Why is my young calf lethargic with bloody diarrhea and a cough?

Hello and thank you very much for your question. Cavs that are not on their mother until fall weaning age of 6 to 8 months are susceptible to infectious gastrointestinal and pulmonary diseases. The scours could be due to a variety of diseases like E. coli, infectious colitis, coccidiosis, other internal parasites, etc. Most likely the cough is due to an acute or chronic calf pneumonia. The coughing may or may not have anything to do with the scours and can be due to Pastorella, IBR, RSV, PI3, etc Both of these clinical symptoms and their associated diseases can cause your calf to become quite sick and in some cases die. I urge you to schedule an appointment with your local large animal veterinarian as soon as possible so that they can do a full physical examination. they also may want to do a fecal analysis to get a diagnosis for the scours also. Your veterinarian will most likely prescribe something anti-inflammatory to get the fever down enough to eat, A strong antibiotic like naxcel/excenel etc, and antiparasitic medication. Thanks for the question.

Having severe diarrhea like Beckett seems to be having can be very painful and uncomfortable. This may be why he is more lethargic than normal and why his stomach seems tense/contracted. It is great news that he doesn't have Parvo! Hopefully in addition to the antibiotics your vet also dewormed Beckett, as puppies often have intestinal parasites. If Beckett stops eating, begins vomiting, or the diarrhea isn't improving after about 48 hours of being on the medication I would recommend bringing him back to the vet to be reevaluated. Sometimes with severe diarrhea these little puppies can become dehydrated and need additional treatment like fluid therapy. Good luck!

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This sounds serious enough that he needs to be seen by your veterinarian right away. He could have a number of things causing this including parvovirus (if he isn't fully vaccinated), a foreign body obstruction, or just a severe case of colitis associated with the new food that you introduced. Poor guy. I would recommend taking him in today if possible and getting this treated quickly. Best case scenario is that he has a severe case of colitis and a short course of antibiotics and probiotics, along with a bland diet is enough to get him well again. Best wishes with your pet Winston. I hope he feels better soon. Take care.

Hello. There are many reasons for scours in a calf, but the first thing to investigate is the presence of intestinal parasites. If you have not had a fecal analysis done to look for parasites like coccidia, this would be the first step. Since she is eating well, the addition of electrolyte & probiotics may help, but start by having Choo Choo's stool looked at. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Colby. This falls into one of these categories since you say that he isn't acting sick- Any clinical sign (diarrhea) that persists, worsens, or other signs develop (nausea, vomiting, lethargy, etc) this indicates that Colby should be seen by your veterinarian to assess what is going on. So I would just monitor his stools over the next 6-12 hours and watch for other signs. If things worsen, signs persist, or new signs develop, take him in immediately and let your vet take a detailed history and do a physical exam. They may advise some tests which could include fecal/blood tests, x-rays, etc to determine if a problem is present. A treatment plan can be made once a cause is determined or suspected. Bloody diarrhea can be caused by many things including intestinal worms, dietary problems, dietary indiscretion (eating things a dog should not eat), exposure to a toxin by ingestion, infection, etc. Good luck with Colby.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Iris definitely needs to be seen by a vet right away. The cough and bloody stool can be related or unrelated. Coughing in dogs can be caused by pneumonia. upper respiratory infections, heartworm disease, or heart conditions. Bloody diarrhea can be caused by inflammatory bowel disease, viral diseases such as parvovirus, toxin ingestion, or bacterial infections. Sometimes, severe parasitic infections can cause these signs. A vet can perform a physical exam, and will likely need some further diagnostics such as bloodwork and x-rays to determine next steps and treatment. I hope all is well with Iris!

The most common cause of coughing in cattle is known as shipping fever (though it doesn't have to happen with shipping), a disease process commonly occurring with cows that have undergone more stress than usual. There are two organisms that can commonly be responsible for this disease, both of which will require an antibiotic to treat. If you go to a farming store to obtain antibiotics, you should look for one that is labeled for the treatment of bovine respiratory disease, specifically against Manheimia and Pasturella. Hope this helps.