The lunger calf Update 06/08
Apr 1, 2016 16:22:39 GMT -5
elnini, Debbie Lincoln, and 2 more like this
Post by lew92 on Apr 1, 2016 16:22:39 GMT -5
We bought Peanut at the sale barn in late January along with another calf and raised them on 22/20 all-milk replacer. When he was about a month old, Peanut started coughing and wheezing, so I got Draxxin and Banamine from the vet for him when LA 200 did nothing to help. He got better, but not great.
The vet was out 2 weeks ago to do an ultrasound on the cow so I had him listen to the calf, too. He said he is a lunger - will always wheeze but it may improve with time. It would be worse after he has a bottle or eats, but should be about the same otherwise. He gave me 2 more doses of Banamine for him, but I didn't see any improvement.
This calf has always had great energy, been very curious about every single thing out there, and loves his attention. After what the vet said about the wheezing being worse after a bottle, I decided to quit bottle feeding the calves and went to putting the MR powder in with their grain and soaked beet pulp ration. His wheezing quit escalating at feeding time.
Then this morning, I decided to try giving him medication via inhaler. I have asthmatic bronchitis, so I have quite a few inhalers laying around and had 2 different medications that had expired, so I thought why not try it on the calf?
I used my drill to cut a circle out of the bottom of a large, heavy plastic drink cup from the convenience store. Clipped the calf to an anchored lead line, listened to his lungs with the stethoscope (awful!), put the cup over his face and gave him a puff of each medication. I went to feed the chickens and pick up eggs, then listened to his lungs again.
He was still wheezing, but it was a lot quieter and I could tell he was moving a lot more air.
Now, this is a calf that we fully intend to keep for our own butchering purposes. In fact, we will have him butchered in the fall so that the subzero cold of winter doesn't hurt his lungs further. I will quit giving him the inhalers about 4 weeks before he goes to slaughter...or when he is too big for me to wrestle the cup over his face.
So far, he is a very sweet boy and will do just about anything for a brisket scratch, but we'll see.
The vet was out 2 weeks ago to do an ultrasound on the cow so I had him listen to the calf, too. He said he is a lunger - will always wheeze but it may improve with time. It would be worse after he has a bottle or eats, but should be about the same otherwise. He gave me 2 more doses of Banamine for him, but I didn't see any improvement.
This calf has always had great energy, been very curious about every single thing out there, and loves his attention. After what the vet said about the wheezing being worse after a bottle, I decided to quit bottle feeding the calves and went to putting the MR powder in with their grain and soaked beet pulp ration. His wheezing quit escalating at feeding time.
Then this morning, I decided to try giving him medication via inhaler. I have asthmatic bronchitis, so I have quite a few inhalers laying around and had 2 different medications that had expired, so I thought why not try it on the calf?
I used my drill to cut a circle out of the bottom of a large, heavy plastic drink cup from the convenience store. Clipped the calf to an anchored lead line, listened to his lungs with the stethoscope (awful!), put the cup over his face and gave him a puff of each medication. I went to feed the chickens and pick up eggs, then listened to his lungs again.
He was still wheezing, but it was a lot quieter and I could tell he was moving a lot more air.
Now, this is a calf that we fully intend to keep for our own butchering purposes. In fact, we will have him butchered in the fall so that the subzero cold of winter doesn't hurt his lungs further. I will quit giving him the inhalers about 4 weeks before he goes to slaughter...or when he is too big for me to wrestle the cup over his face.
So far, he is a very sweet boy and will do just about anything for a brisket scratch, but we'll see.