Bloating calf

390kid · 04-05-2019 8:57pm #1

Well how’s it going? I’ve a month old calf here that bloats out after suckling for 2 or 3 hours. Is there any reason for this or what should I do to relieve it or cure it? It has seemed to knock him this past week or 2

Dakota Dan · 04-05-2019 9:22pm

Trocar and cannula, I tried it years ago on a calf off milk and it worked well but one day I gave the calf ration and went to check the cattle and when I came back a piece of grain blocked the cannula and the calf's lungs collapsed :mad: It should work well with a calf on milk though.

390kid · 04-05-2019 10:17pm

Dakota Dan wrote: »

Trocar and cannula, I tried it years ago on a calf off milk and it worked well but one day I gave the calf ration and went to check the cattle and when I came back a piece of grain blocked the cannula and the calf's lungs collapsed :mad: It should work well with a calf on milk though.

Oh ****in hell. That was bad luck ye sure it’s worth a go on her anyway

Base price · 04-05-2019 10:26pm

Is the calf on milk replacer and sucking from a teat feeder. Is he kicking when bloated and is he with other calves in a batch.

390kid · 05-05-2019 6:31am

Base price wrote: »

Is the calf on milk replacer and sucking from a teat feeder. Is he kicking when bloated and is he with other calves in a batch.

No he’s sucking a cow a first calver

Base price · 05-05-2019 1:07pm

390kid wrote: »

No he’s sucking a cow a first calver

I never heard of one bloating on a cow.

390kid · 05-05-2019 2:45pm

Base price wrote: »

I never heard of one bloating on a cow.

Neither did we!

patsy_mccabe · 05-05-2019 3:12pm

Could you give him some natural yogurt. I give it here to scouring calves and it seems to settle the stomach.

_Brian · 05-05-2019 9:10pm

We had a calf bloating all the time.
On the shed on straw and still bloating.

He was in an awful way with pain, kicking at himself.

We tubed him to release it and whatever it did he never bloated again.

Been told maybe it was maybe slight defect in neck of stomach and he couldn’t release gas.

Base price · 05-05-2019 9:32pm

_Brian wrote: »

We had a calf bloating all the time.
On the shed on straw and still bloating.

He was in an awful way with pain, kicking at himself.

We tubed him to release it and whatever it did he never bloated again.

Been told maybe it was maybe slight defect in neck of stomach and he couldn’t release gas.

We had a serious problem with calves bloating two years ago but they were on cmr. I posted about it at the time. I spent a few weeks back and forth to the Vet bringing calves in the back of the van. Vet was giving them buscopan and other injections. I used to have to stick them with a large guage needle to let the gas out. We lost four calves and two never really thrived after.

Base price · 07-05-2019 9:57pm

How is your calf doing now, is he still bloating?

390kid · 08-05-2019 8:46am

Base price wrote: »

How is your calf doing now, is he still bloating?

Well base price. I think we solved it. Mixture of bread soda releiveing her with the stomach tube and natural yoghurt. So hopefully it keeps it at bay

24_7 · 06-06-2019 10:16am

Did your calf give you any more trouble, how much baking soda and yoghurt did you have to give it. I have one bloated at the minute, just wondering what quantities to give him and in how much milk/water.

Tried a stomach bag down the throat to relieve the pressure but that didn't work so sticking a needle in and relieving it that way. Its working at the minute.

TooOldBoots · 06-06-2019 10:44am

24_7 wrote: »

Did your calf give you any more trouble, how much baking soda and yoghurt did you have to give it. I have one bloated at the minute, just wondering what quantities to give him and in how much milk/water.

Tried a stomach bag down the throat to relieve the pressure but that didn't work so sticking a needle in and relieving it that way. Its working at the minute.

Use castor oil for bloat, you'll get it in a chemist, around €8 for a bottle. Use about 100ml dose via a syringe into the mouth or if you have on a lamb feeder Don't needle the calves stomach as you are doing or you will cause an infection which will kill it.

lamb feeder syringe

390kid · 06-06-2019 12:12pm

24_7 wrote: »

Did your calf give you any more trouble, how much baking soda and yoghurt did you have to give it. I have one bloated at the minute, just wondering what quantities to give him and in how much milk/water.

Tried a stomach bag down the throat to relieve the pressure but that didn't work so sticking a needle in and relieving it that way. Its working at the minute.

No he gave no trouble since. I used a big tablespoon in a less than a Litre and dosed it into him, which can be dicey enough twice a day. The same with the yogurt only once a day.

Base price · 07-06-2019 4:29am

TooOldBoots wrote: »

Use castor oil for bloat, you'll get it in a chemist, around €8 for a bottle. Use about 100ml dose via a syringe into the mouth or if you have on a lamb feeder Don't needle the calves stomach as you are doing or you will cause an infection which will kill it.

lamb feeder syringe

I disagree.
IMO when a calf/bovine bloats the first course of action is to relieve the pain. In mild cases that can be achieved with a combination of oral, iv medication and changing the diet/restrictive diet. In more severe case more intrusive intervention is required. In young calves using a needle works well. In older animals a trocar & canulla is required. In all cases basic hygiene techniques is a must. I have been rearing cattle since the early 80's and to date I've never lost a animal to peritonitis.
Pic of the needle size that I use for calves with bloat that were supplied by my Vet.

_Brian · 07-06-2019 7:00am

Is there nothing can be done before letting them out to prevent it ?

Base price · 07-06-2019 11:57am

_Brian wrote: »

Is there nothing can be done before letting them out to prevent it ?

You could have 1 calf out of a pen of 9 suddenly bloat for no apparent reason. The calf wouldn't show any signs of been ill and drink cmr normally. They all get the same cmr, crunch and hay/straw.

_Brian · 07-06-2019 12:31pm

Base price wrote: »

You could have 1 calf out of a pen of 9 suddenly bloat for no apparent reason. The calf wouldn't show any signs of been ill and drink cmr normally. They all get the same cmr, crunch and hay/straw.

Yea that’s what I’ve seem in the past
Bloody annoying and time consuming to deal with.

24_7 · 07-06-2019 12:48pm

So calf is looking a better shape now. He wasn't swollen too badly yesterday evening but still used the needle to release the pressure, he looked ok this morning so just left him. I was trying to keep the needle clean and washing it in boiling water after use to minimise any infection risk, as said, first priority is to save the calf, then treat anything else after that.

I had also started giving him couple dessertspoons of yoghurt mixed in about 750ml water twice a day as suggested, and also a bit of bicarb soda in the meal, so hopefully he'll start back eating properly again without any hassle.

Only bought him Saturday along with four others, so was in a house eating straw and a bit of meal. Maybe just the change of food started it off.

Thanks for the help in replies

patsy_mccabe · 07-06-2019 12:52pm

Same thing happened a neighbour's calf. Old enough calf when bought, maybe 6 weeks. He reckoned it was the change of brand of CMR that did it.

SuperTortoise · 30-10-2019 8:05pm

Have one here myself this evening, 4 month old calf still on the cow, first one we've had here for a few years, i do remember having one or two a few years back as it happens think the calf's were off the same cow in consecutive years, never lost one to it found some of them will get out of it themselves with the odd stomach tube to relieve pressure.
Anyway tubed her this evening, noticed scour is soft enough with her, she's on crunch with about 3 weeks, will cut that out and try a bit of Yogurt tomorrow.

Base price · 30-10-2019 8:36pm

SuperTortoise wrote: »

Have one here myself this evening, 4 month old calf still on the cow, first one we've had here for a few years, i do remember having one or two a few years back as it happens think the calf's were off the same cow in consecutive years, never lost one to it found some of them will get out of it themselves with the odd stomach tube to relieve pressure.
Anyway tubed her this evening, noticed scour is soft enough with her, she's on crunch with about 3 weeks, will cut that out and try a bit of Yogurt tomorrow.

Can you bring in the cow and calf and give them a nip of hay and cut back on the crunch.

SuperTortoise · 02-11-2019 7:34pm

Forgot to update this, anyway cow and calf were housed with 3 weeks so treatment was a bit handier, got youurt the following day but he was'nt swelled and was back sucking the cow again so i left him be.

Might just have had a good feed of crunch too quickly, he's greedy! so far no re-occurence, thanks.

Buford T. Justice XIX · 02-11-2019 7:37pm

SuperTortoise wrote: »

Forgot to update this, anyway cow and calf were housed with 3 weeks so treatment was a bit handier, got youurt the following day but he was'nt swelled and was back sucking the cow again so i left him be.

Might just have had a good feed of crunch too quickly, he's greedy! so far no re-occurence, thanks.

Just like an 87th minute equaliser and a 94th minute winner, I'd say:P

SuperTortoise · 02-11-2019 7:48pm

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

Just like an 87th minute equaliser and a 94th minute winner, I'd say:P

Ha! yeah i was out feeding and was afraid to look at the phone, 80 mins gone last i checked and still 1-0 so thought sod it not going to happen today, could'nt believe it

Bloating calf

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