yearling bull sick

[coach4christ]

Hi guys, I have a question. I have a yearling bull that is acting like another thread said "depressed" He is showing all the same signs as stated in the other thread. I also noticed that his fecal matter is tarry. I have the vet notified and am waiting on him to show up. Do you guys have any guess at to the problem?

Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

Tarry as in black, thick and pasty? Black black is digested blood, and that would indicate a gut sore. Id get a stool sample to the vet and get a magnet down his throat now

 

[Littlesalesman]

same thing as i said on the other thread. Have you got blood work done?

 

[colleen]

Fecal, definitely. Don't wait too long. Ours was either laying or standing in the same place all day. Wouldn't turn his head to look at us when we called him. Had to force him to come eat...and that has never been a problem. Our main problem is liver flukes and the ttreatment is weakening his immunity, etc. and a few other complications. But a fecal and blood test will show if there is something wrong hopefully. Our neighbors bull was acting depressed and under the weather, his turned out to be coccidiosis, a disease that birds spread when they poop on their food and they then eat the food. Shot cleared it up. Good luck! The do get depressed. But if you think it's more than that then it probably is. Also, another sign they have something wrong is if there nose is hot and dry. It should be moist.

 

[Crazy Farmgirl]

Fecal, definitely. Don't wait too long. Ours was either laying or standing in the same place all day. Wouldn't turn his head to look at us when we called him. Had to force him to come eat...and that has never been a problem. Our main problem is liver flukes and the ttreatment is weakening his immunity, etc. and a few other complications. But a fecal and blood test will show if there is something wrong hopefully. Our neighbors bull was acting depressed and under the weather, his turned out to be coccidiosis, a disease that birds spread when they poop on their food and they then eat the food. Shot cleared it up. Good luck! The do get depressed. But if you think it's more than that then it probably is. Also, another sign they have something wrong is if there nose is hot and dry. It should be moist.

You should do some reserch on coccidiosis as it is NOT simply spread by birds. While that is one possibility it's not the only one or the most likely one.

 

[Gale Seddon]

Our neighbors bull was acting depressed and under the weather, his turned out to be coccidiosis, a disease that birds spread when they poop on their food and they then eat the food. Shot cleared it up.

I would surely like to know what injection cleared up coccidiosis. I thought it needed to be treated with CORID.

 

[dun]

Our neighbors bull was acting depressed and under the weather, his turned out to be coccidiosis, a disease that birds spread when they poop on their food and they then eat the food. Shot cleared it up.

I would surely like to know what injection cleared up coccidiosis. I thought it needed to be treated with CORID.

A .22 caliber between the eyes?

 

[Gale Seddon]

Ha Ha, dun! Yup, that would surely account for the depression. Quick, time for the prozac saltlick!

 

[colleen]

I don't have a clue but this guys bull had coccidosis and vet told him the shot would either kill him or make him better. He was better. I wasn't saying this bull had coccidosis. I don't even know what the symptoms are. Just saying for him to get him tested because you never know and not all animals have the same symptoms. you can't always go on symptoms alone. Right??

 

[colleen]

I didn't diagnose the bull cuz I'm not qualified to do that. I just told him to get tests done and don't wait around because whatever it is could get worse. If I knew anything about any of this I wouldn't be asking questions on this forum. I listen to opinions. And I listen to experience, but I would never take that to be the definite truth.

 

[dun]

Ha Ha, dun! Yup, that would surely account for the depression. Quick, time for the prozac saltlick!

Not for the depression. That would be the shot that would cure the coccidiosis

 

[colleen]

Guess the guy was told wrong by his vet. Or maybe he lied to us. Lol.

 

[colleen]

And I guess a sick bull is a lot funnier than a dead bloated cow, gale.

 

[Gale Seddon]

And I guess a sick bull is a lot funnier than a dead bloated cow, gale.

You are absolutely right, colleen. My apologies for my insensitive response.

 

[colleen]

Apology accepted.

 

[colleen]

How is your bull doing?

 

[coach4christ]

dead. vet did numerous tests and came up with nothing. When bull died, he left scratching his head. Best he could figure is the bull had a stroke. I guess thta is cattle farming though. Buy high, sell low, and the ones you buy die. On the other hand, I did buy a great young grey brahman to put on my black angus. Should make great f1 calves.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Since you purchased this bull off your farm were you lucky enough to have had him insured?

 

[colleen]

I'm sorry to hear that. Our bull was the one you read about acting depressed. Vet couldnt figure it out so he sent us to A&M. We brought him Saturday and they started checking him out this morning. By 10 we had word...no flukes no hardware rumen etc was fine. Ended up looking towards respiratory problems. Used ultrasound on him and found an abscess or lesion on the "Outside" of his lung. The antibiotics we were using we're not what was needed to heal it. He would get a little better than back down again. He had lot a lot of weight. Anyway, he started an antibiotic that is long term and slow releasing. he will get 3 and then our vet can use his ultrasound machine to see that it is healing and if he needs more. They have the spot drawn on his chest where the lesion is located so that the vet will know where to look. They said it was very hard to find. We get to pick him up tomorrow. Very reasonably priced. Because it is used to teach. They kept my father laws horse a week and it was 200. We will definitely do it again if needed.
Colleen