# Calf losing hair



## Callieslamb

I have a six week old bottle calf that has lost all the hair around his tail end and down the inside of one legs as well as the upper end of his tail. I have never seen this before. I am not sure what is causing it. He doesn't seem to scratch. There are no irritation or raised areas. No crusty surfaces or scabby areas as you would expect with ring worm or lice. Just bare skin. It doesn't seem to be spreading. On his tail, the hair seems to be sluffing off with part of the skin attached -like it's shedding. The skin underneath seems to be perfectly fine - not red, sore or raw. 

He was on antibiotics for a while - naxcel but that was weeks ago. He eats grain and hay, but not as much grain as I would like. He doesn't seem to care for calf manna, but I mix it with his grain anyway. There's another calf that has been his stall mate all along and he doesn't have any hair loss.

Any ideas?


----------



## stormywood

I had a calf do the same thing, never did figure out what was going on. The hair eventually grew back and all was fine.


----------



## Ronney

Did he get scours in the first few weeks you had him? Losing the hair around the bum and legs is common in calves that have had scours but often doesn't show up until weeks later. Nothing to fret about, it will grow back in quite rapidly.

Cheers,
Ronnie


----------



## Callieslamb

Yep, he had scours. And I appreciate your answers!!!!


----------



## springvalley

Ronney said:


> Did he get scours in the first few weeks you had him? Losing the hair around the bum and legs is common in calves that have had scours but often doesn't show up until weeks later. Nothing to fret about, it will grow back in quite rapidly.
> 
> Cheers,
> Ronnie


What I was going to ask also, Ronnie on the spot as allways. > Marc


----------



## agmantoo

Since flies are not a problem at this time of year in most places that result in firestrike. Lice would not have created as bad a problem as descibed in the short while. I am going to differ and say the calf has mange. Regardless you need the treat the animal. Ivermectin type parasite treatments work for mange and the injectible is preferred for this problem.


----------



## Tad

Stress causes this ususally scours it will grow back. The vet said he has seen pnemonia calves go completly hairless.


----------



## dosthouhavemilk

Fever will cause this hair loss.


----------



## Callieslamb

I do not believe it is mange due to the regular pattern- from the hip bones back, he has no hair. Mange is more patchy and the skin is affected too, right? 

I hope it's not pneumonia....I'd hate to see a hairless calf!


----------



## agmantoo

This is mange, vet verified. Lice leave patches.


----------



## dosthouhavemilk

With hair loss that is the result of a fever, it occurs after the calf is well over the fever. 
Scours usually has a fever along with it, and that is why it is associated with scours a swell.
Your calf probably lost its hair due to the fever it would have been fighting to warrant antibiotic treatment weeks ago. The hair will grow back just fine given time.


----------



## Callieslamb

agmantoo said:


> This is mange, vet verified. Lice leave patches.


That looks like his legs - only yours has more hair gone. MIne has hair loss in a line down the inside of his leg about 1/2 an inch wide. will mange cause them to lose hair in a regular pattern like that? Also, mine's rump is hairless. I guess a picture is in order.


----------



## KOHL HAWKE

I just had this happen over the winter, the hair loss followed a high fever. She lost it in clumps! all over the body, started with the hind legs. then the head


----------



## Tom in TN

Agmantoo,

I just noticed this morning for the first time that my bull has a spot about 3 or 4 inches in diameter on his left side almost up to his spine that has lost all hair. I couldn't see an lice or other parasites on the skin, but something obviously isn't right.

I noticed that the moderator removed the picture of mange that you posted. Would you tell me where you found the picture? I'd like to see what mange looks like.

Thanks,

Tom in TN


----------



## CollieFlowerWV

It is a possiblity of ringworm. Lice or mites would cause itching.


----------



## agmantoo

Tom in TN

I have no idea why the earlier pics were removed. I do not recall that happening before. here is another pic or three
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1790480/


----------



## Callieslamb

CollieFlowerWV said:


> It is a possiblity of ringworm. Lice or mites would cause itching.


No itching that I have seen. Ring worm would be round, right? This is just his entire backside. I tried to get a picture today, but getting him to show me his backside is a trick I haven't learned. They are trained to come at me head first.


----------



## Jo scheller

I have an 18 day old 18 pound zebu calf, bottle raised & a totally fireball but has bald spots on both his hips, no scours, no health issues I know of. Any thoughts on why he's B bald on his hips?


----------

