Sick Calf....

[Alice]

I guess it's just different strokes for different folks...

Alice

 

[msscamp]

Msscamp,

Re:

A temp of 105 would tell me he likely had some type of infection that I needed to figure out and treat.
A temp of 97 would tell me that I had not been paying attention to business, let this calf progress too far in whatever was wrong with him, and would likely have a dead calf in the next 24 hours or so - unless I could come up with a stellar treatment plan, and God heard my prayers. Sub-normal temps are actually more dangerous than above-normal temps in cattle.

Two questions.

1. If the calf had a temp of 105 from an infection and you didn't know it until it came down to 97, don't you then have a misdiagnosis?

No, because the infection has overwhelmed the calfs body, resulting in the calf being unable to maintain a normal body temp due to systems shutting down.

2. Or he was found in water (pond or stream) in the winter?

If you wanted to include environment in the temps you threw out there, you should have said that from the beginning.

I am simply trying to find out why some people (vets mostly) think temp is so important, when other signs, such as standing in water or runny eyes or nose, will tell much more.
SL

Temperature is important because it 'tells' you what is going on inside the calf to a degree (no pun intended). For instance, when a calf contracts something such as a viral illness - his body ratchets up the body temperature to attemp to kill the invading virus, which results in a fever. But, an infection caused by a foreign body or abcess will not usually cause a fever until the infection goes systemic. On the other hand, when a calf is sick and not treated in time, the immune system becomes overwhelmed, and body systems are damaged and start shutting down. Because of this the body temp cannot be regulated or maintained - hence a sub-normal temp. I'm not sure I'm completely correct, but that is how I understand it to be. Vicky, maybe you could chime in here, please?

 

[milkmaid]

Temperature is important because it 'tells' you what is going on inside the calf to a degree (no pun intended). For instance, when a calf contracts something such as a viral illness - his body ratchets up the body temperature to attemp to kill the invading virus, which results in a fever. But, an infection caused by a foreign body or abcess will not usually cause a fever until the infection goes systemic. On the other hand, when a calf is sick and not treated in time, the immune system becomes overwhelmed, and body systems are damaged and start shutting down. Because of this the body temp cannot be regulated or maintained - hence a sub-normal temp. I'm not sure I'm completely correct, but that is how I understand it to be. Vicky, maybe you could chime in here, please?

I think you're right, and you did a purty good job of explaining it. ;-)

A lower than normal body temperature is generally a sign of the animal going into shock, and nothing works right then. I haven't had too much luck saving them when they get to that point.

 

[msscamp]

Temperature is important because it 'tells' you what is going on inside the calf to a degree (no pun intended). For instance, when a calf contracts something such as a viral illness - his body ratchets up the body temperature to attemp to kill the invading virus, which results in a fever. But, an infection caused by a foreign body or abcess will not usually cause a fever until the infection goes systemic. On the other hand, when a calf is sick and not treated in time, the immune system becomes overwhelmed, and body systems are damaged and start shutting down. Because of this the body temp cannot be regulated or maintained - hence a sub-normal temp. I'm not sure I'm completely correct, but that is how I understand it to be. Vicky, maybe you could chime in here, please?

I think you're right, and you did a purty good job of explaining it. ;-)

A lower than normal body temperature is generally a sign of the animal going into shock, and nothing works right then. I haven't had too much luck saving them when they get to that point.

Thank you, Milkmaid! Neither have we.