Highland calf with protein deficiency

[GLENMAR]

I was given a 3.5 month old Highland calf who was diagnosed with a protein deficiency. Her mother had mastitis. The baby was bottle fed as well as being left on the mom. She was increasing loosing weight. The owners noticed and asked me to take her because I can keep her alone and feed her. They were only getting about 1 quart of milk into her. She is bony and weights about half of what she should. She also has a slight malocclusion. I have had her 2 days. Yesterday I got her within a few oz of 2 quarts of milk down her, but we had to break it up into 3 feedings. She eats hay fine. She needs to realize grain is food. I got some 22% grain and am offering it to her.

Anything else I can do?? Will she reach close to her full potential or be stunted???? Will she grow out of the malocclusion or will it get worse???

 

[greybeard]

I'm sure you know the overbite is hereditary and is often more than just a teeth problem when it is caused by an abnormal length mandible.
It's very possible the malocclusion is causing nursing problems due to pain as she works her jaws and thus the undernourishment and protein deficiency. You may have to tube feed her, but keep in mind, that if it is a pain problem, that you need to consider long term, the quality of life she will have. I certainly wouldn't keep her for breeding stock.

Will it get better?
I doubt it. May even get worse.

Getting them started on grain is often difficult, and there is a big difference in how they eat hay and how they eat grain too.
I've never used it, but I know there is some wetable beet pulp that may be softer and easier for her to eat. You really need to have a vet look at the inside of her mouth and make a determination on her future prognosis.

 

[GLENMAR]

Only slight overbite less then 1/4 inch. Maybe 1/8. She is doing better with the bottle, so I don't think we will have to tube her. I'm going to try getting her to eat more grain. I agree, as far as her future, we'll see how she grows. May not be a good cow for the breeding program. I have some beet pulp, but she really needs the high protein grain. Ok We will see.

 

[greybeard]

Yeah pulp is pretty low in CP. My thoughts on it were just to try to get her to start eating something solid if she wasn't finding grain palatable.
3 1/2 months--what does she weigh?

 

[GLENMAR]

Good idea. She might be 80 lbs. She's small. I just want to try to get her through. Maybe she can be a pet for someone.

 

[GLENMAR]

heres a photo

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Oh my goodness - she's so cute! Really hope you can get her turned around.

 

[NH homesteader]

I don't know anything about cattle except that is the CUTEST THING EVER! I want to hug her. I am in love!

I hope you are able to help her!

 

[farmerjan]

A calf that small is not going to just jump into drinking 2 qts a feeding. Her stomach has not developed at all due to the lack of milk and as you said, she is protein deficient. Also, you have only had her 2 days? She is adjusting to the complete upheaval of her life as she knew it as well as no momma and I am assuming no other "buddies"? Cattle are herd animals, so she is lonely on top of everything else.
Several feedings a day will do more good than a couple of big feedings. A qt a feeding 3-4 times a day is plenty for a calf that size as she is adjusting to it. If she was trying to suck an udder with mastitis, she was literally drinking infection in the form of staph and/or strep so her gut tract is not in the best of shape either. Get some milk into her and get her energy and strength up a bit. Beef animals stay on their dams for 5-9 months as they learn to eat "real food", so a few weeks of mostly milk won't hurt her.

Try putting a little grain in her mouth after each bottle feeding so that she is "mouthing it", playing with the texture in her mouth. Let her continue to eat the hay it will help develop her rumen. Do you have any high protein hay like alfalfa, real leafy kind not stemmy? give her A LITTLE of it is you do. Also realize that increasing her milk at this point will cause her to get loose, even scoury, but unless she is acting sick, don't give any anti-biotics as that will deplete the microbes in her gut tract. In fact, a good dose of some Pro-biotics would help her and I would give it to her several times. The tube kind that is a gel/paste will be more easily assimulated and with her little size should not be too hard to give.
Make sure she has unlimited access to water.

 

[babsbag]

What an adorable little calf. I always thought that Highlands were cute but she CUTE!!!!!!! and huggable. She can come be my pet