Diarrhea in older calves

[mamahen]

They are 5.5 month old holstein bulls. Started out Saturday - lots of mushy poo in the stalls, more poo than usual too.

Sunday it was more frequent, consitancy of pudding. They are on grass hay, and a salt/mineral block. Still happy & perky, no dehydration. Drinking lots (to be expected with the amout of poo).

It's not liquid - but is a mess to clean up. It's all over them, the walls, the posts, everywhere.

Called the vet who recommended a fecal (to check for cocci) and antibiotics, giving tetramician (spelling is wrong). Also going to give Bounce Back, and probiotics when I get home tonight. I won't be able to do a fecal until tomorrow.

They were not vacinated against anything at the dairy.

Does this treatment sound right?

Also I would really like to clean them up, espcially their tail and hind legs. It's about 40 f here, and raining. The temp is dropping all day to 30-20's, and snow tonight. What can I do to clean them up? They are in the barn.

[topside1]

As a side note I'd be giving your boys loose minerals. The amount of minerals in a trace mineral salt block (brown blocks) is minute. I'd look into feeding loose minerals, free choice or top dressed on grain....Topside

[Madsaw]

I would treat them with Sustain 3 boluses. They will take care of coccidous and also will knock any pneumonia that might be setting in from the weather. I just hated the fact we warmer up here in WI. Now I am just waiting for sick cattle fromt eh warm spell. They can not handle the mild winter temps and dampness in mid winter like this.
Bob

[mamahen]

topside: I have Onynx minerals on my order list - it's just when will the feed store place an order!

madsaw: I looked up Sustain III, they even make it for calves and it sounds great....only problem is no feed store carries them in my area. I've called 3 so far. Only the antibiotic that I have and a sulfa one in pill form is what I can find. Would it be something the vet could get? She is not a large animal vet, tho she does the large farm calls..She never heard of either med that the local TSC carries.

Any other suggestions? I am leaving work now, not sure if my internet at home is working - so forgive me if I can't reply until tomorrow morning.

[Madsaw]

Also Sulmet is a water soluable sulfa that will work too. I just prefer teh boluses because you know the calf gets its meds. Sulfamethazine is what your looking to be giving them. With calves (when they are small) we use SMZ tablets. They are the same as bactrum humans take. Sustain3 are the same thing just time released.
Bob

[Onthebit]

Sounds like what I had on the farm here when I brought in a new cow: Typhoid Mary. Everyone got the scours from 6 months to 4 yr old cows. There was some blood tinge and I worried like crazy. The vet in town said it might be cocci so wanted a sample. (it wasn't cocci but said to treat it with a sulfa bolus and it was probably winter dysentry) Then I talked to the local cattle vet and he was pretty sure it was winter dysentry-what he said was that if i treat it, they might be better 1/2 day earlier. In other words he said it would pass. And yes there was scours EVERYWHERE and all 14 head got it so they had dirty bums and tails. They got over it in a few days. I made sure they had electrolytes and lots of clean fresh hay. From what I have read though they will be immune to recurrence for 5+ yrs.

[mamahen]

Well, they are doing quite a bit better. Winter dysentery seems to be it! It was in two of my cow books - but they quoted it as being a adult cow disease. So I looked in the Mereck manual, and it says that any age ruminating cow can get it - with dairies being most prevalent.

They have been in the barn - we leave the top doors open in the front, so they can acclimate to the weather, but our weather is so crappy this past week, I'm sure that's what brought it on.

The amount of feces was quite outstanding!! Never quite saw that much come out of a calf that size!

I did start them on the antibiotics, so I will give for 4 days, just in case. They eat the pills like candy. Anything that I give them by hand, must be a treat, so they are readily eaten...the little pigs.