Very sick calf

Help Support CattleToday:

BdoubleR

Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2007
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Have a calf that was born 07-01-07. Cow had blood in milk and calf nursed before we found the blood. The calf since has gotten navel ill had temp go up and down and won't suck or drink from a pail-having to drench her. Vet has been out and we've tried 3 different antibiotics, fluid under the skin and MU-SE along with vit.A & C. Calf is on medicated milk replacer and is growing but is just so lokey. She doesn't pay any mind to the cleaning and flushing of her navel. Stool samples came back good- Anybody ever heard of a calf being like this before?
She is just hanging on - grinds her teeth all the time and anybody I talked to about this said they never had a calf that ground it's teeth live long. Any advice is welcome.
 
Grinding of the teeth means they are in pain.Septicemia is really hard to treat it is a long long process and usually, sadly unsuccessfully. Do a seach for navel ill and septicemia and you will get really good information from a few that have managed to pull the little ones through it. I have had only one case and he died after 3 weeks of treatment but he had meningitis as well.

Good luck if the vet says it is worth it then continue treatment but don't let the little thing linger in pain.Sometimes the best thing we can do is give them a peaceful and painless way out.

Can she walk or stand at all?
 
Sometimes the cow will pass blood in the milk.. why did you take the calf off the cow? I've had cows that had "pink" milk for a few days, but it always turns back to normal. I didn't know there was anything wrong with it.. ?
 
TheBullLady":cha12na7 said:
Sometimes the cow will pass blood in the milk.. why did you take the calf off the cow? I've had cows that had "pink" milk for a few days, but it always turns back to normal. I didn't know there was anything wrong with it.. ?

From the time spent feeding calves on the dairy when I was a kid, I remember that there isn't anything wrong with "pink" milk, at least that's what I was always told...and we rarely lost a calf or even had one that got sick.

One other thing...you gave the calf Muse...which is what I always thought you gave larger animals. I thought calves got Bose.

Alice
 
TheBullLady":3ur2fmma said:
Sometimes the cow will pass blood in the milk.. why did you take the calf off the cow? I've had cows that had "pink" milk for a few days, but it always turns back to normal. I didn't know there was anything wrong with it.. ?

You are right it is very common and usually just edema.However the calf probably would have become septic even if she was left on the cow.So none the less they would still have a very sick little heifer.
 
I was thinking that the calf would better on the cow, as opposed to bottle feeding. If she gets scoured or pnuemonia as well as the septicemia, it's that much harder on it.
 
Like hillsdown said, teeth grinding is an indication of pain. Have you given the calf any banamine? I hate to think about a little calf in pain like that. If you don't want to give up on the calf, ask the vet if banamine would help with the pain.

Alice
 
Yes she has had banamine- she can stand and walk some- I get her up off and on through the day. The cows milk wasn't just pink - it had more blood than milk. Then the milk left all together. Calf was using so much energy trying to nurse but can't latch and when she did there wasn't enough milk to take care of her. Question could having had a high temp cause her to loose vision? I don't think she can see that well.
 
A high enough fever can make any animal go blind.

What are the antibiotics you have tried? If you havent hit her with the big stuff, Baytril, etc. You need to do that now.

But.....The calf has been grinding its teeth since birth

It most likely didnt get any clolosturm from mother, and unless you gave her some she never got any.

You have tried three different antibiotics with no avail.

The calf has a fever you cant get rid of.

You have already consulted a vet.

I think I would have a candid talk with the vet about my options, to include putting her down. I hate to think of any animal living in constant pain like that with no understanding of whats going on.
 

Latest posts

Top