sick calf Please help!

[adashky]

Her scours are grey this time????????

 

[jawsmom]

Wow we had one similar to this but not as bad. For the white scours the vet gave us sulfa boluses. Worked well
but then we had a secondary infection HOWEVER we stuck with him like you have been doing and he pulled
through and is doing well now. Has your vet cultured the scours to see exactly what you might be dealing with?
Ours had ecoli problems first and then clostridium issues but turned out after almost two weeks. Best of luck!!
BTW we did give probios paste and it helped a lot. Helped restore the "good" bugs. Don't know if that'd be the
case every time.

 

[Suzie Q]

I hope no news is good news.

 

[adashky]

I hope no news is good news.

Earlier I readied a post to say "no" that I didn't have any good news. I was just tired of talking about the bad that I walked away.

Now, I can say things are looking better. Not great or spectacular but better.

I finally reached the point that I couldn't see any improvement with what I was doing and I really felt that I was prolonging the inevitable. So.....we put them out in the field with the other cows. I forced her to choose between living and dying. Between eating and starving to death. A little tough love.

So far, it has worked. I have seen her on the cow twice. She is not real aggressive about eating but she is at least trying which is a first in over a week. We are over 90 degrees right now and so I did give her a quart of electrolyes and some power punch this afternoon via tubing.

We'll see how it goes.

Thanks for all the advice, tips, encouragement and support. I really appreciate it and I will let you know how she does.

 

[Angus Cowman]

good luck

 

[Suzie Q]

You seeing her nurse from the cow is a ray of hope.

 

[adashky]

Just came in from checking on Alice. She looks pretty good. She's not as thin and sunk in as yesterday. Helped her out of the rose bushes she was laying under and got the cow down to her and she started sucking. Eventhough the cow was kicking some, she kept going back for more.

Gonna check on her later this afternoon to make sure she doesn't need anymore electrolytes since it's reaching about 95 again today.

Feeling better! Not still 100% sure she is going to make it, but more hopeful than in the last 2 weeks.

 

[DavisBeefmasters]

Grey scours is usually a little bit of milk scour mixed with the cruds of having a tube rammed down 3 to 4 times a day.

Glad she is up and chasing momma (even if momma tries to kick her off).

I'd leave her be and observe from here on out - only intervene if you see her lethargic with non-perky ears for more than 12 hours.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[adashky]

I just got in from checking on Alice. She spent pretty much all day in the woods enjoying the shade and the cool breeze. Once the sun started going down, she found her way out of the woods and across/up the hill to her momma. We spooked her a little on the four wheeler and she ran around the cow and kicked up her heels.

She is losing hair like crazy but other than that I am begining to feel that all the heartache was worth it!

 

[larryshoat]

The hair loss is probably caused by cryptosporidia, and that was part of the scour problem.

Larry

 

[Texas PaPaw]

The hair loss is probably caused by cryptosporidia, and that was part of the scour problem.

Larry

Larry

Just curious. Will the hair grow back? and if yes, about how long does it take to regrow?

 

[larryshoat]

The hair loss is probably caused by cryptosporidia, and that was part of the scour problem.

Larry

Larry

Just curious. Will the hair grow back? and if yes, about how long does it take to regrow?

Yes, it will grow back, but takes quite a while, around a month.

Larry

 

[Suzie Q]

Yay I am glad your hard work paid off. Good on you for looking after her.

 

[DavisBeefmasters]

Whoo hoo! :tiphat: -- glad to hear you got her on track.

Nice work.

 

[adashky]

Found Alice dead this afternoon.

Thanks for all the helpful advice and words of encouragement. I really appreciate it.

 

[Suzie Q]

I am so sorry to hear.

 

[larryshoat]

Thank you for your honesty. I've heard people say a calf was recovered and doing fine when I was fairly sure the thing was dead. It's hard to face sometimes, you gave it your best shot and I have to respect that :tiphat: .

Larry

 

[adashky]

Thank you for your honesty. I've heard people say a calf was recovered and doing fine when I was fairly sure the thing was dead. It's hard to face sometimes, you gave it your best shot and I have to respect that :tiphat: .

Larry

I don't see what the point of lying about it is....I suppose it would be so noone on here would judge and make one feel like a faluire. Whatever.

I really thought she was going to be ok but as soon as she started getting more agressive about eating, her scours came back and within 12 hrs, she was gone.

You win some and you lose some. I tried everything I could. Even pushed my husband for more, but in the end she wasn't meant to live.

 

[DavisBeefmasters]

Sorry for your loss - but you gave it the best chance it had (and WAY more than a lot of folks would do).

Hard to believe, but for the next sick calf -- you have learned a TON of information to use.

Keep your chin up. You done good - regardless of outcome.

 

[adashky]

Sorry for your loss - but you gave it the best chance it had (and WAY more than a lot of folks would do).

Hard to believe, but for the next sick calf -- you have learned a TON of information to use.

Keep your chin up. You done good - regardless of outcome.

Thanks. I appreciate all the advice you offered.