Sick Calf

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fluffer

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Sep 6, 2007
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644
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Springfield, Ohio
Cowboy and others,
I have a calf that has/had navel ill.  We had it bad this year and once we figured out what was going on we have been able to treat all the other calves.  This calf however we can not get over this infection.  We have been fighting it for a month now.  We have poured more penicillin into him then our other calves combined.  His joints are still swelled and he gets up to nurse and lays right back down.  We have them out in a big pasture and it is fairly dry and lots of grass.  We are getting to the point that we are about to just give up.  We had a calf a few years ago that had this same problem and he lived though weaning then just died.

Any suggestions??
Thanks!!
Fluffer
 

red

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Jan 20, 2007
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LaRue, Ohio
did you give him the 6 day treatment? We had one like that & I talked to Terry & he said to make sure you took the full time. Dumb me can't remember the dosage though. :)))
Red
 

fluffer

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Sep 6, 2007
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Springfield, Ohio
Yeah, we have done the 6 day with him and then went to every other day.  We also gave him some banamine.
Don't know what to do!
Fluffer
 

SWMO

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Jul 27, 2007
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Carthage MO
My dad raised bottle calves when I was a kid and many of the ones that got navel ill would just fall down dead when they got 500 plus pounds. I always wondered if there was heart damage from the illness.  Of course treatments weren't as good then.
 

inthebarnagain

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Oct 10, 2007
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Indiana
Go to www.franklampley.com.  They have some stuff called Vitamix.  It is a powder that can really help hard cases like that.  We have pulled some really sick calves through with this stuff.  You are going to have to ignore his other information, he hates antibiotics and thinks they are ruining the world but sometimes with goofiness there is a little genius and the vitamix is awesome stuff.  We use it on our show calves before we go to shows and we use it religiously in the feed when we wean calves. 
 

DL

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Jan 29, 2007
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fluffer

An calf with a naval infection that goes to the joints has a systemic infection (ie thru out the body). If his joints are swollen they are full of pus and bacteria. Because he is not moving around much I would suspect he is painful.

The Penicillin you have been giving him have kept the infection from exploding but has not cured it - this may be because he had less colostral immunity than your other calves, is immunosuppressed from BVD more of a bacterial load, phase of the moon etc.

IMHO your first decision is do I want to try to save this calf or should I limit his suffering and euthanize him? Clearly you need a different drug if you decide to treat him.

If you decide you want to try to treat him you will need to be aggressive and persistent. Some people would flush the joints, some would use higher doses of a different drug.

The prognosis for this type of infection is not good. IMHO you should call your vet for advise.
 

fluffer

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Sep 6, 2007
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Springfield, Ohio
DL & Others-

I thank you for your advice.  Our vet started us on the penicillin and we had been fine till now.  I imagine we are just going to put the calf down.  I don't want to, but like SWMO said, I have a feeling even if we get him through, there is too much damage and he won't be worth it in the end.  For some reason this year we have had an aweful time with calves nursing.  They would be born and hop right up nose around a little, but never nurse.  It was unreal how many cow/calf pairs we had to fool with this spring.  I think some was from an increase in mastitis from all the mud.
Thanks Again guys,
Fluffer
 

red

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LaRue, Ohio
fluffer said:
DL & Others-

I thank you for your advice.  Our vet started us on the penicillin and we had been fine till now.  I imagine we are just going to put the calf down.  I don't want to, but like SWMO said, I have a feeling even if we get him through, there is too much damage and he won't be worth it in the end.  For some reason this year we have had an aweful time with calves nursing.  They would be born and hop right up nose around a little, but never nurse.  It was unreal how many cow/calf pairs we had to fool with this spring.  I think some was from an increase in mastitis from all the mud.
Thanks Again guys,
Fluffer

Fluffer- mud, mud & more mud. Slop, slop, slop & more slop. answer your question?

Red  :-\ :mad: :eek: ???
 

fluffer

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Sep 6, 2007
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644
Location
Springfield, Ohio
Your not kidding red!  We had that nice spurt there for a couple of weeks in mid april and that was just a tease.  Now we have had rain again and more mud.  We are supposed to be dry until next tuesday. 

Update on the calf, I think I talked my hubby into putting the calf down.  He doesn't really act like he is in much pain.  He is bright eyed and alert, he just looks like a cripple.  The cow will come get him up, he will suck, and lay back down.  He has been in the same general place in the pasture.

Thanks for the advice

Fluffer
 
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