What's wrong with Mikey (our steer)? (pic)

[Paul Wheaton]

He won't nurse or eat. And he's kinda lopsided.

Any guesses?

[Jena]

He looks like he's bloated. If so, he needs immediate attention in the form of a stomach tube to try to burp him out. If that doesn't work, you can pump in mineral oil and I believe it was dish soap...I'd have to look it up.

Jena

[JeffNY]

If in fact he is bloated, and from what I can see it looks it, and the fact he wont eat shows something is wrong. But if he is bloated, make him move around a little, what needs to happen is he needs to fart or burp. There is a solution that can be poured down their throat, but I can't remember what it is. But anytime we had a problem, which usually happened when the animal was down, and she ate leaves that weren't good. We got her moving, and she passed gas etc and she was fine.


http://www.countrysideveterinary.com..._pages/lda.htm

Interesting diagrams to look at. The one shows the approximate location of a left displaced abomasum.

But your best bet is to get a vet over as soon as you can, because if there is something serious, once he goes down it might not be easy to get him back up.

Good luck!


Jeff

[myersfarm]

looks like he is in a pen..by him self..if he is look around in pen for manure...if been in pin a day and no manure thats a good sign he is bloated..but if you find manure in pen would not think it is bloat....mineral oil will help but you will have to tube him to get it in start with 6 oz and then every 2hours add another 6 oz till you do find manure....if you cant do this better get vet now..WHEN DOWN ON GROUND HARD TO DO ANYTHING with them

[milkstoolcowboy]

So, it sounds as if he hasn't been weaned yet. He's in a pen with a cow (his mother)? Any other animals?

What's his ration like? What type of forage has he been getting -- is it mostly fine leafly alfalfa or a coarser grass mix? How about the grain -- is it finely ground? Does he have unlimited access to grain? First thing I would do is cut off his access to whatever forage and grain you have been feeding him.

Can you grab a handful of skin on his upper flanks, particularly left, or is he so distended skin is tight. Is he mouth-breathing, tongue hanging out and staggering a bit when he walks? If he is, then you need to call the vet quickly, and they'll either tube him, use a trocar or do a ruminectomy to release the gas in his rumen. If you can tube him, make sure that the tube doesn't get plugged. You might have to blow into it and move it back and forth to release the gas in his rumen. With the tube in place, you can give him mineral oil (about 1 oz. per 100 weight) as the mineral oil acts to prevent foam/froth from forming in the rumen. After you tube him, you have to watch him to see whether he's still bloated.

If you aren't comfortable tubing him yourself, then definitely get him out and moving around, especially if you can lead him or chase him up a good hill.

He needs access to water and coarse grass-mix hay. Unless he is getting free choice fine, leafy alfalfa, it sounds like feedlot bloat, which is typically caused by grain which is ground too finely. The fine-ground feed produces exposes more surface to bacteria in the rumen, causing digestion to accelerate and the bacteria to rupture which creates the froth in the rumen.

Make sure your feed is coarse ground and make sure that he's getting some roughage that is less easy to digest, some coarser grass hay.

[unioncreek]

What are you feeding? May be acidosis from too much fine ground grain. I would just go to feeding hay and quit all other. Try to get him walking around, if it is acidosis it will start to clear up in about a day.

BobG

[Paul Wheaton]

Some info
he's about 7 months old
still on his mom who is a jersey milk cow
on pasture with six others
gets no grain
has been getting grass alfalfa mix all winter ALTHOUGH
for the last two weeks or so, the hay is much
better/richer
I have been walking him periodically; when he gets
really winded I stop
only other change- they get kelp free choice, they
were getting it in small amounts for the last six
months, but I put it in a large weather proof feeder
this last week with as much as they like. The mom
really pigged down on it a few days ago for some
reason. I saw Mikey nose it around a bit but didn't
see him eat a lot.

[Ross]

We use vegie oil instead of mineral oil, there are bloat remedies out there that will balance the PH at the same time. Have you taken his temperature?

[NRS Farm]

We like to use bovatec or rumensin mineral blocks (esp. when they are on grain). In this case, being on pasture/hay, I'm not sure if the blocks would help. Pasture bloat blocks maybe (never tried tthem myself)?

[Paul Wheaton]

I have read conflicting books about moving them. If
alfalfa is the cause, then it's a frothy bloat and
excessive jostling makes it worse, says one source.

Also, I have never tubed an animal solo and currently
don't have the tube. I have read that you should
never administer mineral oil through the mouth because
if even a little ends up in the lungs it can cause
serious problems-pneumonia and death mostly- because
the oil cannot be expelled from the lungs and will be
a constant irritant from then on.

He is up and walking, still not hungry, and the only
thing I have seen him "pass" is a gelatinous glob that
is almost like rubber cement, only clear.
Should I do the poloxolene again and can it cause the
same lung problems as mineral oil..should I go get a
tube and tube him or just monitor him? How long does
bloat go on untreated (without the death side affect)

[shepsrus]

Can you get a vet out? Bloat--frothy or free gas--can kill quickly. The rumen (full of gas) can press on the diaphragm and cause severe respiratory distress/death. If you cannot get a vet out to treat, the risk of not treating far outweighs the risk of treating.

Do you have a headgate/chute? This will greatly simplify the task. If you need details on how to tube (solo) just holler--done it many times alone!

There is also a chance that the bloat will be a chronic problem (more common in feedlots--animals on full feed) that will require a permanent, surgically placed hole in the rumen.

Passing gelatinous-type manure can be a sign of obstruction somewhere in the gi tract. It is possible that the bloat is a secondary problem--secondary to a more serious obstruction further down the line.

If a bloat treatment has not worked yet, have him seen--he is a very sick animal.

Good luck!

Lesley (Vet in WI)

[Paul Wheaton]

Thanks everybody!

We're taking Mikey to the vet this morning.

[Paul Wheaton]

Update:

Took him to the vet in a horse trailer. The vet showed us how to tube him and he just had non-foaming bloat.

He seems much better now, but we'll keep our eye on him for a while.

[myersfarm]

what did the vet use to relieve the bloat...... plse thanks john......i will learn from anyone even vets....lol..lol

[JeffNY]

Good to see mikey is doing better... My guess is that the richer hay could have done something. What we feed to our beefers, and they do well is a 1st cutting, and with the dairy animals I vary it so it's not rich all the time. My goal is to reduce any runs the best I can, and maybe a couple have it, but it isn't all the time and thats their own fault, as they are pigs. Did he have any blockage?


Jeff

[Paul Wheaton]

To answer the latest questions, he was treated with
more poloxolene, mineral oil and a Kaopectate type
laxative.
He deflated quickly, but it wasn't aan alfalfa-type
frothy bloat so I was still concerned about blockage.
He didn't pass anything on the 45 minute trip home and
I didn't see anything but some smears on his but last
night.
This morning his left side seems to be a little
swollen, but not tight...I made him do some walking
and then left to get some grass hay. Later I saw a
couple of puddles of light brown diarrhea, still not
much, so I harrassed him into yet another walk
This calf is going to hate me! I finally got some
results. He passed a decent amount of light green
diarrhea. He nursed off the front two teats and nosed
and ate a little hay. Thanks so much for your input
and advice. I'll be keeping a close eye on him.