Post by corrae on Feb 6, 2019 13:21:12 GMT -5
I follow Cody Creelman, Cow Vet on FB. He is funny, talented, and spot on when it comes to knowledge.
Here's a post I thought timely:
Cody Creelman, Cow Vet
1 hr ·
Hypothermia in Calves
Hypothermia is something that our ranch deals with every season because we calve in January and February (we’re crazy, right?!). Having said that, unfortunately we are quite experienced in re-warming hypothermic calves and I would like to share more about hypothermia and how to treat with you.
Hypothermia is when an animal’s core body temperature is below normal. The normal rectal temperature of a calf is 101-103 °F (38.3-39.7 °C). Hypothermia can occur in newborn calves because of inclement weather conditions or because a calf is compromised in some way (ex: difficult birth) even during temperate weather. Newborn calves are most at risk in the first few hours of their life because they don’t have a good ability to regulate their temperature yet. They have limited fat stores to utilize so if they do not get up and nurse in time they can waste this precious energy trying to stay warm. This problem is compounded as these calves will now be less likely to get their colostrum in time, putting them at risk for Failure of Passive Transfer (FPT).
Proper nutrition and mineral intake in your cattle prior to calving is very important to ensure healthy, vigorous calves. Calving cows should be provided with lots of clean, dry bedding and be routinely checked during your calving season. Heifers may need special attention to ensure they are drying off their calves and allowing them to nurse.
Hypothermic calves may have excessive shivering, have an absence of shivering, may be depressed, down or non-responsive. A thermometer is an essential tool for diagnosing hypothermia. While a cold mouth in a calf may trigger that there is a problem with the calf, a thermometer will help you decide what further interventions to take.
Rewarming Procedure for Mild Cases of Hypothermia
A mildly hypothermic calf, having a temperature of approximately 95-100 °F (35-38 °C) can be rewarmed by simply bringing them into a warm environment such as a heated barn, placed under a heat lamp, put in a warm truck or a hot box and ensuring they are dry.
Rewarming Procedure for Severe Cases of Hypothermia
Calves that are severely hypothermic or below 95°F (35°C) require a little more work. Water immersion (placing calf in a warm water bath) has proven to be the most effective method for getting calves back to their normal temperature. A large feed tub or a large sink filled with warm water that is the temperature of a hot bath works great for this. Other rewarming methods can take 1.5 times as long and further compromise calves. The calf should be kept in the bath, supporting its head above water, until the calf becomes more alert and its temperature should be at least 98.5°F (37°C). This may take up to thirty minutes, so be patient. You may also need to add more warm water if the water cools. The calf will need to be immediately dried (an old blow dryer works great) and fed warm colostrum following removal from the bath. A bottle is preferred, but tubing is also acceptable. High energy colostrum products are a good idea as they have added energy in addition to the calf’s colostrum requirements which will help the calf to maintain its own temperature.
Some of the consequences of not intervening and treating hypothermic calves can be frostbite, failure of passive transfer and death. Timely intervention is extremely important in these cases.
Here's a post I thought timely:
Cody Creelman, Cow Vet
1 hr ·
Hypothermia in Calves
Hypothermia is something that our ranch deals with every season because we calve in January and February (we’re crazy, right?!). Having said that, unfortunately we are quite experienced in re-warming hypothermic calves and I would like to share more about hypothermia and how to treat with you.
Hypothermia is when an animal’s core body temperature is below normal. The normal rectal temperature of a calf is 101-103 °F (38.3-39.7 °C). Hypothermia can occur in newborn calves because of inclement weather conditions or because a calf is compromised in some way (ex: difficult birth) even during temperate weather. Newborn calves are most at risk in the first few hours of their life because they don’t have a good ability to regulate their temperature yet. They have limited fat stores to utilize so if they do not get up and nurse in time they can waste this precious energy trying to stay warm. This problem is compounded as these calves will now be less likely to get their colostrum in time, putting them at risk for Failure of Passive Transfer (FPT).
Proper nutrition and mineral intake in your cattle prior to calving is very important to ensure healthy, vigorous calves. Calving cows should be provided with lots of clean, dry bedding and be routinely checked during your calving season. Heifers may need special attention to ensure they are drying off their calves and allowing them to nurse.
Hypothermic calves may have excessive shivering, have an absence of shivering, may be depressed, down or non-responsive. A thermometer is an essential tool for diagnosing hypothermia. While a cold mouth in a calf may trigger that there is a problem with the calf, a thermometer will help you decide what further interventions to take.
Rewarming Procedure for Mild Cases of Hypothermia
A mildly hypothermic calf, having a temperature of approximately 95-100 °F (35-38 °C) can be rewarmed by simply bringing them into a warm environment such as a heated barn, placed under a heat lamp, put in a warm truck or a hot box and ensuring they are dry.
Rewarming Procedure for Severe Cases of Hypothermia
Calves that are severely hypothermic or below 95°F (35°C) require a little more work. Water immersion (placing calf in a warm water bath) has proven to be the most effective method for getting calves back to their normal temperature. A large feed tub or a large sink filled with warm water that is the temperature of a hot bath works great for this. Other rewarming methods can take 1.5 times as long and further compromise calves. The calf should be kept in the bath, supporting its head above water, until the calf becomes more alert and its temperature should be at least 98.5°F (37°C). This may take up to thirty minutes, so be patient. You may also need to add more warm water if the water cools. The calf will need to be immediately dried (an old blow dryer works great) and fed warm colostrum following removal from the bath. A bottle is preferred, but tubing is also acceptable. High energy colostrum products are a good idea as they have added energy in addition to the calf’s colostrum requirements which will help the calf to maintain its own temperature.
Some of the consequences of not intervening and treating hypothermic calves can be frostbite, failure of passive transfer and death. Timely intervention is extremely important in these cases.