Sick young calf- Holstien-4-5 months old

[plarsen]

Hi, I picked up a thin calf at a local sale barn. He was malnouished, and running a temp. Had him on Penacillin daily then switched per vets advice to Naxcell 1.5 cc one time a day. He eats, drinks, manure has gotten runnier, temp is varying from 102-104 103.3 today. He has been on the Naxcell since friday last week. I have had him just a week. He is bright eyed, nose not runny, a slight cough now and then. He lays around alot in his stall munching on hay, drinks a bit, eats about 3 lbs of omni stock mixed with cow grower twice a day. He is not finishing all of it. I have grass hay as well as alfalfa mix for him. I have given him bounce back electrolytes, syrup mixed with warm water (he liked that and wanted to drink it out of the jug)

I am concerned about possibilty of loosing him. I am used to taking care of horses and I dont feel like I am getting anywhere. He seems to want a bottle, can I give him one? Anything else I can do for this calf?

Thanks for your imput Pat

 

[larryshoat]

The occurance of livestock abuse is far lower than what the general public thinks .So when you see a thin animal at the sale barn,rather than think "malnourished" the more reasonable thing to think is "chronic".I would try draxxin,probios,safegard wormer,vaccinate with bovi-sheild 5, repeat bovisheild 5 in 14 days

Larry.

 

[plarsen]

Should I do the vaacinations, now, with this temp? I have done the safe guard 2 x so far, and I can add the probious no problem. There have been a few malnourished animals coming through our local sale barn. Horses mostly, and hay is so high here. I agree-often is is just difficult animals that need some extra care, and not everyone is able, knowlagable or willing to do it. It seems everyone is so time pressed as well. They mean to, but do not. I will do and get everything you recomended. I can look it up, but what is draxxin?

pat

 

[Alice]

What Larry said....plus...give him a bottle of milk replacer at least daily...maybe for now, twice a day if he'll drink it. Don't go spend a bunch of money on milk replacer until you know he'll drink it.

Also, you said he lays in his stall. Is his stall in a barn? If it is, when the weather is good, run him out into the sunshine.

Is the stall on a cement floor? If it is, get him outta there. The urine smell along with the cold barn floor will aggravate the condition.

Alice

 

[Alice]

You'll have to get the draxxin from the vet. Draxxin is good stuff, but it doesn't always cure the problem. Ask the vet if you can buy a bottle of nuflor or baytril to give the calf if the Draxxin doesn't help. You might also ask the vet for some banamine to help with inflammation of the lungs.

And yes, definitely, give probios daily, like Larry suggested.

Alice

 

[plarsen]

I have my vets secretary looking up the Draxxin for me to purchase, I think they have the other in stock. I should continue with the Naxcel though? I will give the poor thing a ba ba if he wants one I would have before , but didnt think he would take one -at his age. I dont know squat about calves- But I am sure I will shortly!

I do have injectable Banamine as well-keep it on hand for the horses, as well as bute, and asprin. The stall is in the barn, clay floor with plenty of bedding but well ventilated, no drafts. I did have him out on sunday, which is when I thought we made a turn for the worse, it may have been too long and too stressful.

Pat

Pat

 

[larryshoat]

As Alice suggested if you can't get draxxin use baytril or nuflor.
If you can't get those give 4/100 tylan 200 with the naxcel.As far as vaccinating sick cattle ,I do.This will go against many vets and other producers,but I think it works,especially this kind of calf.If we wait untill the calf gets better,all too often he never seems to get better.We have to crank up his immune system and get him so he can fight whatever chllanges come his way.We discovered years ago by giving leftover vaccines to the sick pen that they got better.

Larry

 

[Alice]

I have my vets secretary looking up the Draxxin for me to purchase, I think they have the other in stock. I should continue with the Naxcel though? I will give the poor thing a ba ba if he wants one I would have before , but didnt think he would take one -at his age. I dont know squat about calves- But I am sure I will shortly!

I do have injectable Banamine as well-keep it on hand for the horses, as well as bute, and asprin. The stall is in the barn, clay floor with plenty of bedding but well ventilated, no drafts. I did have him out on sunday, which is when I thought we made a turn for the worse, it may have been too long and too stressful.

Pat

Pat

Pat, that calf really does need to spend time outside in the fresh air and sunshine. You may not be aware of the smell of urine, but it's there, I promise...and it can play havoc with respiratory illnesses. Plus, the calf needs the exercise, even if it's just ambling around in the fresh air and sunshine.

The calf didn't go downhill because you turned him out for awhile, unless it was in cold rain or wind.

Alice

 

[plarsen]

Thanks Alice,

I was feeling pretty guilty, taking him out and getting him sicker. I had the vet check in from south in mystate, she had advice to -to treat him for viral diarrea with Corid/amprolium.

After reading some other posts, I AM worried I may loose him because he is a Holstien bull calf. They seem to have pretty high mortality. I will do everything everyone has said to do as soon as I stop at the vets, a nd get home. He doesnt LOOK all that sick to look at him, but I do take that temp and it is not normal. What does normal calf poop look like? I am an expert at horse, pig, Zebu, goose, duck, and chicken poo, but normal calf poo eludes me...
Pat

 

[Hippie Rancher]

normal calf dung on hay would be like your zebu, on a bottle it can be lighter and runnier. Should plop out into good muffins - not too runny and not hard little balls.

unless on totally new grass it should not be in a completely liquid state and it should not be black (that would indicate blood somewhere)

I think Dun or someone has posted a good link to evaluating cattle dung - I will search and see what I can find. Back soon.

 

[Hippie Rancher]

OK I have a pdf file from Texas A&M with this info, but I don't know how to post it here - if somebody can give mi instructions or send me a PM with your e-mail I can send it to you - it is a small less than 200 Kb file but it has a couple of pictures too!

 

[plarsen]

You know I never knew that. So much for 'cow pies'

I always thought it was some what runny, not in chunks.

Pat

 

[Alice]

Pat,

Holstein bull baby calves are hard to raise. However, if you can get 'em up past about 2-3 weeks old w/o a lot of illness, then it gets easier. You calf is 4-5 months old.

The reason I suggested giving the calf a bottle is that I've seen holstein bull calves develop respiratory junk because they were weaned too early. Supplementing with a bottle of milk replacer seems to help them get their strength back to fight off the illness.

Is the calf eating hay or calf feed?

Alice

 

[Hippie Rancher]

I would be careful adding milk or changing feed along with all the meds this animal has been subjected to - ESPECIALLY if it already has any kind of diarrhea.

 

[dun]

OK I have a pdf file from Texas A&M with this info, but I don't know how to post it here - if somebody can give mi instructions or send me a PM with your e-mail I can send it to you - it is a small less than 200 Kb file but it has a couple of pictures too!

And here it is:
http://www.agserver.net/windyridge/OTHER/manure.pdf

 

[Hippie Rancher]

Thanks, dun :tiphat:

 

[plarsen]

I had fecal ran last afternoon and no coccidia , no worms. I had wormed him twice with safeguard. I tried formula, but he wasnt crazy about it. He is eating about 5-6 lbs of omnistock a day, nibbles at it , I feed two or three times. I was giving him the beef builder stuff too, mixed in as I was advised by the feed barn. It is 42% protien and I think this may have been too hard on his kidneys, and was causing the (what I think) excessive urination for the amount of water consumed. He is drinking easily two gallons of water per day, warm with some salt and maple syrup added. he eats hay, seems to prefer the grass to alfalfa mix. He has no runny nose, no diarrea at this point.

His temp was 102-103.. I have him the 4 way bovine vaac and this am it was 104 again. I think it may have been the vac. I then gave him shot of banamine, and felt sorry for my little pin cushion. My vet felt I should stick with the Nacell and give it chance to work, before jumping ship and going to the Batril They have that.

I am keeping him clean and lots of hay for bedding, and the doors are open letting in light sunshine and air. He is sweet and attentive, not acting to sick other than the temp and resting most of the time.

Pat

 

[larryshoat]

I would add something like tylan 200 or LS50 to the naxel to broaden the spectrum.My guess is whoever had this calf before had already tried micotil ,nuflor ,baytril.We don't know that,but I think thats a reasonable guess.So we have to find some combination that has not been used on him.Cattle with 102-104 fever is the hardest to knock out.

Larry

 

[loomis]

One thing you coud try is Cellarator Turbo it is an oral microbial and electrolyte paste, works great for me. Your can get it at http://www.farmandranchsupply.org[/url]

 

[plarsen]

I can get that Tylan, I saw it last night at TSC--I didnt know what to do first! I Hope the jump in the temp was from the vac.