Ruminant Neonates Flashcards by Raquel Schenone

What is a hider?

Characteristic suckling behavior of lambs, calves , and kids in confinement, where they don’t need to frequently suckle to survive. Calves can suckle twice a day and lambs 6 times a day.

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What is a follower?

Characteristic suckling behavior of kids on pasture and foals where they need to nurse small amounts frequently throughout the day to survive.

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What measurements of good passive transfer in calves is monitored before ingestion?

Antibody in dam’s colostrum

2. Ingestion/delivery to the calf

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When can a calf’s GI motility, cell function and pinocytotic vesicles be monitored to ensure good passive transfer?

After ingestion of colostrum

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Is failure of passive transfer a disease?

No, but it can be caused by disease or lead to disease

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How much colostral antibody should be in colostrum for a calf? How is this measured?

60-80 gm/L

Colostrometer, regractometer, or ELISA

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How much colostrum needs to be delivered to a calf to be considered successful transfer?

200-300 g or 4L, but can be as low as 100-150 g

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What should the calf serum Ig level be at 24 hours?

1600-2000 mg/dL, but sometimes settle form 800-1000 mg/dL

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Why does colostral Ig decrease over time? What does this do the the serum Ig levels over the first months of the calf’s life?

Redistributed to the ECF
Degrades
Consumed
There is a natural drop in serum Ig

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Why is failure of passive transfer a problem?

Energy deficit
Fat-soluble vitamin deficit
Lack of passive immunity
Possible delay in guy closure

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Why is it important to know that ruminant blood is difficult to separate in a test tube?

It is difficult to isolate just the blood plasma, so whole blood is used for tests for passive transfer

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What are the best stall side way to measure passive transfer in calves?

ELISA/Lateral flow on whole blood/plasma
Sodium sulfite turbidity test
Zinc sulfate turbidity test
Serum total protein
Whole blood glutaraldehyde coagulation test

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How do the sodium and zinc sulfate turbidity tests measure Ig levels?

Turbidity indicates there is adequate Ig levels

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What equipment and parameters do you need in order to do a serum total protein test to measure passive transfer?

Refractometer and separation of serum/plasma ( which is hard to do with ruminant blood)

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What is the gut closure window in cattle and why is this important to know?

24 hours, as this is when immunoglobulin transfer from colostrum is considered unreliable and it must be completed with blood transfusions

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What factors can shorten the gut closure window in a calf? Lengthen?

Exposure to protein can shorten the window and lack of exposure can lengthen it

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What are the main causes of depression and anorexia ( weak sucks in neonate ruminants? (8)

Sepsis/toxemia
Hypoxemia
Hypothermia/hyperthermia
Hypoglycemia
Acidosis
uremia
Developmental abnormalities
Weak calf/lamb syndrome

What are the main causes of depression and anorexia weak sucks in neonate ruminants? (8)

Sepsis/toxemia
Hypoxemia
Hypothermia/hyperthermia
Hypoglycemia
Acidosis
uremia
Developmental abnormalities
Weak calf/lamb syndrome

What are two reasons for why a neonate ruminant may not be suckling not be the underlying reasons why and there is probably something going on in the environment?

Hypoglycemia

2. Hypothermia

What factors can make a calf susceptible to not being able to maintain temperature or glucose levels?

Weak at birth
Septic
Prolonged starvation

T/F: You should assume that warming and feeding a cold, weak calf or lamb will correct it’s condition?

False, probably another reason for why this neonate is cold or weak.

What are the main causes for hypoxemia in a neonate?

Prematurity/dysmaturity
Infection
Depression ( decreased ventilation)

Why is hypoxemia in ruminant neonates underdiagnosed?

It is difficult to diagnose without arterial blood gas analysis and thoracic radiographs

Why is it a problem that hypoxemia in ruminant neonates is underdiagnosed?

It may be the leading cause of death in calves < 3 days as it decreases tissue function leading to secondary diseases and causes..

How would you treat a hypoxemia neonate?

Give it oxygen

What can cause weak calf/lamb syndrome? (8)

1. Lack or poor quality maternal nutrition 2. Low birth weight or gestational age 3. Dystocia 4. Vitamin E/selenium deficiency 5. BVD or other infectious pathogens 6. FPT 7. Poor hygiene 8. Mothering

What is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in ruminants < 2 days old?

Sepsis/bacteremia

How does bacteria that cause sepsis enter the body of a neonate?

1. GI tract 2. Respiratory tract 3. Skin breaks 4. Seeding of the imbilicus due to bacteremia

Where does focal infection tend to localize and why?

The areas that have poor blood flow: 1. Umbilicus 2. Joints 3. Tissue Abscesses 4. Bone

What clinical signs could you see with a septic ruminant neonate? (10)

1. Complicated scours 2. Pneumonia 3. Depression/anorexia 4. Tissue mass at umbilicus 5. Lameness 6. Dehydration 7. Weakness/recumbency 8. Camatose 9. Blind 10. Seizures

What would be abnormal on physical exam in a neonate ruminant that is septic?

1. Tachycardic 2. Tachypneic 3. Mild-moderate dehydration 4. Scleral injection with hypopyon 5. Swollen joint 6. Tissue masses

What abnormal chemistry and blood gas number would you observe in a septic neonate ruminants?

1. Leukopenia 2. Left shift 3. Hyperfibrinogen 4. Possibly leukocytosis

If you did a FPT test on a septic neonate ruminants, what would the results say?

Low Ig levels ( don't know if from FPT or something else..consumptions of Ig in older calves occurs)

What are some special diagnostic tools you could use on a septic neonate ruminant?

1. Blood culture 2. Joint tap and culture 3. Ultrasound and rads for tissue mass 4. Fecal culture

T/F: In a septic calf, the depression and anorexia are usually less severe than the diarrhea/resp. signs/dehydration or clin. path test would suggest.

FALSE, the depression and anorexia are MORE severe. Basically, if you can't explain the level of obtundation through the level of dehydration or acidemia, there is something more complicated going on.

What are the main bacteria that can cause sepsis in neonates

Gram negatives and clostridium like E. coli, salmonella, pasteurella, and listeria

What antibiotics could you use to treat a calf with sepsis?

Ceftiofur or other penicillinase-resistant drugs

Which antibiotics do you never give a food animals?

1. Fluoroquinolones 2. Aminoglycosides 3. Chloramphenicol

Other than antibiotics, how else can you treat a septic calf?

1. NSAIDS like banamine or ketoprofen 2. Fluids 3. Plasma 4. Remove nidus 5. Supportive care of warmth, food and comfort

What is the prognosis of a septic calf/lamb?

Good if early, poor if late and prevention is better than a cure

How can you best prevent a septic calf/lamb?

1. Ensure good, fast passive transfer via high serum Ig and rapid gut closure to decrease absorption of pathogens 2. Clean birthing/neonatal environment in hutches or have them spread out 3. Provide colostrum via tube first, then bottle then suckling