I had a June 4th angus heifer calf that was very growthy and alert right away, but now she doesn't seem to be growing. Her hair coat doesn't look as sharp and she seems frail. Are there good vaccinations for real young calves or should I try to worm her? Any thoughts are appreciated!
Struggling Calf
- Thread starter jsuhr
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CAB
Well-known member
If you feel like it is going down hill, you should probably get a vet to look @ it so that you can get a diagnosis and treatment regiment in place if needed. The sooner the better IMO. This heat is extremely hard on every living thing right now & the longer it hangs in here the harder it gets on everything.
I prob wouldn't deworm a baby that young unless you really feel there's a reason to do so. Are the cows heavily infested with worms?...Or are your pastures terribly overstocked? If there's a high probability the calf has contracted worms already, then you prob need to tweak management of the entire herd. As for vaccinations, early immunity should be transferred from the mother in her colostrum, so if the cow was properly immunized and the calf got enough colostrum, then that shouldn't be the problem either. It kinda sounds like this calf may not be getting a lot to eat. How's her mother's milk production? Would the calf respond to being creep fed? If you have reason to suspect that treatment of some parasite or disease is necessary, then by all means, do it. I just don't like to throw solutions at a situation without trying to figure out what the problem is.
SWMO
Well-known member
We are having trouble with coccidiosis this year. Is the cow milking?
The cows are up-to-dat on vaccinations and being wormed. The calf was very perky soon after birth and drank multiple times, that I saw, not counting every other time when I wasn't around. I haven't creed fed calves at all this year. What would be a solution to coc.? Thanks guys.
CAB
Well-known member
Sulfa boluses for cocci., but you really need to get a diagnosis of sometype B4 you just start treating the calf. The first place that I would look is the mother's milking ability and quality of her milk. A calf @ that age should be doing OK if the cow is doing her job. JMO. Good luck.
jsuhr said:
OK folks this drives me nuts and I am not trying to be mean but lets remember that bovines are ruminants and the goal of the ruminant is to look OK for as long as possible so as not to be picked out for a tasty meal by the predators. Most humans are not skilled at picking up the subtle clues that the not well bovine gives - by the time most humans pick up that the bovine is not well - the bovine is in a world of trouble
If your calf looks as you describe she is sick - something is wrong and you need to figure out what it is and treat it appropriately - she doesn't need to be dewormed, she doesn't need to be vaccinated (it is not recommended that one vaccinate sick cattle) she needs a diagnosis and appropriate treatment
Did she get colostrum? Is her mother a cow or a heifer? What does up to date on their vaccinations mean? What were they vaccinated for and with what? Did you buy or raise the dam?
Does the calf have a fever? Does she have diarrhea? What is her respiratory rate? Is she panting or open moth breathing? Does she have access to water? Does her mother have adequate milk? What shots did you give her at birth? Did you dip her navel? What does her navel feel like? What is her BCS? Does she look full or is empty sided? Call you vet...
I agree...get the diagnosis right & you have a much better chance at successful treatment of whatever the problem is. Coccidiosis causes dark, watery scours, and you may see dark colored blood in the stool. Without seeing this calf, I can say I've seen coccidiosis, and this doesn't sound like the problem to me.
The vet came out and he diagnosed it as a heart problem. He said she must have some "slip" in her heart beat. The problem isn't ventricular, but he couldn't put a point on the exact place. He said this problem may fix over time but may get a little worse. The calf has to put more effort into staying healthy, (if there is such a thing!) which explains it's lack in growth.
jsuhr said:
Good for you getting a diagnosis - things to look for with if the heart problem is getting worse
- open mouth breathing, panting - calf is short of breath
- not keeping up with the rest of the calves
- not growing (which you picked up on)
- veins in the neck that stick out and you can see them
- change in color in the gums, membranes of the mouth or tongue (depending on the breed they may be pink, black, blotchy etc - pink is the easiest one to see if it changes - if pink becomes blue that is not good)
-lack of appetite
Getting better - calf continues to grow and play with mates
Good luck, and you are right they have to have a will to live
