Figure 1. Photograph of me milk-feeding a calf recovering from scours. Photo credit: Jenaya Fisher, Highview Animal Clinic.
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Figure 2. Photograph of me administering antibiotics to a calf recovering from scours. Photo credit: Jenaya Fisher, Highview Animal Clinic.
Figure 3. Photograph of me monitoring the heart rate of a calf recovering from scours. Photo credit: Jenaya Fisher, Highview Animal Clinic.
Scouring Calves
Published: April 22, 2022
Diarrhea resulting in dehydration and acidosis is the leading cause of death in calves (University of Minnesota, 2019). This condition, which veterinarians refer to as scours, is caused by any one of several factors including viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and inadequate nutrition (University of Minnesota, 2019).
The incidence of scours can be reduced by housing calves in hygienic barns and vaccinating them against pathogens.
To avoid spreading disease, calves with scours should be isolated from the rest of the herd, treated with either tetracycline or neomycin, fed a protectant (kaolin-pectin) to calm the gastrointestinal tract, and administered intravenous sodium bicarbonate to combat acidosis.
Helping calves to recover from scours is rewarding and one of my favourite responsibilities as a veterinary assistant (Figures 1, 2, and 3).
Literature Cited
Armstrong, J. c(2023). Causes and prevention of dairy calf scours. University of Minnesota. https://extension.umn.edu/dairy-youngstock/dairy-calf-scours#:~:text=Plain%20and%20simple%2C%20scours%20is,under%20one%20month%20of%20age
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