Sick Calf

GoodMan55985

Hi All,

I have a calf that is 9 days old. It was heavy pull and the jack was used. He was breathing fine when born but no energy. Had the vet out with him on the first day and he gave an injection and got more from him Monday this week. I gave him one on Monday and again on Wednesday.

The problem is he is breathing very loudly, heart rate is rapid and had no energy to get up himself and suck. He had the tongue out a lot in early days although now he doesn't. He will not suck a bottle either.

Have been milking the cow three times a day and bottling the milk down his throat. The vet advised a tonic for 3 weeks so have mixing Exceed in his milk twice a day.

In the last few days he can get up himself with struggle and does be making groaning noise doing this. He is not walking around much and no effort at sucking. If I give him a push at the back to get him to walk he makes a groaning noise.

It is getting frustrating that he is not sucking and the groaning noise he makes when breathing would not make you feel well.

Does anyone have advice, had this sort of thing or is this a hopeless situation and he should be put down?

Richk2012

GoodMan55985 wrote: »

Hi All,

I have a calf that is 9 days old. It was heavy pull and the jack was used. He was breathing fine when born but no energy. Had the vet out with him on the first day and he gave an injection and got more from him Monday this week. I gave him one on Monday and again on Wednesday.

The problem is he is breathing very loudly, heart rate is rapid and had no energy to get up himself and suck. He had the tongue out a lot in early days although now he doesn't. He will not suck a bottle either.

Have been milking the cow three times a day and bottling the milk down his throat. The vet advised a tonic for 3 weeks so have mixing Exceed in his milk twice a day.

In the last few days he can get up himself with struggle and does be making groaning noise doing this. He is not walking around much and no effort at sucking. If I give him a push at the back to get him to walk he makes a groaning noise.

It is getting frustrating that he is not sucking and the groaning noise he makes when breathing would not make you feel well.

Does anyone have advice, had this sort of thing or is this a hopeless situation and he should be put down?

I had a blue cross heifer that had a severe calving couple of months ago . Got the Limousin bull calf out in one piece , and the heifer stood up after an hour or so .
Couldnt believe my luck , saving the two of them . The calf had the same sympthoms as yours , and the only way he would be fed was stomach tube . Heavy breathing with his tongue out and no energy . Got the vet on the 2nd day to examin him .
With the heavy tight pull i cracked a rib , which inturn punctured a lung . The vet said some will survive and some wont .
He died a couple of days later .. I hope this isnt your calves faith . Best of luck with him

pakalasa

I think stomach tubing is better than trying to pour down the neck, especially when he's not sucking. It's less likely to go into the lungs. It's easier to do too.
If you see my other thread 'Stupid Calf' you'll see I went through something similar last week. I was tubing mine for 2 days after he was born, 2 Lts in morning and 2 Lts in evening.You could increase this to maybe 5Lts (2.5 & 2.5) for your one at 9 days. Make sure he gets this to keep up his strength.

You could check his ribs by gently pressing on each one to see if he responds. I was thinking of giving up on mine too, but at that age, they're hardy devils, broken bones mend quickly. A bit of TLC and patience and he might just make it.

Bizzum

GoodMan55985 wrote: »

Hi All,

I have a calf that is 9 days old. It was heavy pull and the jack was used. He was breathing fine when born but no energy. Had the vet out with him on the first day and he gave an injection and got more from him Monday this week. I gave him one on Monday and again on Wednesday.

The problem is he is breathing very loudly, heart rate is rapid and had no energy to get up himself and suck. He had the tongue out a lot in early days although now he doesn't. He will not suck a bottle either.

Have been milking the cow three times a day and bottling the milk down his throat. The vet advised a tonic for 3 weeks so have mixing Exceed in his milk twice a day.

In the last few days he can get up himself with struggle and does be making groaning noise doing this. He is not walking around much and no effort at sucking. If I give him a push at the back to get him to walk he makes a groaning noise.

It is getting frustrating that he is not sucking and the groaning noise he makes when breathing would not make you feel well.

Does anyone have advice, had this sort of thing or is this a hopeless situation and he should be put down?

I put up a pic in another thread lastnight of a Ch calf by Fury Action. He was similar. Serious job extracting him from his mammy. Didnt get up for several days. Groaned and staggered around the shed. The cow trying to kill all before her. The old lad kept at the calf, tubing milk into him and lifting him under the cow in the calving gate to the point where the calf could stand and stagger over for a suck when the cow was let in to him. I'd say he was a fortnight at him till the calf turned the corner. He's flying now.
Keep at him.Tube milk into him twice a day (milk the cow once if its easier on you).
Did the vet say what was wrong with your calf? I wonder why would he need a tonic?

Bodacious

Bizzum wrote: »

GoodMan55985 wrote: »

Hi All,

I have a calf that is 9 days old. It was heavy pull and the jack was used. He was breathing fine when born but no energy. Had the vet out with him on the first day and he gave an injection and got more from him Monday this week. I gave him one on Monday and again on Wednesday.

The problem is he is breathing very loudly, heart rate is rapid and had no energy to get up himself and suck. He had the tongue out a lot in early days although now he doesn't. He will not suck a bottle either.

Have been milking the cow three times a day and bottling the milk down his throat. The vet advised a tonic for 3 weeks so have mixing Exceed in his milk twice a day.

In the last few days he can get up himself with struggle and does be making groaning noise doing this. He is not walking around much and no effort at sucking. If I give him a push at the back to get him to walk he makes a groaning noise.

It is getting frustrating that he is not sucking and the groaning noise he makes when breathing would not make you feel well.

Does anyone have advice, had this sort of thing or is this a hopeless situation and he should be put down?

I put up a pic in another thread lastnight of a Ch calf by Fury Action. He was similar. Serious job extracting him from his mammy. Didnt get up for several days. Groaned and staggered around the shed. The cow trying to kill all before her. The old lad kept at the calf, tubing milk into him and lifting him under the cow in the calving gate to the point where the calf could stand and stagger over for a suck when the cow was let in to him. I'd say he was a fortnight at him till the calf turned the corner. He's flying now.
Keep at him.Tube milk into him twice a day (milk the cow once if its easier on you).
Did the vet say what was wrong with your calf? I wonder why would he need a tonic?

That's torture isn't it but worth it when they all work out.

That yellow calf I had yesterday was very dopey and had to put heifer up the chute and pull back the bottom bar to get him onto her... Pure dose but he wired into her once he got on so I let him back out with her and he managing okay since but big lazy char layabout ... I'm spoiled last few years with BB and lims they rattle away themselves but CH is where the money seems to be at the min ... Anyone use/recommend them kick start tubes people talking alot about this year?

Are they worth it or just a sales gimmick? I bolus the cows 4 weeks before calving and use Pre calving licks other years and all cows clean quickly and re breed fine and calves fairly lively to get up and suck except this lad but he not bad either in fairness but weather is suiting him, I mightn't be as happy with him in jan calving outside !!

GoodMan55985

Hi All,

The calf died today. He got bloated today and then after dinner he was gone. The Vet reckons that on the pull the calf's diafhram was damaged and that caused the heavy breathing and that they stagger on for a while but eventually can't make it.. Sometimes things ain't meant to be. Thanks for the replies.

Bizzum

GoodMan55985 wrote: »

Hi All,

The calf died today. He got bloated today and then after dinner he was gone. The Vet reckons that on the pull the calf's diafhram was damaged and that caused the heavy breathing and that they stagger on for a while but eventually can't make it.. Sometimes things ain't meant to be. Thanks for the replies.

Sorry to hear that. Sickener to keep him going for ten days and then lose him.

Richk2012

GoodMan55985 wrote: »

Hi All,

The calf died today. He got bloated today and then after dinner he was gone. The Vet reckons that on the pull the calf's diafhram was damaged and that caused the heavy breathing and that they stagger on for a while but eventually can't make it.. Sometimes things ain't meant to be. Thanks for the replies.

No matter how hard you try , you just cant save them all. Chin up

blue5000

Hard luck there OP, we all have an odd one or two that don't make it.

I had a fr x blue calving earlier this yr, I thought it was an angus calf so I left her at it. Turns out it was a blonde so jacked it about 12 hrs after she started calving. Big calf born alive with a big swollen tongue on him, got biestings into him, but didn't survive.

I wonder are we using too much force with calving jacks? Sometimes it's hard to judge, especially if it's the start of the calving season and we're not tuned in 100%