Calf with diahrea

myheaven · #1 05/24/13, 02:06 PM

Ok. I have a calf 2 weeks old. He isn't adjusting to the goat milk very well I start with watered down goat milk as it is much richer then cow. He has had the poops sence I got him. Normally they adjust. Not this little one. Fist it was normal color. Just sloppy then like pee out the butt. Now it's white with tinged bit of blood as this poor animal has pooped a lot. I did get raw cow milk from a friend and that's when it turned white. The constant poop has stopped with the cow milk.
Please help me figure this out. The calf takes electrolytes also. Full of energy bullies the other bigger calves. Lol. Am I on the right track with switching back to cow milk? Or am I just over burdening this Calfs belly?
I bug my vet it seems all the time for advice. I would like to not bug her about this.
Thanks for letting me pick your brain.

MO_cows · #2 05/24/13, 02:46 PM

Take his temp. If it is just a hard time adjusting the gut to a change in feed there shouldn't be a fever. Blood in the poop seems like more than simple digestive upset. We have never had that problem firsthand, but have read that coccia.... will cause blood in the stool.

Carol K · #3 05/24/13, 03:19 PM

Bother your vet one more time and take in a stool sample for him to look at. Only being two weeks old I dont think he has been alive long enough for cocci to set in, think it takes 21 days. If its nothing you know that it's the milk change causing his digestive upset. It's not expensive to have done and then you will know for sure.

Any changes to his diet need to be done gradually, you can't just take him off goat milk and put him on cow milk and vice versa, his stomach needs time to adjust, so you have to change him over a period of time.

Good luck

Carol K

myheaven · #4 05/24/13, 04:20 PM

Temp 101.5 no loose poops sence the two minor loose poops early today.

Seymour · #5 05/24/13, 09:06 PM

it sounds like scours, its pretty common in calves, we give them some molasses, and that perks them back up.

Madsaw · #6 05/26/13, 11:26 AM

I should have sent s bag of crypto meds home with you. Its s coccidia stat that works good with coccudious also. Calves do show signs of coccidious at even s week or so. A little bit of sulfa will clear up the blood too.
How's the girls doing?
Bob

myheaven · #7 05/26/13, 06:21 PM

Hey bob. The girls are great. All have been named. The littlest one is the strongest! Constantly stealing the others bottles and grain. She's going to be so strong.

I started the calf on smz. Seem to be helping a lot. Now just watch all the rest to see if they start. First sign and they get the pills. I'm running a medicated calf mix. Hoping to keep all babies from getting sick from Coccidia. I know I have it here.

Carol K · #8 05/26/13, 06:27 PM

This is one place I read that a very young calf ( under 3 weeks old)is not likely to have coccidia, but could have many other reason for a loose bloody stool.

http://www.extension.umn.edu/beef/co...8-Lovaas_1.pdf

Carol K

o&itw · #9 05/30/13, 11:00 AM

Sounds like scours.... we always gave them a spoon of granulated terramycin each day for about a week. This was a long time ago, don't know if they even make the stuff anymore. I think SMZ would work about the same, but don't know the dosage. In any case, if the stool is bloody, it is more than simply a digestive upset.

Might not hurt to give hims some yoghourt or Lactobaccilus.

myheaven · #10 05/30/13, 03:17 PM

Calf is on smz from the vet an we have started corid. No blood but still looser then I like. Calf is healthy full of energy gaining by leaps and bounds! I'm thinking this calf Has a little more sensitive stomach in top of bacteria. The blood is gone. There is no smell. Just loose. I think if he starts eating more grain and hay he should solid up. No one else has become loose and I have 4 calves.