World’s Smallest Bull, Lil’ Bill, Succumbs to Infection

Starkville, MS, May, 28, 2019—Lil’ Bill, the tiny bull that captured the hearts of social media followers around the world, died Monday [May 27] at Mississippi State’s College of Veterinary Medicine from complications associated with his prematurity. 

Provided advanced medical care by the university’s veterinarians for the past seven months, Lil’ Bill faced a number of obstacles as a result of his prematurity and suspected dwarfism, but was able to overcome many of them, according to CVM’s Dr. Gretchen Grissett. 

Despite her team’s best efforts, the bull—at birth weighing less than one-tenth of the average newborn bull—succumbed to organ failure as a result of significant infection. “He had a strong will to survive, and with our help, found a way to overcome virtually every hurdle he faced. However, for the last few weeks, his health consistently deteriorated,” said the assistant clinical professor of pathobiology and production. “As with most preemies, Lil’ Bill faced significant
developmental issues, and in the end, his underdeveloped gastrointestinal system and immature lungs contributed significantly to his death.”
 
According to CVM Dean Kent Hoblet, Grissett and her team stand to be commended for the outstanding work they did with this one-of-a-kind case. “Lil’ Bill was far from a typical patient. Dr. Grissett and the entire CVM team worked extremely hard to provide him the very best care and best possible chance of surviving,” Hoblet said. “The fact that he not only survived, but enjoyed a good quality of life for almost seven months, is a significant achievement on their part. I’m proud of our team’s dedication to him and of their commitment to doing what was best for him.”

“We all learned so much from this tiny bull,” Grissett said. “He challenged us and inspired us, and he will definitely be missed.”

The Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine is one of only 30 accredited veterinary colleges in the U.S. and is one of only a few colleges that provides two full years of clinical experience in addition to coursework and labs. 

The college boasts a 99% North American Veterinary Licensing Exam
(NAVLE) pass rate. For more information, visit http://www.cvm.msstate.edu/.

For more information contact:
Mel Thurlow, CVM Outreach Director
Office of the Dean
Phone: (662) 325-0465
Fax: (662) 325-1498
Email: mel.thurlow@msstate.edu 

Press Release

Earlier Story

Congratulations CVM Class of 2019 Graduates!

2019 DVM Graduates at the Hump!

Photos of graduation events are available for order at the addresses below.

DVM Class of 2019

DVM 2019 Awards Ceremony

DVM 2019 Candids and Walking in the Hump

DVM 2019 Family and Friends

DVM 2019 Graduation Rehearsal

DVM 2019 Graduation-Hooding

2019 VMT Graduates at Bost Theatre

 VMT 2019 Awards Ceremony

VMT Class of 2019 Portraits

Nineteen Named to Serve on Inaugural Dean’s Council

L-R-Dr. Mac Huddleston, Dr. Kent Hoblet, Dr. Bob Filgo, Dr. Rebekah List, Lynn Spruill, Karen McCord, Dr. Mikell Davis, Dr. Susie Taylor, Stephen Imes, Dr. Mike Johnson, Dr. Wanda West, Dr. David Dale, Dr. Betsy Lipscomb, John Lewis, Dr. Kevin Smith, Mike McCormick, Dr. Ron McLaughlin, Dr. Paula Schuerer.

In the fall of 2018, MSU CVM Dean Kent Hoblet announced the initiation of nineteen distinguished members to the first-ever CVM Dean’s Council. The council was established to assist the dean in key areas of promotion, growth, and sustainability of the college by providing strategic, non-binding advice regarding vision, direction, and long-term planning of the college, as well as assisting in acquiring resources from private, corporate, state and federal levels and assisting with the student recruitment efforts of the college. In addition, the council will serve in an advisory capacity for the marketing and public relations efforts of the college and as an advocate of the college to university administration, the State of Mississippi, and as appropriate, on a national level.

“Having guidance, support and feedback from a group of individuals with a strong connection to the college, genuine interest in its mission and sincere concern for its continued success is most certainly beneficial to all of us in leadership roles here at the CVM,” Dr. Hoblet said. “We’re thankful for their willingness to serve and the input they will provide.”

Selected by the dean in consultation with his senior leadership team, plans are for council members to serve five-year terms (with the initial group serving staggered terms to avoid complete turnover), and the council chairman serving a two-year term. The council will meet in the fall and spring each year, and members can be reappointed indefinitely by mutual agreement between them and the dean.

According to Dr. Hoblet, the council’s initial meeting was held October 11-12, 2018. Members were greeted with a reception the evening they arrived and received an informative overview of the CVM presented the following day by the dean, associate dean, development staff, communications team, faculty members and students.

The council will meet again in March, when they will hear about the CVM’s recently awarded $15M USAID grant for the Feed the Future Fish Innovation Lab, tour the Veterinary Specialty Center and receive an update on the interview and admissions process for the incoming DVM class.

For additional information about the Dean’s Council, call (662)325-1131. Individual members will also be featured in future issues of Pegasus Press.

Lil’ Bill Defies the Odds with Help from MSU-CVM

Lil' Bill (Photos by Tom Thompson)

Lil’ Bill, a calf born weighing less than one-tenth of what most calves weigh, has a story unlike any other. Delivered on Oct. 27, at what veterinarians guesstimate to be about a month premature, Lil’ Bill has already defied the odds by staying alive. He is thought to be the world’s smallest bull, and is currently under the care of the bovine experts at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine (MSU-CVM) in Starkville, MS.

Lil’ Bill came to the MSU-CVM after his owners discovered him in their pasture and had attempted to care for him for a couple days. As a family with much cattle experience, having raised Simmental cattle for many years, Lil’ Bill’s owners knew he was in need of advanced care and sought help from the MSU-CVM on Nov. 1. They had brought cattle to MSU-CVM before, but this situation was unlike any previous visit.

Dr. Grissett replaces bandages on Lil' Bill's legs

Lil’ Bill was having trouble breathing, so Dr. Gretchen Grissett and her veterinary team sprang into action, doing what was necessary to keep him alive!

“The calf’s 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,” said Dr. Grissett, explaining that just like with premature babies, it is very common for premature calves to not have matured lungs.

When it was time for treatment options to be discussed, the owners decided to treat him initially and then take a wait-and-see approach before electing to pursue further care. Although Lil’ Bill began to improve-- and has done so considerably over the course of the last month—according to Dr. Grissett, he still isn’t out of the woods, and his owners came to the realization they couldn’t properly care for him. Therefore, they allowed the CVM to adopt him.

Dr. Grissett with Lil' Bill

At this point, Lil’ Bill is being carefully monitored, 24/7, and his prognosis is undetermined. He is no longer on therapeutic oxygen; his feeding tube has been removed, and subsequent radiographs and bloodwork show that his lungs have improved. However, there are still some unknowns about his actual condition.

Normally, calves weigh around 50-80 pounds at birth, depending upon their breed. With that said, it’s obvious that Lil’ Bill, weighing just 7.9 pounds when he was first brought in, is far from the norm. Dr. Grissett and her team have ordered extensive DNA tests, believing that the calf may have some form of dwarfism, in addition to being premature.

Lil' Bill with splints to provide adequate support.

Because he was born too early, Dr. Grissett explained that the team is also having to carefully monitor his joints. “Right now, Lil’ Bill’s 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,” she said. “Many 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 development delays and other such problems— if they’re fortunate enough to survive.”

There is some good news, though, according to Dr. Grissett. As Lil’ Bill continues to grow and get stronger, he is behaving much like a typical calf. “Other than sleeping a lot, which is normal for preemies, Lil’ Bill behaves much like most five-week old calves,” she said. “Once awake, he trots around looking for attention, often head-butting team members to demand more milk!”

Dr. Grissett poses with Lil' Bill

“I’m feeling much more confident that he will make it, but we definitely still have some hurdles to jump over for him to make a full recovery,” Dr. Grissett said. “We’ll know much more when we have the results of the genetic testing and the other detailed lab work we completed.”

“Most of the time, calves more than three to four weeks premature, don’t have a great chance of survival,” Dr. Grissett said. “Lil’ Bill has beat 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!”

Veterinary medicine students that were on rotation to help with Lil Bill. 

Lil’ Bill may still have a long road ahead of him, but with the advanced care provided by the MSU-CVM, the odds are in his favor! And, he certainly isn’t lacking for fans to provide well wishes. In addition to all the TLC he’s receiving from MSU-CVM students, the tiny calf has garnered more than 100,000 “likes” since his debut on social media, and he has also been featured on FOX News and The Sun.

So, “moooove over and make room, Bully; Lil’ Bill just might be here to stay!”

For updates on Lil’ Bill’s progress, visit www.facebook.com/MSUCVM1/.

  FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT THE CVM OUTREACH OFFICE AT (662) 325-1100

 

Courtney Ransom with "Thor", featured on MSU's "Our People"

Courtney Ransom, one of our DVM students, is featured in "Our People", posing with her favorite calf, "Thor".  Read her story here.

CVM Wins Dog Bowl Trophy

For the third year in a row, Mississippi State CVM brought home the Dog Bowl thanks to our win against Texas A&M! The Dog Bowl was established in 2013 by former Head Coach Jackie Sherrill. Athletic Director John Cohen presented Dr. Hoblet and Dr. McLaughlin with the trophy before the Louisiana Tech game.  Read more about the Dog Bowl.  Click here

MSU to lead new USAID Feed the Future Innovation Lab on Fish

Dr. Mark Lawrence

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University will lead a new $15 million U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) initiative that continues efforts to reduce poverty and improve health outcomes for global populations dependent on aquaculture-led economies.
USAID funding over five years will create the Feed the Future Innovation Lab on Fish, which MSU will lead through the university’s Global Center for Aquatic Food Security under the direction of Mark Lawrence, associate dean and professor in MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
MSU President Mark E. Keenum called the new USAID partnership “groundbreaking” and said the university is “well-positioned to lead this important effort.”
“Our relationship with USAID is a long and fruitful one that underscores Mississippi State’s position as a leading agricultural research university,” said Keenum. “It also speaks specifically to the quality of research and scholarship in our College of Veterinary Medicine.”
Read More... 

Dr. Hossam Abdelhamed monitors and feeds catfish fingerlings at the Mississippi State,
College of Veterinary Medicine fish lab.