My calf is sick

LittleRedHen · #1 03/22/08, 09:49 AM

I cann't open .pdf documents so I cannot google this as much as I would like to. If you recall, a month ago I bought two calves from an auction. I lost the one calf within a few days as it just didn't want to thrive. It wouldn't eat and I lost it.

The other calf... its a Jersey bull calf. I bought it at 90 lbs and I do not know its current weight but its a month old. It had been doing GREAT until yesterday. It has a runny nose and its coughing. Its appetite and energy level is normal. I do not know if it has a fever as I do not have a therm to check it.

What can I do for the lil guy? Does it need penicillin? I have penicillin but I would need to know how much CC to give the lil guy and for how long. Is it pnemonia or just a cold? We had been having really great temps here for awhile 40-50's but then it sharply dropped back down to zero's and then back up to 20's and we even got some snow. It has been windy the last few days too and just cold all over again. I think it messed with the calf. He is in a nice wind proof shelter with a heat lamp but we would walk him twice a day on a halter and thus he did get exposed a bit to the cold though I didn't take him out when it was really cold but who knows.

Help me! I would hate to lose my second calf. I am not so sure I want to do bottle calves again if this is how quickly I lose them. Kind of discouraging entrance into the world of cattle

LittleRedHen · #2 03/22/08, 10:31 AM

A friend helped me and I am off to administer penicillin now

cow whisperer · #3 03/22/08, 10:43 AM

Good luck..... I was gonna head to the fridge to check the dosing on my penicillin for you.... Hope it helps.... keep us posted!

LittleRedHen · #4 03/22/08, 10:50 AM

My friend told me her general rule is 1 cc per 100 lbs. Would that be what your recommendation would be too? And she said 5-7 days to do this. Sound good?

Razorback21 · #5 03/22/08, 05:04 PM

Don't get discouraged....I know losing them is hard on me, my wife and my kids don't even want to be around me when we lose one. But I turn those losses into an education to keep the next batch alive and thrive. Percentages say you are going to lose a few, especially dairy bulls, who seem like they don't have the fight beef breeds do to stay alive. Raising bottle calves isn't for the faint of heart, but if you care about keeping them alive, which it sounds like you do, you are exactly the type of person those calves need.

farmergirl · #6 03/22/08, 05:07 PM

Calves are very susceptible to pneumonia, and in fact even grown cows can become ill with it when the weather changes suddenly or they are otherwise stressed. I have had good luck using LA 200, which is another antibiotic. Penicillin might work, but it's one of the older meds and not as good at getting the internal infections as some of the others. I have had good success treating injured animals, particularly a large sow with a nasty infected gash, with just plain old penicillin.

cow whisperer · #7 03/22/08, 08:04 PM

DH says yes 1cc / 1.. lbs.... for 4 or 5 days..... I also suggest possibly a calf coat.... I know, I know.... I'm crazy.... But we were told by the vet that is what saved our little guy, it helps him retain his body heat..... We also only used penicillin, same dosage..... Is he still on milk? If not, put him back on it....

We've also had good luck using Spectam, it's actually an antibiotic of turkeys & chickens.... but a friend of ours (thats a dairy farmer) only uses that.... and it works great!

Keep me posted!

ozark_jewels · #8 03/23/08, 11:18 AM

If its pnuemonia(sounds like it is), I'd reccomend going with something stronger than just Pen. I use one of these three for calf pnuemonia. Baytril, Nuflor or LA200. LA200 is pretty cheap, the other two are a bit pricey but effective.

Madsaw · #9 03/23/08, 02:10 PM

LRH,
Do you remeber my post from when you first got the calves? 10cc of pennicillin. Yes this is more then label dose. But most will give a 10 lbs cat 1 cc of penny. This will help with holding it off till you can get a more pneumonia specific drug. Use either Draxxin 1.1 cc per 100lbs body weight or Nuflur 3cc per 100 repeat in 72 hrs. Also another good thing to grab at teh vet is some sulfer pills such as Sustain III. These are time released pils over 3 days. Or get SMZ tablets from the vet too. These can be dissovled in the milk twice a day. ANother name for the SMZ are Bactrum we take for different problems.
I hope you do not think I am out of line on what I tell you here. But this is what has worked in this climate we have here in the upper midwest. And when our temps bounce around as much as they do this time of yr you will see these problems. Pneumonia is more prevallent in the temps from 25 to 45 if there is alot of dampness in the air.
Bob
Here is proof of some of my work this yr.
My calf is sick - Cattle

Madsaw · #10 03/31/08, 11:06 PM

Little Red Hen,
How did your calf turn out?
Bob