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Diarrhoea
The most common health problem is diarrhoea. The main cause of death with diarrhoea is dehydration.
A calf suffering from diarrhoea loses, next to fluid, a lot of body salts. Therefore an electrolyte mix (EMIX) will help to prevent dehydration and to restore the electrolyte balance.
In diarrhoea we make a distinction between:
- nutritional diarrhoea
- infectious diarrhoea
In practice a nutritional diarrhoea will be followed by an infectious diarrhoea.
Nutritional diarrhoea
Often a nutritional diarrhoea is regarded as infectious diarrhoea and will be treated prematurely with antibiotics. That is not necessary. In storage feeding the manure mostly is much thinner than in controlled feeding.
This should not be confused with diarrhoea. Nutritional diarrhoea is a matter of a disturbed digestion.
Symptoms
- thin manure
- more frequent production of manure
- more manure
- manure is white to yellow in colour
- manure is homogeneous
Calves do not have fever, they are quite lively, active and will have a reasonably good desire to drink.
Causes
Mainly the cause can be found in a feeding mistake, such as:
- wrong feeding of whole milk
- feeding antibiotics or deviant milk
- overfeeding (pay attention to feeding schedule)
- incorrect concentrations of calf milk replacer
- wrong drinking temperature
- insufficient amount of calf milk powder in solution
- sudden change-over to solid feed
- improper hygiene
- drinking urine
Treatment
This type of diarrhoea is in itself quite easy to treat:
- check preparation and feeding of the milk
- halve the milk amount of 2 feedings
- complete this with approx. 2 litres of electrolyte mix (EMIX) at noon
- bring the calf in line with the feeding schedule within 1 to 2 days
Infectious diarrhoea
This type of diarrhoea is caused by an infection. Harmful micro organisms have multiplied in the gastrointestinal tract.
Symptoms
- calves are listless (apathetic)
- calves do hardly drink or do not drink at all
- change of colour, smell and consistency of the manure; heterogeneous gruel
- often blood in the manure
- calves will lose weight and show signs of dehydration
- possible side effects are inflammation of the joints, pneumonia and meningitis
- clear changes in body temperature, both upwards and downwards
- pushing on the intestine of the calves (with coccidiosis)
Causes
Possible causes are:
- bacteria (E.coli, especially in the first week, Para typhoid especially from week 2 to 6)
- viruses (rota and corona virus, esp. in the 2nd week, Bovine Virus Diarrhoea)
- parasites (crypto, coccidiosis)
In case of a bacterial infection this can be treated in principle with a course of antibiotics treatment. In addition, feeding measures are needed, such as setting the calf apart and supplying electrolytes (EMIX). Never feed this longer than 1 day. After that partly continue with supplying milk. Because of the contagious character it is important to take hygienic measures.
In diseases, after intestine disorders and a course of antibiotic treatment, often a vitamin deficiency occurs. Special vitamin and mineral blends like Sprayfo VIMIX will help to recover the balance.
In case of a viral infection antibiotics do not help. However, antibiotics need to be used against secondary bacterial infections.
Sprayfo can be replaced by an electrolyte mix (EMIX) during 1 – 1.5 days.
When a calf suffers from a parasitic infection Sprayfo can be replaced by EMIX during 1 – 1.5 days.
In some circumstances coccidiosstatica can be diagnosed. It is advised to consult a veterinarian surgeon. A wet straw bed can strongly expand the infection.
Symptoms of infectious and nutritional diarrhoea and required measures
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Diarrhoea
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Damaged intestinal wall
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Bad feed intake
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Increased manure secretion
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Deviant thin manure
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Dehydration
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Nutritional diarrhoea
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Infectious diarrhoea
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Symptoms:
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Symptoms:
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Measures:
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Measures:
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- supply electrolyte mix (EMIX)
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- give very little or no milk
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In case of viral infection (Rota Corona):
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- 2x per day approx. ¼ litre of colostrum
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- supply electrolyte mix (EMIX)
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