Liam is a “fighter”, according to a vet who took care of him in his early days. Photo: Bungendore Veterinary Surgery Facebook.
‘Liam’ was just a few days old when his owners realised something wasn’t right.
The Galloway calf wasn’t getting along with a bull on the property, and his owner had to syringe-feed him because he wasn’t drinking from mum.
Bungendore Veterinary Surgery’s Doctor Megan Wright, who gave Liam a check-up, said taking sick animals in as early as possible was key.
“Especially this time of year, when there are lots of farm animals being born; we get lots of them in that are unwell for varying reasons,” she told Region.
“They knew something wasn’t right – after Liam was born, he wasn’t drinking well from his mum; he was struggling to get up.”
He spent the day in the clinic’s intensive care unit, where he received IV fluids, tube feeding, antibiotics and pain relief.
Dr Wright said Liam’s owners were able to take him home that evening, but needed to keep feeding him through a stomach tube.
“His owners were very committed to make sure he remained safe, warm and well hydrated … [That all made sure] he would regain enough strength to be able to stand and drink off his mother naturally.”
She thought Liam was able to drink at least some colostrum (the first milk produced by mammals after childbirth), which is packed with nutrients and antibodies the baby needs.
“In his case, that’s definitely made his chances of survival a lot more favourable, too.”
Dr Wright said there were warning signs people could watch out for if their calves – or other young farm animals – weren’t doing so well.
“For all baby species (especially farm animals), their natural inclination is to be up and about and running around from day one, because that’s their survival instinct.
“If they’re not active and energetic and feeding well, then that definitely is an early indication that something is wrong.
“The sooner that they can seek veterinary advice, the better – they can deteriorate really quickly.”
This situation, where a calf has issues drinking from its mum, isn’t uncommon on farms.
“When young animals are learning to feed, it doesn’t take much to turn them off feeding if they have a negative experience.
“It can make them think it’s not safe for them to drink – whether that’s from their mum or if that’s from someone else.
“It was a bit of an adjustment … it didn’t go that well in favour of Liam.”
She also reminds owners that calves – while small at first and very cute – do still grow, and people should research carefully before purchasing one.
According to the Australian Galloway Association, the breed, which originated in the southwest of Scotland, has been in Australia since the 1850s.
“There aren’t many of them around, but definitely starting to see a few more,” Dr Wright said.
“I think it’s mainly because of their look and their interesting colours … That’s the biggest thing, it’s potentially an on-trend calf.”
As for Liam’s future, there’s good news on that front – he’s doing well.
“Within a couple of hours, he was standing … it might take [other calves] 12 to 24 hours to actually be up and standing,” she said.
“The fact that he was able to get up again and keep going shows he’s a strong little calf.”
After spending some time in a small yard with mum, he’s now feeding directly from her and enjoying life back on his owner’s property.
“He’s definitely a fighter. As soon as he had the strength, he was up.”
