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Barnyard Buddies:  Shaky 3 month old bull calf  |
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Kris Sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
131 Posts
Kris
Chickamauga
Ga.
USA
131 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 04 2008 : 11:11:39 AM
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I was feeding my 2 calves yesterday evening when I noticed the little bull was kind of shaky looking. He even walks a little choppy. I had just wormed them both a few days ago with the Safegaurd pellets. He's about 300 lbs. I had also just moved them both up front with the chickens and 3 dry does. The grass was rather high, so I thought the calves would love it. They did. So I thought maybe it was the same thing another cow did several months ago. When I saw him shaking, I thought it was the mold on the grass that made the other one sick. The vet told me to get him off that pasture quick and give him a magnesium drench. It helped.
I called the vet earlier and he called back. He said it sounds like a thiamin deficiency and to give him 10ccs of B-complex for about 4 days in the muscle. I've never done a muscular shot, only sub-q so I'm scared to death he's going to bolt as soon as I poke the needle in. So I'm waiting on some help. He looks a little better today. I had given him 5ccs last night under the skin. And moved them back out to the back. They're in the barn eating hay now.
Has anyone experienced this type of problem? And what was it?
Kris |
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FannyMay
Farmgirl in Training
25 Posts
Tara
Rosston
Arkansas
USA
25 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2008 : 11:29:37 AM
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It is called grass tetany. You need to keep a fresh supply of free choice minerals out for him especially if he has not been on fresh green grass in a while. He has a deficiancy of thiamin and mag. Giving a shot in the muscle is a little harder. Do you have some way to pen him up or put him in a stall in the barn and have some one push him up in a corner and have a small panel tied off so you can pull it around and squeeze him in there. That way you can give it to him wiht out him jumping around and breaking the needle off into him and hurting himself or yourself. You can give the shot in the neck muscle or in his rear hip.. On some of the older cows that I vacc. I have a couple that can not stand a shot and even in a shoot they jump around. Alot of the time I will take the needle off the syringe and pop them with the needle and give them a minute to calm down and then attatch the syringe QUICKLY and administer the shot, but most of the time I give it in the neck muscle, just remember to NOT go very low on the neck and give it. You can nick a big vein. I had to learn that one the hard way! Good luck!
There is no other life for me, but farm life. |
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Kris Sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
131 Posts
Kris
Chickamauga
Ga.
USA
131 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2008 : 12:25:43 PM
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Hey Tara, thanks for the info. How serious is this if not treated? The heifer is fine. She's with him all the time. And they had grass where they were when I moved them. The goats are all fine, too.
Thay have the mineral salt block which I just remembered to get for them the other day for the front lot. So do you think that's a reason, too? And they've had the loose mineral salt, too.
I'm going to wait till my SIL gets here to help me with the shot.
Thanks, Kris |
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FannyMay
Farmgirl in Training
25 Posts
Tara
Rosston
Arkansas
USA
25 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2008 : 10:29:02 PM
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This can be deadly, Not all animals react the same. Like if there is a cold going around and I get it but you don't. there bodies react differently. We don't use salt here at our farm. Instead we use a free choice mineral. It comes in a 50 lb bag and they need at least 4 oz each a day. I just put some in a pan every afternoon. If you put it all out at one time it sometimes will get hard and they won't eat it as well. and if we put out salt they will always eat the salt instead of the minerals. Ask your local feed supply store which kinds of minerals they recommend for your area. We use a type that has plenty of phosphorus and mag, and selinium. We have a deficiancy in those and the minerals help the cattle digest and keeps their system on a steady pace. http://cattletoday.info/grasstetany.htm
This site has a list of disease and health problems of cattle.
Also there is a difference in grasses, if the other grass was shorter and been grazed on it would be different than tall lush grass. I hope everything goes alright. Please feel free to e-mail me. Good luck.
There is no other life for me, but farm life. |
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Jami
True Blue Farmgirl
1238 Posts
Jami
Ellensburg
WA
USA
1238 Posts |
Posted - Oct 07 2008 : 08:09:19 AM
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In sheep this can be fatal if not caught immediately and treated, so good idea that you called the vet and started treatment. Let us know how he's doing.
Jami in WA
Farmgirl Sister #266
http://woolyinwashington.wordpress.com/ |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Oct 07 2008 : 2:33:29 PM
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My little fella is doing great so far. My SIL came Sun. and Mon. to give the shot of B-complex. I did it last night. I don't know what I was afraid of. I just stuck the needle in his rump and that was that. He was eating, so that helped. I had to go get something while they were eating their grain and when I came back he was jut standing there, not moving and foaming at the mouth. He was peeing, too. And not breathing. I started banging on his back and rubbing his neck and he did that for at least 4 minutes at the most. I thought he was dieing for sure or having a reaction from the shot. But he just got choked, I guess. He's ok now. They're both pigs, but good calves.
Thank you all for all the good advice and suggestions. I did get the minerals and epsom salt, too. I think he'll be fine now.
Thanks again, Kris
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Barnyard Buddies: Shaky 3 month old bull calf |
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Shaky 3 month old bull calf
