I spoke too soon

[AmandaQ]

So last week I was celebrating my calf being healthy and surviving her crazy birth. But the past three days have hit me in the face. She has sepsis in her fetlock. We are treating it aggressively and of course I have no experience with this. I'm not 100% ready to hear the unvarnished truth. She had anesthesia and the joint tapped three days in a row. (I could not imagine having anesthesia three days in a row myself.) we are moving to an antibiotic that I inject in her neck every four days for 6-9 weeks. And meloxicam for inflammation and pain for the next several days. We caught it early, it wasn't the worst my vet had seen and it looks better today than Wednesday. She cultured it both days. Just thought I would share that my happy ending isn't so clear cut right now.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Please keep us filled in on her progress. It sounds like she's getting the best care possible. Prayers.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Hi Amanda. How is the calf doing?

 

[AmandaQ]

I've convinced her to drink a syringe of meloxicam four days in a row and she let me cut her bandage off her leg before the rain started. She runs and bucks some, lounges a little. Since she is the first calf I have ever been around, I'm having a hard time knowing what a normal six week old calf does all day. Tomorrow is day one of the antibiotic shot in the neck. It's going to burn and take a couple of seconds to get it out of the syringe. I'm nervous about it but it has to be done.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

I'm so glad she is frisking. Use a 3/4" 16 gauge needle. Immobilize her by backing her into a corner and/or have someone hold her there between their legs, put your thumb on the plunger, stab it is in and mash the plunger real quick. Make sure you have one of those needles that screw on the syringe. Look online to see the triangular area where you are supposed to give IM shots on a bovine neck. On that spot first squirt on some rubbing alcohol where you will give the shot. Take a deep breath, you can do this.

 

[AmandaQ]

Thank you! I needed the encouragement!

 

[ClinchValley86]

Hoping for the best for you two.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

How are things today?

 

[AmandaQ]

How are things today?

She's a very sweet calf that doesn't hate me after shot #1 yesterday. Definitely didn't do it perfectly and I thought I ripped her skin when the needle came out but I didn't do that after all. She still sits more than I think calves should sit but I really have no idea. She doesn't limp anymore, she runs a little every day and grazes with the other cows. I wouldn't think she was sick but I missed it the first time until the limp started. Second shot is Saturday and my horse friend is coming over to help me with the shot. 12 ml is a lot of liquid, and it clearly burns while going in. I wish I had cow friends nearby. Thank you for giving me directions. That really helped me a lot!

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

I'm glad she's better. 12ml in one place is a lot for one shot for a little calf. I would divide that into 2 shots and have 2 syringes of 6ccs loaded. Put 2 separate splashes of alcohol in the neck triangular area and give them one after the other. My rancher husband is the best shot giver I've ever seen. He has given probably given 1000s of shots. He holds the syringe like a stabbing knife with this thumb on the plunger and for a calf a short 3/4" 16 gauge needle (so the medication goes in fast). He just stabs, plunges and pulls it out so fast I asked Did you give it yet? He said I already did.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

I'm glad she's better. 12ml in one place is a lot for one shot for a little calf. Ask your vet but I would divide that into 2 shots and have 2 syringes of 6ccs loaded. Put 2 separate splashes of alcohol in the neck triangular area and give them one after the other. My rancher husband is the best shot giver I've ever seen. He has given probably given 1000s of shots. He holds the syringe like a stabbing knife with this thumb on the plunger and for a calf a short 3/4" 16 gauge needle (so the medication goes in fast). He just stabs, plunges and pulls it out so fast I asked Did you give it yet? He said I already did.

 

[AmandaQ]

I'm glad she's better. 12ml in one place is a lot for one shot for a little calf. I would divide that into 2 shots and have 2 syringes of 6ccs loaded. Put 2 separate splashes of alcohol in the neck triangular area and give them one after the other. My rancher husband is the best shot giver I've ever seen. He has given probably given 1000s of shots. He holds the syringe like a stabbing knife with this thumb on the plunger and for a calf a short 3/4" 16 gauge needle (so the medication goes in fast). He just stabs, plunges and pulls it out so fast I asked Did you give it yet? He said I already did.

I like this plan better, it seems less stressful for both of us. I'm feeling a bump under the skin where I gave her the first shot on Tuesday. I don't know what that means but I would guess I did something wrong. I hope my calf and I are both really good at this at the end.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Nope, a bump is normal . It will go away in a while.

 

[Hippie Rancher]

lump from that much of a shot in one place is pretty normal but watch it for heat and more swelling because it could turn into an abscess.

also follow vet instructions on speed of injection. antibiotics can be quite thick and you actually DON'T want to shoot them in too fast. splitting into two sites is commonly advised however.

 

[farmerjan]

Most every bottle of any type of injectible says to not give more than 10 cc in any one site... I fully agree with splitting it into 2 shots...
Honestly, that is way more antibiotic than I have ever heard of giving to a calf of that size. It is usually based on weight... 1cc per 100-130 lbs weight... or 1.5 cc per 100 lbs.... I would think that a calf that young would be getting only 2-5 cc total at a time... Please check with the vet to make sure it is not too much... maybe they wrote it wrong.
It sounds like the calf got "navel ill".... an infection that can get in through the navel area, and it often goes to the joints... and can kill them. Long treatment time to try to kill it off in the body...maybe that is the huge amount of antibiotics...

 

[farmerjan]

Make sure the antibiotic shot is warmed to room temp when you give it... it is more of a flowable liquid, and also not as much of a shock to the system by being a warm shot rather than a cold shock to the muscle.

 

[AmandaQ]

Most every bottle of any type of injectible says to not give more than 10 cc in any one site... I fully agree with splitting it into 2 shots...
Honestly, that is way more antibiotic than I have ever heard of giving to a calf of that size. It is usually based on weight... 1cc per 100-130 lbs weight... or 1.5 cc per 100 lbs.... I would think that a calf that young would be getting only 2-5 cc total at a time... Please check with the vet to make sure it is not too much... maybe they wrote it wrong.
It sounds like the calf got "navel ill".... an infection that can get in through the navel area, and it often goes to the joints... and can kill them. Long treatment time to try to kill it off in the body...maybe that is the huge amount of antibiotics...

It very much feels like overkill but my vet said it was a very large shot that was going to burn. I will check with her again but she told me I need to start her at 12 ml but up the dose as she gains weight. We estimate her to be 200 lbs now and growing.

 

[simme]

The 6 ml/100# rate for Nuflor is for SC injection (given at an angle under the skin). The 3ml/100# rate is for IM injection (straight in into muscle). Normally the SC dose is a single time and the IM dose is 2 times 48 hours apart.

Giving a dose every 4 days for 6 weeks would be extra label use.

 

[wbvs58]

Very high doses are often used on joint ill.

Ken

 

[farmerjan]

It does sound like it is "navel ill or joint ill" and yes, I have heard of high doses for prolonged periods of time to try to kill the infection. Best of luck getting that cleared up. Sounds like the vet is taking as good a care of her as she can with the treatments. You will be an old pro at shots before you know it !!!!