Barbara Guth
Chillin' with the herd
Hello everyone. I'm hoping someone can tell me something as this situation makes no sense to me. I have an approx ten day old calf, I got him from a family member who doesnt have the time I do to tend to him. Here's what's happening. When they found him (shortly after birth, possibly next day) he wasn't doing well. They attempted to let the momma feed him but she kept knocking him over (he can't balance himself) so they brought him up and began bottle feeding. He was doing fine, eating well, walking around etc. (I didn't believe them until they sent me video of it :/) He began to poop on the porch so they moved him to the barn right next to the house and bam two days later he can't get up at all on his own. On Saturday the 17th I brought him home and began the process of trying to get him back on his feet. He lays on his side because he can't stand up. When I go out and help him sit up I have to use a hay bales for support or he'll fall right over. Once he's sitting up he will attempt to scratch his ear, once he does that his feet pop out from underneath him and back on his side he goes with all four legs stiffened. At first he was barely eating and he couldn't keep his eyes open, and a friend of mine suggested noromycin 300 (all I had on hand, vet was closed) so we gave him a shot. The next day his eyes were wide open and clear and his ears perked up and now he's eating like he's starving. He responds when I walk in the shed to check on him, he's attempting to stand on his own he just can't do it. When I sit him up, he immediately tries to stand but will fall back down. I've had him for a week and I've given him a dose of nursemate (don't know 100 percent he got colostrum), probios, jumpstart pro, and this evening we gave him a shot of multimin90 that I got from the vet (vet couldn't see him today because of several surgeries). Now, at this point I'm afraid to give him anything else for fear of accidentally killing him trying to get him up. So any advice at all that can help get me through the weekend would be most appreciated as I'm taking him to the vet Monday morning to try and figure out what happened and how he went down so fast. My apologies if I rambled or forgot something but I'm very tired, worried and frustrated. PS I can't upload the video but I wish I could so you could see how he was prior to whatever happened to him.