Blind calf

[sharpy0464]

Hi,
I bought 10 calves at 2 months old in August. After a short while they became ill with diarrhoea. I brought them In to the barn from their nursery paddock I had set up to keep them separate and called the vet.
After blood analysis we found that they had BVD. Eventually after a further 3 weeks I had confirmation that one was a PI which we culled.
We lost 3 including the PI and the remaining have made a full recovery, except one that developed blue/ grey eyes and I think is now blind. Her eyes are a little sticky and she is not really gaining wait. I started her again on a little loxicom and a further treatment of Betamox and she seems to be improving.
Will her sight recover and if not will she prosper as a blind heifer when we turn out in the spring? Or am I wasting my efforts with her?
Any experience/ advice would be appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[Zippy768]

Sorry to hear about your animals. I'm assuming she didnt actually have an infection in the eye?
Where did you get the animals from?

 

[Lincs Lass]

It wont be fair to release it into a herd ,all most cruel infact ,,it wont find the water trough ,be able to move away from dangers ,,cull it to be kind

 

[Nearly]

Try a few doses of multi vitamin injection to boost the levels in the animal but it's not looking good.

First loss is sometimes the best.
Been there.

 

[Werzle]

You will be amazed how they learn the boundaries of fields and live happily in a group. I have a suckler who i swear is blind but always gets by, only time she struggles is on turnout day but once everythings settled and shes found her calf you wouldnt pick her out.

 

[Beames]

I’ve got a suckler cow with only one eye. This year she got new forest in her good eye. In the few days While the antibiotics where kicking in she would rest her chin on the back of another cow when ever I brought them in as if she was being led. Amazing what they can do.

 

[sharpy0464]

Sorry to hear about your animals. I'm assuming she didnt actually have an infection in the eye?
Where did you get the animals from?

No she didn’t get an infection, a few of them developed the grey eyes but have recovered.
I bought them from a dairy farm, I had 20 more a month later (before this batch became ill), the second batch are perfect. I just think these were a bad batch.

 

[sharpy0464]

It wont be fair to release it into a herd ,all most cruel infact ,,it wont find the water trough ,be able to move away from dangers ,,cull it to be kind

I’m afraid you might be right, but I’ve worked hard on her and she is improving, I’ll try the multi vitamins injections and give her a few more weeks. But I’m not happy about turning her away in the spring if she can’t see.

 

[Lincs Lass]

I’m afraid you might be right, but I’ve worked hard on her and she is improving, I’ll try the multi vitamins injections and give her a few more weeks. But I’m not happy about turning her away in the spring if she can’t see.

Bit like a car that needs lots of repairs ,,How much do you spend on it before calling it a day and it still doesnt fix the problem

 

[Farmer Fin]

She will have uveitis secondary to getting ill. She may it may not regain some sight. Did she have bad pneumonia at the same time? Have you spoken to the dairy to let them know they have BVD?

 

[sharpy0464]

She will have uveitis secondary to getting ill. She may it may not regain some sight. Did she have bad pneumonia at the same time? Have you spoken to the dairy to let them know they have BVD?

Hi, she didn’t get pneumonia, but she was very ill and required dehydration for a while.
I’ve spoken to the dairy and they’re taking action, they’ve apologised and have offered to provide some free calves next year as compensation.
They’re also now tag and testing all new calves.

 

[Married 2 The Mob]

I’m afraid you might be right, but I’ve worked hard on her and she is improving, I’ll try the multi vitamins injections and give her a few more weeks. But I’m not happy about turning her away in the spring if she can’t see.

We had a calf years ago that was at deaths door at birth. ( vet diagnosed as a Schmallenberg case) Spent a lot of effort to bring it round. Found after a few months it had poor vision, which over time deteriorated. She coped indoors quite well, with learning where everything was. Turn-out was, shall we say protracted. It took over a week, slowly getting her a little further each day. But she learnt. She did 3 lactations. Just had to give her a helping hand or shout, to get her attention and on the right track. Probably need to be a bit of a soft tw*t ( like me) to stick with it though!

 

[sharpy0464]

Hi, I’m going to give her a chance.
Maybe I’m wrong, but I think it’s the right thing to do.
Thanks for your response

 

[Gulli]

Could be a cataract if it has bvd, they are apparently linked

We've had various degrees of blindness in sheep and cattle here, they manage fine you just have to be aware of what you are doing with them as they can get a bit disorientated sometimes.
Had a ewe once that lost both her eyes to crows and obviously made a full recovery (apart from the eyes) lived for years, her lambs used to flank her and guide her round the farm, animals look out for each other on the whole

 

[hagar]

Once had a cow go blind, took wee bit o perseverance sometimes but she reared another 6 calves. Also wintered on slats with 5 other cows in pen no trouble. Maybe have to pick her pals out a wee bit so theres no known bully with her. Took her direct to slaughter when ready to go and had major run in with the wee pri@k when I unloaded her. He knew she couldn't see and proceeded to try getting her through a 3ft door with a length of alkathene. Was promptly told if he hit her again I'd take it off him and use it on him. He took the huff and went got his gaffer who agreed to deal with her where she stood. Naebody hits ma coos in anger when I wouldn't do it masel

 

[Optimus]

Once had a major issue with fat cattle going blind.took ages to find out why ,turned out they were massively short on vitamin A. Once they they went blind that was it no coming back from it.we did fatten them and sell them eventually. Unfortunately it didn't end there.the heifers we kept which looked fine ,were effected too.the calves which were developing inside were either born blind or had no eyes.it was awful

 

[Rod Dumbreck]

Once had a major issue with fat cattle going blind.took ages to find out why ,turned out they were massively short on vitamin A. Once they they went blind that was it no coming back from it.we did fatten them and sell them eventually. Unfortunately it didn't end there.the heifers we kept which looked fine ,were effected too.the calves which were developing inside were either born blind or had no eyes.it was awful

How did you fix the Vit A problem?

 

[Optimus]

How did you fix the Vit A problem?

Eventually found out that there was no vitamin A in the minerals.obviously it said there was on the bag but in reality there was actually 0.

Took a while to figure out as no one had come across it before.

 

[sharpy0464]

Hi,
I bought 10 calves at 2 months old in August. After a short while they became ill with diarrhoea. I brought them In to the barn from their nursery paddock I had set up to keep them separate and called the vet.
After blood analysis we found that they had BVD. Eventually after a further 3 weeks I had confirmation that one was a PI which we culled.
We lost 3 including the PI and the remaining have made a full recovery, except one that developed blue/ grey eyes and I think is now blind. Her eyes are a little sticky and she is not really gaining wait. I started her again on a little loxicom and a further treatment of Betamox and she seems to be improving.
Will her sight recover and if not will she prosper as a blind heifer when we turn out in the spring? Or am I wasting my efforts with her?
Any experience/ advice would be appreciated.
Thanks.
UPDATE:
So a week in and she is doing well, her eyes are clearing up, they’re clean and not sticky anymore. She’s really quite active and bright, playing and getting excited at feed time now.
One more dose of betamox tomorrow and I’ll leave her alone.
Thanks for all your comments.

 

[Old Tip]

Once had a major issue with fat cattle going blind.took ages to find out why ,turned out they were massively short on vitamin A. Once they they went blind that was it no coming back from it.we did fatten them and sell them eventually. Unfortunately it didn't end there.the heifers we kept which looked fine ,were effected too.the calves which were developing inside were either born blind or had no eyes.it was awful

Just had a calf born and its Blind, can’t see one eye at all and the other is sunk in its socket if there at all, do you think this is the same as yours