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Maximizing Calf Health: Part 2

Christine B. Navarre, DVM, MS, DACVIM
Extension Veterinarian
Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
cnavarre@agcenter.lsu.edu

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Calf Losses
- Greatest in first week of life
- Dystocia
- Septicemia
- Diarrhea
- Pneumonia
- Abomasal ulcers
- Umbilical infections

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Weak calf syndrome
- Prepartum nutrition
- Prepartum nutrition
- Prepartum nutrition
- Prepartum nutrition
- Diseases
- BVD
- Leptospirosis

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“at risk” Neonates
- Dystocia
- Abnormalities in vital signs
- Weakness, depression
- Failure to stand and/or suckle
- Failure to pass meconium?
- Failure of passive transfer

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Predicting Colostrum Intake
- Proportion of beef calves that suckled on their own by 4 hours post delivery:
- Unassisted =86
- Easy assists = 61
- Difficult assists = 36
- Suckle reflex
- Calves with weak suckle were 41 x less likely to suckle on their own by 4 hours
Tautenhahn, et al. 29th World Buiatrics, 2016

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Dystocia
- Any calf needing assisted delivery is “at risk”
- May look normal for a few hours then crash
- Provide colostrum immediately
- Milk cow if possible (beef)
- Tube if necessary
- Contraindicated?

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Weakness/Depression
- Hypoxia
- Hypothermia
- Acidosis
- Hypoglycemia
- Dehydration
- Septicemia
- Prematurity
- Starvation/muscle wasting
- Extremes in birth weight

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Weakness
- Hypoxia, hypothermia, acidosis
- Usually occur together following dystocia and are similar in severity
- Warmth
- Bicarbonate
- Oxygen therapy
- Even if color is good, if respiratory rate is high they may benefit
- Early intervention cheaper and prognosis better
- Steroids?

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Hypothermia
- Mild
- Heat lamp, hot water bottles, etc.
- Severe
- Poor circulation makes external warming less effective, need internal
- Warm colostrum, milk, electrolytes
- Warm IV fluids
- Rectal fluids?
- Bathe and blow dry
- Stop at 98°F

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Hypoglycemia
- More of problem as calves get older
- Poor nutrition, chronic diarrhea, septicemia
- Mimics meningitis
- Miotic pupils, neuro signs
- 50% dextrose as “test”
- Only if no hypothermia, dehydration, diarrhea
- CSF tap
- Follow with 5% dextrose and gradually wean

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Neonatal Septicemia
- Sequela to FPT
- Most susceptible in first 7-10 days of life
- Routes of infection
- GI tract
- Umbilicus
- Respiratory tract

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Neonatal Septicemia
- Usually musculoskeletal, neurologic, and ophthalmic systems affected
- General clinical signs:
- Depression
- Weakness
- Anorexia
- +/- hypothermia
- Hypoglycemia

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Neonatal Septicemia
- “The cow stepped on it.”
- Musculoskeletal problems
- Polyarthritis, edema surrounding joints, osteomyelitis, especially growth plates
- Lameness in a neonate should be considered an emergency
- Treatment: flush, flush, flush!!!
- Prognosis depends on aggressiveness and promptness of treatment
- Lesions in bone have worse prognosis

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Neonatal Septicemia
- Ophthalmic lesions
- Hypopyon
- Uveitis
- Synechia
- Conjunctivitis
- Treat the rest of the calf +/- topicals
- Not life threatening

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Neonatal Septicemia
- Meningitis
- Ophisthotonus
- Stiff legs
- Nystagmus
- Miosis
- CSF tap to diagnose
- Prognosis

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Calf Diarrhea
- Non-Infectious
- Infectious
- All look the same
- Can’t tell much by what diarrhea looks like
- Age sometimes helps

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Clinical Pathology
- Relative increase in PCV/TP
- Metabolic acidosis
- Hyperkalemia
- Low to normal sodium and chloride
- +/- hypoglycemia

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Calf Diarrhea Differentials
- Enterotoxigenic E. coli
- Coronavirus
- Rotavirus
- Cryptosporidium
- Salmonella
- etc.
- Mixed infections

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Herd Management
- Colostrum!!!
- Sanitation!!!
- Move pregnant cows
- Attention to calving area
- Clean calf hutches
- Clean feeding utensils

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Herd Management
- Etiologic diagnosis
- Since mixed infections are the rule, need samples from several calves
- Samples from acute cases or fresh deads
- Once etiology has been established, consider vaccination, specific antibodies, etc.
- Really only a Bandaid
- Check nutritional status of herd, esp. copper

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Calf Diarrhea Individual Management
- Do no harm!!
- Most cases mild and will subside without treatment
- Treatment if calf is depressed, dehydrated, hypothermic, hypoglycemic, etc.
- Fluid therapy:
- <8% dehydrated, alert to mild depression-oral
- >8% dehydrated and/or recumbent-IV or oral + HSS/HBS

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Individual Management
- Antibiotics
- Only parenteral
- Avoid unless have FPT, septicemia, salmonella, or other infection?
- Some evidence to support if only diarrhea
- Nonsteroidals
- Probiotics
- Avoid
- Protectants/adsorbents
- Antisecretory agents
- Motility modifiers

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Individual Management
- nutrition
- Avoid fasting
- Leave with cow and supplement with non-alkalinizing solutions orally if still nursing
- Vit. A,D,E,B
- If have to bottle, don’t mix electrolytes in milk
- Small amounts frequently

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Other Preventive Strategies
- Feed in afternoon or night
- Cattle more likely to calve in daylight
- Especially heifers
- Lay help available
- Veterinary services more reliable

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Embryo Transfer/IVF/Cloned Calves
- May have a harder time adapting to extrauterine life
- Need to:
- Select good recipients!!!
- Udder conformation
- Diseases (BVD, Johnes)
- Raise your own recips, contract out to good producer
- Avoid heifers
- Observe calving closely
- Have emergency equipment ready
- Ensure adequate passive transfer

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Vaccines in Calves
- Colostral immunity interference?
- Dependant on
- Age of calf at vaccination
- Amount of colostral antibodies
- Type of vaccine
- Virulence of challenge
- Before considering
- Good nutrition
- Low stress
- Fresh (live cells) better than frozen

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Final Roundup
- Calf health starts at conception (or generations before)
- We can mess it up more after it’s born, but can’t make up for prenatal stress impacts
- “Never let a calf (or a fetus) have a bad day”
- Manage stress

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