ISRAEL JOURNAL OF
VETERINARY MEDICINE
VOLUME 54 (1), 1999
Short communication
TITLE: A COMPARISON OF THE ANTIBIOTIC ENROFLOXACIN
AND CHOLESTYRAMINE THERAPY IN NEONATAL DIARRHEIC
CALVES
AUTHOR: A. Basoglu, M. Sevin‫ח‬, F.M. Birdane and I. ַCamkerten
Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary
Medicine, Selcuk University, 42020 ַimenlik Konya, Turkey
In order to compare the therapeutic use of cholestyramine and antibiotic in
neonatal diarrheic calves, 30 calves were used in this study. Calves with
typical signs of neonatal diarrhea were given a thorough clinical examination
daily, and the findings (general condition, fluid intake, faecal consistency,
reduced fluid intake, body temperature, pulsation and respiratory rate) were
continuously recorded. (Table 1) The following haematological parameters
were determined: hematocrit, hemoglobin, blood pH, WBC and RBC. Calves
presenting the following findings were considered as cured: physiological
faecal consistency, temperature within the normal range, unimpaired general
health, adequate fluid intake.
The subjects were divided into two clinically and haematologically similar
groups. In group A: According to antibiogram findings,
the animals were treated with an antibacterial drug [enrofloxacin (Bayer®),
at a dose rate of 2.5 mg/kg b.w., intramuscularly until recovery]; group B:
Calves in which cholestyramine (Kolestran®, Ilsan-Itas) at a dose of 4 gr.,
orally, three times daily was administered until recovery. At the same time, all
calves received adequate oral and/or parenteral fluid and electrolyte therapy.
E. coli was the most commonly isolated bacteria (86.6%) from calves with
diarrhea. In group A, of the calves treated with enrofloxacin, 14 out of 15 were
cured, and in group B, all were cured. The average recovery period was
shorter than in group A. (Table 2)
Table 1: Clinical and Haematological findings in diarrheic calves.
Treatment group
(n=15)
B.W
(kg)
Age
(Days)
Temp.
(oC)
Heart
Rate
Resp.
per min.
Enroflaxcin
30
9.5
38.5
131.3
50.39
Cholestyramine
33.5
11.5
38.2
127.8
39.7
T-test
0.886
0.495
1.205
0.445
0.913
Treatment group
(n=15)
Dehyd. %
Faecal
color+cons
HT
(%)
Hb
(gr.)
RBC
(x/l)
WBC
(x/l)
pH
Enroflaxcin
8.1
Yellowish
watery
50.3
8.03
7114
9640
7.021
Cholestyramine
8.4
Yellowish
watery
49.3
7.9
6587
8160
7.005
T-test
0.293
Yellowish
watery
0.814
0.249
0.816
0.721
0.215
Table 2: Course of recovery in diarrheic calves.
Days to recovery
Enrofloxacin
Cholestyramin
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Died
# affected
1
-
8
-
1
2
2
1
% affected
6.6
-
53.3
-
# affected
10
3
2
-
-
-
-
-
% affected
66.6
20
20
-
-
-
-
-
6.6 13.3 13.3
6.6
Clinical trials on antibiotic use in calves with undifferentiated diarrhea have
produced inconsistent results. In one study survival rates were slightly higher
in calves that received oral and parenteral antibiotic therapy than those that
were untreated. However, in another study, a larger number of calves given
prophylactic antibiotic therapy developed diarrhea than those that received no
treatment (1). According to Rademacher and Dirksen (2) antibacterial therapy
is only indicated in approximately 25% of the calves with neonatal diarrhea
and enrofloxacin seems to be more effective than other antibiotics and
chemotherapeutic drugs. In the present study also, enrofloxacin was used in
one group of calves, but the days of recovery were not shorter than in the
other group and one animal died.
Cholestyramine is a non-absorbable anion exchange resin that is used
predominantly for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia in adults and the
management of acute diarrhea in children (3). Cholestyramine treatment of
newborn infectious diarrhea has been shown to be effective (4). Therapy with
cholestyramine dramatically reduced bowel movements and led to significant
reversal of weight loss (5). It is thought that compounds such as
cholestyramine are more efficacious and are safer than antibiotics and
anticholinergics (6). In accordance with these findings, in the present study in
calves treatment with cholestyramine, the days of recovery were much shorter
than in calves treated with antibiotic.
In conclusion, cholestyramine may be used in preference to antibacterial
therapy in the treatment of neonatal diarrhea.
References
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prophylaxis and therapy on incidence of neonatal calf diarrhea. WM/SAC
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2. Rademacher, G. and Dirksen, G.: Comment on the relevance of
antibacterial therapy in calf diarrhea. Bayer Catalogue, 101-104, 1994.
3. Scheel, P.J., Whelton, A., Rossiter, K. and Watson, A.: Cholestyramineinduced hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis. J. Clin. Pharmacol. 32: 536538, 1992.
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