Anyone have experience with a small intestine blockage on a calf?

My March 12 Eye Candy calf is camping out at the vet office already, but I thought I'd get some opinions/thoughts/experiences.

A few days about a previously very heath, fast growing calf presented with obvious abdominal discomfort. Standing stretched, kicking at his belly, getting up, laying down, but not bloated and not showing significant dehydration. He also had stopped eating, as the cows bag was engorged. After a call with the vet we considered a blockage, we tubed him with mineral oil and electrolytes, gave him some oral betamine for pain, which seemed to help him feel a little better. At that time he passed a VERY hard ball of manure which looked sort of like deer droppings clung together with a little mucous. He also put a magnet in him in case he had ingested metal and we were in time to catch it. 24 hours later he was in increased discomfort (betamine had worn off) and was starting to get a bit more lethargic. So, off to the vet he went. He got more Betamine, another dose of mineral oil. He had a 103 degree fever, so he also got antibiotic as a preventative. He had passed no additional manure, but was passing gas and urinating. He had no abnormal heart or lung sounds and his rumen function sounded normal.

This morning, his temperature was normal, but he still has minimal appetite, has continued to drink water some, however, still had not passed any manure.  He had an ultrasound done which showed some distention in some areas of the small intestine with decreased peristalsis in the small intestine. We're playing the wait and see game today, hoping the mineral oil will do the trick and get something moving on its own. If nothing has changed tomorrow we're considering an exploratory surgery to see if they can find the blockage in the small intestine.

I feel like it's a darned if you do, darned if you don't situation. Either do nothing else and wait too long and there is no chance of recovery, or spend some money and see if there is a chance to fix him, but yet putting a tough and doubtful recovery in front of him if their is a blockage they remove in a surgery, when maybe he just needed 1 more day to have it work its way out.

Meanwhile, I'm stressed, the bank account is protesting, momma cow is ticked off and I'm out there hand milking her twice a day so she's ready if baby comes home! (All while putting together the final touches on a memorial service of my father-in-law that is on Saturday, and a hectic schedule at work..when it rains, it pours!)

But, he's so darn cute! (He's the #14 calf)

Clostridial problems, Antitoxin both oral and injected + penicillin oral. Classic symptoms. Your cow can go 3 to 4 days without being milked and still be fine. She'll still claim the calf. The quicker the treatment the better of coarse. Should vaccinate also with the toxoid type Clostridial product. It can be acute. Good Luck to you. Sorry to hear about your Father in Law. Waver, I'm not a vet.

I just had to make a similar choice on a surgery and a young calf. Mine was a hernia though. He had it today, so far so good. It was expensive but I cant see not trying to give a calf a life. If they want to live I do what I can to make that happen.
Cab I am not so sure it is a Clostridium perfringens, he said the calf was not bloated, wouldn't hurt to treat him for it though.

Frostback- Best of luck with the recovery for your calf!

Unless something changed dramatically overnight, conversations with the vet last night were to go ahead with the surgery this morning. The calf is overall strong and in good shape, which should at least give him a bit of a leg up. It's all a gamble, but at this point, I just can't sit back and do nothing. Hoping for a positive phone call late morning. Amazing how quick these little guys find a spot in your heart!

Here's to hoping I have a positive update to share later.

we had a blocked intestine because the calf had eaten a small piece of net wrap from a bale.
the vet didn't figure it out at all until the post after the calf was dead.

they never figured it was that.

Update following the surgery: They found a bouncy ball sized wad of compacted hair and fecal matter. They were able to remove it with a small incision to the intestine. He was up and on his feet after surgery and now it's just a wait and see if that distension in the intestine returns to normal and see if he resumes normal digestion and has no complications.


Hmm, maybe it's time to start breeding to Angus bulls with no hair again! Who would have thought.

We had a calf with hair balls 2 years ago and another some years before. Both recover very well after surgery.

Well, so far so good. The calf came home the day after his surgery (Friday afternoon) and has been getting better every day. We finished up antibiotics yesterday. His appetite is fantastic and he is seems to feel good. So thankful it looks like we made the right call and have him going back in the right direction. 

The ball of hair they pulled out is very dense. Nothing was getting past it in the small intestine, even the mineral oil we had in him. Amazing how lodged it had gotten in there.

Thanks all for your thoughts and inputs!