What is wrong with this calf?

Bill in IL · Mar 30, 2011

Freind bought this calf out of the sale barn couple of weeks ago. Its a 400lb calf and loosing hair around its eyes. I have seen this before with dairy calves but never really knew why. Anyone have an idea why this happens or what can be done to treat it?

MoMike · Mar 30, 2011

Could possibly be lice. Dont know if you can use a pour-on on one that young off of the top of my head.

barb aakre · Mar 30, 2011

he has ringworm

TimV · Mar 30, 2011

The picture's too dark for me to see much but a common case of cattle losing hair around their eyes is ringworm. Vet has stuff to treat it, though it's highly contagious and humans can get it as well. It's NOT a "worm", it's a fungal infection, similar to jock itch and athlete's foot.

Nate V. IA · Mar 30, 2011

That is ringworm. Keep that away from everything or its going to spread including to people if you are not aware. That stuff can live in the wood of your barn, fence and feedbunks for years to come. Can be treated with Vagisil, toothepaste, athletes foot cream. A guy I worked for one time used Coppertox, but I really don't think it was all that effective. I'm sure the vet has something but the above maybe cheaper than a vet call. I'm told they used to use the same spray for apple trees Capsicum? (sp) to spray all the wood in the feedlot to prevent it from spreading.
Nate

Fordfarmer · Mar 30, 2011

I agree - it's ringworm, which is actually a fungus.
Thought I've never tried it, I've been told BluKote
is effective in treating it (and is cheap).

Iam · Mar 30, 2011

gun grease works also, used it on our 4-h calves

toadady · Mar 30, 2011

kids got ringworm , biggest killer is direct sun, uv rays kill it, but the radiation from japan might make it grow into some kind of godzilla calf,

jackinok · Mar 30, 2011

or could have scabies.used motor oil is a old folk remedy for lice and scabies.we used to dip older cattle all the time,might look at the vet supply and see if you could use dip on one that young I dont recall.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 30, 2011

As others have said, it's often called ringworm, but is some sort of bacteria or fungus. I have seen it and treated it many times. It may seem like an "Old Farmers Cure" but go out to the shop and get some used motor oil and work it into the affected areas. Around the eyes, just be careful not to get it into them. Do the same thing twice a day, within 2-3 days most of the gray will slough off as you work in the oil and a small amount of blood may appear as you work the oil in. Once that happens, you should be all set. It is contagious, and you should proabably wear rubber gloves, but i've done it many times with bare hands and never had aproblem.

randallnMo · Mar 30, 2011

Ringworm. Scrape the affected areas to remove the crust. A little bleeding will result. Treat the areas with any common athletes foot preparation and give the calf a good dose of injectable vitamin ADE. Wear rubber gloves. Treat twice a week for 2 weeks. Should be gone in 30-40 days.

DoubleR · Mar 30, 2011

Ringworm, is what it is. We use to rub some greese on it and it will go away after a bit. Didn't seem to bother the animal a whole lot. Seems like they would get it more in the winter when they spent more time inside.

TMo · Mar 30, 2011

In the picture it appears that above the right eye there is some lesions that look raised, thickened, circular, and crusty. Under the left eye is looks as if there is green discharge. It that accurate?

Michael Soldan · Mar 30, 2011

Used motor oil works the best of anything I ever tried,including stuff from the vet. I bought 8 calves and one had it,soon spread to them all rubbing on feeders etc,couple of slaps of used oil on a big ole paint brush and they were clean,used to put motor oil on the bull's back to keep flies off him,he seemed to know and would come over to the gate where I could apply some

Bill in IL · Mar 30, 2011

No green discharge just low light and more loss of hair on the other eye. I have some blukote for hime to try on it otherwise motor oil sounds like the trick.

RLA · Mar 30, 2011

Sure looks like ring worm to me & now it's in that barn.....

johndeereman · Mar 30, 2011

the used oil has to be from a diesel for the sulfer thats what kills it old timers used to use four-al-a-sulfer but its no longer available sunlight also kills it but hard to find this time of year

What is wrong with this calf?

Bill in IL

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MoMike

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barb aakre

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TimV

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Nate V. IA

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Fordfarmer

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Iam

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toadady

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jackinok

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Anonymous-0

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randallnMo

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DoubleR

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TMo

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Michael Soldan

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Bill in IL

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RLA

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