Calf Scours
Description
Newborn calves are extremely susceptible to calf scours (diarrhea), especially during their first 28 days of life. Bacteria and viruses attack the lining of the calf’s intestine, making it difficult for the animal to absorb essential nutrients from milk. Profuse, watery diarrhea occurs, causing the calf to lose those nutrients and become dehydrated. If disease is severe, the calf may die; however, even calves that survive severe scours will have lifelong poorer performance than healthy calves.
Animals affected
All calves are susceptible to scours. Depending on the cause, calf scours can strike anytime from the first few hours after birth up through the first month to six weeks. First-calf heifers often produce lower quality and lower quantity colostrum; thus, their calves may be more likely to scour. Young calves nursing heavy milking dams or calves being put on feed for the first time may suffer clostridial scours. See the health library article “Prevention, Clinical Signs and Control of Calf Scours.”
Common names
Scours, neonatal calf diarrhea, enteric disease, colibacillosis
Causes
- Viruses: rotavirus, coronavirus
- Primary bacteria: K99 E. coli; Clostridium perfringens Type C, Salmonella spp.
- Parasites: cryptosporidia, coccidia
Contributing factors
- Poor quality colostrum/nutrition
- Inadequate quantity colostrum
- Difficult calving
- Poor sanitation
- Cold, wet weather or wet, drafty quarters
- Overconsumption of milk creates an environment in which certain types of bacteria thrive, causing severe scours
Clinical signs
- Diarrhea, sometimes containing blood or mucus
- Dehydration, loose skin
- Rough haircoat
- Weight loss, weakness
- Convulsions, spasms
- Death can occur 12–48 hours after onset of disease
| Scours agent |
Age of onset |
Signs |
| Rotavirus |
possible: 0–28 days;
most common: 1–6 days
|
watery brown to light green feces, blood and mucus |
| K 99 E. coli bacteria |
most common: 1–7 days |
effortless passing of yellow to white feces |
| Coronavirus |
possible: 0–28 days;
most common: 7–10 days
|
watery, yellow feces |
| Clostridium perfringens Type C |
most common: 7–28 days
|
sudden death, blood-tinged diarrhea |
| Cryptosporidia |
most common: 7–21 days
|
watery brown to light green feces, blood and mucus |
| Coccidia |
most common: 7 days and after
|
blood-tinged diarrhea |
| Salmonella spp. |
most common: 1–7 days
|
similar to E. coli; yellow to white feces |
Disease management: prevention
For maximum disease prevention, follow these four steps:
- Reduce exposure of newborns to infectious agents
- Separate healthy pairs from sick calves immediately
- Be sure equipment, boots and hands are thoroughly cleaned after handling sick animals
- Move healthy pairs to clean pastures to decrease exposure to pathogens
- Reduce stress on cows and calves
- Assist with calving as necessary, especially with heifers
- Keep animals as clean and dry as possible
- Cows should be in Body Condition Score 6 or 7 for optimum calving. See health library article “The Importance of Body Condition Scores.”
- Make sure calves start nursing as soon as possible after calving, to get adequate colostrum
- 4–6 quarts in the first 24 hours
- Vaccinate the cow prior to calving to provide disease protection through the colostrum (first milk). If the cow herd has not been vaccinated, consider using an oral vaccine in newborn calves prior to nursing to provide immediate protection in the gut. A scours vaccination program should include protection against:
- Rotavirus, coronavirus
- K99 E. coli
- Cl. perfringens Type C
- See Health Programs for specific vaccination recommendations for cows and calves
Pfizer scours vaccines
ScourGuard 4® (K)/C and CalfGuard®
Disease management: treatment
Successful treatment of calf scours depends on rapidly rehydrating scouring calves. Oral rehydration products such as Re-Sorb® can help restore lost electrolytes and essential nutrients. In some cases, antibiotic therapy may be advised for bacterial scours. Other Pfizer disease management options include Terramycin® Scours Tablets and Liquamycin® LA-200®
Your veterinarian plays a valuable role in accurately diagnosing disease and suggesting the best therapy and management options.
Economic impacts
USDA estimates that between 4 and 25% of all calves will die from scours each year in the U.S.1
Economic losses can also be attributed to:
- Long-term effects on health and productivity of surviving calves
- Treatment and labor costs: antibiotics, milk replacer, oral rehydration
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