Does anyone have any experience with bloat in calves about 6-8 weeks old? Had the 3rd case in 3 days now, vet seems at a loss. This bloat progresses very fast! Any input would be greatly appreciated.
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Some years I have had this problem which has been called 'colicky bloat' generically. It occurs most often when calves are confined in feedlots or smaller pens where they are exposed to pathagens and can occur secondarily to bacterial diarrhea.
We have a 'cocktail' that we give the calves comprised of 200 ml antigas, 200 ml mineral oil, 200 ml kaopectate, 200 ml Hibitane and 20 ml of oxytetracyline administered by stomach tube. You should see improvement within 2-4 hrs.
No improvement could indicate a twisted gut which would require immediate surgery if the calve was to be saved.
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About ten years ago I had a similar problem. The bloat was so rapid the calf would die in about two hours. The vet was lost. If I got right on them the minute they even looked funny I could sometimes save them. I hammered them hard with Tri-vetrin and doused them with sulfa-methazine and some bloat medicine. I cut open a dead one and all the little fingers in his stomach just were sloughing off. Sent one down to the lab and the diagnosis was they didn't have a clue(what else is new?). It cleared up once they were out on green grass. I suspect it was some sort of bug. Some of the ones that made it lost quite a bit of hair afterwards, suggesting they got pretty hot. Never had it again. These calves were on their mothers but big enough to eat a bit of hay.
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Talked to a fellow last night that has alot of sick calves. No bloat but temperatures are up and the calves just don't look right. When he finally lost one he sent it to the lab to see what was happening. The diagnosis was that it was complications from some sort of mold or fungis in the feed. He says the hay looks good but there must be something in there a person can't see or smell.
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Thanks for the replies, we're still getting a few cases. We think it's scour related, although they're not passing anything. What we're giving them is a drench of mineral & vegetable oil, with a little detergent mixed in. Then we hose them. It's over in a few hours but you have to catch them early and it is very hot.
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Have you been having any pneumonia problems? Sometimes cattle will bloat after a bout of pneumonia. It's got something to do with damage to the nerves involving the rumen. The stomachs don't function properly, and things get backed up. It wouldn't hurt to check their temperatures, and if they are up, give them some antibiotics.
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Lots of ideas on this. We seem to have at least one incidence like this every year, the bloat comes on fast and the calf is gone soon. We've never been able to save one, usually find them dead in the evening or am. A few years ago I took one in to the vet, he diagnosed parotinitis (sp?) from stomach ulcers. We opened it up and the stomach (I'm not sure which one) had several holes in it that had let the contents out to cause the bloat.
He sewed up the stomach, cleaned it out, put in 500cc of penicilin and sewed it up. Calf died 2 hrs later, the bill came 1 month later. The vet said this was a common enough problem, cause unknown in fast growing calfs and the ones that die do seem to be a good size. Perhaps they are putting through more grass/hay then their young stomach can handle yet.
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I usually get one calf a year that dies of stomach ulcers. Usually it is one of the biggest calves. My vet tried to tell me it is a BVD problem(standard excuse when they don't have a clue!) but I have vaccinated for this for 20 years! I suspect it is a problem with what they might be eating. Maybe rough hay or dirt? We never had this problem until we started using big exotic bloodlines. Maybe its like chickens....we've pushed them too far and we start getting problems?
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