scours

[Anonymous]

How do i tell if a calf definitely has scours she is manuring yellow all i am doing is bottle feeding her do i need to be giving her hay and some calf starter yet would that help or is there something else i need to do ...thanks in advance!!

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[Anonymous]

If all she is getting is milk or milk replacer she will poop yellow. Start her on some fresh calf starter grain. Give her access to fresh water and leave some good leafy grass hay for her to munch on.

dun

> How do i tell if a calf definitely
> has scours she is manuring yellow
> all i am doing is bottle feeding
> her do i need to be giving her hay
> and some calf starter yet would
> that help or is there something
> else i need to do ...thanks in
> advance!!

 

[Anonymous]

Calf scours will have a foul odor, and be loose/runny, calf may also produce a bubly/faomy defecation that is runny. Give calf Poly Serum 75/150cc sub Q to prevent scours.

Dun is right a calf on milk replacer or just milk from a bottle with produce a creamy/yellow soft fecal ball, if getting too much at one time the feces will be wet/loose, I would suggest giving the calf some oral probios (small tube) a couple of times a day and provide some calf starter and calf manna, the calf manna smells good and will draw them to the feed, it is also a good source of vitamins and minerals, while the calf is starting to learn to eat solids

Good Luck



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[Anonymous]

I don't understand why anyone would recommend giving an antibiotic to an apparently healthy calf. And, then recommend giving probios.

Yes, if the calf has been on antibiotics, it will probably benefit from probios. And, the probios won't hurt the calf. But why recommend antibiotics in the first place?

We are seeing so many antibiotic resistant infections in our hospitals that I can't advocate giving unnecessary antibiotics to any livestock or human.

> Calf scours will have a foul odor,
> and be loose/runny, calf may also
> produce a bubly/faomy defecation
> that is runny. Give calf Poly
> Serum 75/150cc sub Q to prevent
> scours.

> Dun is right a calf on milk
> replacer or just milk from a
> bottle with produce a
> creamy/yellow soft fecal ball, if
> getting too much at one time the
> feces will be wet/loose, I would
> suggest giving the calf some oral
> probios (small tube) a couple of
> times a day and provide some calf
> starter and calf manna, the calf
> manna smells good and will draw
> them to the feed, it is also a
> good source of vitamins and
> minerals, while the calf is
> starting to learn to eat solids

> Good Luck

 

[Anonymous]

If you have true scours you treat with antibiotics or lose the calf in serious cases,

When you have a calf on milk replacer and not on a cow, the gut does not get the natural inoculation of beneficial bacteria needed to process forage, thus by giving the probios to a bottle calf you will increase the calves ability to begin to digest solid feed stuffs by starting the population of desired bacteria.

Think about it, it is very logical, and I agree Antibiotics are to heavily used by people who do not know how or when to use them, but when needed to treat a sick calf or any other animal, I say go for it and try and save them if it is feasable and realistic.



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[Anonymous]

Michelle, thanks for the reply and explanation.

From my perspective, I didn't see where the original poster's calf had true scours.

You said, " Calf scours will have a foul odor, and be loose/runny, calf may also produce a bubly/faomy defecation that is runny. Give calf Poly Serum 75/150cc sub Q to PREVENT scours." (I capitalized the word prevent.)

I agree with you that calves on milk replacer are a little more touchy to raise and may need some extra care, but I don't agree with giving antibiotics to prevent scours.

The probios might be beneficial to a bottle calf. I have always understood calves nibble on solids and develop the needed bacteria from those solids. By the time they are having to rely on solids for nutrition, they have developed the needed bacteria.

It's not only people who are using antibiotics unnecessarily. Residues of antibiotics in our feed, as well as other hormones and chemicals are assaulting our bodies and our environment. Plus, subtherapeutic treatment of animal disease is leaving the strong bacteria alive, while killing off the weak bacteria.

I just think we, as farmers, need to be a little more careful in making the decision to administer antibiotics.

> If you have true scours you treat
> with antibiotics or lose the calf
> in serious cases,

> When you have a calf on milk
> replacer and not on a cow, the gut
> does not get the natural
> inoculation of beneficial bacteria
> needed to process forage, thus by
> giving the probios to a bottle
> calf you will increase the calves
> ability to begin to digest solid
> feed stuffs by starting the
> population of desired bacteria.

> Think about it, it is very
> logical, and I agree Antibiotics
> are to heavily used by people who
> do not know how or when to use
> them, but when needed to treat a
> sick calf or any other animal, I
> say go for it and try and save
> them if it is feasable and
> realistic.

 

[Anonymous]

Linda, just how many bottle calves have you raised anyway? The dairy trade magazines say about 20% of all bottle calves die before weaning. If you have raised many, you have seen what appear to be healthy calves one day be very sick just 12 hours later. There is no doubt that the use of antibiotics results in their becoming ineffective. Evolution at work. The bacteria that cause scours in calves are primarily transmitted by ingestion of fecal material. These are not typically found to be a major problem for humans. Also, some drugs are only effective in calves because of failure to recieve good or adequate colostrum. For instance Bacitracin added to milk replacer will control claustridiums until you vaccinate or the calf can build immunity to the local bugs. Preventative medicines have their place when used intelligently. Secondly, I wish to differ with your statement about medication contamination in feeds. The USDA carefully regulates feed manufacturers concerning such contaminations and I can tell you it is not a problem any feed manufacturer wants to suffer for making. Most of the medications we are using in animal agriculture have no human label use. The ones that do are not used for the same bacteria in humans. The bacteria that can be transmitted to humans from livestock are not more resistant to all meds. just because they build resistance to livestock meds.

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