# 911 EMERGENCY  Vet on vacation til the 29th!!! Very sick calf



## jojobean (Jul 23, 2013)

Info:  
Week-old Holstein, 100lbs (big boy).  Began scouring right when we brought him home.  Did the usual electrolyte for two feedings, then the MR/electrolyte mix.  Did Sulmet for five days.  It has been touch and go...in the morning he will moo and be at his feeder for his breakfast...we have to tube him to get any fluids down him during the day (electrolyte), usually feeds by himself by evening.  

This morning he took his bottle fine and I went out 3 hours later to give him electrolytes.  He was down, grunting, couldn't breathe swollen left side.  Used a needle to get the gas out quick.  Had to do that a few times over the course of a few hours...he was also severely dehydrated.  Gave him some electrloytes and gas-X.  

I was able to get him to stand and walk to a cooler pen.  He is in there now, still grunting when breathing.  I...am honestly at a loss on WHAT exactly to do.  He is still dehydrated from scours...but he is bloated as well so...Is it rumen?  Is it abomasitis?  I don't know, and like I said, the vet is GONE until Monday  

What would you do?  Continue with fluids and gas meds so he doesn't go into shock?  I honestly thought he might die there for a minute, but he was able to lift his head when he got the electrolytes, and then stand.  If pushing fluids with bloat...do Ijust do a quart every hour or so or go for 2 quarts?  I only have Sulmet on hand...

adding that he has been on milk for a few days, the usual 2 quarts for twelve hours, with electrolytes in between.  I added probiotics to his milk, which may have set off the bloat  His current temp is 102.7  I just went out to him, was able to get him to stand...still breathing heavy, rumen no longer distended...possible abomosal inflammation. BUt that is just it...I don't really KNOW.


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## elevan (Jul 23, 2013)

Do you have Lactated Ringers or Sodium Chloride so you can give SubQ fluids?


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## jojobean (Jul 23, 2013)

I do not


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## elevan (Jul 23, 2013)

This is something that you might try   :/

I'm not extremely knowledgeable in cattle but I threw the kitchen sink at my calf when he went down and I was able to save him, so keep trying.


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## elevan (Jul 23, 2013)

Can you call another vet and ask them to give you some lactated ringers or sodium chloride?


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## Cricket (Jul 23, 2013)

I'd for sure stop giving him milk if he's bloating.


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## jojobean (Jul 23, 2013)

Some good news.  I went out there about twenty minutes ago to give him fluids and he was standing...and farting.    Gave him the fluids and went out just now and he had walked out and laid down by himself in another part  of the pen.  Legs under him (not straight out like this morning), head up, ears turned forward in response to his name....all encouraging signs.  I know better not to get TOO encouraged though, because of how quickly things can go awry.  His temp went down to 101.8 as well.  Still has labored breathing, the poo is still scours, but with a touch more substance than just green water if that makes sense?  

SO how long technically can a calf go without milk?  We already had him off as per the norm, but he is still scouring so we put him back on.  How long will the scours last?  Seriously will he EVER be able to handle the milk sans issues?  I am using the purina brand.  I am afraid that he might starve?  What if I add gasX to his milk bottle...would that cause any odd reaction?

Thank you, I will look up that and try and ring a vet, although I wouldn't be able to get it today as we live 45 minutes from town.

and thank you all for the replies, this has been very stressful.


Oh, should we administer fluids during the night or...???


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## jojobean (Jul 23, 2013)

elevan said:
			
		

> This is something that you might try   :/
> 
> I'm not extremely knowledgeable in cattle but I threw the kitchen sink at my calf when he went down and I was able to save him, so keep trying.


This is basically what happened today.  He was down, legs out, mouth open, cold limbs, could barely breathe.  Didn't know what to do, but in one moment I had the attitude that he was almost already dead, and would die if I didn't do Something.  That is when I went to my bathroom cupboard and got some gasX and continued tubing those fluids.  

 Poor little bugger has had a rough start to life.


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## jojobean (Jul 24, 2013)

temp up to 104.8 this evening.  Gave him fluids and abx....found a vet up north a ways and will call them in the morning.  My dairy farmer friend says they use gener-lyte so I will try and find some tomorrow as well (feels like I have tried most of the mixes already). 

He was a little spunky when taking his mix this evening.  But then he urinated and had diarrhea and right afterwards he was head down, nosing things and could hardly walk.  Hopefully will be able to report that he is alive and mooing at his feeder again tomorrow.


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## elevan (Jul 24, 2013)

What have you given to slow or stop the diarrhea?  I would give some pepto or gelatin to slow / stop the scours.


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## jojobean (Jul 24, 2013)

Thank you, I can either add some surejell to his next electrolyte bottle or do pepto...how much pepto?.  I hadn't yet with the intention of letting his body get rid of the nasty bug in there (if it was a nasty bug).  But, seems like that should have been long enough.  I did see a normal pudding poop this morning, yay!  (please let this mean that maybe, just maybe his scouring is done?) He is extremely sensitive to heat, even in the shade.  I have him in a pen that is mainly open but covered and is in a shady spot so it remains cool, and also have a fan blowing.  Temp fluctuating between 103 to 104 ish.  He still doesn't feel well...but he isn't down.  

I have only raised on other before.  A Santa Gertrudis heifer.  She is now a full grown three-year-old.  She was easy peasy  compared to this newbie (Oreo.).  

Anyways, he is hanging in there.  He lifts his head if you go up to him.  Stood by himself this morning.


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## jojobean (Jul 24, 2013)

Elevan, I just read through your sick calf thread, encouraging 


I am currently putting my 9 month old (human baby, haha!) down for her nap, and will hopefully after human baby wakes up I will find some LR today for the calf just in case.  He seems to be maintaining his hydration so far, but we have been doing FOUR extra bottles of electrolytes during the day (and night).  Really really hoping he gets better.


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## elevan (Jul 24, 2013)

If you need to do the pepto, it's 3-4 ounces 3-4 times daily for calves.


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## jojobean (Jul 25, 2013)

update:  found a vet up north willing to treat without being established (woohoo!), so Oreo got a dose of excede and 1000ml LR today.  He has been down with what we believe is pneumonia.  Scours is gone, poo varies from dark brown pudding to green pudding.  Thought he was going to die right there just a few minutes ago.  He was in a covered part of his pen with a fan, but it was still hot.  Hubs and I literally dragged him out of the pen into the cool part of the forest and wet him down.  He made some attempts at response, lifted his head and has shifted positions from side lying, neck out to the "regular" cattle laying down position with legs folded beneath him.  Put the fan back on him, and now we wait I guess.  (well,wait, and check, and give milk and all that!)


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## elevan (Jul 25, 2013)

Glad you found a vet willing to help.  Keep us posted, please.


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## jojobean (Jul 25, 2013)

Yes, I will.  Thank you for your help too.  This forum has been a huge blessing.


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## jojobean (Jul 27, 2013)

Still alive, and I didn't have to tube him at all today.  He drank his MR bottles and his electrolytes all by himself.  Has no energy for anything else, but he does stand on walk to his feeder and back to lay down, which is improvement as well.


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## jojobean (Jul 29, 2013)

Hubs put him down tonight.  It got very bad.  He became lame.  His front knee joint was swollen. Sometime between last night and this morning his left leg became septic.  Upon closer investigation I believe the main infection began in the umbilical area.  It wasn't drying properly and I did put iodine onto it, but I think he got an infection long ago.  Walking has not ever been easy for him, and now putting everything together, it makes sense why not.  I know his left leg wasn't that swollen yesterday as we had been carefully switching the sides he was laying on and both legs were still able to bend.  SO...I am not sure what started it all, but they al do seem to be connected.  This little calf had scours, pneumonia, and what looks like joint ill and septicemia.  This morning I was hopeful as he was still responsive to his name.  So quickly things got bad.  In a few days I will post some of the pictures I took, for informational purposes.


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## Cricket (Jul 29, 2013)

I am so sorry, but sounds for the best.  As my friends who've farmed all their lives point out,  even university farms with umpteen vets lose calves on a regular basis.


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## elevan (Jul 29, 2013)

I'm sorry that you lost him.


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## bonbean01 (Jul 29, 2013)




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