seems hungry, but doesnt want the bottle?

[spinandslide]

This calf is killing me.

Backround-
Got ill about 2 weeks ago, scours and wouldnt eat..went the whole round with Corid, Electrolytes, Bio Sponge, Probios, & Excenel. Last week, started eating well..3-4 pints a feeding, eyes still sunken in abit and lost weight, but moo-ing for her bottle at feed times. runny poo still, blood still at certain times.

Friday night, didnt eat, Sat AM she did. She got a shot of B Vitamins then. She seemed lethargic Sat Afternoon, so I got another round of Excenel from the vet, also gave her some Banamine, electrolytes and probios.

Sun AM, we gave her fluids under the skin(vet said this was OK versus IV). She drank her whole bottle sunday AM. Last night, drank almost 3 pints, but still acted hungry, but wouldnt finish the bottle :???: Got Banamine again last night. Active, trotting after me, good suction on my finger, but didnt want the rest of the bottle.

This AM..took 3 or 4 sucks from the bottle and then started butting my legs and moo-ing, offer her the nipple again, she chewed on it, spit it out...tried again, she sucks for a minute, then stops and starts butting me So I tried a bucket with the nipple on it, thinking she was getting frustrated with the suction in the bottle...same thing..she'll drink it though if I syringe it into her mouth. I did this afew times when she was ill and wouldnt eat.

I know alot of people will say..when shes hungry she'll eat, but with her still not at 100% and needing weight, Im afraid to let her go to long, plus her acting hungry... I saw her nibbling hay and some pieces of grass she can get through the fence.

Does anyone have any input on this situation? What her deal may be?
I'd appreciate it.

 

[dun]

Make the nipple hole bigger

 

[spinandslide]

Make the nipple hole bigger

will it have an adverse effect on her? Ive heard people say its not good to make the milk "to easy" to get.
Did I create my own problem by syringing the milk into her mouth? Im not well versed in tubing or I wouldnt have bothered with the syringe in the first place.

I am abit upset..she is so thin..

 

[dun]

You don;t want the milk to run out but relieving some of the pressure required to suck may help. Either make the little vent a little bigger or the opening on the end of the nipple, not both.

 

[DaletheDairyFarmer]

Try a shot of Muse (selenium)

 

[FarmGirl10]

Try a shot of Muse (selenium)

Thats what I would say to try, but I would have suggested BoSe (just a less potent version of MuSe, which is what we use).

 

[angie1]

Another thought ~ I noticed you said you were giving electrolytes. The electrolytes I use, the calves LOVE. Even a very sick calf will drink it down. Smells like white cake batter (have thought about giving it a taste myself :nod: ). Anyhow, when they are well enough to go back onto milk, they are very dissatisfied with it. Will spit out the bottle and look for the other stuff, just exactly like your calf is acting. I have to wean them back onto replacer by mixing the 2. Maybe, maybe not ~ but worth a thought.

 

[CKC1586]

Try a shot of Muse (selenium)

Thats what I would say to try, but I would have suggested BoSe (just a less potent version of MuSe, which is what we use).

Yup, MuSe for cows, BoSe for calves....

 

[ngachickens]

Smells like white cake batter (have thought about giving it a taste myself :nod: ).

Thought about it? If it smelled like white cake batter...I would definitely get a taste of it! Perhaps, i need to add some electrolytes to my diet

 

[angie1]

Smells like white cake batter (have thought about giving it a taste myself :nod: ).

Thought about it? If it smelled like white cake batter...I would definitely get a taste of it! Perhaps, i need to add some electrolytes to my diet

Better to be safe than sorry I always say! :lol2:
Oh. Wait. I almost never say that ~ nevermind! :help:

 

[spinandslide]

thanks all!

Yes, the resorb smells abit sweet, like Sprite. Yesterday at lunch, she sucked down a whole bottle of resorb. Last night, I had to force feed her 2 pints of milk. This AM, downed another bottle of resorb.
Angie, you may very well be correct in your thinking...I will try a half/half mixture. with 100 degree heat, she needs all the electrolytes she can get..

Also...Im wondering. Last night about 6PM is when I tried to feed her, we put the ringer in her as well...she seemed VERY lethargic and just BLAH. didnt even want to suck on my finger. Went out about 9:15PM and she was up, looking alert and sucked and butted my finger. Im wondering if trying to feed her abit later in the evening might help. With it being so terriably hot, perhaps shes just not in the mood to eat at 6PM?

Now, shes getting B vitamin shots..is the BoSe similar in properties to the B vitamins?

I spoke with 2 different vets and both said Im doing everything I can.

Good news though, her poop looked NORMAL this AM!!!! :banana: Heres hoping she can beat this thing!

 

[jonbri55]

BoSe or Muse are selenium/vitamin E supplements. You give it in the form of an injection once or a second one 2 weeks after the first shot. Your vet should have it. Here in the Pacific NW we are horribly deficient and all of our ruminants get a shot at birth. It won't hurt to try that.

 

[spinandslide]

BoSe or Muse are selenium/vitamin E supplements. You give it in the form of an injection once or a second one 2 weeks after the first shot. Your vet should have it. Here in the Pacific NW we are horribly deficient and all of our ruminants get a shot at birth. It won't hurt to try that.

I see...spoke with a knowledgable source who said that down here, we arent deficient, so she prob doesnt need it...but good info to know.

 

[larryshoat]

Sarah, keep pushing the fluids . Some pepto bismol about 30 minutes before feeding may help her to eat better . Probios together with the B vitamins will help to increase appetite .Make sure you are feeding milk 12 hours apart . I would ask the vet for a shot of Draxxin about now, it will go a long way in preventing respiratory problems . I would ask your vet about vaccinating .


Larry

 

[TexasBred]

Be careful using BoSe and MuSe. Unless you have a known selenium deficiency in the herd there's no need to worry to much about the calf. If he's deficient, his mother should also be deficient. Newborns do get vitamins and minerals via placental transfer prior to birth. A heavy dose of selenium can be deadly. Take care of the scours ..... the good milk replacer you are using should contain an adequate amount of organic selenium anyway and calves are much more tolerant of selenium in this form. Best of luck to you Sarah.

 

[spinandslide]

Well..we are upward climbing again
She drank a full 2 quarts of milk/electrolytes last night and also a pint of straight water. Got a full bag of fluids into her as well. This am, she drank a full bottle of electrolytes/milk as well.

AND....her bucket of water was between 1/4 and 1/2 gone last night and it was full in the AM (5 gallon)..

And, she is chewing on hay and the teensy bit of grass she can reach through the wire in her pen. Its not alot and not unlimited, so I let her chew the few blades she gets.

Larry-I asked my vet about vaccs two weeks ago when this started...he said no, shes to young. Once she gets back to feeling better, we can worm and vacc her. she gets her B Vitamins every other day and the probotic paste...I really like this new stuff Im using..Ill have to get the name of it and let you all know what it is. Jewel practicaly gives it to herself, it must taste good.

Richard-Yes, spoke with a knowledgable person from this area and he said the same thing you did..also said this area isnt known to be decificent. If it aint broke, dont fix it right?

I've got a large swamp cooler..it puts out alot of air and the air is cool..do you all think this would be safe to put on her during the afternoon? I had a big fan, but the dang thing broke on me. She gets a really good breeze in the afternoon, but its typical texas hairdryer breeze. She of course has shade. Will the air be to cool for her? Im afraid it might make her intolerent of the heat, if she gets used to the coolness. OR should I go and just buy a box fan and strap it up for her? or let it be, as long as shes got air moving?

I appreciate all the help. It makes me ill to see her just skin and bones, but shes tough...

 

[ngachickens]

That good ol' hairdryer breeze...how I don't miss that!

I bet she would get intolerant of the heat if you had the swamp cooler in there...
But, that's just MHO
We raise poultry and my father-in-law says he can remember when they didn't run fans or anything, just a house with curtains...they would let the curtains down during the day, when it was hot outside. Now, we basically air-condition them (tunneled houses)...some farms even have cool cells, worse bunch of chickens you'd ever see. If it gets over 90 in the house, the chickens act like they are suffocating; wings out, panting...and of course, it burns electricity running the fans. If the company would let us, we would let 'em take the heat and save some money!!

 

[TexasBred]

I'd put a fan on her. It's not going to cool anything down really. Just make it feel cooler and move the air and body heat away from her. Your humidity is probably only about 20% anyway in your area. Keep the fresh water and the shade available.