Post by Lannie on Jun 25, 2010 9:17:42 GMT -5
This morning, I noticed Samantha had some white looking stuff on her tail and both sides of her butt, like she has diarrhea. I noticed it when I let her out of her stall this morning to nurse Cricket in the stanchion. I went and looked in the stall, and there was a big puddle of it by one wall. Then while she was nursing, she spewed out another big puddle. It's very liquid, and not completely white, but white-ish. I looked in Joann's book and she says "white scours" are caused by E. coli and the calf not getting enough colostrum, or not getting it soon enough, neither of which is the case with Samantha. Could it be from drinking too much milk?
I only have experience with two calves, Cricket and Seven, and I've not seen this with either of them. Seven had diarrhea once for a few days when he was about this age, but it was greenish, and this is much more watery and more white.
We had a little change of routine yesterday, because it was our monthly shopping day, we left Samantha with Cricket all day. Normally, we'd have locked her up at about 3:00 pm, then let her out to nurse after I milked at 7:00 pm, then put her back in her stall for the night, but yesterday, they were together until 9:00 pm. Samantha seemed totally fine last night and I didn't see any signs of diarrhea or that she was feeling "off" in any way. We got a new halter for her and put that on when we put her in her stall, and she was just as feisty as ever. This morning, she seems a bit more subdued, so I know she's not feeling good.
Please tell me this is a simple case of milk scours, and not something serious. Our cow vet retired, and the lady that took his place is not a good vet, and wouldn't give a flip about a scouring calf. She'd probably just say we should put her down. So whatever this is, I'll have to deal with it myself, or the other option would be to haul her all the way to Sturgis to the other vet. I'd rather not have to do that, but if it's a matter of life or death, you bet we will.
I don't know if she has a temp because that's another thing we haven't gotten around to getting - a thermometer. Guess I'd better put it on the shopping list. Also, Samantha is 12 days old today.
Help?
~Lannie
(Edited because apparently I can't spell when I'm stressed...)
I only have experience with two calves, Cricket and Seven, and I've not seen this with either of them. Seven had diarrhea once for a few days when he was about this age, but it was greenish, and this is much more watery and more white.
We had a little change of routine yesterday, because it was our monthly shopping day, we left Samantha with Cricket all day. Normally, we'd have locked her up at about 3:00 pm, then let her out to nurse after I milked at 7:00 pm, then put her back in her stall for the night, but yesterday, they were together until 9:00 pm. Samantha seemed totally fine last night and I didn't see any signs of diarrhea or that she was feeling "off" in any way. We got a new halter for her and put that on when we put her in her stall, and she was just as feisty as ever. This morning, she seems a bit more subdued, so I know she's not feeling good.
Please tell me this is a simple case of milk scours, and not something serious. Our cow vet retired, and the lady that took his place is not a good vet, and wouldn't give a flip about a scouring calf. She'd probably just say we should put her down. So whatever this is, I'll have to deal with it myself, or the other option would be to haul her all the way to Sturgis to the other vet. I'd rather not have to do that, but if it's a matter of life or death, you bet we will.
I don't know if she has a temp because that's another thing we haven't gotten around to getting - a thermometer. Guess I'd better put it on the shopping list. Also, Samantha is 12 days old today.
Help?
~Lannie
(Edited because apparently I can't spell when I'm stressed...)