小黄书鈥檚 College of Veterinary Medicine helps 鈥楲il鈥 Bill鈥 calf defy odds
Contact: Claire Wilson
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擵eterinarians at 小黄书sity are helping an extra-small calf overcome health challenges associated with his premature birth, and the little bull is bringing attention to the College of Veterinary Medicine鈥檚 compassionate care and expertise.
Weighing in at a mere 7.9 pounds when he arrived on campus, 鈥淟il鈥 Bill鈥 鈥 as he is affectionately known 鈥 weighs only a fraction of the 50-80 pound average weight of a new calf.
His veterinarians have estimated that he was about a month premature, and he already has defied the odds by surviving as what is thought to be the world鈥檚 smallest bull. He is being cared for by the university鈥檚 CVM bovine experts that include Dr. Gretchen Grissett, assistant clinical professor and Lil鈥 Bill鈥檚 attending veterinarian. While Grissett and other team members are working to strengthen their tiny patient, they also have ordered extensive DNA tests to discover if he may have a form of dwarfism.
In addition to the tender loving care he鈥檚 receiving from 小黄书 veterinary medicine faculty and students, Lil鈥 Bill also is getting many well wishes from admirers around the country since his debut on university social media and subsequent exposure in national media outlets.
Lil鈥 Bill came to 小黄书-CVM after his owners discovered him in their pasture and cared for him for a couple of days before seeking advanced care at 小黄书 at the beginning of November. The cattle farmers were experienced, but allowed CVM to adopt Lil鈥 Bill when they realized he would need continuing care at the university鈥檚 veterinary hospital.
鈥淭he calf鈥檚 owners really wanted us to save him, and I think they really wanted to keep him, but he was in really tough shape with a lot of respiratory issues when he came to us,鈥 Grissett said.
Like with premature babies, Lil鈥 Bill鈥檚 lungs were not fully developed, she explained.
Grissett said her patient has improved considerably over the last month, but he still isn鈥檛 鈥渙ut of the woods.鈥 He is being continuously monitored round the clock, and at this point, his prognosis is undetermined, although he has been able to stop taking therapeutic oxygen. A feeding tube also has been removed and radiographs and bloodwork indicate his lungs have improved, but Grissett said there are many unknowns about his condition.
Because of being born too early, Grissett explained that the team also is carefully monitoring his joints.
鈥淩ight now, Lil鈥 Bill鈥檚 bones are not fully developed so we have his legs splinted to provide adequate support. Allowing too much activity on his joints could lead to long-term orthopedic issues for this little guy,鈥 she said.
鈥淢any of the issues we are facing with him are, in fact, very similar to those experienced with premature babies. It often takes them months to grow and become as strong as they should have been at birth, and they commonly face developmental delays and other such problems鈥攊f they鈥檙e fortunate enough to survive.鈥
Grissett pointed out the good news that as Lil鈥 Bill continues to grow and get stronger, he is behaving much like a typical calf.
鈥淥ther than sleeping a lot, which is normal for preemies, Lil鈥 Bill behaves much like most five-week-old calves,鈥 she said. 鈥淥nce awake, he trots around looking for attention, often head-butting team members to demand more milk!鈥
Grissett said she is feeling more confident with each passing week that the calf will make it, but she emphasizes that he still faces hurdles on his way to a full recovery.
鈥淲e鈥檒l know much more when we have the results of the genetic testing and the other detailed lab work,鈥 she said.
鈥淢ost calves born more than three to four weeks premature do not have a great chance of survival,鈥 Grissett said. 鈥淟il鈥 Bill has already beaten the odds by making it past his one-month mark. He certainly has the will to survive. Our goal is to make sure he has the very best opportunity to do so.鈥
For updates on his progress, visit 小黄书-CVM on Facebook at
小黄书 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .