Raspy newborn

[Tbrake]

Just pulled backward twins. Both made it, not a real hard pull. One of them is pretty raspy breathing from the fluid in his lungs I assume. Should I give him a couple ml of draxxin or nuflor? I have them some vitamin b complex to get some energy going. Got them both to suck for just a few min, then I milked out mom and split it between them in a bottle. (Little over 1/2 bottle) probably will split a bottle of clostrix between them in a few hours. They are in a dry barn on straw with mom.
It is nasty here, 5” of rain past few days, creeks and draws are flooding. Mud is knee deep, having a heck of a time. This makes 13 calves in the past 18 hours. Luckily have been able to save them. Several more to come soon.

 

[Bright Raven]

Likely aspirated amniotic fluid. I would put him on his brisket and do some gentle but solid blows with my palm cupped to the rib cage. It will dislodge fluid and the calf can cough it up or shallow it.

Medication is not necessary at this early stage. If it becomes an infection with a temperature, then, yes.

 

[MRRherefords]

I agree with what Ron said. Probably some fluid in the lungs. From birth. It may be fine on its own.

 

[jerry27150]

used to always pick those backward calves up by their hind feet & swing them around to get fluid out

 

[Ky hills]

used to always pick those backward calves up by their hind feet & swing them around to get fluid out

Seen vets do that. I usually can't do that especially if they are larger calves, but I lift them up by the hind legs for a bit if they are a breech birth.

 

[MRRherefords]

used to always pick those backward calves up by their hind feet & swing them around to get fluid out

Exactly right. Good point.

 

[Supa Dexta]

Thats a myth.

 

[Bright Raven]

Thats a myth.

That is my understanding also, the swinging them in a circle by the feet is voodoo.

 

[Chocolate Cow2]

you want to put the calf in the 'recovery position'. Good reading: https://www.tsln.com/news/tips-for-smoo ... er-calves/

Once the calf is on the ground, breathing is the next order of business. Traditional wisdom says when a newborn calf isn't breathing, hang it upside-down, or swing it, theoretically to allow fluid to drain from the airways.

More study has determined that's not the best way to handle it. "This is no longer standard practice," Creelman said. "You will see fluid coming from the calf's mouth and nose, but it's been proven that this is mainly fluid from the stomach. It makes it harder for the calf to breath, being swung or hanging upside down, because of all the weight of the gut putting pressure on the lungs."

"The fluid in the stomach is beneficial to the calf and you don't want it to be draining out," says Lias. "All you are doing by hanging the calf is having that stomach fluid run out, with danger of the calf aspirating some of that fluid."

Creelman advises people to put the newborn calf in recovery position (upright, rather than flat) resting on the sternum, with head and neck extended forward. "This allows for maximum oxygenation in the lungs because they can both expand more fully." This is better than the calf lying on its side because the bottommost lung can't expand.