This puzzels me??

[VAStocker]

This is not recent but this could always happen to one of us again and maybe we'll learn something. Last years stockers for the most part all looked good the normal sickness BVD and a few with BRSV lost a few but not alot of any thing had a pretty good year for sickness. This one calf puzzeled me he had all of his vaccinations and looked good and gained weight for 30-45 days than over night things changed he was nearly paralized in his rear could move some but to the point he would fall down and struggle to get back up. He was moved to a stall and small pasture maybe 1/4 acre. The vet was called he told me it was a vitamin defecence. The calf was given some vitimins I really can't remeber now I think it was A & B12 but I'm not sure. Over the next few days he got much worse and eventually was paralized from the neck down and was killed. Any ideas.

 

[Howdyjabo]

I can't tell you exactly what was wrong with some calves that I had with simular symptoms but

treating them with Cal-mag(IV) and thiamine turned them around for me. Not sure which treatment cured it either-- but as cheap as both are I intend to give both from now on just in case.

 

[Beefy]

hmm. i dont know but i have a calf that acts similar right now. i found a black cherry tree down in the pasture and i remember that cow and calf lounging near it. it had obviously been browsed. thats the reason i did a scan to see who was around. a day or two later that calf had pretty much lost all coordination in his back legs. he mostly laid in the shade all day and would stagger around at dusk. the cow returned to him. sometimes he would just fall down out of the blue, roll a bit, and eventually sit back up. its been a couple of months and he is now getting back to normal. he'll never be 100% i dont think but he is getting around good now. I dont think that is what was wrong with your calf though, just sharing. the vitamin thing sounds like a good guess.

Also, it is possible for stockers to get grass tetany, not just cows.
what kind of forage were they on at the time?

 

[kyblockhead]

I don't think I've ever heard of stockers getting grass tetany. Sometimes there are issues of proper balance of calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D. For example, rickets can occur in young, growing cattle when a deficiency of calcium, phosphorus or Vitamin D exists. You may need to do some blood work to get a better idea what's going on with the animal. Just a thought.

 

[Howdyjabo]

Stockers can get grass tetany--
but its not common.

 

[Herefordcross]

Anything can get tettany around here, mostly due to the large fescue population.