Any Vets? need advice...(non dog related)

[MO_GSP]

So I'm helping my youngest brother with some calves he's got, most of them are bottle calves some are already weaned, long story short I basically talked him into getting some below average ones to add to his current... and they have proposed some problems they are all seeming to catch something they are coughing, have scours, and nasal discharge. I'm feeling terribly responsible and wondering if anyone could help me figure out whats going on, pneumonia? infection? I'll get the vet if need be (which i think is needed) but was hoping someone could give advice on meds or something to try, I've been helping him financially through this so if its treatable without an expensive vet bill I would like him to maximize his profits!

Thanks

p.s. there are 14 total calves 8 of which were purchased from a new farm and the others were perfectly healthy before the introduction of the new 8, the bottle calves are kept in a pen seperate from the weaned calves but only seperated by a barbwire fence, we give them 2 bottles a day 1morning and 1night, the weaned calves get grain and hay, 1 of the bottle calves seems pretty sickly starting to lose appetite

[Cajun Casey]

Most feed stores sell injectable aqueous penicillin. First, get them on clean, dry ground.

[ezzy333]

You need a vet! tThere are some medicated feeds that would help but it sounds like you need more than that if you don't want to lose the whole herd.

Ezzy

[kninebirddog]

http://www.jefferslivestock.com/categor ... 025&c2c=sc

Get stuff for the scours and also add electrolytes ..get them to a single water source where they have to drink medicated water...you may also want to go the first run with bolouses to get a kick start into care

http://www.jefferslivestock.com/product ... 8&cn=31025

http://www.jefferslivestock.com/product ... 7&cn=31025

http://www.jefferslivestock.com/product ... 4&cn=31025

if you do not see any improvement with in a few days after starting add in for the coccidia sulfa http://www.jefferslivestock.com/product ... D&cn=31025

that is what the ranchers I used to work for would do.

http://www.couponchief.com/jefferspet there is a 10% off coupon

[kninebirddog]

here is an injectable http://www.jefferslivestock.com/product ... 7&cn=31025

[ezzy333]

I will bet you dollars to donuts that there will be dead calves before oral medications have a chance to work when he is getting started this late.

Ezzy

[kninebirddog]

you had just posted when I went back and got the info on the injectables also depends on how down they really are so if they are still eating maintaining some weight pills will work but yes if they have dropped more then 15% of their weight by all means inject them......and the electrolytes are also just as important to get down them to restore what they are loosing from the scours

Rancher I worked for tried what he could orally before" stabbing the meat with needles and ruining good meat" as he put it

[MO_GSP]

im thinking injectibles, the healthy ones went downhill too fast in my opinion but we're about to find out, the vet is coming out when i get off work tonight. thanks for everyones quick replies

[proudag08]

Good luck!!!

[raven34]

Keep us posted!!! Vet is safest bet at this point.. Good luck!

[ezzy333]

you had just posted when I went back and got the info on the injectables also depends on how down they really are so if they are still eating maintaining some weight pills will work but yes if they have dropped more then 15% of their weight by all means inject them......and the electrolytes are also just as important to get down them to restore what they are loosing from the scours

Rancher I worked for tried what he could orally before" stabbing the meat with needles and ruining good meat" as he put it

The material you linked to was to be given by IV and not stabbing the meat. Of course we all go the oral route when we see something starting to deveolp but when they have full blown scours and are starting to lose appetite you better get something done immediately or you will have dead calves.

Ezzy

[kninebirddog]

If they went down that fast..yes injectables unfortunately are the way to go

as they get back on their hooves again you may want to add Vit B to help them over the stress..

Ezzy when a person is in the field there is no giving IV's in a chute ..PS I did work on a cattle ranch prior to getting into birddogs

[Brittguy]

When ever a vet advised to give penicillin I noticed that it was always much higher than dosage recommended on bottle , probably twice as much.
For the next time if you bought them at a sale usually there is a vet that gives a shot. We use to call it a shipping fever shot. It was standard practice to get shot before bringing them from the sale barn.

[kninebirddog]

First thing we did at the ranches I worked at when they ever brought new cattle or calves in was Vit B a dose of LA200 vaccinate blackleg and a 3 day sulfa bolous drench in ivermec and Pink eye powder no matter what

[ezzy333]

If they went down that fast..yes injectables unfortunately are the way to go

as they get back on their hooves again you may want to add Vit B to help them over the stress..

Ezzy when a person is in the field there is no giving IV's in a chute ..PS I did work on a cattle ranch prior to getting into birddogs

I did grow up and then own a ranch or farm and have seen this problem hundreds of times. I understand the IV thing and thats why I said the material you recommended was an IV treatment and wouldn't work for them without calling a vet. What you recommeded was good material but just wasn't practical in this case.

Ezzy

[dog dr]

sounds like they all have a good case of shipping fever, plus the scour issue which could be different things. i use alot of Draxxin for respiratory issues, and Banamine to help with fever and inflamation. Penicillin wont help you much in this case. you were right to call the vet.

[birddog1968]

sounds like they all have a good case of shipping fever, plus the scour issue which could be different things. i use alot of Draxxin for respiratory issues, and Banamine to help with fever and inflamation. Penicillin wont help you much in this case. you were right to call the vet.

Whats your thoughts on Tylan for shipping fever?

[kninebirddog]

sounds like they all have a good case of shipping fever, plus the scour issue which could be different things. i use alot of Draxxin for respiratory issues, and Banamine to help with fever and inflamation. Penicillin wont help you much in this case. you were right to call the vet.

Hope the vet can get you ahead of the game ....please keep us posted

[MO_GSP]

Well the vet came out and gave em all shots to help break the fever as well as something called baytril!? He swears by it and I trust him. One of them was bad enough we had to tube him and give him electrolytes, the vet also left us with enough to do it again tomorrow!