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Newborn calf difficulty breathing

M

M Nut

Well-known Member
Looking for a little advice. I've calved quite a few cows, but this is a new one for me. Calf was born this afternoon, inside the barn with only it's mother in the pen, sucked three of the four teats, and seemed to be doing fine. About 5 p.m. it developed raspy breathing, and by 6 p.m. it had snotty blood coming out of both nostrils. Breathing is also very labored. Blood seems to have slacked off quite a bit, but still having very labored breathing and no strength at all. Can't even hold it's head up. So far all I've done is put it under a heat lamp and give it a 5cc shot of calf booster vitamins. I don't really know what else to do?

Any advice is really appreciated.
 
If the calf is bleeding from the lungs, it probably won't make it. If it is just bleeding from the nostrils, keep them dry from blood as possible and keep it warm (within reason). A shot of LA200 never hurts and make sure it got a belly full of collostrum. Can you tell if it is struggling from within or if it is just having trouble drawing air through the nose? i don't recall ever seeing one breathe through the mouth like we can but i wouldn't say it is impossible. try holding it;s mouth open to see if it can breathe through it. Worth a try... This will be one you will have to baby sit a while...hope sleep isn't important to you. I have left things thinking they would be OK to find the worst later and I have resigned to the worst and found things surprisingly OK the next day. Just a coin flip sometimes.
 
Two things come to mind.
One being that the calf may have aspirated some of the ambiotic fluid while being born, and it is now coming back out. If that is the case. let nature takes it's course for a bit. meaning that there is not much you can do to help the little guy . BUT if it does survive after a day or so, then I would def. put it on a regimine of preventative antibiotic therapy to prevent aspiration pneumonia over the next few days.
The second idea that comes to mind is an injury of some type.
Odd things can occure during birth, and also shortly thereafter. The dam may have some how caused some injury to the calf. It is most frequent in first and second calf heifers.
 
Difficulty seems to be from more within, which is what has me concerned. Goofy part is the calf was able to stand and suck the cow at some point, as it is evident that 3 teats have been sucked on. I don't know, I guess time will tell.
Thanks for the advice.
 
I had wondered about the fluid from birth as well, as I was not home when it was born to know exactly how the delivery went. Older cow that has delivered about 5 calves with no trouble before, so I don't think she injured it, but it is a big bull calf, so maybe problems from delivery.

Thanks for the advice.
 
What I failed to also mention was that given that it could be a momma induced injury, try to feel around the rib cage of the calf. If you feel and or hear crinkling, or fractures, then that may explain blood coming up from lung area.(lung puncture.)

If thats the case, then role the dice.
 
yeah it has nursed saying it may have been fine at some point...could have been injured by momma afterward, especially in a pen/barn stall...kinda hard to say.

I have a bud near that worked with a cow that lost her calf...he put a holstein newborn on her and she wouldn't nurse it, he worked with that d@mned cow and calf for 2 weeks I mean a lot of time. FINALLY the cow started nursing the calf. then one morning he came out and who know what happened...the calfs back ankles were BOTH broken...ended up shooting the d@mned calf and cussing a lot more than I have here.

A old man told me once if you have cattle you will see some strange things. Hope this works out for you.
 
Ken and Railhead, thanks for offering advice. Thought I'd just update the calf didn't make it. I went out at 9:00 to check again, and it only lasted about 5 more minutes. Hate it when that happens, but I guess it's part of this farming game. Of the 11 calves I've gotten so far, this was the nicest. A guy could get a little discouraged if you dwelt on the bad things of farming.
 
You said it railhead, my father in law had a young cow some how hang itself in the tie stall, got its head over the pipe, wrapped around the chain, and what ever. Came in one morning and it was there dead. You never know with anmials. J
 
Those are the classic symptoms of pnuemonia. I would disinfect the barn and air it out good and change all the bedding. A calf can be born with the virus although not too likely if you vaccinate your cows.
 
Could it be that it got squeezed somehow? We just lost a colt a few hours after birth. Just tell ourselves that something wasn't right and it was better off. If you have to start doctoring and fussing from day 1, I guess the animal won't be very productive. Have no experience with cattle or hogs. Sucks loosing something tho.

Dave
 
same general thing happened to a friend's cow. It was out grazing his pasture & there was a small bank next to a forked tree. We guessed she was scratching her neck in the fork & the bank gave way, hanging her head in the fork. Found her dead of course.
 
yeah i have had a few lost calves this winter, and one heifer that got paralyzed in her back. I was sure she would be lost too but all of the sudden one day, she got up and is OK now. Has already revisited the bull so I hope she has less trouble next go round. If you have them, you will lose some.
 
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