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3 yr old buck loosing weight

Joined Apr 2009
624 Posts | 0+
*******, PA
I have a 3yr old buck that I have noticed is loosing weight. He is noticably skinnier than other bucks in the pen. He also looks droopy or depressed. Looking for some input on this and what you would give him meds wise.
 
WICKED WHITETAILS said:
I have a 3yr old buck that I have noticed is loosing weight. He is noticably skinnier than other bucks in the pen. He also looks droopy or depressed. Looking for some input on this and what you would give him meds wise.



Has he been loose? Any fecal tests needed? Has he been in with bucks with racks on...Say maybe he has been stuck in the gut with a tine and is tore up inside. You need to give him a good look over first. IMO
 
No fecal test done. I havent seen his stool. He was with bucks but they are all shed now. I think what I am going to have to do is put him done and be ready with an array of stuff. What all would be a good thing to have on hand?
 
Jared can you post a pic of him........is there any other visible things besides he is just run down and skinny? Do you know if he is eating? Usually they will have poo in their hair on the butt if they have the runs real bad does he?
 
He doesnt have any matting goin on that would idicate being loose. At first I thought he was just run down from the rut and everything, but he just doesnt seem right. He does eat. I just dont want to wait too long. I will get a pic tonight to post.
 
WICKED WHITETAILS said:
He doesnt have any matting goin on that would idicate being loose. At first I thought he was just run down from the rut and everything, but he just doesnt seem right. He does eat. I just dont want to wait too long. I will get a pic tonight to post.



Just check him good for a poke in the guts or somewhere with infection. Have seen this before. They do just what you are saying. Eat a little so you think they are eating but poison is doin them in from the inside! Hope im wrong for ya!
 
I wormed in the fall. They are due for worming again. I will have to really look him over for a puncture wound.
 
I would worm him again, I always do in late March to prepare for the worms and parasites that can come up after the ground thaw starts. As long as he is eating and has normal stool, I would say he was indeed just run down, this is my opinion. It happens, winter has been long and cold this year, combine that with their slow metabolism at that time of year, and it is a recipe for some weight loss. All my bucks lost weight this winter, some more than others. I don't usually get concerned until I start seeing their shoulders and hip bones becoming a bit noticeable, or I notice them not consuming much food. By the end of April the weight will really start pouring back on, that is when their metabolism starts to really kick back into high gear, I have really noticed an increase in feed consumption the past two weeks in all my pens, but especially my yearling buck pen, they went from a half bucket a day to a full bucket a day in a matter of a week.
 
Hi, I read that you would be concerned about seeing hip bones. My buck is just now a year old. I am seeing his hip bones and also on one of my does. What should I be concerned about? They have been sneezing and I was giving them Benadryl. The really watch, sniff, and taste the treats. If they think I have put meds in them they will not eat it. Tried an ice cream sandwich worked on the buck and 1 doe. Now nothing. I crushed it up put it on top of the feed, that was 2 days ago. What should I do?
 
Certainly keep and eye on your deer ...but. For sure this is one of the times they look very rough coming out of winter......but we know our deer and if you if you see something really wrong with them then it is probably true.....good luck......just saying...
 
What I usually do, is that at the first or second day of not looking right, I'll dart them with a couple cc's of Draxxin or LA300 (Tetradure), If he's that bad looking instead of darting him many times over the course of a couple weeks, I would tranq him to get my hands on him, load him up with LA300, and a B vitamin dose, wormer and hope for the best.
 
Well you always hate to lose a deer but that is what happened last night. We ran him through the chute after watching him for about 20 min I could tell his breathing was a little rough. Only coughed once but I think he had pnuemonia. We gave him a couple shots and shortly after he passed. Freak thing, but that happens when your handling deer some times I guess.
 
Sorry Jared! One other thing I learned the hard way is that whenever you're giving shots (IM that is) always make sure you try to "draw out" on the syringe before injecting to make sure you're not going right into a vein. A good dose of a helpful medication can be fatal in the wrong spot. You may already know that......but I didn't!
 

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