CCN in calfs

[crofteress]

Has anyone else had experience with this. Bottle fed calf a few months old [ not mine but I'm looking after it] started to go rigid and flat out head back, rigid legs when walking and excessive nervousness, excitability esp to the touch, unable to rise unassisted and grinding teeth , starting to spasm. Was treated initially as if it was tetanus and then the next day had a vit B1 injection incase it was Ccn and seemed to come out of it within 24 hours after that and has made a great recovery in a week even had a wee trot outside with her tail in the air and she's looking great. She had had joint ill so thats why I thought it was tetanus . I had never heard of this so just wondered if anyone else had seen it and thought id put this on here for anyone looking for reference to it. This time last week I was about to get her put down if she had worsened but she came out of it completely

 

[Hummin-Cummins]

How quick did the symptoms develop??

 

[crofteress]

initial stiffness and nervousness over two days but she was still feeding and overlap of symptoms with the joint ill [ which has gone now] then one day of worsening and vet meds at the end of that day

 

[Hummin-Cummins]

Sounds nasty glad she's recovered now, thanks for the thread something else to keep an eye out for

 

[Treg]

Sounds very similar to B12 deficiency in Ducks , they can fit &go rigid but recover rapidly once they have B12.
I know a duck & calf are very different but just shows you what a deficiency can do.

 

[le bon paysan]

Has anyone else had experience with this. Bottle fed calf a few months old [ not mine but I'm looking after it] started to go rigid and flat out head back, rigid legs when walking and excessive nervousness, excitability esp to the touch, unable to rise unassisted and grinding teeth , starting to spasm. Was treated initially as if it was tetanus and then the next day had a vit B1 injection incase it was Ccn and seemed to come out of it within 24 hours after that and has made a great recovery in a week even had a wee trot outside with her tail in the air and she's looking great. She had had joint ill so thats why I thought it was tetanus . I had never heard of this so just wondered if anyone else had seen it and thought id put this on here for anyone looking for reference to it. This time last week I was about to get her put down if she had worsened but she came out of it completely

You only see it in calves fed on milk replacer, it can re- occur until the animal is weaned .

 

[crofteress]

well that explains it then , thank you for that. Does anyone have a quiet old cow in milk that likes calfs , health status, that would like a good home. Scotland only

 

[milkloss]

Yes, I started this thread:
https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/neurological-issue-in-4-week-old-calf.178488/

Probably a bit controversial but this calf was tubed for at least two weeks, two bottles of penstrep, a bottle of combivit and he's been up and about for two and a half weeks now. Stood him, offered water four times a day as we were silaging right next to the yard, no sores because of this apart from when he started to get mobile and rubbed some fur off.

Nearly shot him twice but gave him 12 hours to improve each time and he did improve!

Was it right? Well I don't think he was in pain, he wasn't nervous or excitable, tubing with the trusti tuber was so easy and free of trauma so I am confident we did the right thing but others will argue otherwise I'm sure.

 

[milkloss]

A picture after he'd been up for two days.

 

[crofteress]

oh I remember that thread, great he's doing well now, seems very similar, she was getting pen and strep too incase it was tetanus . He's a lovely calf good on you for not shooting him

 

[milkloss]

Saved the cow too. Although she pretty much dried up he seems to be getting enough milk. Tightened things up round here so a cow without a calf is going down the road, no excuses. This cow is one of the good ones!

 

[M-J-G]

It could have been Septicemia, not dissimilar signs to Tetanus, the main difference being that they don't usually recover from tetanus.