Calf 6 - Holstein Vet visit

We visited the cattle veterinarian this afternoon.   At 7 am Donna and I helped the calf drink milk from Big Red.  The calf had a bowel movement and Donna was able to see the stool's color.  Usually a new calf's stool is a bright solid yellow for a day or two.  Buster's stool was a chalky tan.  Yesterday Buster's stool was solid; today he had diarrhea.  It appeared that Buster had scours.

Also, Big Red still had her placenta / after-birth.

I called the vet and made an appointment in the afternoon.

The vet found that Red's placenta was still attached internally.  Still "buttoned".   He felt around internally and learned the placenta was firmly attached.  He didn't feel that he could "unbutton" the placenta without a risk of missing some internally.

Instead he gave Red a shot that triggers contractions.  This usually works in getting the placenta out.  I'll find out by Friday; else another vet visit.  The placenta needs to come out else there is a large chance of infection and/or future fertility problems.

After we returned home to the corral we could se that Big Red was having contractions.  I'll check tomorrow to see if she had gotten rid of her placenta yet.


The vet was more concerned with Buster.  He had a bowel movement and the vet could see the color of his stool.  Yup, Buster had scours.

http://www.cattlenetwork.com/cattle-resources/baby-calf-health/Calf-Scours-Causes-prevention-and-treatment-121277154.html

A calf can easily quickly die from scours.  The vet gave Buster some shots.  The most important thing is to keep Buster hydrated.  The vet showed me how put a tube down Buster's throat to then administer fluids with electrolytes.  This is a two person job.  I had to back Buster into a corner, hold him between my legs, then correctly put a tube down into his stomach and not in his throat.

I am to do this every 4 to 6 hours.  Tonight Donna helped me give Buster fluids at 9 pm. We will do this again at 3 am.  My first attempt went well.  We took it slow and we were successful.

It is also important to keep Buster warm.  After returning from the vet I blocked off part of the barn with two temporary corral panels.  I covered the floor with loose straw.  Earlier Donna had brought a large blanket to dry a wet Buster off.  Buster likes his "blankie".  He wore it to the vet visit.  In the barn we left the blanket on him.  At 9 pm we found the blanket still on part of Buster. In the barn Buster was out of the cold and light breeze and was warm.

In the trailer with a blanket to go see the vet.

Taking a nap with his "blankie" while waiting for the vet.

Big Red waiting for the vet.

In the barn after the visit to the vet.

Big Red and Buster had been bonding more and more even if Big Red was still touchy about letting Buster drink from her without our helping Buster. His staying by himself in the barn and drinking fluids with electrolytes instead of milk all the time will slow the bonding experience down.