Sick calf-help please

[Dbinn]

I got a bottle calf tonight. This is my first calf ever. I got it from a family member that has had calves forever. She’s a twin to a bull calf. She is weak and much thinner than her brother. I gave her her first bottle tonight. She didn’t drink very much at all. I mixed up 1 quart. She maybe drank 1/4 of it. She is able to stand, she is urinating and pooping. She has a swollen navel, they gave her a shot of penicillin.
Any advice? Encouragement? Help please.

 

[Milking shepherd]

Just feed her little and often. Make sure the infection clears up and she should be ok.

 

[wdah/him]

synulux injection would be better for a swollen navel if u can get it. otherwise just feed little and often as said

 

[Davy_g]

If the calf has joint ill then speak to your vet, however I would recommend 5cc of Combiclav into the muscle every day for a week or so. Maybe a shot of Metacalm every other day initially to.
As suggested feed little and often and keep warm.

 

[AndrewM]

Use synulox here for joint and naval problems. If she stops feeding you will have to bag her.

 

[Werzle]

I got a bottle calf tonight. This is my first calf ever. I got it from a family member that has had calves forever. She’s a twin to a bull calf. She is weak and much thinner than her brother. I gave her her first bottle tonight. She didn’t drink very much at all. I mixed up 1 quart. She maybe drank 1/4 of it. She is able to stand, she is urinating and pooping. She has a swollen navel, they gave her a shot of penicillin.
Any advice? Encouragement? Help please.

Give it back if i was you. Sounds like they have offloaded one on you.

 

[delilah]

the 'quart' made me look, OP is in the states, different drug names maybe ?

 

[M-J-G]

A weak thin free-martin with a big navel.
Why would a family member do that to a beginner?

My advice would be that you'll have enough problems with a healthy calf, never mind one that's got problems frim the start.

The easy way is hard enough.

 

[RushesToo]

In case you don't know a female twin of a bull calf will not be fertile.

 

[ladycrofter]

Agreed, you've been given a no-hoper sick freemartin. That doesn't mean you can't make something of her tho. Keep following advice but also keep in mind joint ill is devilish to cure so don't expect too much. And with her being smaller, sometimes things are wrong inside and cause problems once the calf/ lamb starts growing - sudden unexpected death due to organ failure, etc.
I'd say you have a 50/50 chance of her making it, but whichever way it goes, good experience for learning to work with cattle. Hopefully one day you can sell her fat and see a return for your efforts and outlay.

 

[Cripper]

For very small newborn calves it can be easier to get them started sucking using a lamb feeding bottle with a smaller teat rather than the normal calf bottle. The milk runs out onto the calf’s tongue or you can squeeze the bottle

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[Princess Pooper]

I would tube her anyway, she is probably dehydrated as well as lacking energy. Get one of the experienced family members to show you how to do it. Once rehydrated they are usually much keener to feed. As suggested above, an anti-inflammatory will help her feel better as well as the antimicrobial you have given her helping to reduce the infection.

 

[icanshootwell]

Have a weak calf here, born last Tuesday out of a heifer, hard calving, had it stuck on hips for 20 minutes, turned out it has a deformed hip that sticks out a bit. Had all the usual colostrum, hydration gel etc, the calf was walking a bit in the 1st 3 days but has gone really floppy since, gave it 1.25 ml of metacam last night and some simulox, I have read some give a multi vit injection as well, this is my next course of action. I know you sometimes just get a wrong one but this one seems a strong calf worth trying to save. Any more advice without quoting the obvious.

 

[Werzle]

Perhaps the bruisings coming out in it, doesnt sound like you can do much more than your are apart from getting a vets advice.

 

[M-J-G]

1.25 ml of Metacam won't do it much good.

I'd give to 2ml at least.

 

[icanshootwell]

Perhaps the bruisings coming out in it, doesnt sound like you can do much more than your are apart from getting a vets advice.

Calf seems better today, I gave it a multi vitamin drench as well.

 

[Devonian]

1.25 ml of Metacam won't do it much good.

I'd give to 2ml at least.

Dose is 1ml per 40kg so unless it's a monster of a week old calf, I'd say 1.25-1.5ml of metacam was spot on. Not actually meant to give it to cattle less than a week old anyway!!

 

[M-J-G]

Dose is 1ml per 40kg so unless it's a monster of a week old calf, I'd say 1.25-1.5ml of metacam was spot on. Not actually meant to give it to cattle less than a week old anyway!!

The less than a week thing is just in case of kidney damage if use is prolonged, but it's highly unlikely to cause any problem.

Do you let a calf be in pain or jag it because one calf in 15 thousand has shown kidney issues after being given the drug.
I know what is opt for.

I used to go by the dose, but several vets have said that's a very broad dosage rate and that it applies more in bigger animals and that the rated dose in the likes of a calf or lamb is unlikely to do much good.

 

[Devonian]

No I wouldnt let it be in pain either. Have jabbed many a calf under a week old myself, but a dose rate is a dose rate and more likely to cause kidney damage if you over dose just for the sake of it.

My point was that, saying 1.25ml won't do any good, isn't very helpful. He's given it the required dose rate. And by what my vets have said, that is what you should stick to.

 

[M-J-G]

No I wouldnt let it be in pain either. Have jabbed many a calf under a week old myself, but a dose rate is a dose rate and more likely to cause kidney damage if you over dose just for the sake of it.

My point was that, saying 1.25ml won't do any good, isn't very helpful. He's given it the required dose rate. And by what my vets have said, that is what you should stick to.

If it won't do any good how is it not helpful?

In the same respect why do you give it to a calf under a week old when your told not to.

You either do as you're told or you don't, and how do you know the dosage is correct yet the advice on age isn't.

I'll agree to disagree with you.