“Overeating” In Baby Calves
by Tammy Winger DVM
A belly bloated and calf
kicking painfully at their
side is not a welcome site
to most ranchers. But what
causes “overeating” and
how can we best treat it?
“Overeating” is the
common name for
Clostridium perfringens
enterotoxemia. The guilty
strain is most commonly
type C, however types A,
B, D, and E can be
involved as well. In fact, it
is the toxins that these
types of clostridiums
produce that cause the
problems. Toxic
symptoms range from
bloating, excess gas,
internal hemorrhage,
neurologic signs, and rapid
death. Most affected
calves are 5-14 days old.
Clostridial organisms are
normally present in the
calf’s gut shortly after
birth. The problem occurs
when the calf ingests a
large amount of milk. This
causes gut motility to slow
down and the excess
carbohydrates in milk aid
in excessive bacterial
growth. More bacteria
equals more toxins,
causing a further decline in
gut motility with excess
gas, and normal gut
bacteria are overpowered.
The calf actually poisons
itself from the inside.
The best treatment is to
vaccinate the cow with a
quality scours vaccine
prior to calving and make
sure that the calf ingests
the recommended amount
of 5% of body weight with
in the first 6 hours. Most
scour vaccines contain
antigens for Types C&D.
If you are unfortunate
enough to get A, B or E,
immediate treatment is
your best bet. The trick is
to detect these calves
before they become toxic
(bloated & sluggish).
Antitoxin serum, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
(NSAID) such as
Banamine, a broad
spectrum antibiotic and
fluids to combat the toxins
may be beneficial in
treatment. Also, because
gut motility is slowed, a
small amount of mineral
oil or charcoal/pectin
based anti-diarrhea paste
given orally may aid
treatment.