How to Cure Diarrhea in Calves
Most calves suffer from diarrhea at least once during their lives. Diarrhea, also known as scours in calves, has a number of causes including viruses, bacteria and poor nutrition. Calves may also suffer bouts of diarrhea during periods of high stress such as while weaning. Diarrhea can be deadly to young calves and should be treated as quickly as possible.
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Instructions
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Watch your herd for signs of scours. Calve with scours will produce thin, watery stools that cover their hindquarters. Calves with diarrhea may also be listless and reluctant to stand and nurse.
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Separate affected calves and their mothers from the herd. Diarrhea can be a sign of more serious illnesses that you do not want to spread to healthy cattle. Move affected animals to a separate pasture or barn at the first sign of illness.
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Feed affected calves colostrum within the first 48 hours of life to help clear up diarrhea. Colostrum is produced by lactating cows in the days immediately following calving. It is full of minerals, proteins and antibodies that boost the calf's immune system to fight off disease. Feed newborn calves approximately two liters of colostrum from a calf bottle the first day they display symptoms.
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Pour 24 ounces of plain children's electrolytes in a calf bottle and feed it to affected calves twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Dehydration is the primary cause of death in calves with diarrhea, and boosting the level of electrolytes will minimize the risk of death. Signs of dehydration in calves include dull coat, sunken eyes and dryness of the nose and mouth. Hold the calf's head against your side and place the nipple in his mouth, squeezing the bottle gently to encourage the calf to nurse.
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Mix ¼ cup of bovine probiotic such as CalfLak Plus powder with the evening dose of electrolytes to stabilize the digestive tract. Probiotics introduce good bacteria into the calf's stomach and intestines to help balance out the bad bacteria that can cause diarrhea. Feed this mixture daily for one week, or until the stool firms up and no signs of dehydration remain.
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Tips & Warnings
Bovine colostrum and probiotics can be purchased from most veterinarians and farm supply stores.
If a calf seems reluctant to nurse from the bottle, squeeze the nipple to express a few drops onto his tongue. Electrolytes are sweet and most calves will nurse eagerly once they know what is in the bottle.
Call your vet if diarrhea lasts for more than three or four days. Scours is one of the main causes of death in calves, and persistent cases may require veterinary care.
References
- Photo Credit calf image by Dan65 from Fotolia.com
