Farm Repro and Neonatal Flashcards
What are congenital issues?
What is the aetiology?
What are some examples?
Abnormalities in structure and function at birth
Aetiology- genetic or environment
Examples-
CV- PDA, VSD
Urogenital- patent urachus
Musculoskeletal- contracted tendons, dwarfism
Neurological
Dystocia is commonly due to neonates being oversized
What outcomes does this cause?
What are the consequences?
Oedema, bruising, fractures
Hypoxia-
compression of umbilical cord, premature placental separation
Acidosis-
metabolic- lactic acid due to tissue hypoxia, respiratory- poor lung function
Consequences- failure to nurse and reduced passive transfer
How long should it take a calf to be in sternal recumbency?
What can be used for the diagnosis of problems in newborn calve?
should be less then 5 minutes- if over 9 increases chance of death
Diagnosis- thermometer, stethoscope, blood gasses (less so)
What are the ABCs of resuscitation?
What are the other techniques?
Airways-
intubate, laryngoscope, sternal recumbency, pull the tongue out, pass tube
Breathing-
ambubag, blow down tube
Circulation-
fluids
Other techniques- cold water down the ear, rub with straw, acupuncture on philtrum, doxapram
What are common perinatal physiological problems?
Inactivity/lethargy- standing and sucking essential
Hypothermia- calfs temp drops to 39 in 30 mins, should not go lower then this
Hypoxaemia- numerous aetiologies
Hypoglycaemia
How much colostrum should be fed in the first 24 hours and why?
Minimum of 5% at each feeding (2-3l)
First feed within 2h and again 6-12 hours
=10% within 12 hours
The concentration of immunoglobulins and permeability of the calve gut decreases rapidly within the first 24 hours
What does colostrum contain?
Fat and protein- 50% more fat 4x more protein (immunoglobulin)
Vitamins and minerals-
fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and E (<8x), Vit B12 8x
Macrominerals/Micro (Ca, P, Mg)(Cu, Fe, Zn)- 2-20x more
Immune cells
Others- growth factors, enzymes, cytokines
What are the 4 Qs of colostrum intake?
Quality
Quantity
Quickly
sQueaky clean
Why do a lot of calves not have sufficient passive transfer?
High merit dairy cows have poor quality colostrum- dilution effect, calf need more
Conformation- big teats
Supervision- 34% of calves don’t suck within 6 hours
Bad calvings-
acidotic calves, do not suck enough
How should colostrum donors be selected?
- Health dams- negative for diseases (Johne’s), prolonged residence at farm
- No pre-calving milking or milk loss
- Only first milking colostrum should be given initially
- Use colostrum from one dam per calf
What affects the quality and quantity of colostrum?
How is colostrum quality monitored for?
- When the colostrum is collected- decrease in IG with time
- Breed of cow
- Parity
- Pre-partum nutrition
- Length of dry period
- Pre-milking
- Abortion/induction
- Masitis
Brix refractometer- >22%= 50g/l
Colostrometer
let cool- 20 degrees
How is colostrum pasteurised?
What are the pros and cons?
60 degrees for 60 mins
Pros-
Bacterial reduction- Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli etc
improved efficiency of IgG absorption
Cons-
not sterilisation
kills leucocytes
Costs- labour
What should be considered when collecting colostrum for freezing?
What are the pros and cons?
Collect from first milking only
Only freeze good quality
Collect from lowest risk heifers (Johne’s)
Pros-
free, farm-specific antigens
Cons-
cost of storage
How are colostrum replacers produced?
What are the pros and cons?
Spray drying colostrum or concentrate whey from cheese
Efficacy of absorption is not as good as natural
Expensive
Less tailored to individual farms
Better then nothing!
How can failure of passive transfer be defined?
Serum IgG <10mg/ml- 55g/l
What are the common infectious diseases of neonatal ruminants?
What are the epidemiological considerations?
Diarrhoea
Joint ill
Navel ill
Septicaemia
Bloat- rumen and abomasal
Epidemiological considerations-
1) the reservoir
2) modes of transmission and agent characteristic
3) incubation period
4) Period of communicability
What cleaning should be done for prevention of infectious diseases in neonates?
- removal of organic material
- destruction of microbes follows first-order logarithmic decay
- Contact time, temperature, pH, water content/hardness,
- Smooth surfaces preferable
What can be used for diagnosis in a neonate?
- Demeanor
- Suck reflex
- TPR
- faeces
- Navel
- hydration staus
- Acid-base staus
- CNS signs
- Abdominal distension
- Abdominal signs
- chest sounds
- CSF tap
- ZST/TP
- PM
What is the route of infection of navel ill?
What can be infected?
What is a key sign?
What are the sequelae?
What are the risk factors?
Infection via navel or oro-respiratory route
May involve umbilical arteries, veins, urachus
Key sign- hard swollen navel
Sequalae- peritonitis, septicaemia, polyarthritis
Risk factors- pathogen load, patent navel, immune status of calf
How is navel ill diagnosed and treated?
Diagnosis-
clinical examination- swollen and hard, check for a hernia
Probe
Ultrasound- peritonitis, extension up the vessels
Treatment-
antibiotics
drainage
surgery- remove infected, if veins poor prognosis
What is joint ill a sequel to?
What are the risk factors?
What are the signs?
What is the prognosis?
How is it treated?
Sequel to navel ill usually
risk factors- hygiene at calving, FPT
Single or multiple joints- swollen painful
Prognosis- poor, depends on joint affected
Treatment-
reduce bacterial load
antibiotics- 2 weeks course following improvement, begin with IV
Joint lavage- useful but often hard to do
NSAIDs
Antibiotic impregnated beads- ‘home made’- methyl methacrylate, antibiotic impregnated, place in or around joint, remove in 4 weeks
What is bacteriaemia and septicaemia?
Bacteraemia-
bacteria in blood
2nd to mucosal damage- rumen acidosis, gum disease
Septicaemia-
bacteria multiplying in blood
concurrent endotoxaemia
fatal
What agents commonly cause septicaemia?
What is a prime determinant?
When is it more commonly seen?
What are the clinical signs?
How is it treated?
E.coli
Actinomyces
Staph
Salmonella
The prime determinant is the lack of colostral antibody
Usually seen from 1-5 days of age
Clinical signs-
non-specific, collapsed, shocked, very congested conjunctive, CNS sometimes
Treatment- rarely successful
antibioits, NSAIDs, corticosteroid, fluid therapy, supportive nursing
What agent causes calf diptheria?
What is the signs?
What factors increase infection
How is it treated?
Fusiformis necrophourm
Oral lesions-
sore mouth, salivation and foul smell, ulcerative lesions
Dirty buckets- poor hygiene
Tx- penicillin
How can dehydration by estimated?
Demeanor, eyeball recession, skin tent duration, increase in total protein
With the failure of passive transfer- a dehydrated calf might show to be normal
What kind of acidosis is this?
What shows dehydration?
What would cause a low HR?
Metabolic acidosis- low CO2
Increased PCV, urea show dehydration
Low HR from increased K+
What should be given to dehydrated calves under and older a week?
What should be given to a dehydrated calf unable to stand?
