Help sick calve , don't know what's wrong

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I have a 3 month old jersey/herford calve .Wed. morning was fine and up and eating .Weds. night was down and unable to stand .It was a hot day .Her poops are a little green and a llittle loose .I gave her milk and then 3 hours latter electrolytes and a shot of antibiotics .Still down this a.m. so more electrolytes [dehydration ?]and she drank all of it and ate grain but still can't stand .Her muscles in her legs almost seem tight .Any ideas .How about you Ken , I"ll stop with the neutering jokes ?

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), September 21, 2000

Answers

You've got me here. My first thought was blackleg, but we are largely past the blackleg season except in the Deep South. It certainly sounds like a disease problem, but there are relatively rare in middle-aged calves. Once a calf is a couple of weeks old they tend to stay rather healthy. Plus, this one is apparently being raised by itself so no contact with other cattle. My recommendation would be to call your vet. The earlier it is caught, the easier the treatment will be. Good luck.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), September 21, 2000.

Selenium deficiency??

-- Doreen (liberty546@hotmail.com), September 21, 2000.

Doreen:

It's a possibility, but Selenium is a trace element and the need for it is something like one part per million. Patty said the calf was eating grain, and if by this she meant calf starter or grower, it should be in there. I still lean towards blackleg since the leg muscles are stiff. Some of the symptoms are what I have observed when some of my calves had it. Eventually they would lay down and couldn't get back up. In the one case I caught early enough for the vet to treat she was back on her feet in a short period of time. However, it usually happens to the nicest calves, about six-months old, during the hottest, dryest part of the year. Vet says outbreaks seem to be associated with El Ninos. No cases this year I know of.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), September 21, 2000.


I called the Vet before i posted .So hear goes I gave a selenium shot with vitamen e also giving excel antibiotic .She is still eating and drinking , but still down .She doesn't always have grain , they usually have bread , fruit and veggies .Should I worm or wait ? I'm going out with water soon and will update later .By the way vet said it could be white muscle disease , are area is defficent in it .

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), September 21, 2000.

Excenel and Naxcel are both great Antibiotics for pnemonia or bacterial infections, which this is what it sounds like with the green poop, unless it is undigested grass or lots of alfalfa feeding. EColi usually has a very distintive smell to it, and if you have any Spectinomyocin I would give it to her orally. Is the milk, milk or replacer? Is she anemic looking, pale eyelids, or mucous membranes of mouth, this could make her week, also dehydration also can make her weak. Injecting Lactated Ringers Subq is a great way to starve off dehydration. With white muscle disease don't just rely on Bo-se or Mu-se injections alone, lots of nutritional muscular destropy can be turned around with the addition of Vitamin E injections also. To any or all of the above, and since she is on grain, you need to protect her rumen with a probiotic. Though the guys around me are able to really back off on the worming of their older stock, they worm very aggressively their calves, like we do our kid goats. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), September 21, 2000.


Thanks guys I must be getting smarter {thanks to you guys } I already gave probiotics .She is more alert tonight and hopefully on her way back .If anyone else thinks of anything let me know .

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), September 21, 2000.

She's gone down this morning .I gave antibiotics and b-12 .I will go get vitamin e today .Keep your fingers crossed .

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), September 22, 2000.

Lost her by noon , am having the vet come out this week and check everyone else and give shots .Thanks everyone .

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), September 22, 2000.

Patty, So sorry to hear about your calf. I would be interested what your vet thought it was.You certainly did as much as you could possibly do. Also to Ken S. ...What exactly is Blackleg and can this be fatal to a calf? I learn so much here! Kate

-- Kate Henderson (sheeplady@catskill.net), September 22, 2000.

I am SO sorry Patty. Maybe there is something you can do to make up for the deficiency in the soil besides giving shots? God bless.

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), September 23, 2000.


Kate:

This is from Beef Cattle Science by Ensminger.

Blackleg (Black Quarter, Quarter Ill or Emphysematous Gangrene).

This is a very infectious, highly fatal disease of cattle, and less frequently of sheep and goats. The disease is widespread, especially in the western range states. It occurs at most any season, predomininating in the spring and fall months among pastured cattle; but it may occur in winter in stabled cattle. Once prevalent in a community, the disease remains there as a permanent hazard, the infected territory being referred to as a "hot area." It is seen most frequently in cattle ranging in age from three months to two years, but is may occur in older animals.

Symptoms and Signs:

The incubation period is from one to five days, and its course is from one to three days. The first symptom noted in lameness, usually accompanied by or followed by swelling over the neck, shoulder, flanks, thighs, and breast which crackle under pressure. High fever, loss of appetite, and severe depression accompany the symptoms. Although there are a few recoveries, death is the usual termination, occurring with three days of the onset of the symptoms.

Cause, Prevention and Treatment:

This disease is caused by an anaerobic bacterium, called Clostridium chauvoei, although it is often accompanied by other of the Clostridia genus. Infection is usually the result of wound contamination of ingestion of the organisms.

Prevention consists of vaccination of all animals at approsimately three to four months of age, using one of the approved vaccines. The immunity stimulated by proper vaccination usually lasts from twelve to eighteen months or longer, and a natural immunity tends to develop when the animal is about two years of age. Animals which died from blackleg should not be cut open unless under the direction of a qualified veterinarian. The carcasses whould be burned or deeply buried and the contaminated area disinfected. Eradication of blackleg from pastures is difficult if not impossible.

When in the hands of a veterinarian, medicinal greatment for older animals is sometimes successful.

I have lost about eight calves to what I suspect was blackleg, even though not all of the above symptoms were there. Calf would just look weak, but still strong enough to avoid catching it. Then I would find it dead. On the one I was able to get the vet out on, it recovered quickly. Don't remember what the injection was, but the vet said if he accidentally injected himself, he needed to get to a hospital quickly.

Vet said it runs in cycles. The area can go for several years and no suspicious cases. Then most producers start to lose calves. Seems to be somehow related to El Ninos. Blackleg spores, or whatever, stay in the field. Some years calves are just more susceptible than others.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), September 27, 2000.


Though this is meant for answer but I have writing to know about the muscular destropy as one of my nephew is suffering from this disease for last four years. Will you please help in this regard for which I shall be greatful to you. As the doctors in the apex hospital of the country IIMMS(New Delhi) also said there is no medicine for it. But only vitamin-E and vit-B1-6-12 (for nervous system) is taken by my nephew. If you know any other source to get help please let me know for which I shall be greatful to you.

Yours faithfully,

c.b.mohapatra

-- c.b.mohapatra (babina4@yahoo.com), January 16, 2002.


DEAR SIR, Though this is meant for answer but I have writing to know about the muscular destropy as one of my nephew is suffering from this disease for last four years. Will you please help in this regard for which I shall be greatful to you. As the doctors in the apex hospital of the country IIMMS(New Delhi) also said there is no medicine for it. But only vitamin-E and vit-B1-6-12 (for nervous system) is taken by my nephew. If you know any other source to get help please let me know for which I shall be greatful to you.

Yours faithfully,

c.b.mohapatra

-- c.b.mohapatra (babina4@yahoo.com), January 16, 2002.


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