Calf Diphtheria

Joe moved one of the tractors from the house to BJs today.  When I went to pick him up, he was getting ready to salt the cows.

The weather has been unseasonably warm and the grass is still growing.

Some of the cows were taking advantage of the cool creek water.  But went Joe was checking the cows, he found the calf that was sick a couple of weeks ago, the one that the cow dove under the gate, was sick again.

That meant another trip into the barn lot.  This is the current condition of the gate.  

The calf’s only symptom however, is very noisy breathing.  It is an upper airway issue, not pneumonia.  He is still active and strong.  My suspension is that he has calf diphtheria.  It responded to antibiotics last time so I am hoping it will again.  He was so crazy acting that I was only able to get the antibiotic injection into him while Joe was wrestling him backwards the chute.  There was no chance at an examination.  I was really wanting to check in his mouth for a possible wound or foreign body but that wasn’t happening.  Joe said this was the last time he was going to get this one up.  It’s up to him to live or die now.