week old sick calf

[calf saver]

hi y'all

my farmers brought me a calf this morning that is a week old he has been with momma since birth, but today is down wont stand wont eat is cold. I have brought him in the house tried feeeding cant get him to eat he has had ls200 and a vitamin b shot any other suggestions???? hes a fighter i think hes moving his head around and grunting at me when i touch him ANy help???

Thanks so much

 

[randiliana]

hi y'all

my farmers brought me a calf this morning that is a week old he has been with momma since birth, but today is down wont stand wont eat is cold. I have brought him in the house tried feeeding cant get him to eat he has had ls200 and a vitamin b shot any other suggestions???? hes a fighter i think hes moving his head around and grunting at me when i touch him ANy help???

Thanks so much

Without any symptoms other than he won't stand and is cold, all I can say is that maybe mama didn't have enough milk for him. Get some electrolytes into him, warm him up, and then in a couple hours feed him some milk. You are going to have to tube him if he won't suck. Get a shot of selenium into him as well that could be the problem.

 

[Alice]

vitamin ae&d shot, probios, good milk replacer (no soy). Purina makes one that's 22% protein/20% fat. Feed the milk replacer with a tube if you have to,but don't over do it each feeding. Right now, I would break the feedings up into 4 times a day, no more than a half bottle at a time.

Does the calf seem dehydrated? If he's weak, he may be. Electrolytes may be necessary if that's the case. Again, don't over do. Too much liquid at once, I've found, can cause problems. If I think of anything else, I'll post it.

Good luck,

Alice

 

[calf saver]

his temp was also 97.1 when i got him home, It is right now at 98.8 I just gave him 200 cc of warm lactated fluids sub Q per the vet. he seems to have perked up a bit were working on him Vet also recommended electrolytes said try gatorade so thats where we are now. he can't weigh more than 80lbs I think the poor fella was freezin to death. thanks for your help and anything else let me know

Heather

 

[calf saver]

his temp is 99.2 now

 

[calf saver]

102.5

 

[Susie David]

Looks promising....get some groceries into him.
Agree with the Se especially if mama didn't get a load before calving. We're deficient in Se and Cu up here so need to suppliment.
DMc

 

[calf saver]

hi yall his temp at last check 6pm was 103.5 and he stood up and walked around on his own looks promising i got benamine into him per vet orders he perked right up after that i'm still working on him update in the morning

 

[TNfamilyfarm]

good job.
sick calves are a long days work, but in the end very rewarding!!

 

[calf saver]

Hi guys thanks for all your help so far i have used it and the boy (AXE) m calling him is still kicken this morning he still isn't eating hardly at all but hes getting fliuds Sub Q still so he doesn't dehydrate wont take a bottle yet but he stood up and walked out of his cage cause he was mad at me for trying to bottle him ill let you know how the day goes

 

[randiliana]

You are going to have to get some milk into him. They can starve rather quickly. I would tube him with at least half a feeding, and see if that doesn't kick start his appetite. You have done well with him though!!

 

[tom4018]

vitamin ae&d shot, probios, good milk replacer (no soy). Purina makes one that's 22% protein/20% fat. Feed the milk replacer with a tube if you have to,but don't over do it each feeding. Right now, I would break the feedings up into 4 times a day, no more than a half bottle at a time.

Does the calf seem dehydrated? If he's weak, he may be. Electrolytes may be necessary if that's the case. Again, don't over do. Too much liquid at once, I've found, can cause problems. If I think of anything else, I'll post it.

Good luck,

Alice

Alice,
Are there more than 1 type of Purina replacers? We did feed it but changed over a year ago. The Purina milk we fed was only 12% fat, I think it was 22% protien. I wonder if they have changed?

We fed Southern States now, think it is made by Land of Lakes, it is 20/20 on protien and fat.

 

[Alice]

vitamin ae&d shot, probios, good milk replacer (no soy). Purina makes one that's 22% protein/20% fat. Feed the milk replacer with a tube if you have to,but don't over do it each feeding. Right now, I would break the feedings up into 4 times a day, no more than a half bottle at a time.

Does the calf seem dehydrated? If he's weak, he may be. Electrolytes may be necessary if that's the case. Again, don't over do. Too much liquid at once, I've found, can cause problems. If I think of anything else, I'll post it.

Good luck,

Alice

Alice,
Are there more than 1 type of Purina replacers? We did feed it but changed over a year ago. The Purina milk we fed was only 12% fat, I think it was 22% protien. I wonder if they have changed?

We fed Southern States now, think it is made by Land of Lakes, it is 20/20 on protien and fat.

Yes, there are more than one Purina replacers. When the calves would first come to us (we raised sale barn holstein bull baby calves :shock: ), we fed them Purina Pro Nurse for the first 2 weeks, then went to the stuff that was 22% protein, 20% fat. I can't remember what it was called.

I undstand that the Land of Lakes milk replacer is excellent. We would have used it if we could have gotten it, but no one here carried it.

Alice

 

[calf saver]

Hi guys,

I just wanted to let you know that he seems to be doing a little better. I opened the cage and he got out and walked around the yard seemed to perk up a little, i got him to lick some milk powder and i actually got a little bit of a bottle in him not much just about a pint but its a start i tried the sugar thing it seemed to work... ill keep you posted any other ideas let me know

 

[milkmaid]

Straddle him, force the nipple into his mouth and make that calf drink. He really needs the milk now -- it's not something you can afford to be passive about. If he won't drink, tube him.

 

[*Cowgirl*]

Straddle him, force the nipple into his mouth and make that calf drink. He really needs the milk now -- it's not something you can afford to be passive about. If he won't drink, tube him.

yep. try to feed him 1st. Once you force some in them, they'll usually figure it out.

 

[calf saver]

i was forcing him to take the milk he wasn't having it... i had been doing fluids sub Q and getting vitamins into him also he had a second antibiotic shot this AM
he was up and moving around well when i went to check on him a few little while ago tonight and he took his first bottle on his own a few minutess ago and pushing at his cage for more he has done a complete turn around in the past few hours well see how the night goes and hopefully in the morning he'll still be doing well thanks for all of your help it is greatly appreciated.

 

[calf saver]

hi gys just wanted to update y'all Chopper is doing so much better he eats well moves around plays a little does everything a baby cow should do we actually moved him out of the cage and building we were keeping him in to nurse him to health, into a bigger barn area with a small pasture attached thanks again on all of your advice let me tell you it really helps having people who have been through all this before i only get a calf every couple of years and i get rusty and normally the new one has something that the one before didn't and its a whole new learning experience thanks again

:heart: