Help.....Calf going bald.

[kdougl]

OK. This is the second attempt at this post. I think my first one got lost somewhere in cyberspace, so I need to retype it. So please forgive me if I post a dublicate.
I have a 5 month old Holstein calf. Recently I noticed a small bald patch on his back which looked like the outler layer of hide simply peeled off. At first I thought it was due to an injury, but the bald patch kept growing and it started happening in other places as well. The exposed hide is chapped and scabby.
What is interesting is that it is only happening on the white portions of the hide. The white patches on his back are completely gone, the white on his hind quarters are now starting to peel off. His white face is also going bald, although the hide doesn't seem to be peeling, the hair is just falling out.

Any suggestions on what could be causing this and how I should treat it?
Thanks.
Doug

 

[dun]

ring worm

 

[larryshoat]

dun is probably right, sounds like a wicked case of ringworm though . How about a pc?

Larry

 

[milkmaid]

Maybe photosensitation? that's the only time I've seen an animal loose significant portions of the white part of their hair or hide.

 

[IluvABbeef]

Maybe photosensitation? that's the only time I've seen an animal loose significant portions of the white part of their hair or hide.

MM i was thinking the same thing. Sounded like ringworm until he said about the white portions of the animals' hide is sloughing off. Better see a vet about this soon IMO, kdougl.

 

[larryshoat]

Maybe photosensitation? that's the only time I've seen an animal loose significant portions of the white part of their hair or hide.

MM i was thinking the same thing. Sounded like ringworm until he said about the white portions of the animals' hide is sloughing off. Better see a vet about this soon IMO, kdougl.

I thought of that too, but it's fairly rare ( at least around here) and I would think at this time of year even less likely .That' why I would like to see a pic .

Larry

 

[Beefy]

consumption of certain types of plants (like st. johns wort) can cause photosensitivity which sounds like a good guess to me, too.

 

[randiliana]

Yep, I would agree that it is photosensitivity. As stated above, it can be cause by something that they eat. I have also seen calves that were simply allergic to the sun (at least that was the best guess). Best thing you can do right now is get him out of the sun, and talk to a vet. They will likely prescribe an antihistimine.

 

[Beefy]

one reason i suspect photosensitivity is because the white areas only are balding. i believe the sun is still out this time of year, and also cattle tend to sample things they might not normally eat this time of year.

 

[RanchManager]

Liver is probably compromised. It can be a toxic plant ( large list), liver flukes, liver abcess, or other parasites. I would first check your feed ( hay and/or pasture) Many of the plants high in alkaloids are addictive to animals that start eating them. To be safe I would give a wormer that will controls flukes (Valbazen, Ivermec injection, etc.) I've even put sunblock on photosensitive horses ( one that sampled Houndstounge).

 

[minhobbyfarm]

Just happened to stumble onto your story. My cow was doing the same. i started freakin out, called the vet started doing research on google, books, etc. Found out it has to do with liver/photosensitization in cattle. Type this into the net and you'll find every thing that your cow has will relate to this problem. Only 1 in every 100 cattle seem to have it. My Hereford is going through this and they say that when the new fur comes back in there may be scaring. They say only thing you can do is trap them into a dark barn for 7 days with only grass hay to eat no clover. that is impossible for me. I read an article of another farmer and he put his cow down, for fear of this spreading. everything i read, there's no way to spread it. There body's liver is having problems, along with the alergic to the sun makes it hard to process stuff like clover, some grains, etc.
hope this helps, we've been giving our cow vitamin A, and made sure there were very few oats in her diet. Looks pretty sick doesn't it!! she seems to be getting better.
see ya,
small hobby farm in Indiana

 

[randiliana]

We've put them in the stock trailer to keep them out of the sun.