Unit 1 - Neonate 1 Flashcards
What are calves at risk for?
Dystocia, weak and lack of vigor, acidosis and/or hypoxia, and hypothermia
What occurs during the transition to extra-uterine life?
Cessation of uterine blood supply
Lung inflation, decreased pulmonary and increased systemic vascular resistance
Closure of fetal vascular routes
When should a calf begin spontaneous and regular breathing?
Within 30 seconds of parturition
What is the regular heart rate of neonate calves?
> 70 bpm
True or False: Arrhythmias are not uncommon in the first hour of life.
True
When should the righting reflex occur in neonate calves?
within 5 minutes
When should the suckle reflex occur in neonate calves?
Within 20 minutes
Do calves go into respiratory failure or cardiac arrest first?
Respiratory failure
When should you intervene with resuscitation in a calf?
If the calf is gasping, in respiratory distress, apneic, or if they are persistently bradycardic
What are the first steps to resuscitation in a calf?
Clear the airways and place into sternal position for optimal ventilation
True or False: Dopram is recommended in apneic animals.
False - it is not recommended
What are possible treatments for hypothermia in a calf?
Immersion, forced warm air, and heat lamps
True or False: You should not ligate the umbilicus if you do not have to.
True
If you have to manage the umbilicus, what should you do?
Clean with iodine or chlorhexidine and dry quickly
What is the current acceptable amount of serum IgG in colustrum?
> 15g/L - you want to feed 300g of IgG
What is the single most important management factor in determining health and survival of the neonatal calf?
Colostrum
What does the amount of colostrum proved to dairy heifers significantly influence?
pre-pubertal growth rate
What does colostrum contain?
Immunoglobulins, energy, protein, vitamins, minerals, maternal leukocytes, cytokines, growth factors, and antimicrobial factors
When is colostrum produced?
several weeks prior to calving
What cow factors impact the production of colostrum?
Dairy vs. Beef, Age, dry period length, timely collection, mastitis, nutrition, vaccination, and environmental influences
Does mastitis affect IgG in colostrum?
No, there is just a decreased volume overall
What is the process/mechanism of ingesting colostrum?
Suckling leads to the closure of the esophageal groove which then delivers the colostrum to the abomasum
How are immunoglobulins and other macromolecules absorbed into the gut?
Via pinocytosis
What occurs during gut closure?
Loss of absorptive sites, secretion of digestive enzymes, and bacterial colonization of the gut
When do the materal antibodies from IgG begin to wane?
3-4 months of age
Where does IgA go after ingestion?
mucosal secretion
Where does IgM go after ingestion?
Mainly into the blood
What are the three Qs of colostrum?
Quality, quantity, and quickly
What is the cut off for adequate IgG with the brix refractometer?
The result should be 22% or greater
What pathogens should colostrum be free of?
Mycoplasma, Johne’s, fecal coliforms, and Salmonella
Why shouldn’t you pool raw colostrum?
You can run the risk of spreading disease among calves
What should the bacterial count level be in colostrum?
<100,000 CFU/mL
What should the coliform count level be in colostrum?
<10,000 CFU/mL
How long can raw colostrum be stored?
For approximately 2 days
How long can pasteurized colostrum be stored?
8-10 days
How long can frozen colostrum be stored?
Up to 1 year
Why is pasteurizing colostrum problematic?
Because it can cause denaturation of immunoglobulins of up to 25-30% per batch
When should colostrum (pasteurized or raw) be fed and how much?
Note: this is in cases where you have to intervene
4L shortly after birth and a 2nd feeding (2L) within 6 hours
True or False: An esophageal feeder is more valuable than a nipple bottle to deliver colostrum.
False - when giving the same amount of colostrum their values are equivalent
What is the main method to monitor colostrum levels?
Measurement/estimation of serum (IgG)
Aside from measurement of IgG, what can be done to monitor colostrum management?
Radial immunodiffusion, turbidimetric immunoassay, ELISA, sodium sulfite test, zinc sulfate trubidity test, and total protein
What are the gold standard tests for immunoglobulin testing in colostrum management?
Radial immunodiffusion and turbidimetric immunoassay
What is the goal for total protein with a refractometer when testing a herd (age 24 hours to 7 days) for adequate passive transfer?
80% should be > 5.5 g/dL
90% should be >5.2 g/dL
What is the cutoff for FPT when using a brix refractometer?
8.1-8.5%
What are the 4 basic sources of IgG replacers/supplements?
Dried colostrum, whey proteins, bovine serum, and eggs
The USDA regulates what is considered colostrum replacement and colostrum supplement. How much IgG/dose and nutrients must there be for a product to be considered a colostrum replacement? Colostrum supplement?
Replacement - > 100 IgG/dose and nutrients
Supplement - <100g IgG/dose
Does a colostrum replacement or supplement if used a lone cause failure of passive transfer?
supplements
How much fresh frozen plasma administered to calves?
20-40 ml/kg so approximately 1-2L
How much of a donors whole blood can be safely taken in a cow?
20%
How much whole blood should be transfused to calves?
20-30 mL/kg
What needs to be added to blood post collection?
anticoagulant
What is the transfusion rate/protocol for ruminants?
Give 1.5 ml/kg/hr for 30 minutes, if no adverse effects then change the rate to 10-20mL/kg/hour
What adverse effects could you see with blood transfusions?
Increase heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature, trembling, hives, edema, stertor, and piloerection
