanting to lean to the right, vet is checking while he is standing now, lungs, feeling around, etc, finds on his back on the left side, running down next to his spine the back muscle is hard as a rock, is wondering if calf was hurt in some way, but that would not account for high temp. Possibly pulled muscle from struggling to get up? Vet is a bit stumped, we talk for a bit, review calfs vacc's. Gives some instructions on further meds, what he is wanting to see the calf progress at, etc. Write the check, vet leaves.
Calf is standing, go do some chores, come back, calf is standing, do some more things, calf is down. Go over by him, and he struggles, but he gets up. Do some more things ( can ALWAYS find something to do) hour later calf is down, can't get him up, go to the house for a gun, end of story.
Called vet and left a message with the update.
Vet calls me this morning, and he talked with another vet about the situation, and asked me if blackleg vacc was given, yep it was.
He thinks he was correct with some type of brain swelling was the problem, (except for that hard back muscle has him puzzled) but for $1 a shot, perhaps another round of blackleg vacc would be in order.
Any opinions?
Michele
