Calving season can bring with it medical emergencies requiring quick action. Here are some problems that producers might face.
Herniated intestines: Calves are occasionally born with their intestines herniating out through the umbilical area.
Surgery can save these calves if they are taken to a clinic as quickly as possible. I suggest hog tying the calf, rolling it on its back so that more of the intestines don’t herniate out, and placing a wet towel around the area to keep the intestines moist.
Phone ahead to the clinic. Once there, the veterinarian can quickly determine whether a completed surgery has a decent chance of success.
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The prognosis is much better if there are no other abnormalities and the intestines are in good shape with little contamination.
Allergic reactions: Producers should have an emergency kit of drugs and epinephrine so that they are prepared for allergic reactions with severe difficulty breathing.
Scours: This is the most common malady during calving season.
Calves may need immediate attention if oral electrolytes can’t keep up with severe dehydration and the eyes are visibly sunken.
Treatment involves warm intravenous fluids, but these calves are shocky and usually have a depressed body temperature, which means they will also need to be warmed up using heat lamps, forced air calf heaters, hot water bottles, hot water baths or warm water enemas.
Drenching with warm milk or electrolytes starts warming things up from the inside out. However, make sure the calves have enough reflex to swallow the feeding tube before trying this method.
Producers should disinfect all areas that the calf has come into contact with and isolate the calf and its mother until scours has ceased.
Cuts: Treating injuries with cuts and bleeding will depend on how much blood loss has occurred.
Blood transfusions are given on rare occasions, usually the mother’s blood because cattle have so many blood types.
Suturing cuts can wait a few hours, but the quicker a wound is sutured, the better it will heal.
Sterile Lube can be put in the wound to keep it moist and protected and prevent contamination.
Good suture materials and anesthetics are available, so wounds will do much better and heal quicker if sutured and/or bandaged.
Digestive troubles: Grain overload, carbohydrate engorgement and ruminal acidosis are usually caused by overeating grain.
It usually occurs when rations are mixed up or sick cattle get back on feed. Emergency slaughter may be required if too much carbohydrate has been consumed, but treatments are also possible in less severe cases.
Veterinarians can do a rumenotomy to remove rumen contents, but the vast majority are drenched with an antacid and other medications. The quicker the carbohydrate is removed or neutralized the better.
Autopsies: A dead animal can indicate poisoning, toxemia or severe respiratory distress. An autopsy can prevent further cases.
Most large animal veterinarians are good at doing post mortems and make a diagnosis immediately. They can also suggest preventive treatment.
Tissues become autolytic quickly in summer and freeze in winter, so contact the vet quickly.
Autopsies are particularly important in neurologic cases because diseases such as rabies, lead poisoning, polio and nervous coccidiosis must be ruled out.
