Weak calf - What to do for him?

farmmom · #1 04/27/10, 12:16 PM

I have a friend with several Holstein calves that he is raising. One of them, a 3 month old bull calf, is very weak. He's eating well, drinking well, and has been dewormed, has a normal temp and is very alert. However, he is unable to stand without assistance. He was this way when my friend bought him, but he was just a day old. He was given colostrum for a couple days then raised on calf formula. All the other calves are doing great. Any ideas or suggestions?

francismilker · #2 04/27/10, 12:27 PM

Sounds like to me he didn't get his colostrum fast enough for it to absorb properly or has a selenium deficiency.

farmmom · #3 04/27/10, 01:06 PM

Ok, so should we give Bo-Se? I have a bottle I keep for the goats. He said he has been adding a little selenium to the feed.

francismilker · #4 04/27/10, 02:47 PM

The selenium deficiency is absolutely a guess on my part. I'd hate to tell you to medicate with something for an illness improperly diagnosed. I am basing my opinion on bits and pieces I've heard here on HT the last few years. I've personally never dealt with a selenium deficiency.
If he has always had difficulty standing I'd think it to be a defiency of some kind or possibly some paralysis from birthing difficulties. Although I may draw fire from some here, I've had calves that acted this way in the past and felt that it was joint-ill being the cause.

ksfarmer · #5 04/27/10, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by farmmom

I have a friend with several Holstein calves that he is raising. One of them, a 3 month old bull calf, is very weak. He's eating well, drinking well, and has been dewormed, has a normal temp and is very alert. However, he is unable to stand without assistance. He was this way when my friend bought him, but he was just a day old. He was given colostrum for a couple days then raised on calf formula. All the other calves are doing great. Any ideas or suggestions?

I'm sorry, but, I don't quite understand the situation. Do you mean this calf is 3 months old and has never been able to stand?

Ronney · #6 04/28/10, 05:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ksfarmer

I'm sorry, but, I don't quite understand the situation. Do you mean this calf is 3 months old and has never been able to stand?

I'm also a little confused as to whether the calf has ever been able to stand unassisted - and if this is the case, why has it been allowed to go on for so long.

Sorry Farmmom but that's what vets are for. Nobody here is going to be able to give you anything other than a stab in the dark so your friend needs veterinary advice so he can make some decisions about this animal. Trying to assist a 400kg bull to stand boggles the mind.

Cheers,
Ronnie

mamahen · #7 04/28/10, 07:00 AM

What about joint ill?

bigmudder77 · #8 05/01/10, 04:30 PM

ya he is not gonna make it much longer we had one that was 4 months when he went down eating drinking fine then went down one day and got him up and he walked around and layed down and never got back up on his own and after every day couple times a day picking him up just thought it was better to put him down even have the vet check him out when he was dehorning the rest of them and he said he can give him stuff but since he is down that much its kinda a 10% chance that he will live and a 90% chance he will die and lots of lost money trying to get him better

so it sounds like to me you need to call a vet and have one thats not gonna screw you over and say ya he will live with this shot and then day later have to call him back out and just keep charging you thats why i like my vet he tells you how it is and is very honest