help please! sick calf

[maverick]

We have a calf that was a couple of weeks early; he is about 5 days old now. He has not been sucking on his own, he have been putting the cow in the chute and putting him on a teat Tonight he was lying down about half dead. We brought him in to garage and tubed him with some milk. We gave him an enema and he pooped. He is now laying down moaning, he acts like he is in pain. Any ideas?

 

[DL]

Does he have an elevated temperature?
Is he dehydrated - pick up his eyelid or the skin on his neck btwn thumb and 1st finger does it stay tented?
What color are the membranes in his mouth? Are they moist or tacky?
If you push down on them how long does it take for the color to return?
What is his respiratory rate? (count how many times he breathes in a minute)
What is his heart rate? (feel or listen to his chest)
Do you have a vet?


Did he get colostrum?
How much milk have you been giving him and how much does he weigh?

 

[Bulldaddy]

The first thing I do with a sick calf this time of year is get them under a heat lamp and get them hydrated.  If the calf won't take a bottle you may need to have the vet start an IV.  Since the calf had trouble nursing on his own it is possible that he didn't get any colostrum(or enough)  from his dam shortly after birth.  Hopefully, you got some down him or he won't survive.  If he has a high temp you probably should treat with an antibiotic.  Good luck!

 

[farmboy]

do cows develop colostrum milk several weeks ahead of calving or is it a couple of days before calving deal?

 

[maverick]

Thank you for the replies. He did receive enough colostrum, he has been sucking twice a day until he is full. He is a dumb calf he can not find a teat by himself. He is not dehydrated He does not have an elevated temperature; it is to low to register on the thermometer. The calf is in a heated basement and I am putting warm blankets on him.  His color is not good, very light pink. When you press on his gums the color does not change, his mouth is moist not tacky. When we tubed him we gave him about 2 pints of his mothers milk.  The calf weighs about 65 pounds. I could not find a pulse or a heart rate I am going to keep trying. He will not stop bawling when you are by him. When you leave him alone he is quite. He appears to be improving. Our vet was out on an emergency call and I have not heard back from her yet. Thanks again for your replies

 

[DL]

OK - cold calf with maybe something else going on - get some pop bottles or other plastic bottles - empty of pop fill with very warm to hot water, wrap in towel and put around the calf - put under armpits under belly etc - you don't want them so hot they will burn him.

If you have a hair dryer or little heater put it on warm so he is breathing in warm air - don't put it right in front of his face - get down on the ground and figure out where to put it (the hair dryer or heater) so the air he breathes in is warm.

Make sure he is lying on something - not the concrete floor of a basement - that can suck heat our of babies - make sure he is covered all over

Warming him will I think help him a lot - you can also ask your vet about warm sub Q or IV fluids

good luck

 

[maverick]

DL, 

He is on some dog beds with a space heater close. I will go put some pop bottles by him. Thank you so much for the help!

 

[DL]

DL, 

He is on some dog beds with a space heater close. I will go put some pop bottles by him. Thank you so much for the help!

Good job - rooting for you and your calf - do you have something like Beef Nutridrench? In addition to being cold he may also have low glucose - if you don't have Nutridrench - karo syrup or maple syrup - try a table spoon or so and see if that helps him..

 

[kanshow]

How's the calf?   

 

[cowcrazy]

You might try either some Calf Medic or Kick Start.  We get them at Tractor Supply, but your feed store might have them.

 

[bovinewizard]

If the calf is dehydrated, you could try dextrose mixed with sterile water and inject subcutaneously, but you need to get a thermometer because the calf might have a fever more from being acidotic and not from disease itself, also if the calf is in shock or without colostrum you may need IV steroids or a blood transfusion from the mother

 

[maverick]

The calf died last night.  I really appriciate all of your help.  I think he might just have been to cold and weak to recover.

 

[kanshow]

Sorry to hear that.  I think this winter has been hard on everything and it is showing in the calves...    You tried and in the end, that's all you can do. 

 

[forbes family farms]

I'm very sad to hear that. I think this winter has be miserable on everything. But just remember you tried your best and that's all you can do just remember he's in heaven and is now not sick.

 

[DL]

The calf died last night.   I really appriciate all of your help.  I think he might just have been to cold and weak to recover.

maverick - sorry about your calf - I think you are right - he was too cold and weak to recover - but you did one heck of a job trying to save him

 

[Bulldaddy]

It never gets easy to lose a calf no matter how long you have been raising them.  You tried everything you could.  Sorry for your loss.

 

[maverick]

Thanks everyone for your help and support!