# Re-warming Methods for Severely Cold-stressed Newborn Calves



## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

Re-warming Methods for Severely Cold-stressed Newborn Calves
Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Emeritus Extension Specialist



Several years ago, an Oklahoma rancher called to tell of the success he had noticed in using a warm water bath to revive new born calves that had been severely cold stressed. A quick check of the scientific data on that subject bears out his observation. 



Canadian animal scientists compared methods of reviving hypothermic or cold stressed baby calves. Heat production and rectal temperature were measured in 19 newborn calves during hypothermia (cold stress) and recovery when four different means of assistance were provided. Hypothermia of 86 degrees F. rectal temperature was induced by immersion in cold water. Calves were re-warmed in a 68 to 77 degrees F. air environment where thermal assistance was provided by added thermal insulation or by supplemental heat from infrared lamps. Other calves were re-warmed by immersion in warm water (100 degrees F.), with or without a 40cc drench of 20% ethanol in water. Normal rectal temperatures before cold stress were 103 degrees F. 



The time required to regain normal body temperature from a rectal temperature of 86 degrees F. was longer for calves with added insulation and those exposed to heat lamps than for the calves in the warm water and warm water plus ethanol treatments (90 and 92 vs 59 and 63, respectively). During recovery, the calves re-warmed with the added insulation and heat lamps produced more heat metabolically than the calves re-warmed in warm water. This represents energy that is lost from the calfâs body that cannot be utilized for other important biological processes. Total heat production (energy lost) during recovery was nearly twice as great for the calves with added insulation, exposed to the heat lamps than for calves in warm water and in warm water plus an oral drench of ethanol, respectively. By immersion of hypothermic calves in warm (100 degrees F) water, normal body temperature was regained most rapidly and with minimal metabolic effort. No advantage was evident from oral administration of ethanol. (Source: Robinson and Young. Univ. of Alberta. J. Anim. Sci., 1988.) 



When immersing these baby calves, do not forget to support the head above the water to avoid drowning the calf that you are trying to save. Also it is important to dry the hair coat before the calf is returned to cold winter air. If the calf does not nurse the cow within the first few hours of life (6 or less), then tube feeding of a colostrum replacer will be necessary to allow the calf to achieve passive immunity by consuming the immunoglobulins in the colostrum replacer.



Obviously not every calf born in cold weather needs the warm water bath. However, this is apparently a method that can save a few severely stressed calves that would not survive if more conventional re-warming methods are used.


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

thought I would share this hope it helps somebody


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## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

You know, it's interesting info and I do realize that data has to come from somewhere... but the reality of taking newborn calves and intentionally chilling them till they are on the brink of dying and then experimenting till you find what temps will bring the majority of them back to life and stable means losing quite a few in the process. I can't imagine doing that kind of work. It sends chills through my bones.... far too reminiscent of the nazi's experiments on jews chilling them in icy water to determine the rules of human hypothermia (the data that resulted is still used today). 

I do hope it helps saves calves.

sorry. I know I'm totally off topic. Animal experiments push my limits.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

you would think after the get them OUT of the water, they would be saturated and hard to keep warm. I wonder why something like an electric blanket wouldn't do just as well - wrap them in it and check their temp.

I'm with you, Cathleenc.....it's hard to think about...but then so is having dairies shoot all their bull calves.....


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

i heard about this years ago...something like a elec.blanket would be like you putting on a fur coat and then putting a elec blanket on.....the hair holds air so the heat never gets there but with the water it is aganist the hide and warms the blood under the hide


When i first had a cold calf I put a hair dryer on them never could warm them put ...to little heat area and to much cold calf..I also tried a heating pad ...just never could warm them........the water covers the whole calf at one time except for the head


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## ksfarmer (Apr 28, 2007)

We used this method for saving new lambs years ago. We could wrap them and put near a wood stove but they revived faster in a warm water bath. Just plunk them in , holding their nose out of the water. Did it a few times for a calf, takes more water, DW wasn't sure about a calf in the bath tub, but that was the quickest thing available and it worked on a calf I thought was a goner.


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

ksfarmer said:


> We used this method for saving new lambs years ago. We could wrap them and put near a wood stove but they revived faster in a warm water bath. Just plunk them in , holding their nose out of the water. Did it a few times for a calf, takes more water, DW wasn't sure about a calf in the bath tub, but that was the quickest thing available and it worked on a calf I thought was a goner.


We have done this method with lambs also, some that others would have given up on. Havn`t had a calf this far gone, so have never tried it on a calf. But it worked great on the lambs. For those of you that don`t like animal experiments would never have made it through vet school. Sorry. > Thanks Marc


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## Jackie (Jun 20, 2008)

I always thought you put them in a garbage bag and then dunked them in the water...so tehy got surrounded by warm water, without actually getting wet (garbage bag is tied around neck, head stays out of water). I have 'dunked' kittens and bunnies successfully in sandwich bags before and saved them. I am uncomfortable getting a newborn wet. But I supposed if it was already wet it wouldn't matter (like a calf found half froze in a rain storm).


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## Jackie (Jun 20, 2008)

springvalley said:


> We have done this method with lambs also, some that others would have given up on. Havn`t had a calf this far gone, so have never tried it on a calf. But it worked great on the lambs. For those of you that don`t like animal experiments would never have made it through vet school. Sorry. > Thanks Marc


Thats why I didn't go! Tales of dissecting live kittens and puppies kept me far far away. Too bad. It was my dream for my whole childhood.


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Jackie said:


> Thats why I didn't go! Tales of dissecting live kittens and puppies kept me far far away. Too bad. It was my dream for my whole childhood.


I also have heard that you are given a dog to care for and at the end of the semister you put the dog down and do an autopsy on it. That was enough to turn me away, I wanted to be a vet so bad. > Marc


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

I had a cat to deal with in anatomy class. It's hair kept coming off in wads....I dropped that class ASAP. YUCK!!!! I dont' like hair. 

wow....put them in a bag first! So simple! Thanks!


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

A good thread Myers in that many people are unaware of the fact the dunking a cold, stressed youngster into warm (blood heat) water is the most efficient method of bringing it back from the brink.

However, the material also begs the question as to why so much money, time and inhumane methods, need to be pumped into doing "research" on something that any farmer could have told them for nothing. This isn't the first time I've read something that purports to be some monumental breakthrough and am left thinking, "----, I knew that 30 years ago so what's the song and dance about". In this case, I've been "swimming" lambs, piglets and, once a calf, in warm water with good results for nearly 40 years and it would appear from some of the posts here that I'm far from being on my own.




Jackie said:


> Thats why I didn't go! *Tales* of dissecting live kittens and puppies kept me far far away. Too bad. It was my dream for my whole childhood.





springvalley said:


> I also have *heard* that you are given a dog to care for and at the end of the semister you put the dog down and do an autopsy on it. That was enough to turn me away, I wanted to be a vet so bad. > Marc


Don't believe everything that you hear - and if indeed this sort of thing does go on in the States, their animal welfare laws need turning upsidedown in a hurry.

Oddly enough I was talking to both my vet and a student vet about this just prior to Christmas. The animals that the university is given for teaching purposes are very well cared for with strict guidlines in place for their care. There is no way any animal is operated on/dissected without either being aenethitised or euthanased first. Marc, trainee vets over here are not given dogs to care for then put down - being a vet isn't a test on their personal emotions and doesn't have to be as the animals they will be seeing to will not be their own. Interestingly, most vets do not deal with their own animals, they take them to another vet and that's fine by me as I do not want my vets to be devoid of emotion, feeling and compassion.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

only two things...this is not dated it could have been done 2 weeks ago or 50 years ago.



.another is on anything there is always 2 sides to a test qroup the ones that get it and the ones that do not......that is even on human test


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

we don't have a good dunking facility but we have had luck hosing them down with hot water in the milkhouse then sticking them under a blanket with a propane heater blowing in there as well.
We also get the kid in there rubbing them down with towels.


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## Up North (Nov 29, 2005)

Being born and raised on a dairy in northern WI, dunking in warm water in the bath tub was always what we did for severely chilled calves. I can remember when I was in high school we had a big front blow in and 5 cows unexpectedly dropped their calves during the night. I woke up to dad shouting at me to deal with the calves. I groggily got up to find 3 calves in the basement and 2 in the bath tub. That was quite a morning to get them all warmed, dried and get some colostrom in them.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

We always give our chilled newborn calves a little shot of whiskey to get the circulation, going. Of course we try to get them in out of the weather also. We learned this years ago from my Dad. It works for us. Of course if they are stiff, you would need to thaw them out either under a heat lamp or in a warm water bath.


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## Cat (Jun 19, 2004)

While I did not go to school to be a vet I did to be a vet tech. Yes, we had a kennel full of dogs and cats that we used to learn on. They were saved from euthanasia @ an animal shelter and at the end of the semester they were put up for adoption. A lot found homes either with students or their families. We also had dogs and cats to dissect that had been euthanized previously and had been donated for just this purpose. There were enough of them where the stress to each was minimal which made it more tolerable. I think they eventually started doing procedures for the public at a reduced cost as well so the animals didn't have to suffer through the more invasive interventions without cause.

Yes, warming in a bath of water is something I have always kinda *known* to do with lambs and such. Actually had to do it for over 100 ducklings at one point that were victims of 90 mph straight line winds and a raging thunder / hail storm.


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## PaulNKS (Jan 11, 2009)

The old timers always kept a bottle of whiskey in their trucks. A calf needs to be warmed from the inside out as well as the water.


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## KIT.S (Oct 8, 2008)

On the other hand, one of my overheated rabbits survived after being held in the (cool) swimming pool for half an hour. The rabbit in the cage next to her that I didn't have enough hands to help, died. I'd never read anything about it, but it seemed like the easiest, fastest way to bring her temp down. Hey, this is Oregon, when does it ever top 105* as a surprise? It was my first year with rabbits in that location, and I didn't realize the afternoon sun would just fit between trees and roast the cages. I work full time and was never home then.
Kit


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

LOL
whiskey doesn't warm from the inside.
It enlarges the capillaries near the surface of the skin and makes you feel warmer. Which may actually be a plus if you are dunking them but without the dunking you may be making the calf worse.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

Think what you want, we have used this on baby calves and pigs for years and it works. Old timer methods have worked for years for old timers. The only trouble with being a smart Alec is that someone else is always glad to do the same for you. Apparently I am not the only stupid hick who uses whiskey for livestock.

http://www.steerplanet.com/bb/index.php?topic=9168.15;wap2

http://tinyurl.com/6b7qauu


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

I think it's a good excuse to carry a bottle around if you need to...
But I think there are other, better methods to warm a calf.

Lots of old timer used turpentine and gun powder to cure just about anything, and I don't agree with that either.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

There is no point in exchanging insulting and snide remarks. Have it your way.


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

It's not snide or insulting.
Improperly used alcohol can cause problems

http://firstaid.about.com/od/heatcoldexposur1/f/07_alcohol_warm.htm
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Does_drinking_alcohol_really_keep_you_warm

you may not like the facts but that's the way it is...


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