High Temperatures

[maplebeer]

  We have four steer and a heifer that we got from five different places.  About a month and a half ago one of the steers became lethargic and panted as if he was hot.  We checked the temperatures of the steers and they ranged from 103 to 104 with the one steer up to a 105.4.  Only a couple of the steers went off feed, but only for about a day.  A few of them were loose, but they didn't have any snotty noses, coughs etc.  We treated them with nu-flour, asprin and albon.  The temperatures did not improve with the worst being 104 to 105.  We then treated them with Draxon with the same results.  the two smaller calves always carred the highest temperature and we gave them a shot of batril with the same results
    The temperatures continued and we gave them another round of draxin and the temps seemed to go down and then the two smaller steers temperatures spiked again.  We went ahead and gave them both intravenous banamine and another antibiotic.  The temperatures of all of them then went to 102.9 and lower.  Yesterday their temperatures were 103.8, 103.2, 103.2, 102.8, 102.4.  Except for the temperatures, you wouldn't know they were sick.  They are are on full feed and plenty of hay. 
    Our vet has come to the conclusion that it has to be something viral and they will have to fight it off.  Another vet we talked to has run into this and he thinks it will have to get cold before they fight it off.  We have  spent a lot on antibiotics, but I don't thing they were probably all in vein as I think it might have kept them from getting down and getting pnemonia or any other bacterial infections.  Just wandered if anybody else has came across this.  It's been very frustrating wandering if we have treated them too much etc.

   

 

[DL]

If I understand what you are saying - you have 5 head from different places - 1 steer was lethargic - basically the others were fine and you gave them all (?) multiple doses of antibiotics - sometimes at the same time
questions
1) were any of the calves sick - did they show signs or were you treating the temperature?
2) what kind of a thermometer
3) how much hair do these calves have and what is your average temperature
4) what is the time frame??
5) What did the vet say about their lungs?
6) What is the air quality of where they live?

It is generally not a good idea to give more than one antibiotic at the same time as they can counteract each other. Polypharmacy is often expensive but not productive

Viral infections not uncommonly cause an increase in temperature without much else in other signs, antibiotics do not touch viral infections, although they many prevent secondary pneumonia

Cattle with normal immune systems do not need it to get cold "to fight it off"

Temperature of cattle depends on a variety of things, including ambient temperature and humidity, ability to dissipate head (hair coat), feed (remember the rumen is a 50 gallon fermentation vat that generates heat) -  a temperature of 103.1 can be normal in cattle (http://www.iowabeefcenter.org/pdfs/bch/03000.pdf)

IMHO you are correct - too much treatment - it is often prudent to watch a calf who appears "normal" in every way and not treat a temperature...

if they all look normal I might hide thermometer and use the temp taking time to watch the calves instead