Q on calf w/shipping fever

[milkmaid]

This is the same calf I'd mentioned before in my other post. I put her on Micotil, and (unfortunately) I think it's working. I say unfortunately because that makes me more likely to use it again -- and I really dislike handling that stuff.

I treated Sunday and Monday, then not Tuesday, retreated Wed & Thurs, off Friday, back on again tonight. So I'm using it a *little* over label directions as it's only labeled for every 48 hours.

Calf's temp went down to 102.3 yesterday morning, 105.8 that night, 102.8 this morning, 105 tonight. Perhaps I'm just catching her at a bad time in the evenings? as that's a LOT of fluctuation. She's been off Banamine since Monday.

She's eating, drinking (but then she's never gone off feed/water) -- only real difference is that she's now (usually) with the herd, as opposed to sitting by herself on the opposite end of the field.

Any thoughts on this calf from anyone? I'm thinking if I can get her temp to stay down for 48 hours and she continues to act OK I'll pull her off antibiotics. How's that sound?

Thanks.

 

[msscamp]

Calf's temp went down to 102.3 yesterday morning, 105.8 that night, 102.8 this morning, 105 tonight. Perhaps I'm just catching her at a bad time in the evenings? as that's a LOT of fluctuation. She's been off Banamine since Monday.

Thanks.

What time in the evening and how have your daytime temperatures been? You might just be seeing an increase in your calf's temp due to the daytime highs.

 

[milkmaid]

Daytime temps...think it was under 80 today. With a "breeze", too. I'm checking her temp between 7 and 9pm, whenever she comes in from pasture.

Only thing I note of any significance is she's been in the shed and laying down in the evenings by the time I come out with the thermometer and such. Mornings she's usually been up and eating. Although you'd think the temp would be lower at total rest - laying down - but maybe I'm wrong. :???:

 

[msscamp]

Daytime temps...think it was under 80 today. With a "breeze", too. I'm checking her temp between 7 and 9pm, whenever she comes in from pasture.

Only thing I note of any significance is she's been in the shed and laying down in the evenings by the time I come out with the thermometer and such. Mornings she's usually been up and eating. Although you'd think the temp would be lower at total rest - laying down - but maybe I'm wrong. :???:

Well, that shoots my theory down in a flaming heap. It's interesting that her temp always seems to be in the 105 degree range - I thought it might be because of black absorbing heat and driving her temp up, but that does not appear to be the case as she has a shed to shelter in from the sun. I don't know, milkmaid. The only other thing I could offer - and it's lame at best - is that childrens illnesses tend to peak during the evening/night time hours, maybe it's the same with calves?

 

[3MR]

Maybe slightly off topic, but do childrens illness really peak in the evening, or is thats just when they notice the discomfort more being there isnt any other distractions.

 

[msscamp]

Maybe slightly off topic, but do childrens illness really peak in the evening, or is thats just when they notice the discomfort more being there isnt any other distractions.

You know, 3MR, you've got a good point there. I think there are a few that do peak in the evening - croup being one of them, but as for the rest of them - I honestly don't know, just going off what I've been told.

 

[Alice]

Maybe slightly off topic, but do childrens illness really peak in the evening, or is thats just when they notice the discomfort more being there isnt any other distractions.

You know, 3MR, you've got a good point there. I think there are a few that do peak in the evening - croup being one of them, but as for the rest of them - I honestly don't know, just going off what I've been told.

I think a sick child's temp does get higher in the evenings...at least that's what doctor's told me when my daughter was little and it's what my grandkid's doctor says. For that matter, I think the same is true for sick adults.

Alice

 

[mermill2]

Hi Milkmaid and Alice, I worked in a nursing home, and the temps of the people, there would go up in the evening, if they were ill. Kinda of a given. Merry

 

[3MR]

Hi Milkmaid and Alice, I worked in a nursing home, and the temps of the people, there would go up in the evening, if they were ill. Kinda of a given. Merry

Maybe they were just afraid of the dark! :lol: :lol:

I have no idea, I was just remembering when I was getting sewed back together it hurt more at night than during the day. I expect my temperature went up as well, even though I wasnt neccessarly hurt any more then than when the sun was shining.

 

[VAStocker]

Running a lot of stocker cattle shipping fever comes with the game. One thing with taking temps. that I find to be true for the most part is that the calfs temp in the afternoon (4-7pm) is almost alway going to be the highest that calf will have for that given day and the morning his/her lowest. I remeber an old wives tale that said your highest temp. is at 4pm and lowest at 4am.

As for the calf with the fever I think you might want to try Banimine or flunix both are fever reducers and alot of the time just makes the calf feel better. Micotil is a powerful antibiotic and expensive too if the calf is not better from all the antibiotics you have given it odds are it will not be. What our vet. tells us and probbally more will agree after three treatments with antibiotics you should give it time to run it's course nothing else that you can do will reverse the effects of the infection any more.
Good luck with it shipping fever it can be hard to handle at times and very confussing but rember there is no silver bullet out there that will cure every case so stay versitile, the next calf may need something totally different to get him/her to turn around.

 

[milkmaid]

Thanks for the advice, all. If it's of any significance to you, her temp was WAY down this morning. First reading said 99.9 and I said no way. Took it again and I guess my methods just needed adjusting. 101.2 second reading, and I'll go with that one as it makes more sense. Regardless, it's going down.

Welcome to the forum, VAstocker. Here's the original discussion (click) - first post I made on the topic, two weeks ago. Yes I've been battling this with her for awhile. Long story short, she was on Baytril/Banamine for the first week, temp was staying around 104, vet felt the drugs I was using weren't working. I swapped over to an oxytet200/sulfa combo and realized in 24 hours that the Baytril had been keeping things in check, if nothing else (dramatic temp spike).

My next preference is Nuflor, but I didn't have it and couldn't get it, and so went with Micotil. Been on Micotil this week and it does appear to be working. I'm pretty sure she has some lung damage, but hopefully she'll be OK as we're going into fall now with cooler weather. Been leaving her off Banamine most of the time (with the exception of in conjunction with the first or second treatment of Micotil) so I can get a feel for how the Micotil's working, based on temperature readings. (Thanks for the advice, Karen. )

As to the three treatments -- I generally treat almost everything longer to make sure I don't have relapses. Especially on this calf that I suspect is/was a chronic case anyhow, I want to make sure she IS well - completely - before I take her off antibiotics. After all, when a person goes on antibiotics it's generally a 10-14 day regimine, and there's a pretty good reason for it.

FWIW, Micotil's also cheaper than Baytril both in the 100mL bottle and per treatment (6cc's Micotil vs. 8cc's or more of Baytril). But I still intend to take this bottle back to my vet's when I'm done -- don't ever intend to use the stuff again if I don't have to.

So -- back to the temperature readings themselves. If her lowest temperature is in the morning and highest is in the evening, then which one do I go with to confirm that she either needs more treating, or that she's done? I'd like to see both under 103 for 48 hours, but I'm perfectly willing to modify that condition if it's not logical.

Thoughts?
TIA.

 

[VAStocker]

Thanks for the feed back on the calf Milkmaid. It's helpful to know when treatments work and exactly how they were performed it gives us all a little insite for the next time we are in your shoes.

About the temp. it's hard to tell when you have two temp. a high and and a normal all in the same day but my theroy (for what it's worth) is that if temp. coincides with how the calf feels he/she feels better when the temp. is normal and the oppsite when high so you now know that your treatment plan is begining to work. We take all temps. in the morning just because it works better for us to work the sick cattle first and then work the new comers to the farm. Being we have cattle to work every day Mon.-Fri. the suspect cattle that are sick get there temp. taken the same time everyday then you can kinda make a trend of if the calf is getting better or not.

As for the nuflor it is great stuff we use it all the time, and I know in my first post I said there is no silver bullets and I still think that but nuflor is pretty close.

Happy farming and good luck with your calves. :cboy:

 

[Howdyjabo]

Congratulations....

 

[milkmaid]

Congratulations....

I take it that means you think she's nearly well? *hopeful look* Haven't taken her temp yet this evening but I've seen her with the herd most all day today.

I had a general vet appointment made a few weeks back - for this Friday - and I figure I'll haul this calf in with my others and let my vet listen to her lungs. I can count the breaths and get her respiration rate, but what I can't tell is how well her lungs are working and how much damage there is. What he says will dictate how soon I resell this calf.

 

[Howdyjabo]

Someone made a remark about a stethascope somewhere else.
I've never had much luck identifiying lung damage thats gonna cause trouble-
I can hear something but some seem to do fine and others don't. So I gave up. But I never had anyone who knew what they were doing coach me- I just tried to listen alot hopeing I'd figure it out.