How to treat salmonellosis in calves
Calf salmonellosis mainly affects young animals aged 10 days to 2 months. Salmonellosis is an infectious disease caused by Salmonella bacteria. Such an ailment can attack young animals at any time of the year, but salmonellosis is most common in calves in winter. Mostly calves that live in unsanitary conditions are infected. If the farm has small premises and basic care is not provided for the animals, the immunity of the young is weakened, so the animals pick up the virus.
Salmonellosis of calves
If left untreated, salmonellosis causes damage to agriculture, which is why farmers are trying to protect their herd. The disease is dangerous because it can be transmitted from a sick animal to a person. Care should be taken when handling sick animals and always wear protective clothing. The most effective measure is the salmonellosis vaccine, which is given to calves almost from birth. Calf salmonellosis vaccine must be from a verified licensed supplier.
Symptoms of the disease
Calves can become infected from other sick animals. Even if some individuals have already had this disease, they are a source of infection. The virus can remain in the urine, feces and milk of the animal for some time. Calves are infected through the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms of the disease can appear at any time from 1 to 10 days. It all depends on the predisposition of young animals to viral diseases, the age of the calf, body weight, as well as the stage of the disease. Salmonellosis can be mild, chronic or acute, the symptoms are about the same everywhere.
Symptoms for Acute Salmonellosis in Calves
- Calves become passive, lie down all the time and want to sleep.
- Fluid may drain from the nose.
- The body temperature of the calf can be 39-42 ° C.
- There is no appetite or the calves eat, but very little.
- On the 2-3 day of infection, young animals develop diarrhea.
- On the 5th day and later, feces may flow out involuntarily.
If salmonellosis in calves is acute, the symptoms may be different, and cough, conjunctivitis and a runny nose may be added to the standard manifestations of the disease on the first day. For the chronic form of salmonellosis, the same symptoms are characteristic, only arthritis is still added. The chronic form of the disease can manifest itself if the acute treatment was not carried out properly and the course of the disease was delayed.
With chronic salmonellosis, young animals can be sick for 2-3 months, so it is very important to start treatment in a timely manner. In cows, the disease can be almost asymptomatic, since their body is already more stable. Cows are characterized by mood swings, lethargy, decreased appetite or decreased milk yield against the general background of the disease.
Treatment of salmonellosis in calves
Treatment should be carried out only in a comprehensive manner.In order to prescribe medications, you need to make sure that this is exactly salmonellosis. For this, a veterinarian is invited to examine and take tests from the calf in person. If, according to the results of the blood, a virus is found, then drugs are prescribed to eliminate the intoxication of the animal's body and to restore the functioning of the organs. Basically, the following antibiotics are prescribed: levomycin 3 times a day, the course of treatment is 2-3 days, the dosage is calculated based on the weight of the calf, tetramycin 3 times at 0.02 g per 1 kg of weight for a course of 4-6 days.
Polyvalent antitoxic serum is also suitable for treatment. Serum helps with failures in immunity. Also, serum is used for the prevention of disease and for the treatment of calves and cows. Serum is injected intramuscularly, the dose of the drug is calculated based on the weight. Most often, the daily dose is not administered immediately, but is divided into several times, used every 3-4 hours. In an acute form of the disease or if the condition of the calf remains the same, sometimes the serum is injected again. If, after the second serum, the treatment does not give results, then the cows or calves do not have salmonellosis and, possibly, there was an error in the analyzes.
Only individual syringes should be used for vaccinations or any other injections. Each animal must have its own syringe. The place before the injection is wiped with alcohol, after the vaccination or serum is set, the syringe is thrown away. In order for the drug to have a result, the conditions of storage and use of the drug must be observed. If the serum is of poor quality, for example, there is no label on the bottle, the expiration date has expired, or the bottle is open but not used, such a drug is considered unusable. When treated, it will not give the desired results. Serum, like the vaccine against salmonellosis in calves, can only be used immediately after opening. Storage even for several hours is not allowed.
Prevention of disease in cattle
The most effective prevention is to prevent the spread of the disease, because such animals can no longer be kept in one pen, since other individuals can become infected. The vaccine against salmonellosis in calves is quite effective against the Salmonella virus. Also, many farmers speak highly of such a drug as the alum vaccine against salmonellosis of calves. Vaccination is the most reliable method against infection. The vaccine cannot cure the disease, but the animal's immunity supports and strengthens. Vaccination with formoleum or any other gives stable immunity not immediately, but only for 10-12 days.
The vaccine against salmonellosis of calves is valid only for about 6 months, then the effect of the vaccination needs to be renewed. The veterinarian examines the animals before the vaccination is given.
If young animals are ill, then vaccinations are not given. Also, if Salmonella is present, the vaccine is not given. In cows, vaccination is carried out 2 times with an interval of 10 days. They give the vaccine 35-45 days before the expected calving. If the calves are born from a cow that has protection against this disease, then the young are vaccinated once at the age of 17-20 days. If the calf was born from a cow that has not been vaccinated, then it must also be vaccinated once, but at the age of 10-15 days.
Compliance with full-fledged conditions for keeping cattle
So that animals do not get sick and they have strong immunity, it is necessary to maintain normal conditions for keeping cattle. Every week it is necessary to carry out a general cleaning of the barn with the use of disinfectants. After each bowel movement, the floor in the cow room should be washed. To prevent animals from crowding in a small space, it is necessary to expand the room with an increase in the number of the herd, since in small places animals get sick more often. Be sure to conduct a daily inspection of the entire herd.
If you identify any symptoms in a cow or calf, you should immediately invite a veterinarian, you should not self-medicate animals.Without a professionally established cause of the disease, you can make a mistake with the diagnosis and harm. To prevent the infection from starting indoors, you need to constantly take the cows for a walk to fresh air, and also install normal air ventilation in the barn. If a calf or a cow falls ill in the pen, then it is better to transfer them to a separate containment, such a measure is designed to help prevent the spread of infection.
Animal nutrition
To maintain immunity at the proper level, you should fully and efficiently feed your herd. Most infections occur in animals whose diet is rather scarce, there is a lack of vitamins. It is required to ensure that the cattle have enough fresh grass in the summer. Do not give your pets rotten and rotten hay. Also, they should be released with caution for a walk in cold weather, when the grass has already had time to freeze.
To prevent rodents from carrying many infections in the room, the food must be removed after each feeding and not stored in bags in the pen. Water should always be at room temperature, clean and suitable for drinking. Dirty water is also a source of infection and can weaken the immune system of animals. Periodically, you need to give vitamin supplements to maintain strong immunity of individuals.
If you follow the basic rules for keeping and feeding animals, no symptoms of ailments will be scary to home breadwinners.