Calf Talk

May, 2006

Volume 12, No. 5

VACCINE AND DRUG REACTIONS

By Russ Schnepper, D.V.M.

Our clients have suffered some severe losses due to calves reacting to vaccines. I am primarily concerned with anaphylactic reactions. These are extremely acute and the calf may die if not treated immediately. The reaction usually occurs within 15 minutes of injecting the vaccine. The calf has labored breathing and may have blood coming from its nose. The first symptom you will notice is the calf just stands there with a “gone” look in its eyes. It is obvious. The calf is in distress. These cases need to be treated immediately. Once the reaction has progressed, there is bronchial constriction and resulting labored breathing. Calves with advanced symptoms usually do not respond to treatment and die.

Drug reactions may occur following the injection or oral consumption, of any substance. The most common is due to injections of vaccines and/or antibiotics. However, food allergies can be acute. One of my daughters is allergic to peanuts, and has ended up in the emergency room a few times. Peanuts or peanut oil can be found in foods that you would not suspect. She carries a pre-loaded syringe of epinephrine, in case of accidental exposure to peanuts. Likewise, everyone that is injecting animals should have epinephrine immediately available for an emergency. You do not have time to go get the epinephrine from a distant source. I have been very successful treating reactions that occur within approximately 15 minutes of injection, if treated immediately. However, a calf that has an acute respiratory problem is usually beyond help. Or it seems when I have really needed the epinephrine, it has let me down. But the problem was, I did not treat soon enough. You should have a bottle of epinephrine with you when you are injecting livestock. A group of cattle that have been vaccinated, should be rechecked within 20 minutes of the injections. If none of the cattle are showing distress at that time, you are usually ok.

A person or animal can develop an allergy at any time. But once an allergy to a particular allergen develops, the allergy usually persists for a period of years. So if something is allergic, it will usually always be allergic to that substance. I have noticed that animals developing anaphylactic reactions are usually deficient in selenium.

Keep your selenium levels up and carry a bottle of epinephrine in your pocket when working cattle and it will go a long ways at preventing unnecessary death loss. The dosage is one ml per 100 pounds of body weight, given intramuscularly or under the skin. In acute cases epinephrine can be given intravenously at ½ ml per 100 pounds, but can be dangerous. At this point you are already in trouble, so I give it IV.

There are many other manifestations of allergies. Hives, itching, etc., are common, but not life threatening.

PLEASE HAVE EPINEPHRINE AVAILABLE, AND KNOW WHERE TO FIND IT, ANYTIME YOU ARE VACCINATING CATTLE.

Contact information for ordering information and questions about our products:

Schnepper International, Inc.

3210 County B, Platteville, WI 53818

608-348-6141, Fax: 608-348-6146