sick calves

[GMN]

The past month I have had several calves, babies come down with the same thing. It occurs within 12 hours, hits them fast, starts out with them getting really weak, scoots, then a snotty nose. I thought it was a form of pneumonia, but now I'm not too sure, does anyone have any ideas. Seems I have tried every drug combo out there, if I get them past the scoots, and they don't get dehydrated, seema they get better for awhile, but then get it back, and wham, some die within days. I've lost 3 calves, and saved 3 more, all the same symptoms. Any ideas, maybe a different drug combo? I have used Penicillen, Excenel. Vit B, Deliver, and LA 200, not all at the same time of course, these are just what I've tried. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

GMN

 

[msscamp]

You may want to talk to your vet about using SMZ. It is pretty effective where scours are concerned and, from what I understand, also works well for pneumonia. If that doesn't work, try baytril for the respiratory stuff. Since some types of scours can get into the ground and cause other calves to get sick, may also want to think about isolating the sick ones and moving the healthy ones to a different pen until you get a handle on this. Just my thoughts.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

I've had the exact same thing here in 3 calves. I lost the first one because I didn't catch it in time, but the other 2 responded very well to NuFlor. 1st shot cleaned it right up, and I gave the 2nd for safety sake.

Rod

 

[milkmaid]

Ditto on the Nuflor.

 

[GMN]

Thanks for all your suggestions, I will try the Nuflor, I have used that in the past, and will isolate this one calve, and see if that helps also. The SMZ tablets, I have used on scours before, have used the blue sulfur pills, they seem to work good on a different bug better, and not on this bug. I'm thinking it is something definetely in the soil, where I will have to totally move these calves to a whole other area, and leave this pen bare for awhile. Thanks again

GMN

 

[clampitt]

Drench em with Resorb.I get it at the feed store here.I go through around 600 roping calves a year.Used that and Pull Through different ones need different things.Put about 6 aspirins or advils in the drench let it desolve shake good and drench you will see a big difference in a few hrs.you can put the SMZs in there also.Got to get the bugs in stomach working.Build up the immune system for med to work.If weather is cold use good warm water in the drench get core temp up.In summer cool; em down with ice water mix.If real babies use milk replacer with the resorb.Don't fill the drence bottle full of liquid only half way,a full bottle is too much liquid for a calfs stomach and will dround him split it up half early and around noon other half.I have drounded some it doesn't take much.Learn from mistakes.I have cleaned up calves for 18 yrs.and learned a lot,I know this,If they die on a vet.cost somebody else,if they die on me cost me.

 

[milkmaid]

I've also found Spectam to work on scours. Doubt it would work on something that's respiratory as well, as spectam goes orally, but if all you're dealing with is scours it may help.

Along the lines of giving drugs orally, I've discovered that kaopectate, bismu-kote, etc, and those other oral combinations that are designed to "bind" with toxins...also bind with the good drugs. So I don't give spectam at the same time as kao-pec anymore, even though it may mean another trip outside several hours later for the second drug.

I was told at one time not to give two antibiotics via the same route under the same treatment time. For instance, antibiotic 1 injected on right side of the neck, antibiotic 2 on the left side. Or two orally. Instead to give just one with one route of administration, or one oral, the other systemic.

Another thing I've found is that the electrolytes (ie, dextrose) and keeping calves hydrated are just as important as giving antibiotics. An acidic imbalance can take a calf out pretty quickly...been there seen that.

I've heard people suggest leaving pens open for at least 3 weeks in between sets of calves, so it might be a good idea to give your pens a break. (That said, I don't generally give my pens a break, as I only have facilities for young calves in one area and it's easier to watch them closely and treat as needed, than set up pens in a different location.)

I haven't had a problem with giving them a full bottle when drenching - not when I discovered that a calf size bottle designed for drenching/esophagus feeding unwilling calves, only holds about 75% of the standard half-gallon calf bottle. And on their own, I've watched week old calves drink an easy two gallons in one "sitting" off a nurse cow, until I sure thought they were going to pop. LOL. So I know they can handle quite a bit of milk/liquid.

Well, that's all I can think up right now. Hope that helps - or at least gives you something to chew on.

 

[go-pokes-osu]

Try oral nuflor (same dosage as one day therapy) and banamine (1cc per 100 pounds). I'd talk to your vet about vaccinating for cows for scours next year before calving.

 

[Texas PaPaw]

GMN

I believe you have recieved some good advice on your situation.

I'm not sure what was causing your calf problems, however a few months ago i read an article about a cattle bug named Mycoplasma Bovis. Apparently the critter has become a growing problem, primarily in the stocker and feedlot industry over the last few years. I don't recall scours being a symptom, but that may be due to my terminal condition known a CRS (can't remember squat).

Anyway, back to M Bovis, this is a bacterial infection the can settle in the lungs, (swelling) joints, ears (tilt head and/or ear down) and possibly (swelling)eyes. According to this article, the only antibiotics that were effective on this critter were Baytril and Nuflor. Even Mycotil was not effective for this situation.

I prefer both Baytril and Nuflor for all respiratory illness and any other condition that might indicate M Bovis. Every 1 or 2 months, I alternate from one of these 2 antibiotics to the other as my primary antibiotic. Hopefully, this procedure will prevent (or at least delay) bacterial resistance in my cattle.

Not sure this will help with your current situation, but wish you the best.

Merry Christmas to all.

Brock

PS-A friend saw this on a church marquee a few days ago " To H*ll with Happy Holidays--MERRY CHRISTMAS" Think that sez' it all

 

[go-pokes-osu]

Draxxin is supposed to be the new thing for Mycoplasma infection, but I haven't found anything that works too well. Once they get lame they usually don't get well.

 

[Texas PaPaw]

Draxxin is supposed to be the new thing for Mycoplasma infection, but I haven't found anything that works too well. Once they get lame they usually don't get well.

Good to know about Draxxin. I don't know anyone using it, so this is the first feedback i have heard.

I haven't had any lameness, but I occaisionally buy a calf with an eye infection or tilt head/ear down and have suspected M. Bovis. Been treating with Nuflor or Baytril with mixed results. Can clear up the eye infections although sometimes eye turns blue or has white spot. The tilt heads/ear down only get about 50% success rate at best. Get some partial improvement (less tilt, etc).

Please keep us posted on results with Draxxin.

Regards

Brock

 

[clampitt]

Draxxin is a 14 day type of Nuflor,Nuflor is a Chloramphenicol type antibiotic,500cc bottle here cost $1400.00,Good stuff on 300lbs and above wts.repulls are fewer,The only antibiotic that works on Mycoplasma is Lincomycin.I researched it pretty hard.This is my living,I precondition cattle,ride calf and barrel horses.When its this way and cattle are not yours it goes to a different level.They die you are out of a job.

 

[milkmaid]

Draxxin is a 14 day type of Nuflor,Nuflor is a Chloramphenicol type antibiotic,500cc bottle here cost $1400.00,Good stuff on 300lbs and above wts.repulls are fewer,The only antibiotic that works on Mycoplasma is Lincomycin.

What's the "other" name "lincomycin" goes by? I'm familiar with most of the common brand names and antibiotic formations (ie, Nuflor = florfenicol, LA200 = oxytetracycline or liquamycin, etc), but that's a new one.

 

[clampitt]

It goes by Lincomycin,thats it,been around a long time,Its been used in hogs and poultry a long time.Its an old drug that kinda fell out in cattle.Hogs and poultry have a form of Mycoplasma,and its used there.Works very well in cattle also.I use a powder I mix with B Complex and Vit C to make 500cc of liquid,add powder shake and give 10cc for 4 or 5 days.The powder is LS/50.Lincomycin and Spectam.I use Excede,3cc in ear, and this mix first day.(Excede is a 7 day Naxcel),Naxcel is one of the very best little calf drugs.I do this IBR,Past,Hemop,vacc,ese,I process cattle when they arrive,first day here.I don't take a chance.Like I said before we take them from where they are and put them in an Environment WE creat and the stress level goes through the roof.That is the major contributor to illness in cattle.How many calves left on the cow get sick,they get to wt.300lbs up and have no troubles untill we pull them off haul to the sale,and load on a semi and go 8 or 10 hrs on a truck,or even from sale to your house only a few miles,The stress to them is enormous,wheres mom,just like a little kid,Resorb and Pull Through,those products not only have electrolyts and energy but have probotics,The immune system is broken down by stress,to keep em alive you have to get it built up first for any med or nutriants to work.There are some other drugs that work on Mycolasma but are so expensive,human,Lincomycin is pretty common and fairly inexpensive.Keep em kickin,And Merry CHRISTmas,

 

[ctlbaron]

Milkmaid gave you some good sound advice on spectam scour halt for pigs if it is the same thing I use. I believe it is the single most effective thing I have ever used for scours in calves. I give 12cc at the first sign of scours and another at the next feeding. Most times they show inprovement before the second dose. I have used it alone. (No scour tablets.) And on calves over two weeks old it seems to be all they need. Younger calves usually get two Sustain tablets and the scour halt. The sustain is good for two days. I haven't (thank the Lord) had to do anything more than that in a long time.

 

[buckaroo_bif]

Draxxin is supposed to be the new thing for Mycoplasma infection, but I haven't found anything that works too well. Once they get lame they usually don't get well.

Don't waste your money on Draxxin.
my two cents!

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

My fourth infection came this weekend, and I'm pretty sure I've got it nailed. This one ended up with a bit of a discolored nose (she's a black heifer and her nose is now a dark grey, versus black). I didn't notice the others, but they've all been blacks and nose discoloration is a little tougher to spot. 5'll getcha 10 that its IBR.

I used an IBR vaccine this year, but there is a new strain of IBR thats been cropping up thats been showing resistance to BoviShield. The local vet, who I haven't talked to yet, apparently has been having good luck with CattleMaster 4, so I guess I'll be running stuff through the chutes, again, tomorrow.

Rod

 

[clampitt]

Did you come back in 14 days and revacc.IBR,You have got to revac.like it says.We use triangle9,killed virus,or Titanium,its a mod live.But no matter what got to revac.And have done it three times.Make sure you give a Pasturella,Hemopilious,vacc also come back like the other.Good luck,Keep em kickin.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

Bovi-shield doesn't require a 2 week re-vaccination, just a spring shot with a fall booster, followed by yearly thereafter.

Rod

 

[milkmaid]

Bovi-shield doesn't require a 2 week re-vaccination, just a spring shot with a fall booster, followed by yearly thereafter.

Rod

Except the first time.

From the Pfizer site regarding Bovishield Gold FP 5 L5 (as an example):

Primary Vaccination: Administer a single 2-mL dose to healthy cattle, followed by a second dose of Bovi-Shield BRSV 3–4 weeks later to provide primary immunization against BRSV infection. As an aid in preventing IBR-induced abortion and BVDV persistently infected calves, administer a 2-mL dose approximately 1 month prior to breeding.
Revaccination: Annual revaccination with a single dose is recommended.