# Sulfur and scours?



## wilkenfarm727 (Feb 8, 2014)

Does sulfur tablets work for scours treatment on calfs?


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Scours tablets work for scours in calves. also electrolytes. Why would you think sulfur would stop scours? 
Scours kills fast and often.


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## bruce2288 (Jul 10, 2009)

I believe you are talking about the antibiotic sulpha. Yes they can work, but their are better products available. Sulpha tablets were at one time the best thing available. I think I still have part of a box laying around somewhere. Haypoint, you might want to read the label on those scour tablets, they could very well be Sulpha. You kind of called the man an idiot for mispronouncing a word.


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## wilkenfarm727 (Feb 8, 2014)

I went to the vet and got antibiotics and a liquid diarrhea med but they didn't seem to be stopping the problem. An old man told me to get "sulfur" tablets. He may very well have mispronounced it and meant sulpha. I had just never heard of it and he swears by them. The calves have been medicated for a week now with what the vet gave me and still have very liquid stool. This is my first experience w calf scours. Is that normal?


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

I have heard of all sorts of homeopathic "medications", most of which are ineffective. People use Diatomaceous earth instead of real, effective wormer. So, when someone wants to use sulfur to treat scours, I responded to what they wrote, not what they thought they heard some old man recommend. If they had asked, " What are sulfur drugs and how can they treat scours?", I might have done a better job interpreting what they meant. 
Scours kills fairly fast. Many inexperienced people start out with sick calves and due to inexperience manage to make matters worse. Not an even trade, you learn, but the calf dies.
Getting some meds from the vet is a good start. But without ongoing Vet advice, you may get to a point of no return. There is a lot of information here, see the Sale Barn calves sticky at the top of this section.
should I assume this calf got colostrum right after birth? The Vet has you giving electrolytes? Smaller amounts of milk or milk replacer, with more regular feedings?
If you don't know sulfur from sulfa, stick with your Vet's advice.


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## Krooked_S (Nov 11, 2013)

Yes. Calves tend to scour from stress and over feeding of some replacers try cutting back a bit and if it is soy based its not to good on them. We give spectrum for hogs to our calves if they get light scours and it usually tightens them up.


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## bruce2288 (Jul 10, 2009)

If after a week of treatment with no improvement, I would be looking for other options. Giving a doses of probiotic paste may help. A vet would have this and also any major farm store. Are you talking about loose bowel movement or watery scours?


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## farmgirl6 (May 20, 2011)

my well will get high in sulfur in the summer - I think it actually can cause scours in animals until they adjust...


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

How is the calf doing?


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## SpaceCadet12364 (Apr 27, 2003)

Supra Sulfa 3 is what we use. 1 to 2 tablets for a calf should start improving in 6 hours and they last for 3 days.


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