Post by Shelley (whistlingtrain) on Feb 14, 2008 22:12:34 GMT -5
You may recall that I picked up a Jersey bull calf last week to foster onto my Skunky cow. The calf was in perfect health last Friday, at 5 days old. Two days ago he started scouring, I thought from having access to the udder from heaven. So, I started him on electrolytes twice a day. I took Skunky's own calf from her so the two calves are together, and they're allowed back in after I milk her out and then they have free access to feed together. That is working, Skunky is at least tolerating the foster calf while they both nurse.
I started the calf on tetracycline bolus yesterday, followed by a squirt of probiotic paste 2-6 hours later, before milk feeding. I'm spacing the electrolyte feeds roughly 6 hours between the milk feeds, so he's getting milk every 12 hours. Up to last night he was still taking the electrolytes, but this afternoon he rejected them. I got mad at him and told him that if he died it was my fault. Naughty me. He just seemed so weakly and uninterested in life.
Anyway. I thought I might as well let the calves in with Skunky this afternoon, to at least get something in him. Surprised me, because I opened the gate and he bounded into the pen and went straight for the udder. He nursed about 4 minutes, then stopped to poo--very liquid and tan colored. I rubbed him all over, let him relax and he went back to nursing for about a minute. Then the food kicked in and he got all bouncy, like almost normal, but not quite. I let them all socialize for a while, then separated them again.
I'm just wondering if he's getting any better, or if I'm doing any good. Clearly he's not dehydrating. He pees nicely and it's not yellow, and his nose is nice and wet. I suppose I'll just keep up what I'm doing? If he gets dehydrated maybe he'll take the elctrolytes?
If anyone can tell me anything else I should be doing, I'd appreciate it. I don't want to lose him. I feel like it's my fault, since this one was so healthy when we brought him home. We do have a lot of muck, because it's February, and I made him a double layer coat last night out of sweaters, because it was chilly. That seemed to help.
Thank you!
Shelley
I started the calf on tetracycline bolus yesterday, followed by a squirt of probiotic paste 2-6 hours later, before milk feeding. I'm spacing the electrolyte feeds roughly 6 hours between the milk feeds, so he's getting milk every 12 hours. Up to last night he was still taking the electrolytes, but this afternoon he rejected them. I got mad at him and told him that if he died it was my fault. Naughty me. He just seemed so weakly and uninterested in life.
Anyway. I thought I might as well let the calves in with Skunky this afternoon, to at least get something in him. Surprised me, because I opened the gate and he bounded into the pen and went straight for the udder. He nursed about 4 minutes, then stopped to poo--very liquid and tan colored. I rubbed him all over, let him relax and he went back to nursing for about a minute. Then the food kicked in and he got all bouncy, like almost normal, but not quite. I let them all socialize for a while, then separated them again.
I'm just wondering if he's getting any better, or if I'm doing any good. Clearly he's not dehydrating. He pees nicely and it's not yellow, and his nose is nice and wet. I suppose I'll just keep up what I'm doing? If he gets dehydrated maybe he'll take the elctrolytes?
If anyone can tell me anything else I should be doing, I'd appreciate it. I don't want to lose him. I feel like it's my fault, since this one was so healthy when we brought him home. We do have a lot of muck, because it's February, and I made him a double layer coat last night out of sweaters, because it was chilly. That seemed to help.
Thank you!
Shelley