what to do about this calf

lonelyfarmgirl · #1 03/11/10, 07:20 PM

we had a calf born today, and she is gurgly when she breaths. we assume she didnt get all the yuck out of her lungs. she also wouldnt drink. she tried to get up a number of times, but is just weak.
after about 4-5 hours, we ended up putting a tube in her stomach and giving her colostrum. what can we do about the gurgling? assuming she lives the night?
we tried a bottle first, and she wouldn't suck.

tinknal · #2 03/11/10, 08:11 PM

This might sound strange, but put a pinch of snoose up her nose. She will sneeze and cough and blow all that crap out. I've brought newborns back from the brink of death with the stuff.

tinknal · #3 03/11/10, 08:13 PM

Another trick is to hang them upside down for a few minutes and let gravity help clear them out, although it's best to do that in the minutes after birth.

Madsaw · #4 03/11/10, 11:25 PM

Sounds like it was a long hard birth. You may just have to give her time. After getting the colostum in her she should perk up. Ran into this many times over the yrs. Also have hard a few that take a week to understand they have to suck a bottle.
Bob

randiliana · #5 03/12/10, 03:57 PM

Should NEVER hang a calf upside down. Doesn't do anything for them. All the fluid that comes out is from the stomach. When you hang a weak calf you just make it harder for it to breathe, because all the weight from all the organs is then pushed up against the diaphram.

Try tickling the inside of her nose, to get her to sneeze. Otherwise, about all you can do is wait and see. Keep an eye on her for pneumonia.

lonelyfarmgirl · #6 03/12/10, 07:01 PM

well this morning she was up and walking around but never sucked. this afternoon we force fed her again, just a couple hours ago, she dropped dead in her tracks. I guess there must have been something wrong with her. it was a very quick and easy birth, and mom did everything right.

Genevieve M. · #7 03/12/10, 08:37 PM

Oh, I'm so sorry. You must be heartbroken.

agmantoo · #8 03/12/10, 09:17 PM

lonelyfarmgirl

Did you use a commercial made feed tube or a home version?

tinknal · #9 03/12/10, 10:43 PM

Did she die while you were tubing her?

lonelyfarmgirl · #10 03/14/10, 09:09 PM

It was a store bought tube. we used it last year and saved a calf with it.
We only tubed her the first day. the second day we bottle fed her.

yes it was really sucky.

tinknal · #11 03/14/10, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by randiliana

Should NEVER hang a calf upside down. Doesn't do anything for them. All the fluid that comes out is from the stomach. When you hang a weak calf you just make it harder for it to breathe, because all the weight from all the organs is then pushed up against the diaphram.

Try tickling the inside of her nose, to get her to sneeze. Otherwise, about all you can do is wait and see. Keep an eye on her for pneumonia.

Many cows calve standing up. This creates the exact same effect. Gravity is our friend.