Lepto in 10 week old dairy heifer

[Bill Steinlicht]

We have a 10 week old dairy heifer that has urine which is "bloody", very red in color. this is not the first calf that has experienced this problem. Problem is catching the calf in the "act" to notice the red color of the urine. Background: we are raising the calf for a large dairy; 60 calves on milk replacer at this time; calf is fed 1 gallon colostrum before leaaving the dairy, milk replacer (22-20-.15) from then to weaning; 7-14 days of age the calf is vaccinated with a modified live (don't know if I can use the company name or not?) and a pasturella vaccine; 40-50 days old the calf is once again boostered with the MLV and the pasturella vaccine; upon exiting our faciltiy at approx. 75 days of age the calf is then vaccinated with the "new" hardjo vaccine. Question 1: should the calf be vaccinated with a MLV with the L5 added (lepto)? If so at what time? Question 2: to confirm what we are dealing with our vet says we need to have a urine sample taken (much more realiabe than a blood sample?) and send to the lab at Michigan State. Reasoning being that the blood sample is not accurate and doesn't always show the best results. Unfortunately the lab isa long way from fly over land here in South Dakota and it takes the Pony Express a long time to get to MSU from here; need to collect the sample on a Monday in order to get the sample to MSU yet that week. Any ideas on blood vs. urine samples? Question 3: in the meantime do we treat the calf with a Oxy-tet product (LA-200 or the new 8 day)? Any help would be greatly appreciated. BS

 

[Anonymous]

You have lepto. I'm not sure of any treatment someone else will have to tell you that.