Calf won't suck

[v8willy]

Have a calf born about a week ago, put it on the cow when it was born but didn't want to suck, felt the belly & thought it full enough to have sucked on it's own.
Noticed it starting to get skinny so topped it up with a bag, thinking the cow maybe didn't have enough, then this morning noticed it sucking her neck so put her in the gate while the calf was keen & it will not suck, has no intrest in sucking, even gave it an appitete stimulant but still no intrest, it's like it's too stupid to suck.
Anybody any tricks or ideas?

 

[jre]

Had a couple of calves the same this year. Ours its a shortage of selenium. last one was born tuesday night. got a bit of milk off the heifer and fed calf. Wednesday morning calf couldnt stand, got it to suck off heifer but only took a bit. It was like that for a couple of days, no interest in sucking. Gave it a jab of Vitasel. had to feed it with bag later. Gradually got stronger and is now sucking well and skipping round the pen.

 

[v8willy]

Ours getting Vitasel as they are born.

 

[Werzle]

Have a calf born about a week ago, put it on the cow when it was born but didn't want to suck, felt the belly & thought it full enough to have sucked on it's own.
Noticed it starting to get skinny so topped it up with a bag, thinking the cow maybe didn't have enough, then this morning noticed it sucking her neck so put her in the gate while the calf was keen & it will not suck, has no intrest in sucking, even gave it an appitete stimulant but still no intrest, it's like it's too stupid to suck.
Anybody any tricks or ideas?

Patience patience and please suck you f###er patience.

 

[Blaithin]

If it’s lived a week it’s probably sucked...

Can try some baking soda slurry in case it’s acidotic.

 

[Davy_g]

If it has no suck reflex then dose it with half a tin of red bull. Gets it smacking it’s gums.

 

[Agrivator]

If it has no suck reflex then dose it with half a tin of red bull. Gets it smacking it’s gums.

Is that your own remedy? How or why does it work?

 

[Agrivator]

If it’s lived a week it’s probably sucked...

Can try some baking soda slurry in case it’s acidotic.

How do you administer it?

 

[Cluny]

Have a calf born about a week ago, put it on the cow when it was born but didn't want to suck, felt the belly & thought it full enough to have sucked on it's own.
Noticed it starting to get skinny so topped it up with a bag, thinking the cow maybe didn't have enough, then this morning noticed it sucking her neck so put her in the gate while the calf was keen & it will not suck, has no intrest in sucking, even gave it an appitete stimulant but still no intrest, it's like it's too stupid to suck.
Anybody any tricks or ideas?

Trigger sprayer and spray some iodine 2or 3 times along its back it gets the cow to lick the calf’s back and stimulate the calf to sook and does something to the calf as well no idea what but has worked for me many times. Don’t be frightened to do it again after a couple of hours and the same again later on it’s worked for me my vet said it was hocus pocus but if it works!!

 

[Blaithin]

How do you administer it?

Syringe in the mouth.

 

[Sharpy]

If it’s lived a week it’s probably sucked...

Can try some baking soda slurry in case it’s acidotic.

What do you mean by "its acidotic"? Basically an acidic gut? If so how does this happen?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

What do you mean by "its acidotic"? Basically an acidic gut? If so how does this happen?

It’s usually caused by a bad calving but you need to give it to the calf asap really

 

[Blaithin]

What do you mean by "its acidotic"? Basically an acidic gut? If so how does this happen?

No. The pH of their blood is off. Most common cause is a hard calving/lack of oxygen but they can get metabolic acidosis from scours and dehydration.

If the calf was acidotic enough after birth to prevent a good suck reflex then it could still be dehydrated enough to contribute to further acidosis. Electrolytes probably wouldn’t go amiss for it either.

Baking soda and even electrolytes are usually cheap enough to give a try for slow calves.

 

[Sharpy]

No. The pH of their blood is off. Most common cause is a hard calving/lack of oxygen but they can get metabolic acidosis from scours and dehydration.

If the calf was acidotic enough after birth to prevent a good suck reflex then it could still be dehydrated enough to contribute to further acidosis. Electrolytes probably wouldn’t go amiss for it either.

Baking soda and even electrolytes are usually cheap enough to give a try for slow calves.

Thank you. Every day a school day!

 

[Davy_g]

Is that your own remedy? How or why does it work?

Plenty use it here when all else fails. You have nothing to loose when you have tried everything else.
Must be to do with the sugar and stimulants.

 

[HarryB97]

I have a friend who swares by a square or two of dairy milk chocolate in their mouth if they are struggling to suck as it coats their mouth and makes them suck to try and clear the chocolaty/sticky coating.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

What a load of great suggestions.
My neighbour tried a lot of different ideas but the calf never sucked. They tubed it until weaned!

 

[Blaithin]

What a load of great suggestions.
My neighbour tried a lot of different ideas but the calf never sucked. They tubed it until weaned!

Did it have a cleft palate?

That would be a veal calf if it needed tubing every day ?

 

[jendan]

I have a friend who swares by a square or two of dairy milk chocolate in their mouth if they are struggling to suck as it coats their mouth and makes them suck to try and clear the chocolaty/sticky coating.

Ive heard that one before but you need a whole bar and try to stick it to the roof of its mouth.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Ive heard that one before but you need a whole bar and try to stick it to the roof of its mouth.

I end up sticking it in my mouth