OK, here is the scoop as I know it and my opinion interjected just for good measure.
County fair is hard on calves. Between trucking and the stress of the week most come home with a snotty nose.
I did not get the call about this calf till is was all but too late. The vet was called while I was in route. In this area we have no vet that will come to the farm. A phone conversation is the best we can get.
The folks that own these calves are not newbies, just a bit stubborn.
Calf had obvious respiratory distress, the fluid could be heard in the lungs. I'm told micotil was given at first onset of noticable respiratory issues. 24 hours go by and bandimine and LA200 are administered. All proper dosages.
Calf's temp then shot to 106 and when we were drenching him with fluids he started to have what appeared to be a seizure. That lasted maybe 90 seconds. From that point on he was not right. He was slobbering, panting, weezing and was obviously uncomfortable. He did walk back into his pen. He was then slowly soaked with the water hose. Hopeing to bring his temperature down to a manageable level. Over the course of probably 5 hours his temp dropped to 103 and held steady. He seemed to act somewhat normal, drank maybe a gallon of water then laid down. That was the last...he dies about 2 hours later.
he was not the only feeder that was brought home by these folks. Their kids show. The whole group of calves (6 400lb feeders) became ill. Just not to the extent of the one that we lost. They had temps of 103, looked droopy and listless. They drank and ate but were not quite "right". However a yearling in the same group that came from the fair was not affected in any way.
MY THEORY...these calves had not seen grass since they were weaned in july, they only had grain and hay. It is dry here but during the fair (while the little pasture lot was empty) we recieved 1/2 inch of rain and some warm weather. The grass was about 6 inches high when the calves were turned back out a week later. We had also had a frost that week. I think the new growth caused grass tetney and the lack of high mag mineral in their diet contributed to the loss of the calf. I believe the yearling was not effected because she had always had access to grass.
I asked about the drugs reacting to one another just because someone had mentioned loosing several cattle and that was a contributing factor.
Any comments on my theories?
