sick bottle calf

[scf84]

my bottle calf is 3 weeks and 2 days old today and up untill today has been running around and feeling good and eating good. this morning he drank fine but this evening he was just laying around and not acting normal. i just went to feed him his evening bottle and he was just laying around and heard me coming and raised his head up and layed it back down which is not normal for him. i stuck the nipple to his mouth and he sucked on it alittle but only got a mouth full or two then wasnt interested in it. at time it seems he has a little blood and some thick stuff in his stool. from what i am reading it sounds like it might be coccidiosis? what is yalls opinion? i gave him a shot of pennicilin which is all i have on hand. the milk replacer i am feeding him says it is medicated to prevent coccidiosis but?

 

[jerry27150]

better get some electrolytes into him quickly

 

[Son of Butch]

Bottle feed electrolyte fluids as soon as possible.

hope it's not salmonella, it's the worst... and can spread to people and make you very sick.
wash your hands well before eating and wash your barn clothes too.

salmonella signs in calves, foul smelling bloody diarrhea with high fever
a fecal culture would need to be done to confirm, because many different diseases can look similar.

 

[scf84]

doesnt seem to have a fever, and seems better today still not his old self but feeling better. i was able to get about half a bottle of electrolytes in him gonna try to give rest in few hours. he seemed like he would take a few swallows and stopped like it might have been hurting him to swallow or something..

 

[cowmilker]

GET A TEMP.

 

[jerry27150]

can get a feeding tube at any farm store

 

[skyhightree1]

Probably with feeding tubes is if you don't know what you are doing .. You will make problems way worse

 

[jerry27150]

tubes come with directions have one for small calves & vet sold me one once for a 500 lber saved him too!

 

[skyhightree1]

tubes come with directions have one for small calves & vet sold me one once for a 500 lber saved him too!

Yes, Tons of things come with directions but that doesn't guarantee it will get used correctly.

 

[regolith]

tubes come with directions have one for small calves & vet sold me one once for a 500 lber saved him too!

Yes, Tons of things come with directions but that doesn't guarantee it will get used correctly.

It's not that hard to use a tube correctly, beginner or no.
But with the information we have so far, I don't think tubing is indicated. Calf is a slow drinker, not a non-drinker... provided the OP has the time to go back every few hours and top him up with a bit more electrolyte, I wouldn't be so hasty to break out the tube.
If one can only attend to the calf every twelve hours that's a different thing, in that case I'd use the tube to ensure it got enough fluids for the day.

I'd expect the calf has scours by now yes/no? Quite often 24 hours between feeling sick and starting scouring, could be longer sometimes.

 

[scf84]

yesterday morning he only drank the remaining 1/2 bottle of electrolytes from day before but last night he drank a hole bottle of electrolytes and half a bottle of milk and acted like his old self. just went to feed him his morning bottle and he jumped up when he seen me and ran for his bottle, his breathing sounded normal, but we he starts to drink he has to cough and wheez in between drinks, dont know if he is getting strangled or its going to the wrong place or what, after he drank the whole bottle he pooped and it was watery green stuff followed by one solid turd. i have a bad of saf a caf scour and pneumonia treatment but not sure if he needs it. i may try to give him a half a bottle around noon since he went for a few days without much to eat and see what his stool looks like then.