55. Examination, drug administration and sample collection in calves Flashcards
Ethiology of calves?
Calf ≠ miniature adult cattle
o Different behaviour
o Completely different housing
o Specific needs
- Spends most of the day resting
- Main instinct: suckling à assessment of overall health
- Very social, curious animals à housing
- Prey animal, when cornered, tries to run/back away à fixation
What do we have to do with them?
What do we have to do with them?
- Postpartum treatment
- Feeding
- Tagging
- Dehorning
- Examination
- Taking samples
- Treatments
o Giving medication
§ PO/IV/IM/SC
o Opening abscesses, putting on a cast, antiparasitic treatment etc
Restriction/fixation?
Restriction/fixation
- In a pen – preferably in the corner
- Dangers – hurt you or itself
- Analgesia/sedation can be used
o After a certain age, it is mandatory for painful procedures (EU)
§ Disbudding, removal of extra teats in the first few days
§ Blood sampling, oesophageal feeder insertion
§ Ear tagging
§ Opening abscesses
Restricting a calf?
Restricting a calf
- Get them to stand up or lie down if needed
- You can grab them by BOTH ears, but don’t pull on them
- You can sit on them, to keep them from standing
- Push them against a flat surface
- Push their head out of their pens and stand behind them
- Ask someone to hug them against their chest
Perinatal period?
Perinatal period
- Neonate – until 2 weeks old
- Perinatal – from around birth to 48-72 hours
- Postnatal – until weaning
Mortality?
Mortality
- Perinatal 5-10%
- Most perinatal deaths happen in the 1st hour
- Postnatal – 4-5%
Examination of a new born calf?
Examination of a new-born calf
- Is it stillborn? Asses the age of the foetus
- Any congenital defects?
- Trauma: usually happens if too force was used for extraction
o Fractured ribs, vertebrae
o Intracranial haemorrhage
o Liver rupture
- Oedema
- Indirect impairment of foetal circulation
o In case of prolonged parturition, the pressure on the umbilical cord reduces blood flow à severe
acidosis, possible results in death
• Hypoxia
o Prolonged parturition, impaired foetal circulation à severe acidosis, hypoxemia, hypercalcemia
• Indicating signs
o Meconium staining on fur
o Low vitality
• Assessment – modified Apgar score
o Originally for hu med
Neonatal care/ resuscitation?
Neonatal care/ resuscitation
• Stimulation of breathing (most important)
o Cleaning nose/mouth
o Rubbing chest
§ Imitates the mother licking
o Pouring cold water on their heads
o Putting straw up the nose
o Hanging them upside down
• Assisted breathing
o If it’s not spontaneous this can help
o Extend and flexing the FL will expand and deflate the chest
• No heartbeat – CPR
o 120beats/min
Examination of clinical values?
Examination of different organs?
Examination of different organs
• General condition: visual assessment
o Body condition
o Rate of dehydration
o Appetite („patient history”)
o Navel: Visual assessment, palpation (signs of inflammation)
o Easily noticeable symptoms
- Hair/skin, lymph nodes
- Mucous membranes: mouth (colour is paler than in small animals), conjunctiva
- Respiratory organs
o Auscultation over the chest, trachea, larynx
• Circulation
o Auscultation of the heart (locomotive murmur)
o Capillary refill
• GI system:
o Diarrhoea: one of the most important problems
o Abdominal cavity cannot be fully palpated, but the fullness of the stomach and gas in the intestines
usually can be assessed
• Urinary and reproductive organs: Visual assessment, palpation
o Normal urination
o Lesions are uncommon in calves (congenital defects can occur)
• Locomotor system: Visual assessment, palpation
o Traumatic injuries, congenital defect
Diagnostics tests?
Diagnostic tests
• Blood tests
o IgG
o Haematology, biochem: rarely mostly for experiments
o Herd level blood collection
• Faeces
o Parasitology
o Quick tests
- US
- X ray (extremities)
- (endoscopy)
Sample collecting?
Sample collection
• Blood sampling
o V. jugularis
o The steps are the same as iv. drug administration, but you have to aim cranially
• Faeces sample
o As fresh as possible
o Collection from the rectum is optimal
o Adequate shipping container!
• Hair, skin: BVD screening
o Ear tagging provides an option for it
• Urine: rarely
o When they stand up for feeding/via catheter/cystocentesis
o Not very reliable…
• Skin scraping rarely
o Diagnosis of ectoparasites
Giving medication per os?
Giving medication per os
• What?
o Colostrum
o Probiotics, vitamins
o Medications: in young calves, when the rumen is still undeveloped, or in case of dysbiosis
• How?
o Mix it with milk
o Drenching gun
o Syringe
Giving medication SC?
Giving medication SC
• What?
o Medications
o Vitamins
o Fluid therapy: small amount of fluid can
be admin. SC, if IV fails
o Only non-irritative materials
• How?
o In front of scapula, upper third of neck
o In a sharp angle to the skin
Giving medication IM?
Giving medication IM
• What?
o Medications
o Vitamins, trace minerals
o Only non- irritative
• How?
o In front of scapula, upper third of neck
o Perpendicular
o Be as fast as you can
