Sick steer

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IluvABbeef

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Found a char steer last night that was breathing real heavy and rapid, gave him some meds last night (Dad needled him so I sorta can't tell what the steer was given; but I'm guessing he was given about 35 cc of Tetraject LA).

Checked him this morning and he was laying down in the barn, still breathing heavy and hoarsely body rocks as he breaths, not chewing cud, I didn't think to check if he pooped or peed, but I will as soon as I can. The steer hadn't been let out to eat, and I doubt if he's even eating anything (Dad's boss, so I should to check with him if he's delibratly keeping the animal off feed or what; steer doesn't seem interested in eating anyway).

So, I dunno about you, but he looks like he has pnemonia (sp?), or something like that. I'm kinda worried, so I'm asking what you cattle folks think...? :?: :help:
 
:oops: my mistake. Steer was given a shot of LP (short-acting) and Borgal (also short-acting) last night.

Update: Can't get steer up, gave him 25 cc Borgal again and 25 cc Micotil (got from vet this morning) just a few minutes ago. Had to needle him when he was lying down. Keeping our fingers cross that he doesn't go down all the way to the point that we lose him :( :frowns: .
 
I would say to use Nuflor for the respiratory, but I'm not sure what LP and Borgal are.

If you are worried about losing him, have you thought about contacting a vet?
 
IluvABbeef":39d2kkz7 said:
:got from vet this morning
Good job - too many times people wait until the animal is too sick to cure before they finally break down and call the vet.
pay them for their expertise this time and next time you will know (or have a clue) what is going on and what to do
 
I had a heifer that was breathing so loudly that she could be heard from 50 yds away. Gave her a shot of micotil & she cleared up in less than 2 days. Hope you have the same luck.
 
IluvABbeef":mpzsp5lr said:
:Had to needle him when he was lying down. :( :frowns: .

Be most careful when giving a shot of micotil to an unrestrained animal. I trust you have been made aware that a mistake (ie the animal suddenly moving) resulting in a self administered injection is a certain death sentence.
 
IluvABbeef":i3qgqqqo said:
So, I dunno about you, but he looks like he has pnemonia (sp?), or something like that. I'm kinda worried, so I'm asking what you cattle folks think...? :?: :help:

I'm thinking you're right. I don't have any personal experience with Micotil but, from what I've heard others say, it should knock the pneumonia out pretty quickly.
 
Update:
Yesterday, after giving him the Micotil, he was up and about for a bit, still breathing loudly and heavily. He'd have his head and neck stretched out looked like so's he could get more air into his lungs.

Checked him yesterday late after noon, couldn't get him up, even when I nudged him with my toe. But I checked him again an hour later and he was standing up, still not all that interested in eating, even when given a pail of chop (but I'm sure he ate a little).

Checked him this morning, and he was standing up, and looked around at me, still panting. Dad's gonna give him a shot of Borgal this morning.

I think he's pulling through, ever so slowly, but still, it's good to check up on him every couple of hours or so.
 
I forgot to mention that I put another animal in with him, one from the back herd (the herd that's being pastured) that looked pretty anorexic looking . But he's chewing cud, bright eyed, peeing, pooping, walking around, just really thin, and runty. He's probably part of the reason that the sick char is still alive, and gets up a little more. (maybe, maybe not). This little guy is also a charolais steer.
 
IluvABbeef":3r1ol4me said:
I forgot to mention that I put another animal in with him, one from the back herd (the herd that's being pastured) that looked pretty anorexic looking . But he's chewing cud, bright eyed, peeing, pooping, walking around, just really thin, and runty. He's probably part of the reason that the sick char is still alive, and gets up a little more. (maybe, maybe not). This little guy is also a charolais steer.

I wouldn't be surprised if you aren't exactly right about that. Something about company...

Alice
 
Dusty Britches":uq03no6v said:
I would say to use Nuflor for the respiratory, but I'm not sure what LP and Borgal are.

If you are worried about losing him, have you thought about contacting a vet?

Another thing I should've said earlier was that the same char steer had the same symtpoms a few months ago. Dad went to see the vet about it, and recommended giving him (the steer) a shot of Micotil (25cc) every three days, and 25cc of Borgal every day until the steer is back to his old self again.

So apparently, the viral respiratory infection, or something to that sort, came back, and so we're giving him the same prescription of medicine.

I don't know what LP really is either (some long acting medicine; besides, Dad used it up and burned it with the rest of the garbage before I had a chance to see what it was :? Oh well.) but I can tell you what Borgal is:

Borgal Injection
Antibacterial agent
CHEMISTRY
The active ingredients of BORGAL are a combination of trimethoprim and sulfadoxine which has been established in a ration of 1:5.
ACTION
BORGAL Injection contains trimethoprim (a synthetic antibacterial), and sulfadoxine (a sulfonamide). The two components of BORGAL oroduce a sequential double blockade of bacterial metabolism, giving a level of activity many times greater than that obtained from either drug alone. BORGAL provides effective antibacterial activity against a wide range of infections caused by Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. BORGAL has shown activity in vitro against the following organisms (just naming a few out of a bit more):
E. coli
Salmonella spp.
Bacillus anthracis
Haemophilus influenzae
Streptococcus zooepidemicus
Streptococcus viridans
Brucella spp.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
INDICATIONS AND CLINICAL USES
BORGAL Injection may be used in cattle and swine where potent systemic antibacterial action against a wide range of infections caused by sensitive organisms required.
BORGAL Injection is indicated in cattle for the treatment of:
RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS--bacterial pneumonias including bovine pneumonic pasturellosis (shipping fever)
ALIMENTARY TRACT INFECTIONS-- primarily enteric and septicaemic colibacillosis and salmonellosis.
OTHER INFECTIONS--infectious pododermatitis (foot rot, foul in the foot) and septicaemias.
BORGAL Injection is indicated in swine [just for the heck of it] for the treatment of:
RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS--bacterial pneumonias
ALIMENTARY TRACT INFECTIONS--colibacillosis and post-weaning scours.
OTHER INFECTIONS-- mastitis-meritis agalactia syndrome of sows (MMA) and bacterial arthritis.
WARNING
Milk taken from treated animals within 96 hours after the latest treatment must not be used in food. Treated animals must not be slaughtered for use in food for at least 10 days after the latest treatment with this drug.
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION
Dose rate of 16 mg/kg body weight (3 mL per 45 kg [100 lb]) daily. Intramuscular injection recommended, but if particularly rapid response required in acute infections, Borgal can be administered by slow intravenous injection.
Treatment continue for 2-3 days after symptoms subside. Usual course of treatment no longer than 5 consecutive days.

I left out some stuff so it wouldn't end up being a longer post than I intended. It still is a bit long, sorry, but its no big deal.

Hope that helps.
 
Alice":34b70l5k said:
IluvABbeef":34b70l5k said:
I forgot to mention that I put another animal in with him, one from the back herd (the herd that's being pastured) that looked pretty anorexic looking . But he's chewing cud, bright eyed, peeing, pooping, walking around, just really thin, and runty. He's probably part of the reason that the sick char is still alive, and gets up a little more. (maybe, maybe not). This little guy is also a charolais steer.

I wouldn't be surprised if you aren't exactly right about that. Something about company...

Alice

I know, it's probably something to do with less stress on the animal ('cause the steer is already going through stress with its body trying to fight whatever it's making it sick).

Besides, those two were together in the "hospital" pen before.
 
Update:
Yesterday evening:
Walked him out of the barn, looked like he was too weak to go any further so he sat down right away, and had to needle him were he was. Gave him the usual amount of Borgal and I think Dad also gave him some Oxymycine (but I know he gave the skinny one Oxymycine). Steer's coat was grey with sweat from a high fever, and he was foaming at the mouth (REALLY bad sign). Nose wasn't pink, but more an orangy, dryish color. That steer wasn't paying any attention to his surroundings, he'd barely look around, and his breathing came in grunts/wheezing as he exhaled, rapidly. Calf got up a few minutes after his shots, and at first took one slow step at a time, went to the bale but didn't eat. He didn't even touch it. I didn't see him poop or pee, he just stood there trying to get more oxygen in his lungs to live longer. Well, I very much doubted that he was going to last to the morning. He was just too far gone.

This morning: Well, he didn't make it :( . I got up too late to help dad haul the steer's body out of the barn, and take him out to the wood pile in the old pasture for the coyotes to chew on him. Dad ain't too happy (kind of upset, I think). Nor am I. :( :(

That calf went down really fast (took two or three days for the virus to kill him), too fast for the Micotil to start kicking in. I think it didn't work becuase there was too much of the virus (or disease) that had become resistant to the drugs. I really don't know, but since this is the second time this viral infection hit this same steer, it could be a possibility.

Dang it, this is the third steer we've lost in this year's herd. I don't think today's gonna be a good day. :frowns:
 
Sounds like the first go-round of antibiotics wasn't given long enough. Usually there is a set length o time to give them, not instructions like "give until they feel better" - that is really bad advice, in my opinion. Folks will always stop the meds too soon with that kind of advice and that is the sort of thing that almost guarantees a relapse.
 
Hippie Rancher":1sqs9ajm said:
Sounds like the first go-round of antibiotics wasn't given long enough. Usually there is a set length o time to give them, not instructions like "give until they feel better" - that is really bad advice, in my opinion. Folks will always stop the meds too soon with that kind of advice and that is the sort of thing that almost guarantees a relapse.

Yeah, that could be it...

But the steer was given Borgal about 4 or 5 days after he was back to his old self, then released. The informationsheet that came with the bottle said inject med 2-3 days after symptoms subside, and Dad decided to go longer to be safe.

So, really, I don't know why the sudden relapse occured...
 
I hate to sound like a broken record-- but

You can't treat effectively without monitoring Temperatures.
Buy Dad a thermometer.
The meds may have just been holding back the growth of whatever it was. If you had been taking temperatures it would have given you a tool to see that the calf wasn't getting cured- long before you could see signs.
 
Plus.. pnuemonia's are hard to treat, and harder yet to keep away once they've been treated. Even if the animal shows signs of improvement, his immune system is compromised, and he's going to pick up every virus and bacteria that comes around.

Sorry for your loss!
 
Thanks, at least I learn something, (and Dad does too, no doubt) even though the mistakes come at a cost of losing an animal.

I will buy him a thermometer someday, or else suggest it to him. It will come in handy.

Thanks again.
 
I am sorry to hear about your loss, we had a hereford that had very similiar signs however, the day he died was the only time he showed signs of pneumonia, early in the morning, he was breathing almost grunting, I called the vet out , there was no runny nose, no foam , just very heavy breathing and grunting, I was able to get him up he ate just a little feed, and drank for a second, 4 hours later when the vets (2 i was getting worried called another vet) showed up, he was down , couldnt get him up had a fever of 106, foaming at mouth, they gave him, draxxin, and bananmine and fluids, died 1 hour later, just in case this happens to you again, (hopefully no) you can choose different medicine
 
IluvABbeef":28cr5sjy said:
I will buy him a thermometer someday, or else suggest it to him. It will come in handy.

Thanks again.

They're cheap. Get 2 cause you'll surely break one eventually.

dun
 

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