High Fever in Week Old Buckling

[babsbag]

Nuflor is the heavy duty stuff and not something that is typically given on a first go around. Save the heavy duty stuff for the times the oxcytet doesn't work. I am a firm believer that that is how drug resistance is proliferated.

 

[rescueblonde]

On our way to the vet right now. I'll update when we're done.

 

[rescueblonde]

He has a mild upper respiratory infection. Vet gave him a shot of Draxxin and Excede and sent me home with another round of those to give him on Saturday. And I now have a nice big bottle of Banamine to keep on hand!

 

[babsbag]

It is possible that it is viral and not bacterial and nothing but time will fix him. Hope the new meds work though and you can get this over with. Sick kids (all kinds) can wear us down with worry in a hurry.

 

[OneFineAcre]

It is possible that it is viral and not bacterial and nothing but time will fix him. Hope the new meds work though and you can get this over with. Sick kids (all kinds) can wear us down with worry in a hurry.

If it is viral then the antibiotics can help ward off secondary infections.

Our vet said that a lower grade fever generally indicated bacterial and high fevers if viral.

 

[babsbag]

Our vet said that a lower grade fever generally indicated bacterial and high fevers if viral.

I never knew that.

Since I started pastuerella pneumonia vaccines on my does in the late fall I haven't seen the cases that I used to see. Last year I did have some kids with coughs that hung on forever. I finally did two rounds of Oxcytet and it cleared up, but this year so far nothing. I also learned that a doe that has never been vaccinated needs two rounds to make it effective. So this year I made sure that the yearlings got a booster and no coughs in the barn at all.

I don't have lung worm out here as no irrigated land for snails and I live on a hill so no standing water of any kind in the winter, so for me a cough is always respiratory of some kind and it was a pretty common occurrence.

The other thing I changed is I now kid earlier, for the most part anyways. The temp. fluctuations that we get in the spring are hard on the newborn kids but by kidding in Feb or March I don't see those extreme high/lows like we can see in April and May.

 

[rescueblonde]

Owen's fever at its highest was 104.7 which was scary. He's been staying in the neighborhood of 103-103.5. He was 103.6 at the vet but has already had some improvement since getting home. He's at 102.9 now! The electrolytes and Banamine were just a bandaid so hopefully the new meds will actually get him feeling better.
On the plus side, his stool sample looked great. He's healthy as a horse aside from the URI. The vet was surprised how alert and active he's been with such a bad temp the past few days.

 

[babsbag]

The fact that you are giving him so much love and attention makes him spoiled rotten; the upside to having a sick kid.

I have had them with fevers of 107. That is cold bath time... But typically the respiratory fevers are right around 104 to 105. It is good that he is alert and active and eating; that will help a lot.

 

[rescueblonde]

The fact that you are giving him so much love and attention makes him spoiled rotten; the upside to having a sick kid.

I have had them with fevers of 107. That is cold bath time... But typically the respiratory fevers are right around 104 to 105. It is good that he is alert and active and eating; that will help a lot.

He's acting great. The worst he got was being just slightly less active than usual. I could tell his breathing was getting congested last night so instead of the afternoon farm call we had planned I went ahead and took him into the clinic so he could be seen earlier. I would've tried to treat him myself but he's the youngest kid I've ever had and I didn't want to risk making a mistake. Plus it was a lot more comforting to have a vet in the loop.

 

[babsbag]

I don't blame you one bit for taking him in ASAP, the little guys can go down so quickly. I am fortunate that my vet is also a friend and I know I can treat and then call anytime, I am a tad spoiled that way.