Happy New Year Everyone! I have a friend that raises calves on dairy cows upwardes to 60 at a time and is having problems with ear infections. The calves will start out with one or both ears drooping, then in a few days the ears will run and be crusty. She is treating with campho-phonic and penicillin. The calves improve in a few days but she would like to know if anyone has any ideas on prevention. The calves affected are not nursing the same cow and range in weights from 60-250#. She keeps all the calves vaccinated for respiratory disease and she also says some of them get a runny nose 1st. Thanks for any help you maybe able to give.

-- BeLinda Adams (abar@lcc.net), December 31, 2001

Answers

We had a dog with the problem, and it didn't heal till we used that purple liquid wound medicine you can get at the feed store. It has Gentian Violet in it. Can't remember the name, it's been too long. It's more than likely a fungus, so the penicillin isn't helping.

You will just have to put up with calves with purple ears.

-- Rose (open_rose@hotmail.com), December 31, 2001.

Try colloidal silver. It can't hurt.

-- Elizabeth Quintana (rockshelter@webtv.com), January 02, 2002.

I would inject them with Ivermectin 1% sounds more like severe ear mites to me, and secondary now an infection. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), January 02, 2002.