Black diarrhea in calves. Methods for treating diarrhea in calves. Drug treatment for diarrhea

Calf diarrhea is the most common problem faced by farmers. This condition is dangerous for fragile animals and can lead to their death. It is important to understand the reasons for diarrhea in calves, what types there are, and how to treat it at home. Every farmer must have knowledge in this area in order to provide timely assistance to sick calves, otherwise he will suffer losses.

Causes

Calves under the age of one month are most susceptible to developing diarrhea. Their body is just beginning to adapt to external conditions, and the immune system is too vulnerable. Let's look at the main reasons why a calf diarrhea:

1. Adaptation to life outside the womb. Diarrhea develops against the background of changes in the body in the first 5-7 days after birth.
2. Error in nutrition. The digestive system of calves is too sensitive, so diarrhea can develop due to poor quality food. If you feed young animals with food containing toxins, nitrates, and pesticides, diarrhea in calves is inevitable.
3. Infectious diseases.

Reference. Intestinal upset can occur even when feeding quality food if the diet has changed dramatically, for example, a calf has been switched to milk replacer.

Kinds

Infections are often the cause of severe distress. The most common of them are:

• Escherichiosis.
• Rotavirus infection.
• Coronavirus infection.
• Cryptosporidiosis.

The disease Escherichiosis is caused by one of the strains of Escherichia coli. When bacteria enter the small intestine, they cause severe food poisoning. As a result of the rapid proliferation of pathogenic flora, toxins accumulate in the body. The animal almost always dies due to intoxication and severe dehydration if treatment is not started in a timely manner.

Rotavirus most often affects newborns. This disease is treatable if it is started on time. If left untreated, calves usually die due to dehydration.

Coronavirus and cryptosporidiosis are no less dangerous diseases that affect calves aged two weeks or older. The prognosis is unfavorable if you do not immediately respond to the symptoms of the disease. The body of young individuals loses fluid very quickly, and death in this case also occurs from dehydration.

Symptoms

If calves have diarrhea, you should pay attention to the accompanying symptoms of the disease. When affected by various viruses or bacteria, the clinical picture may be different. Let's look at the common symptoms of diarrhea:

• The animal is depressed.
• Refuses to eat.
• Feces are liquid, have an unpleasant odor, and may contain mucus, blood, and foam.
• Bowel movements become more frequent (from 5 to 12 times a day).
• The temperature may be low or high.
• Eyes become sunken from dehydration.
• The mucous membranes are dry.

Attention! As soon as the calf becomes diarrhea, it is necessary to separate it from other animals in order to avoid the spread of a viral infection and urgently contact the veterinary service.

Diagnostics

To facilitate the diagnosis of the disease, you need to pay attention to exactly how the disease progresses. Each infectious disease has its own manifestations. The effectiveness of treatment will depend on the correctness of the diagnosis. The farmer must provide the veterinarian with the most complete information about the color of the sick calf’s stool, its consistency, provide him with the animal’s temperature readings and other observations.

What you should pay attention to :

1. The color of stool is white, yellow, greenish.
2. The consistency is foamy, watery, mucous, mixed with blood.
3. The smell of feces is sour, putrid.
4. Frequency of bowel movements.
5. Thermometer readings (with rotavirus infection the temperature is elevated, with coronavirus infection it is normal).
6. The condition of the mucous membranes – are there any ulcers on them?

The more accurate and complete the information, the higher the chances of survival, because an error in diagnosis means that treatment will be prescribed incorrectly.

Reference. Calves that experience severe viral infections early in life are likely to be less productive later in life.

How to treat diarrhea in calves?

Treatment should begin immediately after diagnosis. It includes the fight against microorganisms that cause the disease, removing toxins from the body, as well as replenishing the volume of lost fluid. When a calf diarrhea, both medications and folk remedies are used.

Drug treatment

It is important to know that when diarrhea in calves is treated at home, milk is excluded from the animal’s diet, since it is not only not digested in case of intestinal disorder, but also aggravates its condition. The patient should be kept separately from other animals in a warm and dry room. Medicines used for diarrhea:

• Rehydrates.
• Sorbents.
• Enzymes.
• Probiotics.
• Antibacterial drugs.

In most cases, it is rapid dehydration of the body that leads to the death of young animals. It is important not to allow the total fluid loss to be more than 10%. To replenish it in the body, various solutions containing salts are used - potassium, chlorine and other substances. Glucose is administered intravenously. In the same way, the salt balance is restored if the animal refuses to drink on its own.

In order for the animal’s well-being to improve, it is necessary to remove toxins from the intestines. Sorbents are used for this. A veterinarian may recommend taking probiotics and enzymes to restore damaged intestinal microflora and restore its function.

The main role in the treatment of infectious diseases is given to antibiotics. To destroy the pathogen, broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs are selected. The dosage and duration of treatment is selected individually, depending on the weight of the sick calf.

Folk remedies

You cannot rely entirely on folk remedies if the calf has diarrhea. However, in parallel with drug treatment, their use is allowed.

Cereal decoction

A decoction of cereals will help restore strength; it can be given to the animal in the first days of illness instead of milk. To prepare the decoction you need to take:

1. 150 g oats or barley.
2. Liter of water.

The water is brought to a boil, the cereal, after having been washed, is poured into a saucepan and cooked for an hour over low heat. The product is infused under the lid for 1 hour, filtered through a sieve. The resulting decoction is brought to the original volume with boiled water and given to the sick animal to drink warm several times a day, 500 ml.

Flax seed decoction

To prepare the product you will need:

1. Liter of water.
2. 50 grams of flax seeds.

In an enamel saucepan, bring water to a boil, pour in the seeds, and reduce the heat to low. Continue cooking for 60 minutes. Set the dishes aside, cover tightly with a lid and wrap them in a towel. The product must infuse. After straining, bring the broth to its original volume. This liquid is fed to calves 2-3 times a day.

Plantain decoction

Plantain has astringent and disinfectant properties. A decoction for young animals is prepared from it in this way - 100 grams of crushed plantain raw materials are poured into a liter of boiling water. The product should simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, after which it is infused for 1 hour. A glass of strained broth is given to animals to drink 20-30 minutes before feeding.

Attention! Folk remedies cannot replace antibiotic therapy if the cause of diarrhea is an infection.

Prevention

It is easier to prevent the problem than to treat diarrhea in calves. Compliance with preventive measures helps protect young animals from contracting dangerous infections. What do we have to do:

1. Keep calves separately from adults, only with their mother.
2. Carefully monitor animal hygiene and cleanliness of the premises.
3. Vaccinate cows in a timely manner.
4. Avoid contact of young animals with animal manure.
5. Feed the young animals high-quality food.

Reference. To prevent intestinal disorders, calves are given yogurt or lime water to drink. These measures help to increase the immunity of animals and prevent the development of pathogenic microflora in the intestines.

If the calf is diarrhea, you cannot wait. In young animals, dehydration occurs very quickly, which is the main cause of death of animals. You need to urgently seek the help of a veterinarian who will prescribe the correct treatment. Separating babies and strictly following the doctor's instructions is the farmer's first priority.

These include diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, in particular diarrhea. It is this manifestation that can lead to the death of both adults and calves. Diarrhea in calves occurs quite often, since they, like small children, are easily susceptible to infectious lesions. Timely diagnosis, as well as correctly selected treatment, will help to successfully solve the problem. Further in the article we will talk about what to do when a calf diarrhea, what treatment measures can be applied at home.

Causes of the disease

With such a weak immune system, the root causes of diarrhea may be:

• incorrectly composed diet;
• errors in the arrangement of the premises where cattle are kept;
• lack of diet in young animals.

Important! You need to understand that the stomachs of grown-up young animals are still not strong enough; it will be dangerous to give them even if it is too fatty. Uncontrolled feeding when the diet is not followed can also provoke diarrhea. The fragile stomach of young animals can process food if it is given at a certain time. This way the food will be digested better and of higher quality.

Separately, it is worth mentioning food poisoning, which occurs very often and, according to statistics, is one of the causes of death of young cattle. The farmer is entirely responsible for feeding the animals.
Even if at first young animals feed on milk, then over time it will still be necessary to transfer the calf to “adult” food, and this is where it is important to do everything correctly.

Symptoms and diagnosis

Diarrhea in calves cannot occur on its own or suddenly.

Always is symptoms that precede the onset of diarrhea:

• sluggish appetite in young animals or completely absent;
• formation of dry crusts in the nasal passages;
• dryness on the surface of the animal’s upper lip;
• dry discharge, which is a sign of dehydration;
• increase in body temperature in young animals.

It is necessary to carefully monitor the health status of young calves, observe their behavior in order to diagnose the presence of diarrhea in time and begin treatment as soon as possible. We'll tell you what to do when a calf has diarrhea and doesn't get up on its feet.

Did you know? According to statistics, about 40-70% of young calves, aged from 2 to 6 days, suffer from diarrhea. If they are not treated in time, then in 30% of cases they die.

What to do, how to treat

As soon as the first symptoms of diarrhea are noticed, appropriate measures should be taken immediately. First of all, you need to contact a veterinarian, since self-medication in this case is not the best option.
The doctor must make an accurate diagnosis, identify the cause of the disease, after which it will be possible to select an effective treatment for young cattle.

Medications

If diarrhea occurs as a result of a viral infection or in connection with food poisoning, then treatment will need to be carried out with the help of pharmaceuticals. To determine what can be given to a calf for diarrhea, let’s talk about the most effective options:

• Medicines prescribed for oral rehydration. These funds are aimed at restoring the required amount of salts in the animals’ bodies, as well as combating excessive fluid loss. These medications contain sodium, chlorine and potassium in significant quantities. There is also a sufficient amount of sucrose and glucose. The powder in which the medicine is presented is usually used to prepare solutions. The product acts very quickly, and has no side effects or contraindications for use.
• Sorbents. They will help protect the body of sick young animals from intoxication. These drugs slow down the peristalsis of the intestinal tract, without significantly affecting the digestibility of the food consumed, although motility is slightly weakened.
• Enzymes. They are usually prescribed in cases where enzyme disorders occur in the digestive system of young animals. Probiotics correct the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract of animals.
• If diarrhea in calves occurs as a result of an infectious lesion, then treatment will need to be carried out antibiotics. Experts recommend using medications from the group of chloramphenicol, tetracycline and biomycin. The dosage can be calculated based on standard recommendations: 10-20 mg of the drug should be taken per 1 kg of live weight of the calf.

Did you know? During one day of diarrhea, a calf may lose approximately 6% of its total body weight. While an animal is sick, it lags significantly behind its peers in development. It may take about three weeks to bring his condition back to normal.

Folk remedies

Treatment of diarrhea in calves at home can also be carried out using folk remedies, which in some cases can solve the problem relatively quickly. But first, you still need to discuss this situation with a veterinarian, because there are cases when it will be ineffective.

There is a treatment option for diarrhea in calves using decoctions, which are prepared on the basis of oats and barley. The preparation is quite simple and quick. You will need to rinse the cereal (about 100-150 g) and pour it into 1 liter of clean water. All this needs to be boiled for an hour, stirring from time to time, in an enamel container. The resulting decoction is filtered and given warm to calves 4-5 times a day, 0.5-0.6 liters instead of regular milk. Treatment with this method should last 1-2 days.
You can also prepare a decoction using flaxseed. You also need to boil it for about an hour, take about 50 g of flax seed per 1 liter of water. As the water boils away, it will need to be gradually added so that in the end the liquid still has a volume of 1 liter. The finished broth is filtered and given to sick young animals 0.5 liters twice a day. The mixture can be stored in the refrigerator, but not longer than 3 days.

Diarrhea in calves can also be treated with infusion, as well as leaves. You will need to take about 1 g of plant product per 1 liter of water and leave for about 9-10 hours. Then the infusion is filtered and drunk three times a day, one glass at a time.

Another solution to the question of what to do if a calf is diarrhea can be the use of charcoal baked bread. Among folk remedies, this is perhaps the most popular. Bread will perfectly cleanse the intestines of bacteria, toxins and gases.

To implement this method of treatment, you need to cut the bread into small pieces and place it in a preheated oven to bake. You will need to keep it there until the pieces of bread are charred. Then the coals will need to be crushed to a powdery mass. Add 100 g of prepared charcoal powder to 1 liter of boiled water and mix thoroughly.
Before the procedure, calves are not fed for about 10-12 hours, and then every 2 or 3 hours they are given the prepared mixture, 10 ml per 1 kg of live weight. Also, pieces of bread coals can be placed in animal feeders as a preventive measure for gastrointestinal diseases on approximately the 4-5th day of their life.

In the womb, calves receive all the necessary substances. After birth, the baby has to adapt to new conditions. Diarrhea in calves can occur if the feeding regime is not followed.

Symptoms

You can tell that a calf has diarrhea based on several signs:

• a sick animal's appetite decreases and he is very reluctant to drink milk;
• the cub loses its previous activity;
• there is no water in the animal’s feces;
• the temperature rises sharply;
• Dry crusts form in the calf's nose.

How to determine the cause of the disease

To carry out diagnostics, special tests are used to identify the pathogen. The animal is checked for:

• coronaviruses;
• rotaviruses;
• cryptosporidium;
• e-Coli K99.

Danger of disorder

Diarrhea in calves is accompanied by copious discharge. This leads to the development of dehydration. Fluid deficiency manifests itself in the form of the following symptoms:

• the eyes of a sick baby are sunken;
• the skin loses elasticity and becomes dry;
• Blood clots and mucus may appear in the animal's stool.

These signs indicate that the calf has reached 7% fluid loss. Loss of more than 15% of fluid in most cases leads to the death of the animal.

Be aware that in 1 day of diarrhea in calves, weight loss can be about 6% of body weight. During his illness, he noticeably lags behind his relatives in development. It may take about 3 weeks for the calf's weight to normalize.

Causes of diarrhea

Diarrhea is a great danger for newborn babies. They have not yet developed immunity. Cubs at this age are not able to resist infections.

Diarrhea in a calf can occur due to non-compliance with the feeding regime. The animal should not be given cold milk. Diarrhea can be caused by the presence of large amounts of table salt in the food.

Food poisoning in a calf occurs after nitrates and toxic elements enter the digestive system. To get rid of the symptoms of poisoning, it is necessary to use adsorbents.

Along with the food, mold fungi can enter the baby's body. A sign of infection with the E. Coli strain is the appearance of copious discharge. The disease occurs with high intensity and leads to general sepsis. Without timely treatment, the calf may die.

When rotavirus infection enters the intestines, it begins to actively multiply. A sick animal becomes lethargic and does not approach food. The stool gives off a sour smell. Calf diarrhea has a liquid consistency.

Similar symptoms can be seen when infected with coronavirus. Only the color of the diarrhea is different. The stool turns greenish-yellow. If not treated correctly, diarrhea becomes more severe. Ulcers form in the calf's mouth.

What viruses can cause diarrhea?

What viruses cause diarrhea?

When infected with the BVD virus, the sick animal develops loose diarrhea. The infection leads to the formation of ulcers on the animal's lips and tongue. The bovine virus actively multiplies in the baby’s body and can lead to his death.

Rotavirus destroys the cells of the small intestine mucosa. It slows down the healing process and causes diarrhea. The sick animal begins to suffer from dehydration.

Infectious rhinotracheitis can cause digestive upset in young calves.

Bacterial causes of diarrhea

When E.coli enters the baby's intestines, it disrupts the absorption of nutrients. They begin to produce toxins, which lead to diarrhea in the calf. Thus, the animal’s body tries to get rid of the infection.

Vaccination is used to increase the amount of antibodies in a cow's body. It is better to do such vaccinations a month before calving. The method serves to protect cubs from rotavirus for 2 weeks. This is the most dangerous period in a child's life. Antibodies enter the calf's body along with the mother's colostrum.

Most vaccines contain K99 E. This is an E. coli antigen that helps prevent diarrhea in the calf. When using the vaccine, do not exceed the dosage indicated in the instructions.

How to treat infectious diarrhea

When blood clots appear in an animal's stool, veterinarians recommend using Flunixin. This drug has an anti-inflammatory effect. To improve the condition, it is enough to give the sick calf 2 doses of the drug.

How to treat diarrhea in a calf if an intestinal infection occurs?

To destroy harmful bacteria, you can use Levomycetin and Tetracycline. To eliminate diarrhea in an animal, you must follow the dosage. Experts advise giving the calf 3 tablets 2 times a day.

After taking antibiotics, the baby begins to develop dysbacteriosis. Owners have a question about how to treat diarrhea in calves? Bifidumbacterin can be used as a drug that helps normalize microflora.

Thanks to injections, the number of side effects can be significantly reduced. For this purpose, the calf must be administered drugs such as Telosin and Baytril. Do not exceed the dosage specified in the instructions.

Young animals suffer from hypothermia during illness. To maintain the optimal temperature in the room, it is necessary to install heat lamps.

Preventing Dehydration

The degree of dehydration can be assessed by the following signs:

1. With a slight fluid deficiency, the baby can suckle milk while standing.
2. A severe degree leads to the fact that the baby cannot stand on his feet.

To help an animal with severe dehydration, it is necessary to give intravenous infusions using droppers. To eliminate mild cases, it is enough to pour saline solutions through the mouth.

You can prepare a saline solution at home. Add a teaspoon of salt and 250 ml of dextrose to 4 liters of warm water. Never replace dextrose with sugar.

Dissolve in the product st. spoon of baking soda. The resulting solution can be used as the main source of nutrients after the onset of the disease. There is another recipe for preparing liquid for dehydration.

Place a packet of fruit pectin and a teaspoon of salt in the container. Add 2 teaspoons of baking soda to the mixture and add 2 liters of boiled water.

Features of treating calves with herbal decoctions

On the first day of the onset of diarrhea in a calf, it is necessary to give the animal a decoction of chamomile or horse sorrel. To treat indigestion in a calf, you can use cereal decoctions. Boil 150 grams of oats in a liter of water. You need to drink 2 times a day, 500 ml.

Flax seeds have healing properties. Pour 50 grams of grains into a liter of water and boil the broth for an hour.

You can get rid of the symptoms of diarrhea in a calf using a decoction of rose hips and St. John's wort. They need to be mixed in equal proportions of 100 g and poured with a liter of boiling water. The decoction must be infused for an hour. The prepared solution is given to the sick baby 3 times a day, 250 ml.

How to prevent disease

You can reduce the risk of contracting infectious diarrhea if you follow several rules:

1. Milk and colostrum must have a temperature of at least 38 degrees. Drinking cold milk is one of the causes of indigestion in calves.
2. The baby should not be overfed.
3. Pay attention to the calving cow's nutrition. The food should not contain a lot of salt and harmful components.
4. Containers must be disinfected before use.
5. Observe temperature conditions. The baby should not be kept in a cold room.
6. Keep the barn clean to prevent the active growth of pathogenic microorganisms.
7. It is better to accustom calves to new food gradually.

Raising cattle can be a very profitable business, but only if all animals are in excellent health. Farmers are required to constantly monitor the growth of young animals and make a lot of efforts to protect them from infections and viral diseases. Diarrhea in a calf is a constant threat to its life. Due to electrolyte imbalance, severe intoxication of the body develops, and sick cattle may die.

Causes of diarrhea

Even the most experienced farmer cannot protect young cattle from various diseases, but every owner is able to start therapy in a timely manner and save the animal by correctly identifying the cause of diarrhea in the calf. Based on high-quality diagnostics, a drug therapy regimen is drawn up; untimely or incorrect treatment can cause a significant deterioration in the animal’s condition.

Calves are most susceptible to diarrhea at the age of 1 month. Their body is just beginning to adapt to environmental conditions, and the smallest irritant can cause gastrointestinal dysfunction. In a 1-2 month old calf, the immune system is still very vulnerable and diarrhea can develop as the body adjusts to life outside the womb. Young individuals are more susceptible to the development of infectious diseases, because they use the immunity received at birth from a cow. Their own defenses are formed six months after birth.

Most often, diarrhea in a calf develops due to poor quality or improper nutrition. Young cattle are fed differently than older cows. Their diet should include an increased amount of fresh milk, and should not contain food containing large amounts of salt, nitrates and toxic metals. The young stomach is not yet strong; it is not able to digest too fatty foods and large volumes of dry food. If overfeeding is constantly present, diarrhea in calves can cause serious inflammation of the internal organs.

It is very important to store food in moisture-free areas. Wetting feed leads to massive proliferation of mold fungi, which can be detrimental to a young organism. Check the quality of the food before giving it. Even milk that is too cold can cause diarrhea in calves.

It will be interesting to know that 60% of young livestock die from improper organization of the food regime, so it is very important to create an adequate diet for animals. If you are unsure of its correctness, consult your veterinarian.

Diarrhea in a newborn calf can be caused by improper living conditions. If the barn is drafty or the owner rarely changes the bedding, young cattle may suffer from infectious and viral diseases. Viruses that most often cause symptoms of diarrhea include:

• Escherichiosis;
• rotavirus;
• coronavirus;
• cryptosporidiosis.

Escherichiosis is caused by Escherichia coli. Once in the intestines, it causes severe poisoning, which can result in sepsis. Without timely treatment, in 100% of cases the disease leads to the death of the animal from intoxication.

Diarrhea in a calf is caused by rotavirus, which is also called intestinal flu. Symptoms of pathology can be provoked by stale food and poor hygiene in the barn. Without treatment, the animal dies from dehydration on the third day.

Only a qualified veterinarian can accurately determine the reason why a calf is diarrhea based on laboratory tests and studying the clinical picture.

Symptoms of the pathological condition

If the calf is diarrhea, you can try to determine the cause of the diarrhea yourself by carefully examining the color of the feces. Each shade of stool indicates a specific pathology in the animal’s body. For example, white diarrhea in calves indicates liver problems. Diarrhea with mucus may be a consequence of inflammatory processes in the colon. Stool with blood clots may indicate poisoning by poisonous plants or the presence of foreign objects in the body.

Black diarrhea in a calf is a very serious symptom; if it is detected, you should immediately call a veterinarian, since hospitalization of the animal is essential. Black stool is a sign of internal bleeding. In this case, treating diarrhea in calves at home is strictly prohibited; this can lead to a significant deterioration in the condition or death of the animal. Most likely, these symptoms will require surgical intervention.

Treatment for diarrhea in calves is necessary if the animal experiences the following symptoms:

• increased body temperature;
• apathy;
• refusal of food;
• increased thirst;
• vomit;
• pallor of the mucous membranes;
• rapid weight loss;
• drowsiness;
• impaired coordination of movements.

When you notice these symptoms in your livestock, do not rush to use folk remedies for diarrhea in calves. If the animal is sick with foot-and-mouth disease or pasteurellosis, this is unlikely to help. It is necessary to call a specialist as quickly as possible and provide him with maximum information about the nature of the disease, as well as the most common symptoms.

Treatment of diarrhea

Diarrhea in a calf can be cured at home only by carefully adhering to the doctor’s recommendations and promptly giving the animal prescribed medications. Each of the drugs has its own targeted effect on the patient’s body. Diarrhea in calves is treated with antibiotics if the cause of the pathology is hidden in infection with infectious diseases, however, this group of drugs is quite potent before use, it is recommended to consult a veterinarian about the advisability of antibiotic therapy. It is necessary to give Tetracycline or Levomycetin to calves with diarrhea. The dosage is calculated based on 1 kg of live weight per 10-20 mg. drug. Disparkol is used for diarrhea caused by salmonella (0.15 ml/kg).

It is better to give antibiotics together with enzymes for diarrhea in a calf. This group of drugs normalizes the balance of microflora in the intestines. Potent medications tend to kill not only pathogenic microorganisms, but also positive bacteria that maintain normal intestinal function.

Treatment of diarrhea in calves due to poisoning is usually carried out using sorbents. They absorb toxic substances and eliminate them without affecting the normal flora of the organ. A medicine for calves against diarrhea called Polysorb has proven itself very well. This drug can be dissolved in water and given to the patient to drink or mixed into food at the rate of 2 tablespoons per dose, the daily dose is no more than 6 tablespoons.

If a calf's diarrhea is caused by inflammatory diseases, it should be treated with Biomycin. The dosage is 10-20 mg per 1 kg of weight. Anti-diarrhea tablets for calves are crushed and added to drinking water. If the patient's condition only worsens and immediate results are required, it is better to use injections for calf diarrhea.

When thinking about what you can give your animal for diarrhea, pay attention to castor oil. It will help cleanse the patient’s stomach of toxic substances (the dosage is chosen by the doctor).

Milk drinks are replaced with electrolytes for calves against diarrhea (glucose 5%, Calcium Chloride 10%, Sodium chloride 0.9%, Ringer-Locke solution). It is very useful to use Acidophilus in therapy, it inhibits putrefactive flora in the body, which will eliminate the processes of fermentation and putrefaction, this will also reduce diarrhea. Doctors recommend giving nutrient fluids such as glucose, glycine, bicarbonate, sodium chloride to calves for diarrhea. The doctor calculates the dosage individually based on the patient’s age and weight. Rediar powder for diarrhea in calves serves as an excellent prevention of gastrointestinal disorders; it is recommended to give it once a week, 50 g per 2 liters of water. In case of acute diarrhea, on the first day - 3-4 times, on the second day - 1-2 times a day, dilute 50-100 grams of Rediar in 2 liters of water.

Drug treatment of diarrhea in calves should be prescribed exclusively by a qualified specialist based on general symptoms and qualitative diagnosis. Under no circumstances should you treat diarrhea in dairy calves using drugs that have been prescribed to other animals with similar symptoms. Inappropriate use of medications can significantly worsen the condition of livestock by increasing painful symptoms.

Treatment at home for diarrhea in calves using folk remedies

Traditional medicine will also tell you how to stop diarrhea in calves. Of course, it is unlikely that it will be possible to eliminate salmonellosis with herbs alone, but healing tinctures can enhance the effect of medications and speed up recovery. Our great-grandmothers knew how to treat calf diarrhea at home, because once upon a time veterinary pharmacies and special clinics for livestock did not exist. Folk remedies were used to treat diarrhea in calves quite often; as a rule, a decoction of flaxseed was used. It has a tonic and restorative effect. To treat diarrhea in calves, take 50 g of seed per 2 liters of water. Boil for 20 minutes, then cool to room temperature and feed sick cattle for 2-3 days.

When the calf has diarrhea, they drink decoctions of oats and rice. Rice helps strengthen the stool, and oats stop the fermentation process of food. Decoctions are prepared based on a dosage of 150 g of grain per 1 liter of water. Cook for an hour. Next, the product is filtered and only the liquid part is used. Feeding a calf with diarrhea milk is prohibited; milk should be replaced with these decoctions. They are given until the patient’s body recovers and the diarrhea stops.

You can cure diarrhea in a calf at home using a decoction of hop cones and St. John's wort (100 g of raw material per 1 liter of water). The liquid is given to animals instead of water.

An old recipe based on egg whites will help stop diarrhea in calves at home. 1 liter of tea leaves is mixed with 3 whites and 1 tbsp. salt. It is recommended to give the calf two to three times a drink for diarrhea at home. As a rule, this will be enough to eliminate a mild form of diarrhea; in the case of an acute form, it is necessary to consult a veterinarian.

You can cure a calf from diarrhea at home using beetroot juice. This recipe gives effect even with the most severe infectious diseases. For therapy you will need 2 liters of water, half a liter of beetroot juice and an enema bottle or heating pad. An enema is given with beet juice for 3 days (2 times a day).

Now you know what to do if the calf is diarrhea. Before you start choosing the appropriate technique, take care of the optimal conditions necessary for the animal’s recovery. It is not worth feeding a calf with diarrhea on the first day at all, this will only intensify the unpleasant symptoms. The body is already weakened; there is no need to overload the gastrointestinal tract with a new portion of food. In the first days after drug therapy, do not try to overfeed the animal. His body itself will let you know when it is ready to eat food as usual.

Calf diarrhea is a serious problem, often leading to exhaustion and death of the animal. Unfortunately, neither domestic animals nor young animals from large farms are immune from this extremely unpleasant disease. Statistics show that this reason causes the greatest financial losses in raising dairy calves than any other syndrome.

What is diarrhea: signs of diarrhea

Diarrhea is not an independent disease, but a clinical syndrome associated with several diseases. Regardless of the cause, during diarrhea, the body's absorption of fluid from the intestines is altered, resulting in a life-threatening electrolyte imbalance. That is, the calf loses fluid, quickly becomes dehydrated, and suffers from electrolyte loss and acidosis. Infectious agents can cause problems in the intestines, but actual death from diarrhea in cattle usually results from dehydration and loss of electrolytes.

Diarrhea can be mild, manifested by loose stools, moderate when dehydration is already severe, but the animal can stand on its feet, and severe when the calf stops eating and lies down all the time. In addition, the infection may differ in the color of the stool: it can be green, mucous, lumpy and mixed with blood, which is especially dangerous.

Causes of diarrhea

Animal owners are wondering why the calf has diarrhea if it has not eaten anything but milk. In fact, food has nothing to do with it in most cases. This problem is viral in nature, so the baby could simply become infected. For example, a common cause of diarrhea is rotavirus infection; its share accounts for more than 30% of all cases of diarrhea in a herd. This virus is present on every farm, so almost all calves are at risk. Other agents, in particular E. coli, coronavirus and Cryptosporidia, can also cause this unpleasant condition. They are dangerous individually; in addition, they are easily combined with rotavirus infection, causing an acute form of diarrhea, which complicates treatment. Identification of infectious disease agents that cause diarrhea is important for implementing effective preventive and treatment measures.

Causes of diarrhea are grouped into two categories: 1) non-infectious causes and 2) infectious causes.

Food diarrhea can be caused by a disturbance in the usual diet, for example, white diarrhea in calves is caused by problems leading to indigestion of milk passing through the intestinal tract. This type of diarrhea is usually easy to treat. Many of these calves, if they remain active, do not even require treatment. If the calf becomes depressed and is not eating well, then therapy should be started.

As you read above, diarrhea can be the result of a combination of non-infectious factors and infectious microorganisms, therefore, when choosing a method to stop diarrhea in a calf, it is important to use complex drugs and maximum measures to control the situation.

There are management as well as medical requirements that must be met. Particular attention must be paid to nutrition, environment, sanitation and care of newborn calves. There are two keys to preventing the spread of rotavirus and other pathogenic agents - the maximum level of hygiene and feeding newborn calves with colostrum for as long as possible.

Hygiene . Good hygiene reduces the spread of disease between calves. Make sure that the bedding of the young animals is perfectly clean and dry. Never mix animals of different ages - they have different immunity. And especially do not feed your pets from the same container. Sick calves must be urgently removed from the group and placed in a separate room. The place where the sick baby was must be thoroughly disinfected. As practice shows, serious outbreaks of infectious diarrhea in calves are associated with poor living conditions. A newborn calf needs a dry, clean place and clean dishes. Ideally, a specific area should be provided that is used only for calving. After the calf is born and has received colostrum, it should be separated.
Colostrum . Colostrum is an immune stimulant in young animals. It contains antibodies that protect against a variety of diseases, including rotavirus, and nonspecific defense systems such as lactoferrins, which prevent bacterial growth. If the calf receives enough colostrum (at least two liters within six hours after birth), then it is much easier for him to cope with diarrhea, even if the infection has entered the body.

It is best if the calf receives the colostrum by suckling it on its own - this ensures that it absorbs the maximum amount of antibodies. Bottle or bucket feeding produces poorer results, so this type of feeding should only be used for calves that are too weak to stand. The second period of feeding colostrum should be within the first 24 hours from birth. It is no less important than the first feeding, so it is recommended to leave the calves with the cow during the first 24 hours.

Norm of colostrum for calves

The first dose of colostrum provides protection for only three to four days, while rotavirus and other infections can affect the animal's body at any time during the first few weeks. To prevent diarrhea, it is important to feed colostrum and milk at least 2.5 liters every day for two to three weeks. Of course, there will be less and less antibodies in milk every day, but those that arrive remain in the intestines and, thus, prevent intestinal infections. To give colostrum for three weeks, you need to preserve it, for example, by freezing it.

Diet of pregnant cows. The diet should be balanced in terms of energy, protein, minerals and vitamins. It is especially important to improve nutrition during cold or inclement weather. You must keep in mind that pregnant replacement heifers have not yet reached their size, so their diet must be formulated to provide them with enough energy to maintain and grow. Failure to meet energy needs will not only result in the birth of a weak calf, but will also contribute to increased dystocia (difficulty calving) and delayed return to estrus. Particular attention should be paid to the presence of vitamin A and E in feed.

Cure for diarrhea in calves - cow vaccination

The level of antibodies in colostrum depends on many reasons. Currently, there are special vaccines that can significantly increase their number in cows after birth. It is recommended to give such vaccinations in the period from one to three months before calving.

Colostrum from vaccinated cows has very high levels of antibodies, enough to protect the calf from rotavirus for the first seven days, provided two liters of colostrum are fed within 12 hours of birth. The best effect of vaccination is obtained when colostrum from vaccinated cows is given to calves for at least two weeks after birth, or longer, in which case the calf will have high levels of protective antibodies in the intestine throughout the critical period.

A well-planned and consistent vaccination program is an effective tool for preventing diarrhea. Unfortunately, in different regions, and even just different herds in the same region, can become infected with different types of infectious agents, so there is no such thing as a universal vaccination program. Most vaccines contain K99 E. coli antigen alone or in combination with coronavirus and rotavirus. Some manufacturers include C. Perfringens and E. coli bacterins in vaccinations. All manufacturers' recommendations must be followed.

How to treat diarrhea in calves

If, despite good hygiene and adequate consumption of colostrum from vaccinated cows, you still notice that the calf is developing diarrhea, begin to treat it immediately. It is advisable to take a test to a veterinary laboratory to find out the source of the infection, because diarrhea can be a symptom of a serious illness such as salmonellosis, etc. It is important to recognize and begin appropriate treatment to maintain hydration and to prevent or eliminate blood acidosis.

First you need to determine how sick your pet is. The results will dictate the degree of aggressiveness of treatment. It is customary to divide calves with diarrhea into two categories:

• with a mild degree, when they can stand and suck;
• with a severe degree where they cannot stand on their own two feet.

Animals belonging to the first group can be treated with good success by giving drugs and fluids orally - through the mouth. In case of severe acidosis, you will have to do intravenous infusions - droppers.

It is also important to determine how dehydrated the calf is. This is quite easy: the state of hydration is determined by examining the patient's eyeballs. In a healthy animal, the eye should lie close to the lower eyelid. If a gap has formed between the eyeball and the wall of the eyelid, this means that the animal’s condition leaves much to be desired. In severely dehydrated calves, the eyes begin to “sink”, and the further they lag behind the wall, the worse the situation.

Another way to assess the degree of dehydration is to pinch the skin on your neck, twist it about 90 degrees, and release it. In a healthy calf, the skin returns to its original position immediately. When dehydration occurs due to diarrhea, the process is much slower.

Fortification . Newborn calves require injections of vitamin A, as deficiency is associated with diarrhea. A calf can be given 500,000 IU (usually 1 cm) of vitamin A at an early age.

Infusion therapy for diarrhea in young cattle

Administration of electrolytes (eg, calcium chloride) is recommended for any calf with diarrhea that is able to stand and has at least a weak sucking reflex. They will replace lost fluid and correct the acidosis that usually accompanies diarrhea. In addition, electrolytes provide nutritional support. Giving electrolytes as a drink once to twice a day is sufficient to maintain normal hydration in calves with diarrhea.
If the calf is unable to stand or is already severely dehydrated, IV fluids must be given.

Should calves be given antibiotics if they have diarrhea?

Regarding the use of antibiotics, there is no consensus even among veterinarians. Almost everyone will agree that antibiotics will help calves with diarrhea and some other signs of systemic bacterial infection: fever, bloody diarrhea, swollen joints or belly buttons, and so on. However, many experts say antibiotics are not necessary in mild cases. In their opinion, it is enough to monitor hydration, and everything should be fine.
Still, there is an opinion that the use of antibiotics may be indicated, even in the simplest, uncomplicated cases, since calves with diarrhea have a higher number of gram-negative bacteria in the small intestine. Over time, even if the diarrhea passes, the pathogens will still remain and will manifest themselves at the first opportunity. In addition, some dangerous bacteria circulate in the blood - according to statistics, they are found in 40% of sick animals. As practice shows, calves treated with antibiotics have lower mortality rates and higher growth rates.

Antibiotics should be used orally or by injection. Use “systemic” antibiotics; that is, those that are absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. They are necessary to prevent pneumonia. Drugs that reduce intestinal motility and corticosteroids should not be used. If antibiotics are ineffective after two to three days of use, discontinue use. During salmonellosis outbreaks, antibiotics can cause the release of excess endotoxins, so try using infusion (drip) therapy only.

In modern veterinary medicine, it is common practice to prescribe flunixin meglumine for ordinary diarrhea or bloody diarrhea. It is an anti-inflammatory drug that can speed up the recovery of even very sick animals. Studies have shown that one to two doses of flunixin within 24 hours significantly reduces livestock mortality.
Activated carbon is an excellent adsorbent. 1 tablet per 10 kg of live weight. You will also need vitamin AD3E (at a veterinary pharmacy) 10 ml once a day.

Pharmacy antibiotics often use tetracycline (3 tablets 2-3 times a day) or chloramphenicol. You can also try phthalazole. But an overdose threatens dysbacteriosis. Treatment can be supplemented with human bifidumbacterin.

As for injections for diarrhea, you can use Telosin or Baytril according to the scheme from the instructions included with the drugs.

Treatment of diarrhea in calves: an effective scheme

Whatever the calf’s diarrhea, its treatment will include a set of similar measures. Treatment should primarily focus on correcting dehydration, acidosis, and electrolyte loss. Antibiotic treatment can be started at the same time as anti-dehydration medications are given.
If the calf is diarrheic, do not give it milk or milk substitutes, as milk in the gastrointestinal tract becomes an ideal environment for the most dangerous bacteria, such as E. coli.

Note that calves with diarrhea often suffer from hypothermia. Heat lamps will help to cope with this; they are simply necessary in the treatment of hypothermia.
Dehydration can be overcome with simple fluids, various solutions of glucose, calcium chloride, etc. If dehydration is severe, intravenous fluids may be necessary. The first clinical signs of dehydration occur when fluid loss reaches five to six percent of body weight. A fluid loss of eight percent results in depression, sunken eyes, dry skin, and inability to stand. A fluid loss of 12 percent usually leads to the death of the animal.

If the calf cannot swallow, buy a special device, which is a collapsible plastic bag with a lid and a flexible tube inserted into the esophagus. The plastic bag or gastric tube should be used after thorough disinfection and lubrication with petroleum jelly.

Treatment with folk remedies for diarrhea in calves involves independently preparing a solution for oral administration. You can prepare an electrolyte from one tablespoon of baking soda, one teaspoon of salt and 250 ml of 50% dextrose. Attention! Don't use table sugar! Add warm water to make 3.5 to 4 liters of solution and feed it to the calf every three to four hours, depending on the degree of dehydration and fluid loss. This solution can be used as the sole source of nutrients for a period of 24 to 48 hours. Another formula for drinking solution, often recommended by modern veterinarians, includes one packet of fruit pectin, one teaspoon of salt, two teaspoons of baking soda per 2 liters of water. Give one liter of warm solution orally at four to six hour intervals.

You can also find recipes that suggest giving chamomile decoctions, a weak solution of potassium permanganate, or horse sorrel decoction for the first day. On the second day, this liquid is replaced with milk (no more than one glass), diluted with decoctions of rice, flax or rolled oats. If diarrhea continues after a couple of days of fasting, try giving 2 beaten egg whites every 15 minutes. Repeat the procedure for the second feeding, accompanying the meal with decoctions of rice, rolled oats or flax, without milk. In between feedings, give the calf salted water. On the third day, you can add a little milk, but monitor the condition of the calf.

A decoction of flaxseed should be prepared as follows: boil 50 g of seeds in 1 liter of water for 1 hour. As it boils, add water to the original volume. The finished broth is stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.

You can also give burnt alum, purchased at a veterinary pharmacy. Dilute a teaspoon with a mountain of powder in 100 grams of water. Give the resulting solution to the calf twice - in the morning and in the evening.
Attention! Homemade recipes for calf diarrhea are not a substitute for veterinary balanced medications and are intended for oral use only.

Diarrhea in calves is a preventable and treatable condition. However, if non-infectious causes are ignored, no treatment will be effective.