Show Steer Very Sick, While Waiting On Lab Work, I'm Looking For Advice

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Sambosu

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Feb 24, 2011
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Oklahoma
We took my daughter's prospect steer to the state fair this past weekend. Three days after bringing the steer home I noticed him laying around a lot and moving around real slow. I assumed he was just sore from the show so I gave him some banomine. When I got home Wednesday from work I noticed the calf had manure all over his backend. I gave him a bath to cool him off and evaluate him. He seemed to react when I rubbed on his back left leg, abnormal lifting of the leg when I rubbed his leg and showed signs of breathing problems. Due to how he was moving I was still thinking he was real sore from all the concrete at the show but the diarrhea and difficulty breathing really confused me. I gave him banomine again after washing him. When I got home last night his backside was covered in manure again and had all the same issues he had the previous day but I noticed blood in his stool. I called the vet but vet didn't think it was an emergency. I took him to the vet this morning and the calf was sweating a lot but wasn't running a fever. Steer also had a runny nose and was still having blood in stool and difficulty breathing. Vet gave him Baytril and told me to give him a shot for the next 5 days and continue giving him banomine while he waits on the test results from OSU. The vet did check for cocidiousis and it came up negative. Vet said at this time we have to treat the symptoms until he hears back from OSU. I can't just sit here and wait for the lab results and assume that I am doing everything I can do for the calf. Has anyone had a calf with these types of symptoms? If so, what did you do? 
 

ejoe326

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Mar 2, 2012
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Is he eating or drinking?  Any off color besides the blood to the manure? 

When you say difficulty breathing do you mean he had his tongue out or was he grunting or something else?

Are you supposed to give Baytril for 5 days?  Did your vet have a guess as to what it might be and what was he testing for?



 

diamonddls

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Delburne Alberta
Is the steer on a high concentrate diet. I would try a three day treatment of trimidox and drench with oxamin powder. It sounds to me like a bacterial infection as a result of overload. Good luck.
 

Sambosu

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Sorry about not replying to those trying to help me with my kids sick steer, was away from the computer all weekend. The steer is drinking and eating grass pretty good but not too interested in grain. He acts hungry, follows me to the feeder but only eats grain for a little bit. His diarrhea isn't terrible anymore. I catch him quite often breathing with his mouth open and tongue hanging out. The vet didn't give me any type of diagnosis and and he said the preliminary lab results didn't show anything to be concerned about at this time but I will get my results back from OSU tomorrow or Wednesday.  He didn't tell me what type of tests he requested be performed on the blood and on the swabs. The bacterial infection diamonddls mentioned caught my attention because steer was fed more feed than normal the night before he started showing all these problems. 
 

Bulldaddy

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"The bacterial infection diamonddls mentioned caught my attention because steer was fed more feed than normal the night before he started showing all these problems."

The "Fed more feed than normal" part of your statement makes me suspect acidosis.  If that is the case, the best thing to do is just fed him hay for a few days then start him back on his regular feed gradually.  He should be fine.
 

Sambosu

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Oklahoma
Possum Trot Ranch, thanks for mentioning Acidosis. I have been reading about it and he seems to have a lot of the symptoms except his manure doesn't meet the description of one with acidosis (no signs of brain damage so that is good). I have called my vet but he is out working cattle and is supposed to call me back. If he has acidosis, I hope it didn't cause him to founder too because he acts real sore and doesn't like to be led to the wash rack right now and wants to just lay around.
 

diamonddls

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If it was feed related his stomach pH may now be out of sack. With the importance of gut health in mind you may wish to ask your vet about a probiotic or probias to help get the guts back healthy to get the steer back on feed and gaining.
 

cowpoke

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In your reply you say follows me to feeder makes me wonder how you are feeding him?I would not rule out Cocidiosis even with negative test as that is usually bloody loose stool and  DeCox wont hurt anything.The breathing hard and stiff seems like feed overload.I would limit feed him and see what vet says.I went to look at some calves for a family with about same symptoms and after a few questions one of the kids said the calves got into feed room and they didn't want to say anything.
 

Sambosu

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Feb 24, 2011
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Oklahoma
Well, I am still waiting on the lab results from the Vet/OSU. After five days of Baytril and Banamine, steer seems to be breathing pretty good and is getting around ok. I am having my animal chiropractor come over today to look over him to make sure there isn't anything structurally causing him pain (maybe stepped on while in the tie outs, hurt during trailer ride to and from fair, etc).  The other steer in the pen/pasture started showing signs of sickness (loose stool and coughing) so I gave him a shot of draxxin Sunday night. Yesterday when I went out in the pen that steer started running around/playing with other steer so I think the draxxin worked, except his stool is still a little.  I was told draxxin is real hard on their stomach so maybe that is why he still has a loose stool. 
 

JLH007

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Jun 14, 2011
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With all the antibiotic you've pumped in him, he could surely benefit from a good probiotic paste to re-inoculate his gut microbial population and get him back on feed faster.  It certainly sounds like lactic acidosis except for the blood in stools.  Anytime a calf is treated with antibiotics, a good practice is to immediately follow up with a good probiotic since the antibiotic is going to destroy both bad and good bacteria in the animal's system.  Administering a probiotic while at the show is also beneficial to prevent off feed during and after the show.
 

Sambosu

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Oklahoma
I have a tube of Probios at home. When I hear from the vet regarding the test results, I will see if he has some stronger probiotics.
 

Sambosu

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Oklahoma
Well some tests results are in on the steer. The calf tested positive for BVD. Vet wants to notch his ear and send it to OSU and verify if he is a carrier (personally infected) or if he caught it at the show.
 

cowpoke

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Hope you found and answer.Cattle need to be vaccinated and boostered and have a good health program especially when exhibited.Use to be ringworm could be a problem until they decided they could not be exhibited and Cocidiosius is also stress related and can go undetected until it really breaks.BVD can a problem in cows also.
 

creativecattle

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Mar 9, 2009
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If you have to keep administering antibiotics you might consider Vita Charge. Because Vita Charge is a prebiotic not a probiotic antibiotics won't render it ineffective. It will continue to multiple the bacteria and fungi in the digestive system. Hope you get everything figured out soon! Never much fun to put that much work in for something like this to happen.
 
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