Dyspepsia in newborn calves
Calf dyspepsia is a rather insidious disease that occurs most often in young animals. First of all, toxic dyspepsia appears because young animals are weaned early from mother's milk and transferred to a meager feed. Most often, the disease has a mild and toxic form. Popularly, the farmers themselves call this ailment enzymatic diarrhea, or diarrhea of newborns. According to statistics, this disease mows about 20% of young animals. The etiology of dyspepsia in calves can also be with a poor-quality diet, as well as a sharp change in various types of feed.
Calf dyspepsia
Dyspepsia can occur in calves at different times of the year, but most often in late winter and early spring. The symptoms of dyspepsia must be responded to immediately, otherwise it can affect the entire herd. If one calf is infected, it should be moved to a separate paddock and observed. Only in case of complete recovery can it be returned back to the general herd.
To protect your livestock, you need to prevent calf dyspepsia. It is carried out regularly even in the absence of signs of illness.
Signs of dyspepsia in calves
In some cases, dyspepsia in calves manifests itself in a mild form, but if you do not start treatment, the disease can turn into a toxic form. Mostly calves are infected in the spring, the disease develops instantly in this case.
- The main symptom is diarrhea. Despite the causes at the initial stage of the disease, young animals lose their appetite, this is how a simple form manifests itself.
- If the disease is actively developing, then the animals can lie down, there is a rumbling in the stomach. Depending on the stage, there is an intestinal spasm.
- Body temperature varies depending on the condition, but mostly decreases.
- If the symptoms indicate toxic dyspepsia, then the deterioration of the animal's condition is noticeable immediately: the calf does not eat, only lies, the diarrhea does not stop. The nose is dry, the body is dehydrated due to diarrhea. Stool may be yellow-gray in color.
Calf dyspepsia and their treatment should be carried out at the first suspicion of the disease.
Why do calves get dyspepsia?
The pathogenesis of the disease can be different. If the calf received milk out of time, then colostrum can provoke indigestion and dysbiosis, and this, first of all, is the beginning of the development of dyspepsia. The etiology is still such that the autoimmune origin of the disease can also provoke dyspepsia, while the symptoms are the same. This is due to metabolic disorders in the livestock, and the young make up for the deficiency through autoantibodies. The disease also manifests itself due to the inability of the gastrointestinal tract to digest colostrum in full. Do not give milk from a cow that has mastitis.
To feed colostrum, you need to take it only from a completely healthy individual. During gestation, the livestock should be shown to the veterinarian in order to identify any problems at an early stage.The digestive organs are not yet so developed in young animals, and how the digestive system begins to process the received food depends on how high-quality colostrum or feed is. It is very important not to change the diet until the youngsters have grown up, and to feed only high quality food. It is even important how the farmer plans to wean the young from the cow.
Violations occur in the body as follows: harmful products are formed in the intestines that rot, and in the calf they provoke toxicosis, dysbiosis, hence diarrhea and metabolic disorders. If there is no cure at this stage of the disease, the calf will become dehydrated.
If the form of dyspepsia is simple, then dehydration is not so clearly manifested, because the calf can compensate for mild dehydration on its own in the presence of quality food and an active appetite. The cow should provide the required minimum of nutrients.
Thus, the causes of the disease are different, in order to establish the exact one, you need to show the TV to the veterinarian: only a specialist can make the correct diagnosis.
Treatment of young animals
First of all, treatment should be prescribed by a veterinarian and only in combination therapy. Diarrhea should be controlled with diarrhea drugs. It is also necessary to regulate the water-vitamin balance in the body. If the livestock was malnourished, then with untimely treatment, this can lead to dystrophy.
Alimentary dystrophy can occur with frequent diarrhea and nutritional deficiencies. It is imperative to conduct a course with the replenishment of the lack of vitamins and other elements. Treatment should begin with dietary regulation, as food quality is the main cause of dyspepsia. Feeding sick calves should be based on their weight and stage of the disease. On average, you need to give 4-5 servings a day of fresh milk.
Colostrum should not be spoiled, not sour, not cold or hot. If you give quality milk from a dirty bucket, young animals can pick up bacteria.
Colostrum should be given in a dosage of 250-400 ml in half with saline. Milk with saline is given only in the first days of the disease, as soon as the animal begins to feel better, the dosage can be gradually reduced. A couple of days after starting treatment, you can feed only colostrum. 30 minutes before the start of feeding, the animal is given drugs prescribed by the veterinarian. These are mainly antibiotics and nitrofuran compounds. Such drugs will help disinfect the gastrointestinal tract and will be effective for dysbiosis that occurs after taking antibiotics.
In order to disinfect the entire body of an animal, you can prepare decoctions of oak bark, sage leaves or horse sorrel. These drugs, when used in moderation, will benefit a weakened calf. They should be given in combination with vitamins A, C, D.
It is imperative that during treatment it is necessary to create optimal conditions for animals, weakened individuals need to turn on the heating in the room. It is important to ensure that there is adequate circulation of fresh air in the pen. It is also important to maintain cleanliness and sterility when handling an infected calf.
Disease prevention
Calf dyspepsia, their treatment and disease prevention are interrelated. To prevent the animals from getting sick, it is necessary to carry out prophylaxis in time, which consists in monitoring the normal metabolism of cows at the stage of gestation. It is imperative to compose a normal and complete diet for cows. The daily menu should include all the necessary vitamins and minerals that a pregnant female needs.
Providing meager food means endangering not only the cow, but also her future cub. It is very important to monitor the condition of individuals and periodically invite a veterinarian for analysis.
Immediately after the birth of a calf, the first colostrum should enter the body within an hour. If this rule is violated, then the newborn animal may experience diarrhea and even developmental delay. After the birth of a baby, it is very important not to wean him from his mother and to feed him at least in the first days after birth.
Cow's milk for calves
Calves receive all the necessary nutrients from cow's milk, provided that the cow is fed with natural and high-quality products. The value of cow's milk cannot be underestimated, as high-quality colostrum directly affects immunity. The stronger it is, the better the young are resistant to bacteria and infections. It is best not to wean the young from the female, since only she can give full-fledged colostrum to her cub and put him on his feet in the first time after birth.
Within 10 days from the moment of birth, young calves are watered with milk up to 6 times a day in special bottles with teats. They must be completely disinfected before adding milk there. The nipple should be scalded with boiling water or boiled in a saucepan. You should not feed calves by pouring milk into a bowl or bucket, as hungry calves begin to swallow colostrum ineptly and greedily, as a result of which there is a risk of problems. Milk should only be from a tested individual that has passed a special veterinary check.
If a cow is sick with something, it is better to first quarantine it in another pen until the disease is established.
Dry dressing can be given in small amounts, so that it does not thicken in the rectum. Many farmers practice this method when it is necessary to transfer young animals to a new diet: along with the new food, they give a little salt solution of 9%. According to farmers, it reduces the discomfort of feeling different food. You can give specialized feed only taking into account the age of the baby, since such feeds are designed specifically for the young age of the calf.
Useful Tips
First of all, you need to follow the rules for the care and maintenance of animals. If you decide to breed cows, you need to equip the barn to all standards. It is imperative to divide the premises in the barn so that there are places for individuals with calves and for those who are sick with a viral infection. When the young grows up, they need to be placed in a separate pen, and this should also be taken into account. If you do not follow such simple rules, then individuals can become infected with dyspepsia from each other in close quarters.
Another tip is to be sure to keep all litter and inventory clean. Gloves should be worn when working with animals.
It is very important to keep an eye on your flock, as small animals can eat litter and then have problems with stool. After each stool, the animals wash the floor and walls in the barn with special disinfectants, as bacteria may be present in the faeces. Before calving a cow, some farmers even treat the floor with iodine so that future offspring does not become infected.
If you follow all the rules for the care and raising of the herd, you can get an active and healthy livestock. Prevention of dyspepsia can save the herd from a serious illness, and the owner from spending on numerous drugs.