Pneumonia-can they catch it again?

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Gate Opener

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We have had some calves come down with Pneumonia. They never got real bad, slight cough little runny nose. Anyway, seems we get one well and another comes down with it so it has been kinda strung out amongst them. It has been real wet here(Yea!)and it has been cold, cool and warm (Its Texas). They are in the pasture and have shelter. Will the ones that have had it and been treated catch it again? Also, if the moms have been vaccinated they shouldn't catch it, right?
 
They can catch it again. Or if they weren;t 100% over it they can start showing signs of it again. Never used a vaccine for pneumonia.

dun
 
Pneumonia can leave scarring that makes them more succeptible to the next bug that comes along.

If they aren't running a high fever, coughing, and showing real signs of major sickness I don't know as I'd bother treating. I tend towards the benign neglect approach, as most times a little snuffly nose will go away by itself, and treating them is not cheap.

If what you're dealing with is bacterial (and responding to antibiotics), then you probably have not vaccinated for that. BVD, IBR, PI3, and BRSV -- the things that we often vaccinate for that can cause respiratory problems -- are viral, and will not respond to antibiotics. If they are responding to antibiotics, you may be dealing with something like pasturella or haemophilus somnus or mannheimia haemolytica, which you're not going to have vaccinated against unless you specifically went looking for that vaccine. It's not in any of the standard 8-way or 5-way or 10-way vaccines. Food for thought.
 
Pneumonia is highly contagious, if you can I sure would separate the sick ones out from the well ones, and rainy cold weather is just about the worst for sick calves. They have shelter, maybe supplying a heat source would not be a bad idea, they have to be kept warm and dry.

GMN
 
Great information! Thanks everybody.

I think I'll do the neglect thing. :D

I could hear one of the calves breathing so I think he needed to be treated. The others may have gotten better on their own. I'll check their temp. next time.

Another question, do I need to wash out their trough everyday until this is totally cleared? What do I do about salt blocks?
 
Gate Opener":2obfvtt6 said:
Another question, do I need to wash out their trough everyday until this is totally cleared? What do I do about salt blocks?

I wouldn't bother; IMO it'd be a waste of time. Especially since they have nose-to-nose contact.
 
When my calves or cows start getting runny noses and what not. I mix Terramycin in their water for a couple of days or so. The ones that clear up I figure just had a cold or allergies. The ones that don't clear up get a shot of penicillin.
 
Same type weather here for almost 2 months, snots/coughs have come and gone repeatedly. I have been dutifully negligent. :lol:

We just ran the calves through the chute for boosters and vet said if we have another bout of coughs to try erimycin (sp?) crumbles top dressed on their feed. They have a tetracycline component.

Anyone help with the spelling or have experience with this stuff?
 
If one has a runny nose or cough I also put a pint of bleach to a 100 gallons of water in the tub to help to keep the others from getting it. If on pasture I generally try to isolate them from the rest of the herd. On pasture they drink from a pond or creek so I can't really treat it. I sometimes put crumbles in the feed if i'm feed them at the time.
 
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