In tonight's episode of The Yorkshire Vet on Channel 5, a newborn calf described as "nearly lifeless" was rushed into emergency care after a difficult birth. Farming brothers Rob and Dave from Cannon Farm called on vet Rohin's expertise when their cow Beryl delivered a large calf, but their initial delight turned to alarm as the youngster could not get to its feet moments after birth.
A vulnerable start
Rob stressed the critical nature of those first moments: "The calf was nearly lifeless when it came out. Right now, this is the most vulnerable point in an animal's entire life when they're first born. There are so many things that can go wrong. And if we don't get there and sort it out, it's just going to be very bad news."
Dave echoed the concern, noting the calf lacked the strength needed for survival: "We don't get calves like this very often. It doesn't really have that much strength in it. If you can't stand, you can't drink. It's going to be a problem."
Two possible causes
The challenging delivery had drained the calf, while mother Beryl had also been struck by severe milk fever, a complication from depleted calcium levels. Despite the brothers taking every precaution, the calf remained "really, really tired" about an hour later.
Rohin, who had previously helped Rob and Dave select the calf's father, Sultan, at the Sterling Bull sales, identified two potential causes: the calf's lungs may not have fully developed, or the arduous delivery could have left it bruised and breathless. He administered a small steroid injection and focused on extracting milk from Beryl to feed the newborn while treating the cow for her low calcium levels.
"If we can get some milk off Mum, feed that to the calf... if we can top her up with some extra calcium now, then both Mum and calf then have everything in their favour for a good outcome," Rohin said.
A new complication
Days later, Rohin returned to find the calf's recovery had been "up and down," according to Rob. A new complication had emerged: an infection around the calf's navel, which began haemorrhaging profusely. Dave described their frantic attempts: "We tried to cut it off with some string just to stop the bleeding, but it didn't look good."
Rohin concluded that the infected portion required removal before the wound could be sutured closed, giving the youngster the best chance of survival.
Recovery at last
Three months later, Rohin visited to assess Beryl and her calf and found a vastly improved scenario. The calf had gained strength and vitality, Beryl was thriving, and the infection had resolved. The calf once described as "nearly lifeless" had pulled through, and Rohin authorised it to venture outdoors into the pasture to join the rest of the livestock. The Yorkshire Vet is available to stream on Channel 5.
