Sick Calf

[PaMike]

I have several 3 month old Holstein steer calfs. Several days ago one didnt come to the feed trough and was slow to get up. He wont get up unless I help him up, but when hes up he will eat and drink fine. He has a snotty nose. His manure is a little loose but not bad. It is a lighter grayish color as compared to the others. I have given him two shots of Banamine, 5cc each. It been three days since he was normal. Any ideas?
Thanks

 

[dun]

I have several 3 month old Holstein steer calfs. Several days ago one didnt come to the feed trough and was slow to get up. He wont get up unless I help him up, but when hes up he will eat and drink fine. He has a snotty nose. His manure is a little loose but not bad. It is a lighter grayish color as compared to the others. I have given him two shots of Banamine, 5cc each. It been three days since he was normal. Any ideas?
Thanks

Take his temp. If he's running any kind of a temp at all hit him with some serious antibitoics, Nuflor or something of that type. He probably needs antibiotics, not aspirin

dun

 

[holly heifer]

Baytril works wonders for respiratory problems. ;-)

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

And please keep us posted. I used to buy a few holstein steers from the local dairy every year, but they started to cut corners when the calves first dropped, and they often didn't get the first shot of colostrum. Then I ran into the exact same problem you are running into: depressed calves, a little loose, snotty nose. I tried every drug we could think of, but ended up losing 70% of the calves. The only calves we saved were the ones that we picked up the day they were born and had given colostrum replacement.

 

[milkmaid]

What kind of feed is he on (hay, grain, milk, etc) and did you just change his feed ration?

What about the calf's body condition now or before he started having problems? good condition?

And your weather...what's it like?

You said he's about 3 months old, so I wouldn't be blaming a lack of colostrum on whatever problem he has now. That's too long ago.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

You said he's about 3 months old, so I wouldn't be blaming a lack of colostrum on whatever problem he has now. That's too long ago.

Do you think so? (not being sarcastic, but genuinely curious). What if the calf hadn't been exposed to any kind of virus or bacteria that needed to be fought off? I kept my holstein calves in a completely new pen, totally dry and clean, and they didn't do too badly (I lost 1). At 3 months old, I put them into a still clean pen, but one that had been used in the past, with a couple light 3 month old feeders who had definitely received mother's colostrum. The light feeders were fine, while the holsteins slowly but surely died off.

Rod

 

[milkmaid]

I could be wrong, but I'm thinking 3 months is too long. That's 90 days of age, most bottle calves have been weaned for over a month since then, on grain, hay, over the usual stresses of weaning, etc. My feeling is that most of your problems are going to be in the first 30 days, and by the time they pass 60 days they're pretty much in the clear. That's the age that a lot of folks want them because there's no bottle feeding, less chance of death, calves know how to eat, etc etc. I personally don't mind the challenge of taking them on earlier and I've done alright.

All the bottle calves I've gotten except one had two feedings of colostrum before I picked them up, and I'll pick up my bottle calves as early as 12 hours of age. The one calf I got that hadn't had colostrum...she has a story of her own. No colostrum or even regular milk in the first 24 hours (too long to explain why), came down with pnemonia by 3 days (perhaps more related to the cold January weather?), and I picked her almost-literally off the dead animal pile at 5 days of age.

A lot of TLC, and she survived. Pushing 700lbs now. ;-) I personally don't feel a lack of colostrum is a death sentence; perhaps a setback at first, but not a death sentence.

What took your calves down? respiratory?

Not trying to brag here, but out of quite a few bottle calves, I've only lost one, and she was another I pulled off the dead animal pile - this time with scours. I'd like to believe that if I knew then what I know now about scours, I could have saved her. I'm sure I'll have another chance to find out, sooner or later...

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

What took your calves down? respiratory?

Not trying to brag here, but out of quite a few bottle calves, I've only lost one, and she was another I pulled off the dead animal pile - this time with scours. I'd like to believe that if I knew then what I know now about scours, I could have saved her. I'm sure I'll have another chance to find out, sooner or later...

I don't believe there was any respiratory distress at all, except a little snot at the nose. No heavy breathing, just very depressed. The symptoms I saw were exactly like PAMike's.

Like yourself, I've never lost a bottle fed calf around this place, until this year, and the only thing I could lay a finger that was different is that the dairy quit giving colostrum to newborns. Heck, I've rescued 3 day old, almost dead beef calves that were dropped on grass and never got a first suck. Some electrolytes, a couple days of hand feeding, back onto Momma, and away they went.

Rod

 

[milkmaid]

I don't believe there was any respiratory distress at all, except a little snot at the nose. No heavy breathing, just very depressed. The symptoms I saw were exactly like PAMike's.

Interesting. Out of curiousity...what did you treat them with? antibiotics, electrolytes, probiotic, pain meds, etc etc? And what type of time frame did they have between first symptoms and death? Sounds like you didn't see anything specific (pnemonia, etc) that you could point your finger at, right?

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

Interesting. Out of curiousity...what did you treat them with? antibiotics, electrolytes, probiotic, pain meds, etc etc? And what type of time frame did they have between first symptoms and death? Sounds like you didn't see anything specific (pnemonia, etc) that you could point your finger at, right?

I tried NuFlor, Micatil, Liquimycin battery, a battery of Penicillin G and LA, and electrolytes. It usually took a couple weeks from the onset of the first symptoms (depression) until they died. I should have had a vet do some bloodwork, but these were free calves, and 8 weight Holsteins were only worth $200 up here. Economically, it just didn't jive, especially since none of my beef animals were being affected.

Rod

 

[holly heifer]

:lol: i have raised many beef bottle calves over the years that
did not get mommas colustrum. I did get the "store bought '
version into them before 12 hours of age. I too have had some
calves that had no suck reflex, were too weak to nurse,
ect, that i tube fed or bottle fed to get them started and then
successfully got them back on the cow. The others that did
not get back on momma became the " bottle babies" Last
spring I had 3 heifers ( hereford cross) and they are doing
great. One was my niecies starter calf for 4_H. The year
before I raised 2 hereford steers. They went to a guy that
wanted 2 gentle hereford s to feed out for his freezer.
They also did well. ( hard to sell them, though, they were gentle as dogs, but steers have a purpose) ;-) I did once
raise a limosin steer that I kept as a pet until he was 3 years
old :oops: He got really " rude" and kept trying to head butt me and other NASTY things. :shock: He went to the sale barn
( weighed in at 2000 lbs and netted me a hefty check) I will
NEVER keep a steer for a pet, again. :oops: Learned my Lesson! :x

 

[PaMike]

I had the vet come out today. He checked for pnomonia and he doesnt think thats the problem. He has a term for what it could be, but I forget it. Basically, some calves are born "sick" but it doesnt appear till sometime later when they are stressed. Basically nothing you can do but care for them till they get better or die. He put the calf on penicillian incase it is bacteria. I am giving him 8cc of penicillian a day. The vet took blood and fecal sample. I should have the results in a week....