Steer passing a lot of blood, advice needed ***UPDATE***

[SlickTxMaine]

My son purchased a steer this past Saturday.  He had diarrhea at the time, but I know he had just been weaned and moved into a lot with some other calves.  The breeder was also tying him and working with him a little.  I assumed the diarrhea was from all the changes.  Sunday evening I noticed one or two small spots of blood, maybe pea size in his manure.  I called the breeder Monday, thinking maybe the start of coccidiosis.  He thought it was from all the stress and changes.  We gave him probios SUnday and Monday.  Still having diarrhea.  Tuesday evening I noticed there is more blood in the manure, and still having diarrhea.  Talked to our vet yesterday and he gave us Susain III boluses to give him.  We did that yesterday afternoon.  This morning, still passing blood.  He has very loose diarrhea, and then after that comes out, very bright red blood comes out separately.  His appetite is good and he appears to be feeling okay.  Talked to the vet again this morning, explained everything to him, and he seems to think it is not coccidiosis, but either hemorroids or ulcers or lesions in the end part of his colon.  He stated that if is was coccidiosis, the blood would not be bright red, and would be mixed in with the manure.  He is giving me some oral meds to give him, which will coat his tummy and intestines and an antibiotic. 

Anyone have any experience with this type of thing?  It really freaks me out, the amount of bright red blood that he is losing!!

 

[chambero]

Is your vet a good cow vet?  If you have doubts, my guess is still coccidiosis.  We've had real bad cases that certainly had lots of fresh blood.

We had a heifer in the pasture with it really bad.  Vet prescribed daily drenching with Corid+ a good dose of Safeguard.

 

[SlickTxMaine]

Well, to provide a little more info.  When I called the breeder Monday morning, he told me that he had taken one of his heifers to the vet that morning as she started passing blood Sunday.  He suspected coccidiosis.  He called me in the afternoon to report the heifer did not have coccidiosis, but instead had somthing similar to collitis, or hemorraging in the last section of her colon.  She was treated with Sustain.  He feels it may be something with the most recent batch of feed that he had mixed, which was also given to our steer, and we were sent home with a bag.  He stated that as of yesterday, his heifer had no more visible blood.  I have to pick up the new meds this afternoon.  Can I just collect some fresh poop at home to take to the vet for testing?

 

[OH Breeder]

In our area in the spring cattle can get what they call Seasonal Dysentery. Sounds like what your vet may have meant. Inflamamation of the lining of the colon and or the intestinal track. They make a medication that is liquid you put in the water. It usually clears up a week after treatment.Several things can cause it, bacteria, worms , chemicals etc.

 

[AJ Cattle]

Give him sulfa Boulus pills 1 pill per 200lbs works the best change of  feed irritates the bowels

 

[CAB]

I'm like Chambero, sounds like coccidiosis, looks like coccidiosis, well you get the picture. About the stress comment, stress can set off clinical signs of coccidiosis. Sulfa is a good choice for the treatment of coccidia among others things. If you just bought this steer and the guy that sold him to you has had the same signs in his own cattle, have you thought about returning the steer and moving on to a new one? Coccidiosis is contagious. You should isolate if possible.

 

[SlickTxMaine]

Okay,  back to the vet today.  He gave me some Baytril, banamine and some milky pink stuff that I gave him orally.  I also gave him some electrolytes to ward off dehydration.  No feed tonight.  He drank quite a bit and is munching on hay.  He looks like he might be drying up.  I washed his back end this evening, and now over 4 hours later he is still clean!  I'm hoping between the sustain boluses we gave him yesterday, and all the stuff he got today that we are over the hump. I'll update tomorrow about how things look. 

CAB,
    The breeder's heifer did not have coccidiosis.  He took her in to the vet and had her tested.  He is thinking he may have gotten a bad batch of feed.  Fortunately now, the only other animals on our place are horses, a mini donkey and chickens.  All of our cattle had been moved to another location for winter.  But again, the vet is not thinking it is coccidiosis.  I hope he is right.  He sometimes does not take me serious, thinks I'm a hysterical woman over reacting.  That really p----- me off!!  But, if it is coccidiosis, does  it affect adult cows, or only calves?  My daughter will be getting goats in a couple of months, and they will be housed close by....is that something that is a concern now?

Thanks for everyone's help. 

 

[CAB]

To be quite honest, I'm still guessing Coccidiosis. The time frame fits for him drying up about now from the treatment with the Sulfa. I would treat again with the sulfa pills. Coccidiosis can be hard to find in fecal samples in certain stages. JMO. Good Luck. I don't know a thing about goats.

 

[frostback]

Not sure if you know this one but Sulfa will kill the stomachs bugs so when you start him back on grain go slow and give probias. If you give another dose of Sulfa do it after them too. Glad he is turning the corner for you. Sometimes being hysterical saves animals, nothing wrong with going with your gut.