Post by dwellandramble on Jul 30, 2020 0:59:35 GMT -5
Pasting what I wrote in my previous thread so I can get more on-topic advice with this new development.
UPDATED TO ADD: Got results back from the vet and her protein in her blood was low, so she didn't get much colostrum. The vet is advising we separate the calf, bottle feed, keep her in an extremely clean pen away from any mud and her mom until 3 months old when she starts creating her own immunity. This feels impossible to me. His other option was a Blood Transfusion that runs about $1000. Please someone tell me you've dealt with this before. I'm a wreck.
COPIED TEXT FROM THIS AFTERNOON:
Things have gone very downhill very fast. Both mama and calf were doing great this morning at milking. Peppy and sprightly, and Maudie let down for me better. I checked them again before leaving to run a few errands, and when I got home the calf was lying on its side breathing very shallowly and had a dry nose. Maudie looked mostly ok, but had some foamy saliva around her mouth. I called the vet immediately as I ran the calf into the house. She was looking more dead than alive. While we waited about 20 minutes for the vet to arrive I was afraid she stopped breathing a few times. He got her an IV of saline, I believe with glucose? Gave her some penicillin and banamine too. That perked her up within an hour. He left me more saline and glucose to give via iv every 8 hours. And just now (2 hours later) she was up and I managed to give her 2 pints of milk.
The vet also took blood to test if she got enough colostrum. The big question right now is whether she's dehydrated because it's too hot, or if she didn't actually get colostrum and hasn't been nursing like I thought. I'm sick with worry. I brought out a bottle right after she was born and milked out some colostrum to give. She had a little, but then was up and very lively and acting ready to eat, so I decided I'd back off a bit. My dad also helped her get the teat in her mouth and saw her suckle. I've seen her bunting the udder, nosing around it, acting very familiar with it, and because she was so lively and bright eyed and her stomach looked more filled out I assumed she had been nursing. Maudie's teats usually looked like one or two were shinier than the others too, but nothing dramatic. Last time around I was overly concerned with never seeing the calf nurse for the first several days, and I was assured by folks on the forum that the calf was just sneaking milk when I wasn't around to see. Now I'm absolutely sick thinking that I should have just given her a full bottle of the colostrum just so I knew for sure. I believe we can find out tonight the test results.
Maudie is a little ketotic. He gave her a steroid injection and some banamine. We are making sure she's eating hay (she has been, just seems more picky). We are also getting a mister system into the barn TONIGHT because I cannot deal with overheated animals and all the worry! We have never had an issue with the cows overheating, even with our usual very hot summers, but I've never had a cow calving in the summer either. And I never will again! I didn't want it this way, but my AI guy is so hard to get ahold of and by the time I finally got him I just wanted to get it done sooner than later since I was having a baby soon myself.
Please all and any advice for our calf. She is so sweet and I put so much hope on her with really wanting to have a mid-mini milker for our family cow that we got to raise from a calf.
UPDATED TO ADD: Got results back from the vet and her protein in her blood was low, so she didn't get much colostrum. The vet is advising we separate the calf, bottle feed, keep her in an extremely clean pen away from any mud and her mom until 3 months old when she starts creating her own immunity. This feels impossible to me. His other option was a Blood Transfusion that runs about $1000. Please someone tell me you've dealt with this before. I'm a wreck.
COPIED TEXT FROM THIS AFTERNOON:
Things have gone very downhill very fast. Both mama and calf were doing great this morning at milking. Peppy and sprightly, and Maudie let down for me better. I checked them again before leaving to run a few errands, and when I got home the calf was lying on its side breathing very shallowly and had a dry nose. Maudie looked mostly ok, but had some foamy saliva around her mouth. I called the vet immediately as I ran the calf into the house. She was looking more dead than alive. While we waited about 20 minutes for the vet to arrive I was afraid she stopped breathing a few times. He got her an IV of saline, I believe with glucose? Gave her some penicillin and banamine too. That perked her up within an hour. He left me more saline and glucose to give via iv every 8 hours. And just now (2 hours later) she was up and I managed to give her 2 pints of milk.
The vet also took blood to test if she got enough colostrum. The big question right now is whether she's dehydrated because it's too hot, or if she didn't actually get colostrum and hasn't been nursing like I thought. I'm sick with worry. I brought out a bottle right after she was born and milked out some colostrum to give. She had a little, but then was up and very lively and acting ready to eat, so I decided I'd back off a bit. My dad also helped her get the teat in her mouth and saw her suckle. I've seen her bunting the udder, nosing around it, acting very familiar with it, and because she was so lively and bright eyed and her stomach looked more filled out I assumed she had been nursing. Maudie's teats usually looked like one or two were shinier than the others too, but nothing dramatic. Last time around I was overly concerned with never seeing the calf nurse for the first several days, and I was assured by folks on the forum that the calf was just sneaking milk when I wasn't around to see. Now I'm absolutely sick thinking that I should have just given her a full bottle of the colostrum just so I knew for sure. I believe we can find out tonight the test results.
Maudie is a little ketotic. He gave her a steroid injection and some banamine. We are making sure she's eating hay (she has been, just seems more picky). We are also getting a mister system into the barn TONIGHT because I cannot deal with overheated animals and all the worry! We have never had an issue with the cows overheating, even with our usual very hot summers, but I've never had a cow calving in the summer either. And I never will again! I didn't want it this way, but my AI guy is so hard to get ahold of and by the time I finally got him I just wanted to get it done sooner than later since I was having a baby soon myself.
Please all and any advice for our calf. She is so sweet and I put so much hope on her with really wanting to have a mid-mini milker for our family cow that we got to raise from a calf.