Breathing problem in steer

[kobo_ranch]

Ok...going to haul this guy to the vet tomarrow or Tuesday.

About 3 weeks ago did call our vet friend and described symptons...went and got some Draxxin (or he gave us that)
Gave him 12 cc.

Waited about 5 days, seemed better but not completely.

Then gave 20 cc long acting penn...
waited 5 days... kinda better and thought ok. 

Few days later still heavy breathing wheezing...green gunk nose some still and cough.  (some) 

Called him said give another round of DRAXXIN.  Did that a week ago...

today tied him up to work his hair etc, acted like he was gonna choke, breathing hard and wheezing still??!!

Have any of you had a calf do this??  He still eats and drinks good.  But acts like he doesn't feel good.  Head hanging kinda low.

Guess will haul him in like I said but just wondered if any of you have had experience with this before. 

Thanks <cowboy>

 

[aj]

I have heard that inthis wet cold rainy weather there is something going around. Alot of sick calves even on cows. Good luck.

 

[savaged]

He probably has a temp as well.  IMO  he needs a longer course of another antibiotic (NuFlor?), plus banamine to bring down temp and dex to reduce inflammation in his lungs.

Sounds to me like he is pretty sick.  I would not wait until Tuesday. 

 

[DL]

You have given him 3 weeks worth of antibiotics and he isn't better, appears to me he needs to be seen by a vet so that you can get a real physical exam (maybe a temperature?) and a diagnosis and then the appropriate treatment - I think sooner would be better.

Remember - cattle are prey animals and master at hiding sickness or disability - if he acts as you describe he is probably much sicker

BTW if you didn't feel good would you want to be tied up and have your hair worked?

 

[knabe]

Remember - cattle are prey animals and master at hiding sickness or disability - if he acts as you describe he is probably much sicker

I think that is probably the best quote ever on steerplanet.

 

[GoWyo]

DL said:  BTW if you didn't feel good would you want to be tied up and have your hair worked?

When I am sick, I don't like to be tied up, but I do like having what is left of my hair worked.

 

[lowann]

We had a heifer last fall with what sounds like the same thing. We treated her with vet prescribed antibiotics, then ended up having the vet out too. He gave her IV antibiotics, and within 12 hours she was eating, chewing her cud, and back to her old self.
I agree with knabe, DL's  quote was right on, if they are showing their sickness, they are very sick!

 

[linnettejane]

you said he acts like he's choked...have vet look down his throat!  maybe there is something lodged in there

are his ears droppy?  thats usually a sign of a temp...

just a suggestion

 

[forbes family farms]

Why would you tie up a calf it was sick if i was sick i wouldn't want to be tied up and worked with i would want to be left alone. (Think about it). Might have phmenioa or something along that term i would take him to the vet for sure. Give him NuFlor that will make him feel lots better.

 

[jasper]

Kobo,

  Just checking in to see how he was doing today.......

 

[kobo_ranch]

Got him to the vet and left him.

The vet listened to him good.  He did not have a temp (was 103) which I knew cause I did do that).  FYI before I gave him the draxxin the first time he did have a low grade temp.

I want you guys to know I did take him to a well know very qualified vet down here...he said he thinks he has what's similar to a humans asthma.  Seemed to think he only has about  25-30% use of his lungs.

Now I'm not sure if he actually got pneumonia early on or something like and I didn't catch it soon enough before I got him on the Drax) which may have caused this.  Like the earlier poster said, he hid it well.  Never stopped eating or drinking his feed.  I'm an old ranch girl but I have been out of it for many years and may have missed it.  I'm still not sure...

He did have some drainage gunk still going on, and thats why we left him to try and get that cleared up.  He did say he thought he'd be ok, just gonna have to pamper him a little more than normal and not get him to worked up.  I sure hope so. 

Last fall we were in one of the worst droughts ever....this Oct has been the wettest on RECORD.  Cool fronts been rolling thru every other day temps going up then dropping not to mention how wet and messy it is!  No wonder everyones sick!  Not just the cattle!  He's got tons of hair though which should keep him warm!  Just not sure if he'll every hold his head very high--

Thanks everybody for the concern and advise.  Appreciate it! <cowboy>

 

[Dyer Show cattle]

I have not used Draxxin but from what I have read it is supposed to be better than Nuflor. I always use NuFlor with great results. The symptoms sounds like Pneumonia to me. You may just want to switch to a dose of NuFlor and see what happens. I know that when I am sick some drugs help me and some don't have any affect on me. Is the calf in a sealed up barn or is he in a barn with plenty of air moving through it? Let him loose, get him somewhere where he can be outside and indoors when he wants. A sealed up barn with no open airflow is worse than being outside most of the time. A lean to building with a lot would be perfect. Also try and keep him out of the mud if possible. And I would not have the calf in any chute other than to treat his illness, don't wash him, don't tie him, don't comb him, don't blow him. Keep the stress to a minimal otherwise its not going to get any better. One other thing is what kind of bedding are you using? If your using hay/straw bedding maybe switch to wood chips and see if that helps. Make sure the dust in the barn is not causing problems for the calf.

 

[kobo_ranch]

To me if I were a steer this would be the perfect place to stay.  Its nothing fancy by any means....after I got them broke we put them down in a large slightly sloped pen which now has a new nice overhang where they get fed and bed down most of the time (especially during rainy weather.  It has huge oak trees gets good breeze and they have about a 2 acre area I would say of grass they can go out on and walk around.  (They didn't do that except late in the evening during the hot summer and not much now...but they can if they want to. 
I'm not sure of the bedding, but we now have some new course sand we put down.  With all the rain its about the only thing that doesn't get too bad so fast.  We also have some cedar shavings but haven't started using that yet.  There hair seems fine.  They are paddy calves and like big teddy bears sweet. 

I haven't messed with this guy too much since I know he hasn't felt good.  I actually mentioned the NuFlor to the vet...he seemed to think it wouldn't help since he doesn't have an infection, but who knows maybe he'll try it.

 

[BCCC]

BTW if you didn't feel good would you want to be tied up and have your hair worked?

Would you ever want to be tied up and have your hair worked?

 

[Dyer Show cattle]

Sounds like you have them in a good spot and are doing everything right. Hopefully it will just take some time for him to recover. Sounds like you have done everything else. I know there are some additives to put in the water that may help. Can't remember the name of it though.

 

[kobo_ranch]

BTW if you didn't feel good would you want to be tied up and have your hair worked?

Would you ever want to be tied up and have your hair worked?

Actually...you bet I'd love it.  My sick steer actually seems like he loves it too...sick and all, he just doesn't like his head tied too high!

 

[Jill]

We had a heifer like this a couple of years ago, she had had pneumonia before we got her and had enough lung damage that anytime she ran or got excited she would wheeze.
Draxxin works great for us in most situations, but every once in a while you'll get one it just isn't effective on and then we'll use the NuFlor, but good products.

 

[OH Breeder]

We also had a calf get into a situation of COPD or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. We had to put her down. She started with series of what appeared to be colds and low grade infection. Just so you know Asthma is a Obstructive Disease and can be debilitating.  I am hoping that your calf does not have a chronic condition.

 

[DL]

BTW if you didn't feel good would you want to be tied up and have your hair worked?

Would you ever want to be tied up and have your hair worked?

Actually...you bet I'd love it.  My sick steer actually seems like he loves it too...sick and all, he just doesn't like his head tied too high!

That may be because he is able to breathe better with his head down ...asthma is basically an "airway" disease where the air tubes constrict - making it hard to get air both in and out - it is not an infection (although infection can make it worse) so your vet is correct - adding antibiotics would not be helpful

If he has asthma (and sure sound like he could) you want to avoid dusty moldy environment - this would  include dusty grain and dusty hay - for horses with asthma people soak the hay in water

hot humid weather also makes it harder for individuals with asthma to breathe - I would look for and avoid triggers that might make him worse - good luck

 

[kobo_ranch]

You know I thought early on when this first started it may have been the beet pulp we were feeding.  He never had a problem before we started him on the beet pulp.
Do any of you think it could have caused or aggrivated his breathing problem?  Has it caused that with anyone else?    I fed it both dry and wet at times.  After I noticed his coughing I cut way back feeding it to him, and went pretty much to full tank.
I do think he caught something but not sure ... may have developed anyway, but just thought of that just now.