What to use for possible pneumonia?

[jhm47]

If there's any hope at all for him, the Excede should do the trick. I wouldn't be adding more drugs to the mix without the blessing of the vet. Many of the drugs are antagonistic to each other, and will negate any benefits to each other.

Hopefully, his lungs haven't been permanently damaged beyond repair. Sometimes these "lungers" will seem to recover quite well, but as they grow bigger, their lung capacity isn't able to develop normally, and they eventually get big enough that their lungs can't provide enough Oxygen to support their larger bodies. They are also not able to expel the carbon dioxide that their bodies produce, so they eventually die. Hope this doesn't happen to yours.

 

[jojobean]

Ok, and from what I read the Excede lasts seven days? Should he get another dose after that? If it lasts seven days then that will get him through until the vet gets back.

I was afraid of him having long-term damage. I was hoping that there might be something that would lessen the damage, but looking back I think he has been dealing with this from when we brought him home. I was so focused on scours and thought that the SMT would take care of anything else; I didn't put two and two together quick enough.

 

[jhm47]

Yes, the Excede will last 7 days, and if he were mine, I'd give him another shot. Hopefully his lungs are not permanently damaged too much. You will know as he grows bigger. In my herd, I've experienced this quite a few times. It's very difficult to catch calves when they are on pastures as large as ours. We do check our cattle several times each week, but even a day or two with pneumonia will often cause irreparable damage to their lungs. Not always, but often.

 

[jojobean]

Not too sound completely heartless...but says he does pass, with the Excede in his system can we still, you know, eat him? I know, it sounds awful, but it would be better in my mind for it not all to be a total grim and grum situation. But I think that you can't slaughter for what, 14 days or something after using exceed? I do not think he is going to make it that long tbh. He is down today. Was up and weakly walking, didn't nurse much, had to tube his breakfast.

He is very obviously in discomfort, can't breathe well, grunting on the outbreath (can't expel the CO2, right?). About once a day he gets like this and I go through the thought process that we should just end his suffering. But then in the evening he pulls himself up to standing and shows some will to keep going.

Here is another weird question. Again, me reaching. I have a nebulizer that we have used on our human baby when she had severe lung issues (RSV), have the ...could I.....? Probably not right, but...maybe? `Maybe not the steroids, but with saline? No, right?

 

[jojobean]

So the heat really does a number on him. Earlier, he had stood up, so I got him in the cooler part of the pen. I went to check on him an hour later and he had laid down, but flopped out of the door and was half in and half out, laying in the sun, unresponsive. I got him on a blanket and dragged him out (there was no pushing him back into the pen) to the shade. He lay there without moving for a while, so I got him off of his side and up so he could lift his head, which he did. I have been carefully switching the sides he is laying on throughout the day. I have also been taking pictures that I will post regardless of the outcome in a few days.

 

[Cricket]

I'd still say to brace him up so he's not laying flat, but I'm no good with the meds part. I wouldn't eat meat from an animal with that much going on--don't know if it would be harmful, but doubt very tasty. Hard to give up on them if they're still trying, isn't it? I've seen some what I would consider to be miraculous survival stories, but often, as JHM said, you end up with permanent health issues and you wish you'd just let them go. It's a really personal decision trying to balance their will to live against how much they're suffering. Am feeling for you--wish I was more help!

 

[jhm47]

I would definitely not eat anything with drug residue in the tissues. From what you are posting about his condition, I would also end his suffering. You have tried as hard as you could, and did everything you could to save him, but sometimes it just isn't meant to be. It's never easy to be in your situation, but take heart---you had good intentions, and tried the best you could.

 

[jojobean]

Cricket: agreed, I do try and put something behind him so he can't lay completely flat. He seems to have more breathing troubles when he is flat. And yes..it is so hard to even think about what probably should happen when the animal still has a little fight.

JHM: It may be time. Not tonight....because it is late. But he was much worse today, and it seems that there should have been some turn around by now.

Thank you for the replies and the support.

 

[jojobean]

copied and pasted my reply to the emergency thread:

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 all 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.


thank you all for your support.