Sick Calf

[Workinonit Farm]

Sky.....yo.....skyhightree! What was the result of the vet visit with that calf?

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Sounds to me like the calf is starving. Most likely Because the cow has a severe case of mastitis. Gonna have to bottle feed the calf and ship the dam.

Has any one heard what the vet has said??

I cannot tell a lie. The Vet said exactly what I posted. Lol!

Sky texted me.

 

[skyhightree1]

Sorry all my phone died while texting TT hospital drains my battery quick.. I was visiting my wife at work. Vet told me the issue and it is as Double T said. I asked how he knew and boy do I wish I didn't ask that question he squeezed some curdled looking milk and boy did it stink. If I got that stuff in my mouth I would be bellowing for years. He gave me some meds to inject in her teats and I have to hand milk her for a while. I will do that before I ship her incase someone buys her to take back to the farm since shes bred. I now have my first bottle calf LOL Now im not sure about the mastisus and if its curable but I do not want to go through that again so shes growing well once vet says its cleared up. I am so glad it was not rabies. He has been drinking water and electrolytes well and milk from bottle is a work in progress lol

 

[skyhightree1]

[

I hope everything turns out alright for the calf and you. I hate for them to have to chain you up to keep you from biting folks.

:lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

 

[Williamsv]

I do not know so much about calves, but I thought that calf sounded hungry. It did not look sick. Hope all works out well. Mastitis should be treatable and she will get over it. Surely hope so.

 

[skyhightree1]

I do not know so much about calves, but I thought that calf sounded hungry. It did not look sick. Hope all works out well. Mastitis should be treatable and she will get over it. Surely hope so.

Yea very hungry .. Yea he looks healthy vet said he was going sideways cause he was weak. I guess it goes away just not sure if it comes back later. Thanks Williamsv.

 

[skyhightree1]

Calf died im having it autopsied

 

[JW IN VA]

I first thought poison. Then the mastitis thing sounded right. Could it be the cow developed that from not being nursed?An autopsy sounds like a really smart move!

 

[skyhightree1]

I first thought poison. Then the mastitis thing sounded right. Could it be the cow developed that from not being nursed?An autopsy sounds like a really smart move!

I don't think it developed it from not being nursed .. That cow always no matter where she was found mud and poop to lay in and I think that caused the infection. I am not sure but thats my thought.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Sorry to hear about your calf Sky.

 

[skyhightree1]

Sorry to hear about your calf Sky.

Thanks the premmie died as well but I think that was cause the mama stepped on it and it had internal bleeding I think. 2 more to hit the road today or next monday.

 

[Koffi Babone]

Sorry to hear about your calf, please keep us posted on the autopsy results (if they test for rabies, they will have to take the head). I really hope I was wrong.

 

[skyhightree1]

Sorry to hear about your calf, please keep us posted on the autopsy results (if they test for rabies, they will have to take the head). I really hope I was wrong.

Yes there is a lab I drove to take both complete calves too that will be doing it and will keep yall posted.

 

[darkbayinc]

Yes there is a lab I drove to take both complete calves too that will be doing it and will keep yall posted.

Hey! hope you're doing good. i'm 6 years too late i guess. but can i ask about the autopsy results you got on that calf? I'm a human doctor by profession but at the moment trying to run my own farm here in Pakistan. we lack efficient test services and autopsy services here so can't do much until its too late. thing is one of my calves is showing the same symptoms your calf showed all those years ago, and google brought me here. thing is we had a stray dog come into the farm a week ago and she was aggressive but no foaming or salivation. we shot her and later found two calves bitten at hind limbs. i've quarantined them and have already done two shots of rabies vaccine. and then the female calf started having symptoms as with your calf. she was fine last night and then in the morning she is salivating and keeps on licking her nose and lips. thing is because its pretty cold here and we have fog almost every night this past week and we use Berseem (trifolium alexandrinum) mixed with mustard plants as fodder. the latter is known to cause nitrite poisoning in calves too.

 

[MurraysMutts]

@skyhightree1 can ya remember back that far?

Now that's it up to the top I'm very curious as well..

 

[skyhightree1]

Hey! hope you're doing good. i'm 6 years too late i guess. but can i ask about the autopsy results you got on that calf? I'm a human doctor by profession but at the moment trying to run my own farm here in Pakistan. we lack efficient test services and autopsy services here so can't do much until its too late. thing is one of my calves is showing the same symptoms your calf showed all those years ago, and google brought me here. thing is we had a stray dog come into the farm a week ago and she was aggressive but no foaming or salivation. we shot her and later found two calves bitten at hind limbs. i've quarantined them and have already done two shots of rabies vaccine. and then the female calf started having symptoms as with your calf. she was fine last night and then in the morning she is salivating and keeps on licking her nose and lips. thing is because its pretty cold here and we have fog almost every night this past week and we use Berseem (trifolium alexandrinum) mixed with mustard plants as fodder. the latter is known to cause nitrite poisoning in calves too.

@skyhightree1 can ya remember back that far?

Now that's it up to the top I'm very curious as well..

The calf was bitten by a fox they said and had rabies... I had to go through the rabies shots series... I could never forget that. They told me i had to take the shots cause if i developed one symptom there would be nothing they could do for me and i would die...

 

[simme]

Noticed a cow about 4 years ago that just looked "bad". Acting a little off and sunk in. Ignoring her calf. Next day was hanging around the water a lot and would run in big circles. Tried to get her up to examine and could not get her to the pen. Made arrangements for someone to rope her the next day. When they arrived, she was MIA. Found her in the woods dead. My daughter (vet) was suspicious of rabies based on her behavior the day before. Scooped her up in the FEL bucket and was able to roll/pull her into the back of the stock trailer and take her to the UGA pathology lab. Of course, we could have removed the brain and only sent it, but that is quite a chore if you don't have the proper tools and has a risk of exposure in handling the animal. My daughter did the handling of ropes and chains and legs since vets are vaccinated for rabies. I never touched the cow. Test results came back the next day - positive for rabies. Her calf was just a few months old and had to fend for himself. I had noticed skunks in that pasture previously when doing calving checks after dark. Not sure of the source. Rabies is almost always fatal in humans and can take 6 months to develop symptoms. Pretty much hopeless once symptoms develop. I wonder how many cattle die of rabies and are just attributed to unknown causes. I now vaccinate the cattle for rabies. About $7 per head per year I think. I only have a few. Would add up for a larger herd.

Something to think about before you stick your hands in a cow's mouth. Symptoms will lead you to check for an obstruction in their mouth/throat.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

The calf is a Liberal and cannot think for itself.

 

[darkbayinc]

The calf was bitten by a fox they said and had rabies... I had to go through the rabies shots series... I could never forget that. They told me i had to take the shots cause if i developed one symptom there would be nothing they could do for me and i would die...

thanks for the info! My calf is actually doing well cuz i gave her a shot of Atropine. My workers told me that she had gotten loose in the evening and helped herself to some old corn in a bucket. This was corn which we actually sow and has a dye on it or probably sprayed with organophosphate or other pesticide/herbicide. anyway, the drooling cleared up in a matter of hours. lets see.

 

[darkbayinc]

yu

Noticed a cow about 4 years ago that just looked "bad". Acting a little off and sunk in. Ignoring her calf. Next day was hanging around the water a lot and would run in big circles. Tried to get her up to examine and could not get her to the pen. Made arrangements for someone to rope her the next day. When they arrived, she was MIA. Found her in the woods dead. My daughter (vet) was suspicious of rabies based on her behavior the day before. Scooped her up in the FEL bucket and was able to roll/pull her into the back of the stock trailer and take her to the UGA pathology lab. Of course, we could have removed the brain and only sent it, but that is quite a chore if you don't have the proper tools and has a risk of exposure in handling the animal. My daughter did the handling of ropes and chains and legs since vets are vaccinated for rabies. I never touched the cow. Test results came back the next day - positive for rabies. Her calf was just a few months old and had to fend for himself. I had noticed skunks in that pasture previously when doing calving checks after dark. Not sure of the source. Rabies is almost always fatal in humans and can take 6 months to develop symptoms. Pretty much hopeless once symptoms develop. I wonder how many cattle die of rabies and are just attributed to unknown causes. I now vaccinate the cattle for rabies. About $7 per head per year I think. I only have a few. Would add up for a larger herd.

Something to think about before you stick your hands in a cow's mouth. Symptoms will lead you to check for an obstruction in their mouth/throat

Yup, better to be safe then sorry.i've been running my farm since 2018 so don't have much experience. just have gotten the regular vaccines of Foot and Mouth disease, Black Quarter etc, didn't consider rabies until that dog came in. Here a vial costs about PKR 1050 (6.5 USD almost) and that can cover 5 animals. But anyway, feed is expensive and plus i don't have a good herd. Half are buffaloes which give max of 12 liters only. Rest are a local breed, a Zebu called Sahiwal. they just do 8 liters a day, ok for homestead but not for commercial purposes. Good for an experience though if converting to Holsteins in the future.