Sale barn calf with shallow/increased respirations - ADVICE

[raykour]

I bought a 235 lb. calf at auction yesterday (I buy from this sale barn occasionally)

He trotted up to the load out and jumped in the trailer and then started opened mouth panting for about 10 seconds, then coughed about 5 times. Uh-oh, I thought. I got him home and immediately gave him 17 cc subQ Nuflor. This was about 5 pm last night.

He is eating GRAIN, but does not appear to be eating hay, and drinking modeslty. He breathes rapidly and audibly, but not deeply. He is alert with no discharge from eyes or nose.

How long should I wait for improvement in his breathing and for him to take forage before I explore other avenues of treatment?

Is there anything else I should be doing for him? I do not know if he has a fever, as I was unable to take his temp. Our chute is a ways away from where I have him in the barn, and I didn't want to further stress him by running him down there. I know I could give him some banamine, but I am not sure it is worth the stress to bother with the shot.



ANy advice is welcome!

 

[WildRoseBeef]

I think you should keep him away from the grain for a while. With him eating just grain that could be a precursor to more and bigger problems.

You should try to take his temperature. I don't know how else you would be able to give him is shots without putting him in the chute, but it would be worth the while to get him in and get a temperature reading to see if he is feverish or not.

Also, where are you located? Shallow, rapid breathing could be due to heat stress, or something more serious. I would also get a vet out to look at him.

I hate to say this but it's too bad you ended up with a calf like him. Sounds like he's going to cost you more than what you initially paid for him.

 

[raykour]

Hi Karin,
I appreciate your reply.

I did have the vet out today because after the Nuflor and banamine, his respirations were still fast and shallow.

He was treated with banamine and 4 cc of a cyclosporine drug called EXCEEED. Assuming he doesn't croak before, he will need another dose Saturday night.

While getting his temp would have been nice, this was all done in a stall. It is arguable which would be more stressful....running him a good distance down to the chute or simply putting a rope over him and dallying him in the stall.

I paid .92/lb for the calf. While losing him wouldn't be great and I hate to see that happen, I wouldn't be out load either. The meds only cost $30. Looking back on 2011 I have bought about 20 head from the sale barn so far this year, and have only treated one other (with Nuflor) for a very mild respiratory condition. Sometimes you just get unlucky I guess!

He continues to remain alert and not appearing "down and out" and drinking. HOwever, not eating a whole lot of hay or chewing. I haven't seen him chew at all.

The grain I am offering is a mix of a pellet, corn, barely, and an alfalfa pellet. I guess I was just assuming something was better than nothing. So should I quit offering the grain? I can't allow him access to the grass without the possibility of him coming into contact with my healthy cows. He might have a little more interest in the grass than year old hay.

Oh, and we are in COlorado. It was hot yesterday (90 degrees).

~Whitney

 

[elevan]

I don't have anything useful to add being very new to cattle but wanted to say that I hope your calf makes a recovery for you.

I bought 2 calves at a sale a few weeks ago and they both went down 2 days after...I lost 1 and was able to save the other.

 

[raykour]

Thanks Emily. He is essentially the same. After treatment with 2 different antibiotics...48 hours after the first treatment and 24 hours after the second. Argh. He is due for another dose of the 2nd treatment on Saturday night. So if he is still the same after that, I have no idea what to do!

Sorry to hear you lost a calf. That is always a bummer. A nice 300 lb. bull calf got bitten in the face by a rattlesnake last night here. He is looking pretty rough so we are fighting for him too.

~Whitney

 

[she-earl]

Our neighbor had a calf with pneumonia for which they used several antibiotics. As a last try, the vet used Draxin which they try if nothing else works. That did the trick and the calf grew just fine. Does your calf seem to be at least holding its own or slightly improving? It may take the cough a little time to disappear. If the calf is showing signs of improvement, I would give time for the antiibiotics to work.

 

[jhm47]

Draxxin is the drug of choice for pneumonia. Almost every major cattleman uses it as their first line of defense. Pricey, but worth every cent.

 

[raykour]

would like to give the draxxin a try, but apparently it is a very similar front line med to excede. I don't think it is worth trying now. Calf is slightly worse today. Less appetite, some panting even when not stressed. probably will put him down later today.

 

[SuburbanFarmChic]

I love Draxxin and use it as my go to for pneumonia in my goats. Have you hit him with maybe Vitamin B or Iron? Or both. Maybe a shot of some kind of power punch type solution.

 

[raykour]

Have not tried the vitamin b. but there has to be fluid or pirulent matter in his lungs for him to continue to pant/have troulbe breathing with analgesics on board. Eating doesn't matter if he can't breath I guess which is why I haven't really gone after that end of things yet.