Newbie with a sick calf

[thendrix]

Hi everybody. My name is Tyler. I need some help with a 5 week old Charolais bull. Yesterday he was running around and seemed fine. Today he is dragging, doesn't want to eat, has a runny nose and is balling a lot more then normal. We checked for snake bites and found none. The water is clean and he has been mostly nursing with a little mare and fole feed/grass pellets. He has been trying to graze and has been healthy as he can be until today. I havn't noticed a cough and his eyes are not runny or cloudy/yellow. He is balling like he may be hungry but he doesn't seem to want to eat. Any suggestions?

 

[dun]

First is his temperature then his bowels if they're moving or not

 

[thendrix]

Did some more checking yesterday. He seemed to be having trouble seeing yesterday afternoon but I believe he could tell the diffrence in light and dark as he would not go from the sunlight into the barn I'm guessing because it was dark. Finally got him in the barn and after 20 - 30 minutes, I shinned a flash light in his eyes and his pupil seemed to react. I then spoke with the vet and she said it sounded to her like he had been kicked in the head. She recommended putting the cow and calf in the barn for the night and giving him penicillin and see how he reacts. This morning he seems some better but still seems to be having trouble seeing. He did take about a quart of formula from a bucket this morning so that is promising. All I know to do at this point is keep him in the barn for a few more days and see what happens. Any more suggestions?

 

[raykour]

Take his temperature!!!! That is the first thing you need to do. If your vet did not suggest this, or ask if he had a fever, find a new one (vet, I mean) as this is the most basic reading of a probelm besides just taking a visual evaluation of condition and behavior. If there is no fever you are just shooting in the dark treating with antibiotics. If he has some disease process going, it already has at least a 24 hour head start on you. Most of our respiratory issues are not going to react favorably to penicillin these days. You didn't say what his snot looked like...clear, white, opaque, yellowish, really thick or what. Antibiotics can't kill a virus, so if he has a virus you'll just have to ride it out or use antibiotics preventatively. The bawling is curious. What you are doing is good in keeping them up and keeping a really close eye, but also consider that fresh air and green grass are the best thing for a calf in any condition so if you have a small area to turn them out in that you can still keep an eye on them and treat them that would be best.

 

[thendrix]

Thanks for the suggestions. Please correct me if I am wrong, but it is normal for a cow\calf to have a 100 - 102 degree temperature right? I can't get back to him until tomorrow afternoon but he seems to have improved some today. BTW the snot was clear and there doesn't seem to be as much today. I sure hope this little guy comes out alright. We just lost another cow to eye cancer (not a cow related to this calf other then being in the same pasture).