Calf with trembling legs

[Bill Turtle]

We have a calf which is around six weeks old. It was well but yesterday Couldn’t stand. When we stand it up it seems to have uncontrollable shaking trembling of the legs particularly the back ones.
when sat down it looks fine and the head and neck don’t tremble.
Eyes are fine. No temperature, digestive system working ok.
We have given it penicillin and anti inflammatories.
Mother is attentive.
It did get put out to grass the day before the problem arose. Does anyone know what could be wrong with it. We are stumped.

 

[Agrivator]

VitE/Selenium deficiency. Did it have to walk far when you put it out to grass?

 

[Bill Turtle]

No. 30 metres from the shed. One thought I did have is there is a small area of new westerwolds growing in a previously poached area of the field. Obviously this grows very fast and has had nitrogen on the field. Wondering whether it’s eaten that and has upset it, although it is not scouring.

 

[Bill Turtle]

There is another cow with twins in the field which are ok.

 

[Bill Turtle]

Thanks for the suggestion Agrivator, we went to vets and collected vitamin injections, and gave a selenium drench. Vet said Heifer (which is lean) could be lacking reserves, and a fast growing calf is therefore very short of selenium.
I checked the mineral buckets we use and they have selenium in them.

 

[Werzle]

Lick buckets top up mineral reserves but i dont think they will cure a deficiency on there own

 

[Bill Turtle]

What would you suggest a drench?
This is the first time I have seen a deficiency although some of my white park cattle seem very slow finishing and I have wondered if something is holding them back.

 

[Bill Turtle]

We have brought calf back home for bottle feeding. It can get up now, but trembles continually and soon lies down again. Breathing speeds right up if it stands up. I will try to attach a video.
can anyone tell me how to attach a video rather than a photo?

 

[Treecreeper]

Last year a January born calf would tremble and collapse after any stress( tb test, moving for scraping or mucking out and at turn out)was given multivit and an hour later ok as if nothing had happened. After turn out things improved with no problems until Oct when it started to happen again despite access to go mineral and creep. No fairytale ending to this one as it collapsed in a wet gateway and managed to drown it's self.

 

[Bill Turtle]

I am not feeling very optimistic about this one. Shame because it’s a nice beefy steer and had been full of the joy of life prior to this problem.

 

[ladycrofter]

Had one years ago same as yours, injected 2 ml Vitasel and it got better quickly. After that I injected everything when born.

 

[czechmate]

We have a calf which is around six weeks old. It was well but yesterday Couldn’t stand. When we stand it up it seems to have uncontrollable shaking trembling of the legs particularly the back ones.
when sat down it looks fine and the head and neck don’t tremble.
Eyes are fine. No temperature, digestive system working ok.
We have given it penicillin and anti inflammatories.
Mother is attentive.
It did get put out to grass the day before the problem arose. Does anyone know what could be wrong with it. We are stumped.

AB for no specific reason
I hope your calf gets well

 

[Bill Turtle]

Ok slapped wrist. Calf is taking the bottle, and moves occasionally to find shade or warmth, but still has trembles. We are a little wary of overdosing selenium as apparently that is as bad as a lack of it.

 

[Pan mixer]

Not sure if the symptoms match but we discovered a copper deficiency in our cattle that the vet was very surprised about and we are on similar soil methinks.

 

[Bill Turtle]

Apart from a coppery sheen to the coat, what were the symptoms, an old farmer, no longer with us, told me thirty years ago that around here if you can see the river (Pant,Colne etc), the soil will be deficient in copper!
Yes similar soil to you I am guessing.

 

[Werzle]

I am not feeling very optimistic about this one. Shame because it’s a nice beefy steer and had been full of the joy of life prior to this problem.

Can only do your best, we all get problems. Give it a blackleg jab, in for a penny in for a pound

 

[Pan mixer]

Apart from a coppery sheen to the coat, what were the symptoms, an old farmer, no longer with us, told me thirty years ago that around here if you can see the river (Pant,Colne etc), the soil will be deficient in copper!
Yes similar soil to you I am guessing.

The main symptom was the result from the blood test on the cows, no other obvious thing, I bolused them all last year but didn't this time as it was only just over the line.

I can see the Blackwater from one side and farm all round the Abberton reservoir which was the Layer Brook, neighbours always used copper needles in their sheep, I have pigs and the muck used to be high in copper so didn't have to needle the sheep. Now high copper is bannned in pig rations of course and I have expanded onto land that didn't get my muck in the old days.

 

[bazza3034]

Maybe you didnt give the covexin 10

 

[bazza3034]

Brovexin