UPDATE CUrious scours..... but eating

[MK]

Just wanted to give you all an update......

First, thanks for the replys!!!!!!

Weds PM. Scours still happening. Greenish poop in barn. She was right there again to be fed. I did not give the sulfa/trimet pill...opted for a shot of LA 200 for good measure. I also gave her the same feeding of milk and electros. Gave a probiotic bolus. Went right to hay after her bottles. Back after feeding the other critters and she had the shakes although not as violently as the night before. Back again about two hours later...she stood up and shot some very liquid poo...although there was some with more substance where she was laying. I also decided to put a heat lamp in as our weather took a significant downward turn.

Thur AM. Scours in barn same as before. Liquidy with greenish color..some substance but not a good normal looking specimen! Shes up and shes ready to eat. Fed as before but gave her some pepto to see if that could help. She eats with enthusiasm and goes to hay. Fed other critters and decided to go into work a little late so I could watch her. Both calves are outside warming in the sun (yay for sun!). As I am watching her she will hunch and start kicking at her belly while flicking her tail.....goes on for maybe a minute. Then she does a good stretch and stands quiet. This happens two more times while I am watching her. Then she walks off with her buddy and starts to graze. After my shower I go to look for a movement. Can't see that she has gone yet. She has urinated twice this morning. She does the kicking at stomach again, although it does not last as long and then she is grazing. Very curious indeed.

I raised dairy calves before and they would either get over it quick or really deteriorate fast. Still had a great success rate raising them. This one, a leppy beef variety (black baldy) is a puzzle. I would have thought the sulfa/trimet would have knocked it out by now if it was bacteria. I am hoping the LA 200 will take care of any possible complications that may arise.

I am going to treat this as a possible virus or protazoa. I am assuming that whatever she has may have run its course and the scours are just the aftermath. The pain she is having could be some damage to the gut. SO I am hoping that giving her some pepto once a day will give her some relief. She is staying well hydrated and eating.

Anyhow…I am still open to thoughts/suggestions/theories. Thanks a

 

[MK]

Almost forgot to answer a question...she is on New Milk, non medicated replacer. MK

 

[Farmer Kevin]

Have you tried a drug known as LS50. We live and die by it with our cattle. It is specialized in helping with scours. We usually vein the calf with this concotion.

20 cc's Ls50 and 5 cc's Tylan 200 in the same syringe
3 cc's b vitamin
2.5 of banamine

Look into the calfs eyes to see if they are sunk into towards the head. If the eyes are popping out of the skull that means that they are well hydrated. This shot overall cost about 2 dollars a dosage which is well worth saving a 300 dollar calf. ;-)

 

[MK]

Thanks Kevin...I will keep that in mind if I she takes a turn for the worst.
I am hesitant to give her more drugs at this time...that LA200 will be in her system for 3 days.

So far she is not dehydrated at all..... and has a huge appetite. Getting lots of fluids through via her bottle. I have had them so sick and weak that IV and tubing was the only way to keep them hydrated. I have though about giving her an extra bottle of water at midnight or so, but so far she has not shown that she needs it and I am afraid to give her too much fluid.

 

[jerry27150]

i have seen them shake if they are drinking cold water after their milk & it will give them a belly ache, which would make them kick at it. i think something in the sulfa pills makes their manure green. the grass could be loosening her up too. have seen them drink too much water when given to them right after their milk, which also would loosen her up

 

[TXCHICK]

We raised a bottle baby. I warmed the milk replacer. When our heifer had scours a friend had us put a raw egg in the formula. All I can say is that it worked well for us. Food for thought.

 

[MK]

This is not the normal shake...I know what you are talking about, but this is much more and not right after she drinks. Manure was green before the sulfa...think color is more due to the green grass. The stools are more than loose at times...very watery. She has been getting water directly after milk since day one....don't know why that wouls start affecting her now...but that sure is a possibility.

Went home at noon......she was laying out in the sun with her buddy. She got up and right away started wringing her tail and kicking at her belly...and grazing! I amost expeted to go home at noon and find her dead......the bellly kicking had me thinking enterotoxemia...but would'nt that have killed her by now (5 hours since I first saw her kick at her belly)? Of course I do not have any Clostritox or other antitox around and vet is one hour away. Keep your fingers crossed. MK

 

[Farmhand]

Don't think you have enterotoxemia. We had that last year. They didn't necessarily die within the 5 hrs like you talked but they were definitely not up and grazing or wanting bottles. Thinking the grass and water could be keeping her loose. How old is the calf? We give a bottle of milk replacer and a half bottle of water twice a day. Bucket break them right away then just fill their bucket with water after they drink their milk and let them decide how much water to drink. We use pepto bismal from the grocery store to coat their stomach. Vet said 60cc/100 lbs. Use Excenel or Nuflor to kick any bug they might have. If the pepto doesn't seem to be helping their scours then we add Protec to their milk. Works great. Oh - pepto twice a day after feeding the milk. Vet also said getting a little grain in them like sweet feed would help too. All this takes a little work but we have always had great luck with it. Hope this helps.

 

[MK]

Thanks farmhand.........when we had a case of enterotoxemia at the dairy they went downhill fast....this one is just a puzzle. I need to remember that these beef calves generally have a bit more fight than the dairy calves.
Since I only have two at a time, I just keep them on a bottle as long as I can. I ma going to give her more pepto tonight and increase the replacer ratio to 3/4...I cut it down to 1/2 of the normal when this all started. Anxious to get home and see what is waiting.........

If it's not a sick calf....

it's an abidextrous mule on the loose.......

or a love sick turkey..........

Anyway. My vet is going to be in the area and we are going to have lunch and give her a look see. Maybe take a sample too just for curiositys sake. Guess I shoulda went to vet school......it would probably be cheaper than my vet bills! MK