Never had Pneumonia 50 years but do now

[Andi of Longmeadow]

Evening everyone......

Our farm in Maryland has been in business for 50 plus years, and this is the first time we have 3 cases of pneumonia on three 6-12 month old hand raised calves in the barn. Called vet right away when I suspected things weren't right this morning. Vet came right out, gave treatment of antibiotics and filled trough with nice green grass hay. Fed 6month old some calf replacer, calf ate and drank a bit. His fever (a bull calf) was 105. High.

What I wanted to know was has anyone seen a explosion of this dreadful illness, lately? Unfortunately, we are having a sharp change in weather, cold 4 days ago, now 69 and humid. Not the best for these magnificent animals.

Thank you for any and all information you might have on this. I greatly thank you.

 

[rockridgecattle]

sometimes pnemonia is a seconday infection for something else. Do you vaccinate...pre breeding, yearlings.
The primary infection could be BVD. What happens is a calf gets stressed, starts shedding the virus, and is susptible to a whole host of diseases such as pnemonia.
The other cause of pnemonia is IBR...a respirtory disease.
If you see more I would suggest a BVD test on these animals.
what are you using to treat?
Antibiotic + an anti inflamatory?

 

[Andi of Longmeadow]

Hey, thanks so much! Vet to come out tomorrow A.M. ~ will strongly suggest and follow through with the BVD test. Since we are an older established farm we haven't had this test, (had no problems such as this) but this is such a good point.

Will follow through and report back findings.

 

[msscamp]

Anytime the weather is warm during the day, and cool at night pneumonia is going to be a problem - especially if the weather changes coincide with weaning, or some other type of stress. We always fed medicated pellets for a couple of months at weaning time to help prevent it. I would also get those calves out of the barn. A) There is no reason for a 6-12 month old calf to be in a barn, and B) being in a barn prevents them from acclimating to the weather changes, and adjusting to them. Put them in a pen/small pasture with a 3 sided/open-fronted shed for shelter if you must, but get them out of the barn.

 

[backhoeboogie]

A large animal vet told me he had never seen this many cases here. We have had some extreme temperature swings. 93 one day and snow a couple of days later. A few weeks back we went from a record high of about 86 to the high 20's.

Most of us have already lost this years fruit crop because many trees are budding. My plums, peaches, and apricots all went to bloom just before the light snow.

 

[DavisBeefmasters]

With the weather swings this year, I'm glad we give our calves TSV-2 intranasal vaccine within the 1st day of being on the ground... it gives them a little boost in this department, and knock on wood... seems to be working...

70+ degrees one day, 35-40 degrees with a heavy wind and rain the next... crazy... but we can use the rain

 

[rockridgecattle]

So what was the verdict?

 

[spoon]

So what was the verdict?

Also I'd like to know what breed your magnificant animals are.

 

[rockridgecattle]

spoon, I lost something in the translation. Was the question directed at me? Or the original poster

 

[Andi of Longmeadow]

Call me slow on the verdict~ but all the calves survived and have rebounded beautifully. They are pure bred angus, one bull calf, two heifer calves.

My vet is about 85 years old......has been our vet for more the 50 years (a long, long, time) and we worked with these beautiful creatures everyday for 1 week, 2nd week I did follow-up boosters.

We did have an antibiotic going, tube fed, and darn they made it. Lets just say I am happy as they are ranging between 200lbs. and the older girls are reach about 400 to 500.

Don't know where this came from. Same people work with my cows each day...no one new...except.....our butcher came down with his truck and took a couple away prior to infection. Interesting?

Thanks for all the comments, good will, and support. Nice to see something good going on isn't it? :banana:

 

[spoon]

spoon, I lost something in the translation. Was the question directed at me? Or the original poster

Sorry rockridge, I missed your post. It was for the original poster. He answered it there in his last post. You could tell that he/she was truly concerned and really loved his/her animals so I was just curious what breed it was.

 

[Alice]

With the weather swings this year, I'm glad we give our calves TSV-2 intranasal vaccine within the 1st day of being on the ground... it gives them a little boost in this department, and knock on wood... seems to be working...

70+ degrees one day, 35-40 degrees with a heavy wind and rain the next... crazy... but we can use the rain

TSV-2 intranasal...I'm going to remember that! Thank you!

Alice

 

[rockridgecattle]

Good to hear thing went well.
Sometimes it's easy to forget the people who come on to our farm have been where other animals are and come with boots covered in muck or have not been disinfected, clothes with bacteria or viruses on them, tires on vehicles, etc. I know our vet makes sure she is clean when travelling from farm to farm.
I near had a bird the other day. A family member went to visit a friend of his. On this friends farm he is fighting baby calf scours. Blood, new born babies, big mess. I'm thinking e coli. He is treating like 50 a day for this. Any how this family member came back to the farm and washed his boots in a puddle. I believe i told my husband to make sure this family member disinfected the boots, and anything else he touched before washing his hands. We do not have it We do not want it and by darn this family member was barred from the calving area until he was spotless.

 

[Andi of Longmeadow]

Hey that is a good point~not two weeks prior we had the "butcher" up with his helper to take five away. "They" were standing around shooting the breeze....boots you know the routine. Cows were stressed, loss of a few...probably translated to younger calves being "stressed" too.

Thanks for your insight. Appreciate it!