Calf Diarrhea Flashcards
What is the difference between early, delayed, and late postnatal disease? What are common causes of each?
EARLY = within 48 hours, malnutrition, hypothermia
DELAYED = within 2-7 days, infection (colibacillosis)
LATE = within 1-4 weeks, enterotoxemia
What 3 things in calves should be checked for at each feeding? What diagnostics are recommended?
- abnormal appearance - dull, depressed, weak, unwilling to stand, ears/head down, sunken eyes
- appetite - unwilling to drink, weak suckle
- abnormal feces - scours
rectal temp, hydration (sunken eyes, dry mouth, cold extremities, no suckling), RR and effort
How is scours treated?
MILD - oral electrolytes BID between milk feedings for 2-3 days
MODERATE/SEVERE - IV fluids and electrolytes, antibiotics, antiinflammatories
How is pneumonia treated?
MILD - antibiotics
MODERATE/SEVERE - antibiotics, antiinflammatories, supportive therapy
What factors from the mother, calf, and environment predispose a calf to developing disease?
MOTHER - parasitism, mastitis, nutrition, dystocia, breed and species variations, vaccination
CALF - umbilical cord infection, passive immunity (colostrum), rearing, overfeeding, time of weaning
ENVIRONMENT - herd size, improper building, over-crowding, poor sanitation, poor ventilation, high humidity, exposure to hot or cold extremes
What is the most common cause of death in young calves? When is risk of development highest? In what calves is this most common?
diarrhea –> dehydration, electrolyte loss (K, bicarb, Na) –> preventable with good management!
birth to 1 month old
housed calves in the winter
What is the pathogenesis of calf diarrhea? What 3 things does this result in? What causes death?
loss of large amonts of water and electrolytes (Na, K, Cl, bicarb)
- hemoconcentration –> hypovolemia –> organ dysfunction
- loss of Na, K –> muscle and cardiac weakness
- loss of bicarb –> acidemia
acidosis and dehydration
How does diarrhea typically develop in calves?
- production of thin, watery feces
- signs of dehydration appear - sunken eyes, dry MM, rough hair
- calf extremities become cold
- loss of appetite
- difficulty getting up
- unable to rise
- loss of consciousness
Pathogenesis of diarrhea based on cause:
What 4 things should be observed for in cases of scours?
check the calf, NOT the feces
- appetite
- temperature
- condition - standing, recumbent
- dehydration
What is the purpose of colostrum in preventing calf diarrhea?
provides passive immunity to protect calves for a month after birth
What 3 things does the transfer of maternal immunoglobulins to calves depend on?
- formation of colostrum with high enough concentrations of Ig
- ingestion of an adequate volume of colostrum by the calf
- efficient absorption of colostral Ig by the calf
What are 7 common causes of poor colostrum quality/quantity?
- first lactation heifers
- breed
- premilking or premature lactation
- premature parturition or shortened dry period
- delay in obtaining first milking colostrum
- larger volume of colostrum produced dilute Ig
- poor colostral handling –> pooling, repeated freezing and thawing
What are 4 possible causes of colostrum ingestion failure?
- poor udder or teat conformation / poor mothering
- maternal periparturient disease (milk fever)
- poor neonatal vigor
- congenital musculoskeletal abnormalities
What are 6 causes of colostral absorption failure?
- neonatal asphyxia (dystocia)
- improper method of feeding - natural suckling > bottle feeding
- extremes in environmental temperatures
- dam absence
- immature GIT
- genetic variation in Ig efficiency
What is calf scour?
increased frequency, fluidity, or volume of fecal excretion
- may contain blood or mucous or be foul smelling
What are the most common symptoms associated with calf scours?
- loss of appetite
- cold limbs and ears
- dry mouth
- urine drop or stops
- skeletal muscle affected –> recumbency
- CNS signs
- death
What are the 3 major metabolic effects of calf scour?
- dehydration
- acidosis
- electrolyte imbalances
What are the 4 major bacterial causes of calf scour?
- E. coli*
- Salmonella spp*
- Clostridium perfringens Type A or C + sordelli
- Campylobacter fecalis + coli + jejuni
What are the 3 major parasitic causes of calf scour?
- Cryptosporidiasis*
- Coccidiosis
- Ascariasis
What are the 7 major viral causes of calf scour?
- Rotavirus*
- Coronavirus*
- BVD
- Calicivirus
- Bredavirus
- Parvovirus
- Astrovirus
Age of occurrence of enteropathogens in calves:
What is the most common cause of newborn calf diarrhea? What is the course of disease like? What is critical to survival?
enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC)
rapid - weakness –> diarrhea –> dehydration –> death within 24 hours
fluid support (antibiotics rarely affect outcome)
How is ETEC infection eliminated from a herd?
vaccination of dry cows and good colostrum
When does infection with Salmonella occur? What kind of diarrhea is associated? What other disease can it cause?
5-14 days old
bloody, casts of intestines
pneumonia
What treatment is required for Salmonella diarrhea? Which species is associated with permanent carrier/shedding status?
fluids + antibiotics to prevent bacteremia (ZOONOTIC, keep children and immunocompromised away)
Salmonella dublin
Which type of Clostridium causes diarrhea? What signs are associated? What is characteristic on postmortem exam?
Type C
- sudden onset of weakness and death
- colic or CNS signs seen before death
hemorrhage in the intestines