Tetanus and calf banding

[quartermeter]

What multi antibiotic (triangle xx, etc.) do some of you use that has tetanus in it that will work on 2-3 week old bottle calf.

And is a tetanus shot really necessary with the cheerio bands. My neighbor cuts his bulls and uses nothing. Others have told me to give tetanus when banding... what say you??

 

[skyhightree1]

Tetanus shot is about the cheapest insurance you can get so why wouldn't you give a shot of it just in case.

 

[quartermeter]

Yes but I'm also asking what multiantibiotic similar to TRIANGLE 7 or 10 but another brand do some of you use that has tetanus in it too. AND can it be used on a 3 wk old calf.

That way I can give all his shots in one shot... also how many days prior to banding do you give it. Several questions here. Thanks

 

[JMJ Farms]

Between my neighbor and I, we band around 150 calves per year the day they're born. Never had an issue. But that's not to say that we won't or that the next one you band won't get tetanus. I don't think a tetanus shot is a bad idea however it's just one more thing that's got to be done and to the best of my knowledge it has to be refrigerated which adds a whole new challenge for me.

 

[dun]

Between my neighbor and I, we band around 150 calves per year the day they're born. Never had an issue. But that's not to say that we won't or that the next one you band won't get tetanus. I don't think a tetanus shot is a bad idea however it's just one more thing that's got to be done and to the best of my knowledge it has to be refrigerated which adds a whole new challenge for me.

We band from new born to about 3 motnhs, have for many years. Never have given a tetanus shot, never had an issue. But I agree that it doesn;t mean that we won;t have a problem this year or some other time.

 

[Nesikep]

I have never given a tetanus shot either... though I do like to squirt a little iodine there or soak the bands in iodine... on very rare occasions I've had them get an infection that turns out a lot like navel ill, especially if it was really hard to get both nuts and I had to pull one down.

I dont' think calling Triangle 7 or 10 a 'multiantibiotic' is correct at all.. it's a vaccine (someone correct me if I'm wrong here)

 

[dun]

Conventional wisdom used to be (1960s) that if there weren't horses around you didn't need tetanus shots for cattle. Never did figure that out but we went by that "wisdom" anyway.

 

[Nesikep]

I always heard horses carried it, and if there WERE horses around, there was a higher risk of tetanus (at least for humans).

 

[Randi]

Triangle 7 is a vaccine....Prevents disease. An antibiotic treats disease...

We don't give our calves a tetanus vaccine when we band, but they are newborns. But I do like to give them a tetanus shot, and so far the only vaccine I have found with it is Tasvax.

 

[wbvs58]

Passive immunity from the colostrum should give protection with banding close to birth assuming they got good colostrum and the cow had been immunised.

Ken

 

[Lucky_P]

Cavalry 9 & Covexin 8 are to polyvalent Clostridial bacterin/toxoids that contain tetanus toxoid.
I generally use Cavalry 9; 2ml dosage - and I don't get nearly as big a 'knot' at injection sites as I've typically gotten with the 5ml dose for other Clostridium bacterin/toxoids.

I'm sure there have been millions of baby calves banded with the green cheerio with no issues, but I see full-blown cases of tetanus in them from time to time; is it just 'good luck' that they didn't come down with it, or did they get maternal protection? I don't know - but I'd hazard a guess that most cows in the USA are not vaccinated against tetanus, so the maternal antibody deal is unlikely, in my estimation.

First case of tetanus I ever saw was in one of my own bulls, knife-castrated at about 400 lbs - found him sawhorsed in the pasture about two weeks later. I've castrated every other bull on the place since then with the Burdizzo emasculatomes; only thing I use the green cheerio for is removing the occasional horn that shows up here.
Lost a nice 4 mo. old heifer to tetanus about 4 years ago; since then, we've switched to using Cavalry 9, to get tetanus protection, rather than the old 5-way Clostridial bacterin/toxoids.
We usually try to get first dose in them around 10 days of age, then booster 3-6 weeks later. Worked the spring calves yesterday... most were about 4-6 weeks old... we just didn't get it done earlier. With bottle babies you should have no issue getting 'em done. Ideally, you'd want to vaccinate at least 2 weeks prior to band application, and booster at the time you put the band on - or, give a dose of tetanus antitoxin AND a dose of bacterin containing tetanus toxoid (not both in the same injection site) at the time of band application, then booster the bacterin/toxoid as indicated on the product label.

The Clostridial bacterin/toxoids do require refrigeration. You can 're-use' unused portions for up to 4 months after intial 'entry' - provided you keep it refrigerated - and didn't contaminate the product. That means... insert a new sterile needle in the stopper, draw out doses as needed, removing syringe from needle and attaching a different needle for injections - no 'in and out' of the vaccine bottle with needles that have been used for injections.

 

[kenny thomas]

I had never given a tetanus vaccine either until I lost 2 calves. I have castrated several hundred and banded a few hundred more without an issue. Lost 2 in one year when banding. Went back to castrating but also give the tetanus shot.
Lucky P, if I remember correctly you ask me if there had ever been horses on my farm and I told you that there was not a farm here that had not had an old workhorse at least.

 

[Cross-7]

Triangle 7 is a vaccine....Prevents disease. An antibiotic treats disease...

We don't give our calves a tetanus vaccine when we band, but they are newborns. But I do like to give them a tetanus shot, and so far the only vaccine I have found with it is Tasvax.

Thank you !!!
With all the antibiotic taboo talk there is a lot of misinformation being spread and the public really needs an education about antibiotics, hormones and stuff like this- vaccine vs antibiotics

With that said unless you're banding at birth you're probably going to band and vaccinate same time, so the 8-9 way with tetanus is cheap insurance

 

[gizmom]

We don't band till weaning with the calibrate bander. The fist year we used the bander we did not give a tetanus shot and had no issues. Second year we lost a calf to tetanus now if they get a band they get a shot it really is cheap insurance. Of course the calf we lost was a tank and needless to say we felt so bad that our screw up had caused us to lose such a nice calf.

Gizmom

 

[Lucky_P]

Saw my first case of blackleg of the season yesterday - 2 month-old heifer calf; found dead.
No lesions in large muscle masses in the limbs, so palpation would not have necessarily allowed you to feel crepitance (gas bubbles crackling) in the deep tissues - but the lesions were characteristic in the heart, diaphragm and some of the sternal/intercostal muscles in the the chest wall.

If you've not started vaccinations on your calves yet... better get on it!

 

[Jessica06]

We band at 1-3 months usually, and started giving tetanus again a couple of years ago. I think it's important to point out that you are supposed to give the ANTITOXIN when you band. Antitoxin gives instant immunity, whereas the TOXOID takes a couple of weeks to kick in. We've never had a case of tetanus, but waiting until we lose an $800 calf to start giving a $2 shot doesn't make much sense to me.

 

[M.Magis]

Am I wrong that the antitoxin will have worn off by the time it's really needed? I thought it only lasted a few days or so, but I don't see sacks falling off for a few weeks.
I give tetanus toxoid 2 weeks out, then a booster when I band, usually 4-5 months old.

 

[Lucky_P]

Off the top of my head, I don't know how long 'protection' from antitoxin lasts...but likely longer than just a few days.
My preference is to do them as M.Magis recommends... an initial dose of tetanus toxoid at least 2 weeks prior to band application, then booster at that time.
I know that won't work for everyone; giving toxoid and antitoxin at the same time you band - and boostering the toxoid two weeks or so later should be an effective compromise.

 

[gizmom]

I ordered all of our vaccines today have calf work scheduled in two weeks. I have only seen blackleg once and hope never again.

Gizmom

 

[JMJ Farms]

Off the top of my head, I don't know how long 'protection' from antitoxin lasts...but likely longer than just a few days.
My preference is to do them as M.Magis recommends... an initial dose of tetanus toxoid at least 2 weeks prior to band application, then booster at that time.
I know that won't work for everyone; giving toxoid and antitoxin at the same time you band - and boostering the toxoid two weeks or so later should be an effective compromise.

Lucky_P, as I've mentioned before I band at birth. But I've got 6 bulls about 5-550 pounds that came with a herd of cows I bought a few months ago. Just weaned them. Gonna give Alpha7 and Pyramid5+presponse with a shot of tetanus toxoid. Label on toxoid says wait 30 days and booster, then wait 2 weeks and band.

Would I be ok to give initial toxoid, wait 2 weeks, booster toxoid, and give a shot of antitoxin and band at the same time of booster and antitoxin?