We have a calf that was born a month ago. A day ago it would lay on the ground flat out and then kick at its belly. it still sucks the cow now and then but it drinks a lot of water all the time. After it drinks the water it bloats right up and lays on the ground flat out again. Talked to a vet they said to give it a shot of penicilin orallybecause it might have bacteria in its stomach and that was about it. Any one have any other ideas???
sick calf
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Cowboy
Well-known member
You are describing to a TEE the exact symptoms of Clostridium Perfringens my friend. You have NO time to lose here, or your flat out calf will be flat out DEAD
Your Vet was right only in saying it had bacteria in it's stomch, that bacteria is Clostridium C and D
Get that calf, as soon as you can, 30 ML C-D Anti-Toxin orally -- and another 20 in two spots Sub - Q (10 each behind the front legs) and you will see an immediate sesation of symptoms -- he will not bloat any more, and he will not slosh when he walks after a day or so.
All kidding aside, this is VERY serious -- as we speak your calf's small instestine is being eaten alive by the Clostridium bacteria (It is in the ground, and if you did not give the calf a new born vaccine for it, he picks it up as he licks the ground as they all do, every time about 30 days old too)
Treat him also for Pneumonia -- as it will also set in now from the stress if he lives.
Get after it pard -- time is ticking!
Good luck -- he needs it NOW
Terry
Your Vet was right only in saying it had bacteria in it's stomch, that bacteria is Clostridium C and D
Get that calf, as soon as you can, 30 ML C-D Anti-Toxin orally -- and another 20 in two spots Sub - Q (10 each behind the front legs) and you will see an immediate sesation of symptoms -- he will not bloat any more, and he will not slosh when he walks after a day or so.
All kidding aside, this is VERY serious -- as we speak your calf's small instestine is being eaten alive by the Clostridium bacteria (It is in the ground, and if you did not give the calf a new born vaccine for it, he picks it up as he licks the ground as they all do, every time about 30 days old too)
Treat him also for Pneumonia -- as it will also set in now from the stress if he lives.
Get after it pard -- time is ticking!
Good luck -- he needs it NOW
Terry
Cowboy
Well-known member
You are welcome, glad he is still kickin -- this was a close call -- trust me on that!
No it is not contagious as far as anything else geting it from this one calf -- remember -- Clostridium Perfringens is in the ground almost every where, so in order for the calf to actually be infected and show the symptoms of this problem, they have to inject the bug from a food source OR by licking the ground as babies! Many people have called this over eating disease -- it is not a true disease -- it is a combination of ill effects due to foreign matter!
Just remember -- if you see anything close to these signs again, do NOT hesitate to treat for it -- even if the calf has something else wrong, this will not hurt them even if it is not needed! You trully got lucky on this one calf -- she or he was showing the clasic signs, and you had litterally minutes left before it was too late!!!
Cheers
(thumbsup)
Terry
No it is not contagious as far as anything else geting it from this one calf -- remember -- Clostridium Perfringens is in the ground almost every where, so in order for the calf to actually be infected and show the symptoms of this problem, they have to inject the bug from a food source OR by licking the ground as babies! Many people have called this over eating disease -- it is not a true disease -- it is a combination of ill effects due to foreign matter!
Just remember -- if you see anything close to these signs again, do NOT hesitate to treat for it -- even if the calf has something else wrong, this will not hurt them even if it is not needed! You trully got lucky on this one calf -- she or he was showing the clasic signs, and you had litterally minutes left before it was too late!!!
Cheers
(thumbsup)
Terry
SFASUshowman
Well-known member
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There is a Chlostridium C & D Vaccine...I personally feel that all calves and goat kids should get it. Like cowboy said, Chlostridium is in the ground EVERYWHERE!!!! So while they may not directly pick it up from this sick calf, chances are if he picked it up and your other calves are not vaccinated then your other calves have a good chance of picking it up from the ground as well.
LN
Well-known member
What is the vaccine called. I've been searching for one on the animal health sites but can't find anything.
Thanks
Thanks
CAB
Well-known member
A lot of the 7-way vaccines include strains of clostridiums. The vaccines are called toxoids whereas the prevention/treatment is called anti-toxin. I hope this helps you. Don't know if I explained it well enough for you to understand or not. Possibly someone else can explain the difference better.
Cowboy
Well-known member
CAB is correct -- there are two variations of the product line. One treats the symptoms (Anti-Toxon) where as the other is a vaccine -- (Toxoid)
For every one who is interested or may not know -- here is what I feel needs done on EVERY calf.
Birth -- ASAP - 2ml of Alpha-7 -- this is given under the skin sub-q and is formulated for new borns -- it works, it gives you about 30 days of good immunity to start those calves good.
30 days -- Vision-7 or Vision-8 -- this is also a vaccine, but of a different carrier base, also given sub-q.
Word of warning here folks -- Clostridium vaccines are - by nature -- very irritating. If the bottle says Sub-Q --you MUST make sure it goes under the skin and does not go into any muscle or skin tissues. If you do, you will almost always have a very LARGE abcese to deal with later. It swells up pretty big too.
Tent the skin behind the front leg low on the rib cage, and give it there. Make sure you are in the air space under the skin, if it pushes out easy -- you are good, if it gives you any resistence, repostition until you are not in the tissues.
If you have one that gets the symptoms, treat as I described above, you have NO time to lose either.
Not that I know every tihng there is to know, but this is one topic I can tell you about with no hesitation, it is a deadly bug, and it works fast to kill your calves! It always better to prevent, than to treat!
Good luck -- another year -- Terry
For every one who is interested or may not know -- here is what I feel needs done on EVERY calf.
Birth -- ASAP - 2ml of Alpha-7 -- this is given under the skin sub-q and is formulated for new borns -- it works, it gives you about 30 days of good immunity to start those calves good.
30 days -- Vision-7 or Vision-8 -- this is also a vaccine, but of a different carrier base, also given sub-q.
Word of warning here folks -- Clostridium vaccines are - by nature -- very irritating. If the bottle says Sub-Q --you MUST make sure it goes under the skin and does not go into any muscle or skin tissues. If you do, you will almost always have a very LARGE abcese to deal with later. It swells up pretty big too.
Tent the skin behind the front leg low on the rib cage, and give it there. Make sure you are in the air space under the skin, if it pushes out easy -- you are good, if it gives you any resistence, repostition until you are not in the tissues.
If you have one that gets the symptoms, treat as I described above, you have NO time to lose either.
Not that I know every tihng there is to know, but this is one topic I can tell you about with no hesitation, it is a deadly bug, and it works fast to kill your calves! It always better to prevent, than to treat!
Good luck -- another year -- Terry
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