the calf

[Anonymous]

o. k. no caps. I was desparate, thats the only reason I got on the computer. She (the calf), had an awful spasm last night. That's 5-6 of them in varying degrees since I saw the first one Thursday afternoon, last nights started after I woke her to check the eyes and her appetite. Can this be helped in any way?????? The position she was in, would have been so funny if it wasn't so scarey. Both feet jerking in the air and her still on her rump, she seemed to be trying to scratch both ears at the same time. I grabbed her under her chest, to take pressure off her back. Couldn't this hurt her??????? Her limbs are colder too, and her nose. She sometimes seems to not know what to do with her tongue. I seem to find it hanging out one side of her mouth or the other when I'm trying to get her to pull on the nipple. I keep putting it back in. I know some of the time she is trying to lick her nose or push the bottle out. But her tongue feels cold too. On bottle temperature, is the wrist test too cool for calfs??????????

Any thoughts on light??????? I have been keeping her in the dark at night, thinking it's the normal thing. I thought she might sleep sounder without it.

I really REALLY appreciate the advice, it has helped calm me down a lot. I think I over react sometimes, but she has such a calm air about her , I think she would be a great asset, IF she pulls through this. I just don't want to miss something that will affect her for life.

Did I say what she is? No, anyway she doesn't have limosine eyes, but she is that color and that size. When she's on her feet you'd call her 'knock kneed' You can't run your finger between them, and her feet set a good foot apart. She's 28 inches tall at the hips. And right now there's not enough meat on her. She is all bones, and some feel sharp. Everyone says ohhhhhhhhhhh! It's another thought, should I pad her wood walls??????? She really is pitifully thin. Old blankets, yep, I'll do that. Thanks to all for the support.

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[Anonymous]

OK, I'm just guessing here. If the calf is having actual seizure activity it sounds as though it might have been deprived of oxygen at some point and may have neurological damage. If the calf was born backwards and/or had a difficult birth for some other reason, it could have been oxygen deprived. Sometimes those calves come through ok with a lot of personal attention. If the calf is born backwards, the cord is compressed against the pelvic bones of the mother while the calf's head is still in the womb. This cuts off the oxygen supply from the cord and the calf tends to take a breath while still in the womb, inhaling fluid. These calves are often very stressed physically and are unable to nurse for some days.

Grabbing her under the chest won't hurt her. You can pick her up most any way you are able to and she'll be ok with it.

Her body feeling colder to you is a bad sign. You should take her rectal temperature. Normal temperature for cattle is between 100.4 and 103.1. Much colder than that, and the chances of the calf surviving are slim. If she is that cold, you can try putting her in a tub of lukewarm bathwater and very slowly increasing the temperature of the water by trickling more hot water in. Dry her well afterwards. The problem with trying to warm a calf (or a human) that is very, very cold is that it should be done from the inside with IV fluid, etc. If they are warmed too rapidly, the heart can go into an abnormal rhythm and you can lose the calf (or human).

She's probably not trying to push the nipple out; she's probably trying to nurse and is very weak.

Don't worry about light. Do what's comfortable for you.

Temperature of the bottle? Room temp is fine.

She's going to look very thin to you for some weeks. That's normal for a newborn calf. As long as she's getting the total gallon of milk per day, she's getting enough nutrition. Too much milk will cause problems, so don't try to fatten her up by giving more.

When she's able to stand, make sure she has free choice fresh water available at all times, and some hay and calf starter to nibble on, but don't worry about those things right now.

However, I've never had a challenged calf that seized. Only a veterinarian's exam could give you more information on what to expect with the calf in that case.

By the way, when you're passing the tube down her throat, feel with one hand on the skin of her throat. If you can readily feel the tube sliding down just under the skin, you're probably in the right place. If the tube feels distant or like it's farther from the skin, you may be in the windpipe. The esophagus is closer to the skin, and that's where you want to be.

You don't need to pad her stall, but a good bedding of straw would help to keep things cleaner and would give her some padding and warmth. Blankets are ok, too, as long as they can be changed as needed.

> o. k. no caps. I was desparate,
> thats the only reason I got on the
> computer. She (the calf), had an
> awful spasm last night. That's 5-6
> of them in varying degrees since I
> saw the first one Thursday
> afternoon, last nights started
> after I woke her to check the eyes
> and her appetite. Can this be
> helped in any way?????? The
> position she was in, would have
> been so funny if it wasn't so
> scarey. Both feet jerking in the
> air and her still on her rump, she
> seemed to be trying to scratch
> both ears at the same time. I
> grabbed her under her chest, to
> take pressure off her back.
> Couldn't this hurt her??????? Her
> limbs are colder too, and her
> nose. She sometimes seems to not
> know what to do with her tongue. I
> seem to find it hanging out one
> side of her mouth or the other
> when I'm trying to get her to pull
> on the nipple. I keep putting it
> back in. I know some of the time
> she is trying to lick her nose or
> push the bottle out. But her
> tongue feels cold too. On bottle
> temperature, is the wrist test too
> cool for calfs??????????

> Any thoughts on light??????? I
> have been keeping her in the dark
> at night, thinking it's the normal
> thing. I thought she might sleep
> sounder without it.

> I really REALLY appreciate the
> advice, it has helped calm me down
> a lot. I think I over react
> sometimes, but she has such a calm
> air about her , I think she would
> be a great asset, IF she pulls
> through this. I just don't want to
> miss something that will affect
> her for life.

> Did I say what she is? No, anyway
> she doesn't have limosine eyes,
> but she is that color and that
> size. When she's on her feet you'd
> call her 'knock kneed' You can't
> run your finger between them, and
> her feet set a good foot apart.
> She's 28 inches tall at the hips.
> And right now there's not enough
> meat on her. She is all bones, and
> some feel sharp. Everyone says
> ohhhhhhhhhhh! It's another
> thought, should I pad her wood
> walls??????? She really is
> pitifully thin. Old blankets, yep,
> I'll do that. Thanks to all for
> the support.