Sick Calf

[tripletmom]

I think we're going to loose our baby! DH is calling the vet today. We thought the mama wasn't feeding him, now we're pretty sure the calf is the problem not the mama. He was two weeks old on Saturday. He is still with the mother. He has no desire to suck, anything! We almost have to force feed him. He remains bony and shaky, lays in his poop to where we see he now has maggots crawling around his anus. I washed around his butt hole and squirted it with bleach to try to kill them, they were all over the hair around his tail. Could/would they have gotten inside him? This morning my hubby said he wouldn't even get up. Gave a couple cc's of penecillin last night but he didn't seem to be responding to it. His poop is orange, but not runny. What might have happened???

[Christina R.]

I can't help with most of this post and I hioe the vet can help you soon. The only input here that I have is with the orange poop. I remember someone posting a reply to your first post about the nacho cheese colored poop meaning that he is getting mom's milk.

The bit with the maggots seems to mean the mom isn't around him as moms lick the heck out of their calf's butts. Hopefully your vet will call soon with advice to get you on the right path. I know you waited for this guy for so long and were so proud when he was born.

[idontno]

GEt some liquids in him.Electrolites....3-4 times a day.should have 1 -1 1/2 gallon a day.Tube him if he won't suck.Get the vet to look at him would be the best if he's that far gone.Will proubly need IV'ed. here is a site that will help you. http://cattletoday.com/forum/index.php Do a search on your problems.But get some liquids in him before he dies...idontno

[needstoknowmore]

I don't know a whole lot. But to try to get him to nurse. Wipe his hiney. Just like the mother would if she was cleaning him. It encourages them to nurse. I did this on a calf and a goat and it worked. You just need to get fluids into him some how!!
Best of luck

[lilsassafrass]

Getting fluids into your calf is the first thing .. no milk , electrolytes , failing that
lukewarm water with a heaping tablespoon of brown sugar and a teaspoon of salt added per pint , tube your calf if you need to .
to take care of the maggots (flystrike ) you will need some screwworm spray. most supply houses carry it. liberally spray the area that the maggots have acumulated with the spray ... you will see them boil off wait a bit ... now wash off the feces and mess .. then retreat with the spray
Give that calf a loading dose of oxytetracyline (tylan 200. or equivalent) a loading dose is a double dose .. at this point you arent going to worry about withdrawl
and if you havent already called your vet do so ..
place the calf out of drafts ... but if it is close in your barn then you should get some fans going

I just brought a calf back from deaths door and this is my normal trick...
not knowing what part of teh country you are ... here we had a few days in the nineties and very humid .. had a calf end up with pnemonia (shipping fever) from the stress up till then we had been in the seventies and cool

[Christina R.]

How's the calf doing? I'm sure today has been a too busy day for you, but please update us when you get the chance.

[john in la]

Originally Posted by lilsassafrass

Getting fluids into your calf is the first thing .. no milk , electrolytes , failing that
lukewarm water with a heaping tablespoon of brown sugar and a teaspoon of salt added per pint , tube your calf if you need to .

That sounds like good advise except the brown sugar part. Brown sugar is made by adding molasses to white table sugar (sucrose) Young calves can not digest sucrose. You need to use another type of sugar. I find Karo; White corn syrup (dextrose) works well.

[tripletmom]

sadly, the calf died. Thanks to everyone for all the information. DH did get a hold of the vet at home yesterday morning, but apparently it was too late. Those little guys sure go fast once they start going down.