Causes, Prevention, & Treatment
Brendan Kraus, DVM
Thanks Dr. Larson

 Multifactorial Disease
Host
Environment
Agent

Level of Immunity
 Passive Transfer
 Calves are born without antibodies
 Calves should ingest at least 1 gallon of colostrum in the first 12 hours of life (recommendations have changed)
 Many calves ingest inadequate levels

Host: Level of Immunity
Passive Transfer

Host: Level of Immunity
Prevention Tips
1) Ensure Adequate Passive Transfer
2) Prevent Dystocia
3) Bull Selection Based on EPD for birth weight and calving ease

Host: Level of Immunity
Prevention Tips
4) Proper Development of Dam
 Dam should calve at BCS 5.5-6.0
 Avoid over-condition or rapid weight gain in late gestation (fat in pelvic canal)

 Overcrowding
 Poor Sanitation
 Damp or wet ground
 Age of Dam
 Poor Quality Milk/milk replacers

Environment: Overcrowding/Sanitation
Prevention Tips
1)

Optimize Environment/Sanitation
Calving areas should be as clean and dry as possible
 Calves should be dispersed as much as possible (intensive vs. extensive)

Intensive vs. Extensive Concentration
Intensive Permits Ready
Intervention
Extensive Favors Hygiene

Environment: Overcrowding/Sanitation
Prevention Tips
1) Optimize Environment/Sanitation
(cont.)
 Separate calving pasture from winter feeding pastures (more uncommon for spring calvers)
 Feeding strategy considerations

 Bale feeders
 Spread bales
 Feed bunk movement
 Water sources
 Stockpiled forage

Environment: Overcrowding/Sanitation
Prevention Tips
1) Optimize Environment/Sanitation
(cont.)
 Calving areas should have adequate drainage
 Provide protection from the wind

Environment: Overcrowding/Sanitation
Prevention Tips
2) Control Exposure
 Which calves are at risk?

50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0% calves are also shedding the most scours pathogens
0-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30
 Most calves are 1 to 2 weeks of age at time of death
 Calves older than 3 weeks are at low risk of death
From David Smith et al, 2004

Attack Rate by Week
(From Start of Calving Season)
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
 Calves born early in the calving season are at low risk
 Calves born late in the calving season are at high risk
From David Smith et al, 2004

30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Attack Rate by Week
(From Start of Calving Season)
 The risk of scours and the severity of disease in each affected calf increases as the calving season progresses
 The age at disease onset decreases as the calving season progresses
From David Smith et al, 2004

Environment: Overcrowding/Sanitation
Prevention Tips
2) Control Exposure
(cont.)
 Pasture Rotation

Keep young calves away from older calves

Control Exposure: Keep Young
Calves away from Older Calves

1) Mid-late gestation pasture (minimum)

Can be sorted at preg check OR
2) Move heavies every 1-3 weeks

New calves being born on clean pasture

Older calves staying behind in contamination

Herd reassembled for breeding

Youngest calf around 3 weeks old

Environment: Overcrowding/Sanitation
Prevention Tips
2) Control Exposure
(cont.)
 Calve Heifers Early
 Be Wary of Outside Calves

 Escherichia coli (1-6 days)
 Clostridium perfringens (1-14 days)
 Rota Virus (5-21 days)
 Corona Virus (5-36 days)
 Cryptosporidium (6-21 days)
 Salmonella (6-36 days)

E. Coli
 2 types: Septicemia & Enterotoxogenic
 Usually within 3-5 days of life
 Severe, watery diarrhea (secretory, ETEC)
 Depression
 Hypothermia
 Distant Infections (joints, brain navel, septicemia)

Clostridium perfringens

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
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
< 2 weeks old
Low morbidity : High mortality
Healthy, fast growing calves
Heavy milking dams
Sudden Death
Diarrhea/Abdominal Pain
Necrosis of small intestine
Enlargement of intestinal lymph nodes




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


Most Common
Often found in mixed infections
5 days to 3 weeks of age
Affects small intestine
Voluminous (Malabsorptive)

Lactose washout with osmotic diarrhea
Dehydration
At least 7 days to repair intestinal damage

 More Severe than Rota
 5 days to 30 days of age
 Large and small intestine
 Dehydration
 Anorexia
 Infects intestinal cells more severely
 Malabsorption/maldigestion
 Respiratory Infections

 Zoonotic Potential
 7 days to 30 days of age
 Protracted, non-responsive diarrhea
 Intracellular but extracytoplasmic

Drugs difficult to kill

Off Label

 > 10 days of age
 Foul smelling diarrhea
 Fibrin and mucosa may be present in stool
 Distant infections

 Hypothermia
 Hypoglycemia
 Acidosis
 Low Protein
 Electrolyte Imbalances
 Hypovolemia/Dehydration


Calculate Dehydration % and
Replacement Amount

 Correct Dehydration
 Correct Electrolyte Imbalances
 Combat Shock
 Support Internal Organ Function
 Supplement Energy

Routes of Administration
 Oral
 Intravenous

 Must have GI motility (body temp)
 Must have GI perfusion (dehydration)
 Must have absorptive function
(damage)
 Benefits-Inexpensive

 Rapid Replacement of fluid deficits
 Replacement of Electrolytes
(bicarbonate)
 Base Deficit Correction
 Replacement of Ongoing Losses

 Nutritional Support
 Body Temperature Maintenance
 Maintain Oral Fluids/Electrolytes
 Antibiotics +/-

 Short Term Intervention Strategies



Treat affected calves
Calving site selection and management

Change location of calves
Calving season

Move pregnant cows away from nursing cows


Dystocia management

Monitor calving closely
Good husbandry and nutrition of dam

 Long Term Prevention Strategies



Care and Nutrition of Dam
Dystocia

Sire selection and heifer development
Calving site selection and management

Plan ahead, get site ready


Pasture Rotation

Be as aggressive as you need for your operation
Vaccination (last for a reason)




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Dam vaccinated/antibodies in colostrum
To be used as a tool in the arsenal
Usage determined by risk
Vaccination of younger stock
Must have two rounds prior to calving the first year
Vaccinations available for the calf
Will not work as sole prevention measure

 It’s March 3, a cold drizzle is coming down as you slide across the pasture in 4WD. Vet and client are surveying a pasture of 40 cow/calf pairs. Calves range in age from 1 day to 2 months. The mud is ankle deep.
Approximately 50% of the calves have fluid stools. Four calves have died in the last 2 days, and at present, 4 calves are weak and unable to stand. The client turns and asks,
“What do you think we should we do?”