Recognizing sick and healthy calves?

Question

What are some signs that calves are unwell and what are some common diseases in young cattle and their likely causes.

Informative answers are appreciated

Answer 1

One of our main disease problems in calves is e-coli(157) and our first hint that it is a problem is that the calf will start gritting it teeth, which is a marker for bowel pain.  This  begins before the scours symptoms appear ( yellow and watery then pink f***s, with bowels sloughing off their lining).

At that early stage we use a medication from the vet that contains activated charcoal and a probiotic culture, but no antibiotic. The antibiotic would kill the e-coli(157) but the bacteria is already in the blood stream and will release toxins that kill by kidney failure.

This organism kills people the same way.

The activated charcoal acts as a prebiotic, keeping the probiotic working longer. It works as a preventative at least as well as a curative. It is also used in treating people who have e-coli(157). Walkerton Ontario was hit with an epidemic of this bacteria in 1999, 7 people died and over 2000 were severely affected. It came from a town well at the base of a grade where cattle manure had been spread on the grade. It entered the well and there was no protection... neither chlorine nor ozone treatment.

If one waits until the f***s change, one has lost the best chance to save the calf.

When cattle are milked with teats that have manure on them, or washed with water contaminated with this organism, we have the calves poisoned.

And yes, very many herds of cattle are carrying a load of e-coli(157).

Answer 2

It is important to recognize the behavior of healthy animals." For instance, he says healthy animals should be bright eyed, have a good hair coat, demonstrate curiosity, and be grooming themselves and others.Appetite can also be a big indicator. Calves with droopy ears, dull haircoats, poor appetites, runny eyes and nose should be pulled, have their temperature taken and be further evaluated and treated if necessary.

Answer 3

some of the most common illnesses i find in my dairy calves are scours pneumonia and just a common cold symptoms may include loose stool runny nose or a dry nose dull coat loss of appetite and just not behaving like they usually do we have also had some calves get black leg in the past but only a vet can diagnose that all illnesses should be reported to a vet especially if the calf is very young but whatever you do dont stop feeding them milk if they are on the bottle some say this will make it worse but it wont it will actually help them get better also banamine is a good medication to keep around just to have so if you ever need it for instance if you have a calf that seems to not feel but isnt really showing any symptoms of anything serious i'd give em some banamine to make them feel better till i could talk to a vet just make sure you give the injection in the right spot if you dont know what you are doing call someone who does and let them do it i have heard so many stories where people have lost calves because they gave the injection in the wrong place

Answer 4

I can only tell you about dairy calves, if that's what you mean.  Here are the most common illnesses:

Pneumonia

-Coughing, snotty nose, rasping, eventual death

-Caused by inadequate ventilation or too much exposure to the elements.

-Treatment:  antibiotics are pretty much the only way, they usually cannot get over it on their own.  Banamine also helps with reducing bronchial swelling.

Scours

-Any variation of loose stool.  The runnier and more colorful, the worse it is.

-Caused by any number of pathogens including but not limited to, e. coli, strep, salmonella, clostridium, etc.

-Treatment:  Normal temp is 102.2~ish.  If temp is normal or under 103 degrees F, administer probiotics (helps the gut) until cleared up.  If temp is high, administer probiotics + antibiotic + banamine for at least 3 days until symptoms are cleared up.   Could also be due to coccidia, a parasite that lives in the intestine.  You would need a special medicine called a coccidiostat to clear that up.

-Do NOT stop feeding milk.  Feed electrolyte solution at noon.  Watch for dehydration, that's the killer.

There are some other less common ones that a vet would need to diagnose.  Some signs your calf may be sick are:

-Listlessness

-Droopy ears

-Not eating well

-Dull or dry eyes

-Cheesy nasal discharge

-Any behavior that is not normal for the individual calf.  A good calf raiser will know when a calf is sick just by an attitude change.

A healthy calf should be alert, bright-eyed and playful.  It should also have a healthy intrest in dinner.

Edit:  donfletcheryh is right about the E. coli toxin but it is virtually impossible to tell if that is the problem unless you test.  And it's K99, not O157:H7 (cattle don't have receptors for that variety which is why they harbor it but do not get sick themselves).  By the time you see scours in that case, it is probably too late.  Your best bet is to give an oral E. coli vaccine immediately after birth.  It is well worth the cost as it virtually eliminates the problem.