Is it shipping fever?

One of the new calves I picked up last Saturday (8 days ago) didn't look right today. Actually first noticed it at noon, but didn't put 2 and 2 together until this evening when I did chores. Just listless, off by herself, ears a little droopy, that sort of thing.

I brought her up, pulled out the stethoscope and thermometer (going to do this by the book, LOL) and checked her over. I suspected pnemonia initially, and she was breathing too heavy; usually can't find the lungs when I try listening to them :roll: but it was a piece of cake this time. Respiration rate was running about 56-60bpm. Normal is 26-50 on a dairy cow. Temperature 106.1F -- yes, I read that right. :shock: Made me really concerned when I take into account that normal is around 101.5F.

I treated with Baytril, Banamine, gave Vitamin B Complex... only thing I don't have that I wish I had was that Rally20/Recover that's an antihistamine. But I can get it at the vet clinic in the morning.

To put it quite plainly, I'm used to bringing in young calves, bottle calves, and what I usually deal with then is scours if they do get sick. I'm not used to the stocker end of things or bringing in heavier calves. This one's a 400lb heifer.

Any comments or anything else ya'll would suggest I do? and is this a 'normal' case of what I've heard called shipping fever?

Sounds like shipping fever to me and it sounds like you're on top of it. Good job! The Baytril and Banamine should knock it out in relatively short order. The only other thing I could recommend would be to watch the calf to make sure of that, but I know you will do that anyway.

milkmaid i know you know your business but did you vaccinate the other's and is he quarantined. that shipping fever is a nightmare

The only time I have ever seen/heard of true shipping fever is in the cool or winter months. Guess I am still learning. The most I've ever had to happen was a cold or two and that's why we segregate our sale barn cattle for at least a couple of weeks.

The other calves she's running with have been triple-vaccinated with Bovishield Gold FP 5 VL5. Not anticipating any problems with them. The two others that came with this one (new calves) look good right now. I'd trailered them an hour and a half which was pretty stressful I suspect. Fellow said they'd been vaccinated but I had my own opinions on that matter - maybe vaccinated, yes, but did they get boosters and was it done per label directions? My own vaccination program is much stricter than most and from the first I intended to revacc the new ones anyways.

I picked up some Rally20 this morning for her, checked respiration and temperature again - resp same, temp down to 103.2F - little closer to normal. She did go out and graze with the rest of the herd this morning. I gave both Banamine and Rally20 this morning and I'll repeat both and Baytril this evening.

Sound OK to the rest of you?

Herefordcross":11f55jlk said:

The only time I have ever seen/heard of true shipping fever is in the cool or winter months. Guess I am still learning. The most I've ever had to happen was a cold or two and that's why we segregate our sale barn cattle for at least a couple of weeks.

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shipping fever has no preference of months that im aware of. it can hit em any time of the year it is highly,,,,did i mention highly... contagious

It does sound like shipping fever to me also. And you can get it any time of year.. like you said, brought on from the stress of haulling.

I'd keep up the Banamine for three days... but I think I'd go with LA 200 instead of Baytril. Just my opinion of course, and I hate to contradict anything you do milkmaid! You're a master at bovine illnesses!

I thought that shipping fever was brought on be dehydration

alabama":2a7hsv92 said:

I thought that shipping fever was brought on be dehydration

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Shipping fever isn;t really a disease. Stress, chill, dehydration, over excitement, over heating, any of those can cause it. It's usually seen by penumonia or at least respritory distress. They're immune system is weakened and they can catch any stray bug that they're exposed to.

dun

Sounds like shipping fever to me-- Don't worry about the 106 temp.
With shipping fever the higher the better-- its the low ones that don't respond well.
Giving Banimine was good- but be aware that your temps are useless now to track how well the antibiotic is doing. I only give it once to give the calf a break- then let it clear the system(two days) so I can get a good temp to base the next treatment on.

alabama":1pe5vbct said:

I thought that shipping fever was brought on be dehydration

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its a virus pasterurella

More information then anyone would want to know about shipping fever

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index ... ng%2cfever

Quick update; went and gave my vet a call this evening just to see what he thought. Got lucky and he actually answered his cell phone even though it was 6pm.

He felt that if the Rally20 didn't open up her lungs enough to bring her breathing down to a normal rate (he felt 44bpm would be fine for her size) that dexamethasone in addition to everything else would take the inflammation out of her lungs and do the trick. Of course that's only temporary, but I can certainly see the point in allowing her to breath easier while the antibiotics took effect.

I told him I was going with the multi-day therapy on Baytril and dosing her at the higher end (8cc's/day) and so planning to go to 3 days and then...well, hopefully by then she'd be well. :lol:

Thanks for the input on the temps, Karen. I just like the anti-inflammatory action of Banamine (and cetainly prefer it over Dex's inhibition of the immune system) and that calf obviously needs some help - even if it's just basic making her feel better. If she doesn't look back to normal and breathing at a normal rate by the third day of treatment I'll swap antibiotics over to something else. Hopefully she will respond to treatment and she'll recover completely. Don't like chronic cases.

I'm always open to new suggestions BullLady -- I don't know everything there is to know and I know I haven't dealt with this before. ;-) What's the thought behind using LA200 vs Baytril or vs something like Nuflor?

Oh - and FWIW, temp at 103.5 this evening (I know, I know), resp about 50bpm, gave her Baytril, Rally20, Banamine, and Dexamethasone. (She's going to look like a pincushion by the time I'm done. :?) She went out and grazed with the rest of the herd when they went out a few hours later -- even caught her trotting back to the barn with them but I think that was more of "peer pressure" since all the rest of the calves were running. She moves pretty stiffly (maybe has something to do with all the shots she's had!) and still doesn't look like she feels very good at all.

I'll keep ya'll posted - and thanks for the link, dun.

no way id treat shipping fever with LA200. it only keeps em healthy enough to prolong the illness. knock it out with nuflor or baytril a hard hitter and be done with it. the longer their sick the more damage it can do the more scaring .ofcourse i know you know this but some dont

We have used LA 200 for shipping fever and it worked well, whether or not it was true shipping fever who knows. All of us treat our cattle as best we can but, I am almost certain that there are times that if we really stood back and took a look that we would all have to say that we really don't know what we are treating we are just trying to make a sick animal better.

Herefordcross":kzh9ib14 said:

We have used LA 200 for shipping fever and it worked well, whether or not it was true shipping fever who knows. All of us treat our cattle as best we can but, I am almost certain that there are times that if we really stood back and took a look that we would all have to say that we really don't know what we are treating we are just trying to make a sick animal better.

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well buying calves like i use too you soon learn the hard way. i use too use nexel years ago and it worked well on my roping calves. i hit em with it before they left the sale barn getting a jump on it. the LA200 just wouldnt knock it out and the cost too treat several was another thing

With a sick salebarn calf-- I wouldn't even concider LA200 as first line of defense.
Homegrown sick- maybe

I'm real leary of Dex. I only use it on calves that are in extreme distress. And I only want to give it once .
It will really turn one around fast-- but i don't think it holds long term. And I think it confuses issues even more(and longer) than Banamine- by the time problems show-- you are in too deep to turn it around.

Howdyjabo":1m3ywr2h said:

With a sick salebarn calf-- I wouldn't even concider LA200 as first line of defense.
Homegrown sick- maybe

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that's right i keep a bottle of LA200 just for those minor coughs sniffles pink eye, or what ever

ALACOWMAN":2bmvs3w9 said:

no way id treat shipping fever with LA200. it only keeps em healthy enough to prolong the illness. knock it out with nuflor or baytril a hard hitter and be done with it. the longer their sick the more damage it can do the more scaring .ofcourse i know you know this but some dont

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I agree 100%.

Update again - respiration rate is down to 40 breaths per minute. I gave Baytril, Banamine, Rally20, and Dex on Monday night, Banamine and Rally20 Tuesday morning, Baytril and Rally20 Tuesday night, and just Rally20 this morning. Think I'll keep treating her for another day or so with Baytril but I don't think I need to use the Banamine or Rally20 again. She was out grazing this morning and staying right out with the rest of the herd. Looks good - think she's on the way up now.

As a side note, I've had her 11 days and already treated for bloat 3 times. Don't suppose there's any correlation between bloat and shipping fever? As of right now I've come to the conclusion that she must be a chronic bloater as the other two are on the same feed and haven't bloated once.

Think I'll keep her just long enough to get her looking better, slicked off - and those horns taken off :roll: - and then resell her.

Karen- I feel the same way you do about dex. Just don't like using it if there's any other way out.