Perinatal Calf Care Flashcards
tell me what factors lead to decreased passive immunity to a calf, which therefore leads to decreased calf health?
increased calving difficulty
increase O2 deprivation
Increased trauma
Decrease calf vigour
who has more calving difficulty?
dairy > beef
assisted calves are born… what? and what does this lead to?
born injured, O2 deprived, or both
leads to higher risk of FTPI, morbidity, mortality
true or false: many assisted calves have subclinical trauma.
TRUE!!!!
how can we tell that assisted calves have subclinicalt trauma?
elevated CK and AST without clinical signs
how can we mitigate pain in cows after a difficult calving?
- meloxicam (0.5mg/kg IV or SQ)
- ketoprofen
can you use flunixin meglumine in cows after dystocia?
nope!!!!! greater risk of retained fetal membranes (can technically use when placenta is passed, but better to just avoid)
how can we mitigate pain in calves after a difficult calving?
- meloxicam (0.5 mg/kg IV or SQ)
- ketoprofen (3mg/kg IV or IM x 3days)
all new born calves have what metabolic disturbance?
mixed respiratory-metabolic acidosis
the severity depends on the birth
why do all newborn calves have a mixed respiratory-metabolic acidosis? esp ones after a dystocia
- umbilical cord pinches off once calf reaches a certain point in birth canal
- prolonged calving = O2 deprivation = resp acidosis
- anaerobic glycolysis during dystocia = lactatemia (metabolic acidosis)
how do we resuscitate apneic or hypopneic newborn calves?
put calf in recovery position, rub vigorously all over, poke into ear/mouth/nostril, get mucus and fluid out of mouth, assisted ventilation
poor vigour in newborns is associated with what?
acidemia (pH and L-lactate) and tissue damage (CK and AST)
should you hang newborn calves over a gate or fence to get them to breath?
… no
what parts of the newborn PE should we focus on?
- eponychium
- umbilicus
- joints
- palate
- hydration
- meconium staining/passing
- visual appearance
- general responsiveness
- oxygenation/perfusion
- vigor assessment
- HR
- RR
- temp
meconium staining indicates what?
in-utero distress
may aspirate into lungs = aspy pneu pneu
what is normal in terms of meconium
should usually pass within 24 hours of birth, generally much sooner (~3hr)
you see a newborn calf with a swollen head and tongue. what does this indicate? how do you treat this?
congestion/edema associated with impaired venous return assoc w being stuck in the birth canal for prolonged time
heat and massage, leave it be, ensure colostrum consumption
what are signs of prematurity in a newborn calf?
fine hair coat, lack of eruption of central incisors, laboured breathing or frothing
tell me about normal mm color in a newborn calf.
may start somewhat blue, but should pink up quick (<30 seconds)
oral mucosa better than vulva mucosa for checking
CRT <2 seconds
you have a calf with hyperaemic mm and scleral injection. what’s top on your ddx?
sepsis :(
tell me the 3 calf vigour assessment tests and briefly describe them.
- suckle reflex (strong or weak): put 1-2 fingies into calf’s mouth, vigorous calf will latch within 10 seconds
- tongue withdrawal (complete or incomplete): pinch tongue in mouth with thumb and index finger, vigorous calf will withdraw tongue into oral cavity
- mm color (pink or abnormal): look with your eyes
tell me about normal HR in a newborn calf.
starts at ~150 bpm, may increase to 200 after birth
should slow to 80-120 bpm
if a calf has <70bpm within a few mins of birth, what should you do?
consider epinephrine. this is abnormal
tell me about normal RR in a newborn calf
if not spontaneously breathing within 30 seconds, stimulate reflexes
starts as gasps, effort pronounced during first few mins
increase rate to 60 bpm, becoming more regular and less laboured
next hr or so, slow to 24-36bpm
