# Calf with tetanus



## kycrawler (Sep 18, 2011)

Checking calves and cows tonight I found one of the kids jersey bull/steer calves looked off . Calf is a jersey steer 125-150 lb range . He was laying in a pen in the barn with neck stretched out , eyes bugged out and didnt want to get up . I stood him up he had a little fever and stood like a sawhorse . I banded him and 4 other steer calves we had on the nurse cows about 3-4 weeks ago and this calf and another didnt drop off when the others did so i cut them at the band about a week ago and gave each 10cc pen . This is the first case of tetanus i have seen . i start a few hundred calves a year and have never give tetanus antitoxin when banding only when banding horns . I have also helped my dad cut about 50-60 beef bull calves a month for a feed lot for the last 4 years and we only lost 1 to infection/swelling no sign of tetanus . 

I am treating this calf now , tonight i gave him 3000 units of tet antitoxin 5 cc of flunxin and 25 cc of penacillin . I tubed him some electrolyte as well will call vet tomorrow 

After treating this calf and seeing the effects of tetanus I will be starting calves on cd/t and anti toxin much earlier . I will also be cutting or high tension banding all of my bull claves from now on . I have had a few bull calves now not drop off and get infections /need cut , bands are not old stored in fridge with meds 

I will update on the calf progress over the next couple days to see if we can save him or not


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## Judy in IN (Nov 28, 2003)

Sorry to hear about the calf. I hope you can save him. This is a good reminder for those of us raising calves to get that CD&T out of the fridge and into the calves.


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

I do vaccinate for tetanus but have never seen it. I'm just practicing what I learned from the diaryman who trained me. This is a good reminder to those like me who sometimes wonder if "I really need to vaccinate".


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

I doubt your calf made it to this morning. Tetanus is not a nice way to go. 

Please give your calves a tetanus vaccination 3 weeks before you band them and a booster at the time you band them. According to our vets, this is not necessary when they are "cut."


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

Sorry this happened. The odds are against the calf surviving. It is my understanding that a big dose of tetanus anti-toxin, plus daily big doses of penicillen are the treatment protocol, but most don't make it. And they suffer, it is an ugly disease.

Now you know for sure you have tetanus in the soil on your property. Anyplace horses have lived, this is likely to be the case. Make sure your own tetanus shot is up to date, your family too, and start vaccinating your animals for it. 

They make a "5-way" vaccine that includes tetanus along with blackleg and the others. That is what we use now. A couple years ago, we lost a 600 lb calf to tetanus after castration. We could have vaccinated our whole herd for years with what we lost on that one animal. An ounce of prevention......


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

I don't think you can save him. The antitoxin must be given at exposure. Once there are symptoms, it is too late.

Banding doesn't open any wounds, but you cut on that guy. I just figure that tetnus vaccine is might cheap insurance, considering what it costs you to lose an animal.


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## kycrawler (Sep 18, 2011)

I put the calf down this morning he was worse and clearly suffering . They had been given 1 round of cdt but had not had the booster yet . The infection started at the banding site i cut him to get the nasty wound to drain the others i cut same time are doing great although i did give them cdt , anti toxin and pen last night as a preventative


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

I'm glad you put him down.


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