Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2008 9:28:00 GMT -5
Well, the drama continues with Marigold the hard-keeping Dexter. After finally weaning the calf about 3 weeks ago, learning about and starting her on a good nutritional program, monitoring her weight closely (gains were made! , milking TAD (successfully!), and overcoming Ketosis, I am now pretty convinced (99% sure) that Marigold has coccidiosis. Friday night before we went out of town, I noticed that her normally firm manure was soupy and ploppy (how's that for a description?). I was concerned, but unsure of the cause and hoped that it was heat cycle related as she had had no feed changes aside from DECREASING the rich second cutting canary/alfalfa mix hay. She was milked by a neighbor while I was away, and I noticed when I returned Sunday night that her poops were extremely watery, even worse than Friday night. My alarm climaxed on Monday night when I found ropy strings of bloody, tissue-like yuck in her otherwise super-soupy manure. The bloody discharge continued for about a day, and since then her manure is clear of blood and firms up on occasion but is still noticably looser than normal. Her appetite is excellent, she is drinking pretty much her normal amount (10 gallons a day), and aside from acting a bit depressed on Tuesday morning, has been her opinionated, pushy, demanding self throughout. She is not pastured with any other animals, and her shed, which is deeply bedded in junk hay, is picked out twice daily of poops. The shed is just a roof and one side, so there is plenty of air flow. I was going to switch pastures and put the calves in her pen, but given that coccidiosis is so contagious that plan is down the tubes. After researching extensively since Monday, I'm pretty convinced that it is coccidiosis (even though I know it's most common in calves). We have had recent weather changes (hot/cold/hot/cold...will it make up its mind???), recent weaning, and she is recovering from poor nutrition (from my lack of understanding, not a lack of being fed), all of which are precursors to coccidosis. After reading various recommendations for treatment, I found the most effective approach after the coccidiae rupture from the intestines is to just provide supportive treatment as necessary (nutrition, hydration, address any secondary infections, etc). I'm wondering though how long I should expect the diarrhea to last, and when I should start to get concerned that it's not going away?? At this point the diarrhea has improved somewhat, but it has lasted almost 5 days. Also, anyone have thoughts on whether she's more prone to a future outbreak? I really don't want to put her on something like Rumensin, which is a recommended preventative treatment. I'm already taking all of the other preventative measures recommended (clean water up off the ground, clean well-bedded shelter, ventilation, no over-crowding, etc). The only thing I can't control is the moisture level, since our property is at the bottom of a very wet hillside and we've had a lot of rain/snow melt lately. However, her shed is dry on top of the bedding. Any thoughts? Am I headed in totally the wrong direction? She's still milking pretty much the same, although she dropped from 2+qt TAD to 1.5qt TAD on Monday and Tuesday, but was back up last night. She has lost pretty much all the weight she had gained (which wasn't a lot, but it was a start), which is frusterating. Sorry for rambling...just concerned and trying to do the best for my moody moo!
All the best,
Nikki
All the best,
Nikki