sick yearling steer

[Anonymous]

I have a 1yr old steer, he was born c-section, he's really small for his age and doesn't seem to be able to put on weight, the last few days he's had the diarrhea really bad, i've given him scour tablets but it doesn't seem to help. I have him penned up and feeding him dry hay and a little grain. What else can i give him. i can't get a hold of the vet. I know i should get rid of him, but i would like him to be better first. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

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[Anonymous]

How is his appetite? If he's eating, then Salmonella and BVD are much less likely. Have you dewormed him or have him on a coccidiostat? He may be wormy. There's a GI parasite called Nematodirus which can KILL if they have it. So can high numbers of GIN (gastrointestinal nematodes) or coccidia. Johnes is not impossible either, but less likely. He could have something like liver flukes if they're endemic there, heck even lungworm! Nutritional deficiencies can also do this. So my advice is 1)fecal flotation/baerman to determine actual worm/parasite burden and type 2) proper vet examination 3)proper treatment based on diagnosis

Sorry I can't guess better than that at this distance. Good Luck!

 

[Anonymous]

steer died today, wouldn't eat this morning when i fed him.

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[Anonymous]

Did you notice if the belly was big, like he was full in the belly, but the hips were boney?

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[Anonymous]

> Did you notice if the belly was
> big, like he was full in the
> belly, but the hips were boney?

Yes you could say that, his belly wasn't overly big though, but the hip thing is right.

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[Anonymous]

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[Anonymous]

Sounds like it got a little too much grain/dry hay. Air is created in the gut from digestion. The air in the gut keeps the animal from feeling hungry, or causes loss of appetite, but no food causes malnutrition. I had a few fresh vets treated a calf or two of mine for eveything you can think of...shots galore...but in the end, an old cow vet recommended a cup of mineral oil per 250 lbs..that did the trick. The next day, the calf was gorging himself w/anything it could get to. Miracle cure...and you can't overdose them on it.

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