A couple of weeks ago I listed a question regarding a coughing calf. He appeared to just have a cough and then we discovered he had a temp. of 103. He has been on neomycin for 4 days. His temp went to normal and then back up to 103. His nose is clear and is eating well, but still coughs once in a while. Should we switch drugs? We obtained the current one from the dairy farmer where we bought the calf. Also the calf is in the barn with a horse is this any kind of a factor? Thanks!

-- Mike (dogwood_farm@yahoo.com), April 07, 2002

Answers

The neomycin broght the fever down after 4 days and you stopped? Typically you should follow up once the fever is gone with 2-4 days continued treatment. The calf should be as isolated as you can get it, though I don't think calf respritory problems are particularly contagous to horses. Perhaps a horse expert would know better. You could try an expectorant as well as the antibiotic, Guiafenesan (SP!!) gets used a lot. Not sure the calf really needs it though. Put him back on; neomycin isn't a drug I use but it was working.

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), April 07, 2002.

Mike you need to get some nuflor. I had a calf die last week because I did not get him to thye vet in time. I had been giving nuflor injections but nothing for the fever. It sounds like you need to give something for the infection along with the fever. The vet can give you some nuflor. I don't know how big the calf is but nuflor costs about $.75 per cc but it is well worth it. If you want to try something a little cheaper you might try la-200 it is a very good antibiotic. Hope this helps a little. By the way none of these drugs are harmful when given with each other. Just never mix them together in the same syringe. The shots can be given at the same time but with different syringes.

-- B.H (FIRE_RESCUE126@HOTMAIL.COM), April 08, 2002.