Content
Dyspepsia in young calves causes the greatest damage in livestock production. In the first 2 weeks of life, about 50% of newborn calves often die. Among these deaths, dyspepsia accounts for more than 60%.
What is dyspepsia
It is an acute disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. The disease is polyetiological in nature. It occurs in newborn young farm animals and is characterized by severe diarrhea. Calves and piglets are most susceptible to dyspepsia. Lambs and kids suffer the least.
Types of dyspepsia
In veterinary medicine, calf dyspepsia is divided into two types:
- organic (popularly "simple");
- functional (reflex-stressful). In everyday life, "toxic".
At that time, a distinction was made between alimentary (due to feeding irregularities) and viral dyspepsia. Some researchers combined these directions and believed that inadequate feeding leads to the birth of weakened young animals. The inability to resist an infection that penetrates the gastrointestinal tract with the first sip of milk contributes to the development of the disease.
Causes of dyspepsia in young cattle
If the calves were really so tender, all cattle would have died out during the tour stage long before domestication. The main reason for the development of dyspepsia in newborn calves is the improper diet of the uterus. In the future, the disease is aggravated by disturbances in feeding the young.
Organic dyspepsia
Develops in hypotrophic individuals. The cause of this form of the disease is physiological immaturity. Calves with malnutrition are not able to digest colostrum normally due to imperfect internal organs and tissues.
These calves do not adapt well to the environment and are more susceptible to infections. They also develop casein bezoar disease more often.
In other words, in this case, dyspepsia is a consequence of hypotrophy. The latter arises from improper diet and poor living conditions of the cow.
Functional dyspepsia
Occurs due to violation of the rules for feeding newborn calves:
- non-observance of the intervals between drinks;
- feeding spoiled or chilled colostrum;
- incorrect height or rate of feeding of colostrum.
In general, few people pay attention to the latter. But in fact, this factor often provokes dyspepsia. Even a one-hour calf in an attempt to suck on the uterus is forced to tilt its head to the ground and bend its neck. Colostrum from the nipple is also released in a thin stream. Thanks to this mechanism, the calf cannot drink a large amount of liquid in one sip.
Another situation is with artificial watering. A special drinking bucket or bottle of colostrum is usually positioned so that the calf's head is at the top. Colostrum flows through the nipple in a generous stream and enters the abomasum in large portions.
With this watering the calf reduces the excretion of rennet and saliva. Colostrum in the abomasum coagulates, forming large dense clumps of casein. The latter is very poorly digested and begins to decompose under the influence of putrefactive bacteria. The result is toxic dyspepsia.
The same functional / toxic type of dyspepsia occurs under other circumstances:
- a sharp change from colostrum to milk;
- soldering defective colostrum;
- feeding cold or hot colostrum;
- drinking the first portion too late.
The first time the cub should suckle the mother during the first hour of life. But on farms, this regime is often violated, since with a large livestock population and mass calving, it is easier to pick up the calf immediately for manual feeding. And the health of an adult cow on a dairy farm comes first. It often takes a long time until the calf's turn comes.
When drinking colostrum later than 6 hours after birth, putrefactive bacteria penetrate into the intestines of the calf, since the calf's immunity has time to decrease. Pathogenic microflora decomposes colostrum entering the abomasum and releases toxins.
Another major stress for the calf is feeding cheap milk replacer with palm oil.
Dyspepsia symptoms
There are two forms of development of the disease: mild and severe. Clinical symptoms of a mild form of simple dyspepsia appear 6-8 days after birth. This is the period when calves are usually transferred from colostrum to milk replacer or if the cow has come into heat.
The symptom of this bowel disorder is severe diarrhea. The rest of the calf is cheerful and relatively cheerful. Appetite decreases slightly, the body temperature is normal, the state is quite vigorous. Death is possible if you do not pay attention to diarrhea and allow dehydration.
Toxic dyspepsia
It's functional. Starts off mild. Under unfavorable conditions, it develops into a severe one with general intoxication of the animal's body. Dyspepsia begins with frequent bowel movements. The feces are liquid. Without treatment, the disease continues to develop:
- slight depression;
- decreased appetite;
- lack of mobility and desire to lie down;
- transfusion of fluid in the intestine, rumbling;
- intestinal cramps and colic are possible on this basis: anxiety, involuntary shudders, sniffing of the abdomen, blows with hind legs on the abdomen, groans;
- increased heart rate and breathing;
- the temperature is usually normal, a decrease signals the prospect of death;
- the progress of dehydration: severe depression, loss of strength, drooping eyes, dull and tousled hair, dry nasal mirror, lack of appetite, exhaustion.
Recent signs indicate that a mild form of dyspepsia has already passed into a severe one and the likelihood of a calf dying is high.
Severe form
Immediately from a severe form, dyspepsia begins in newborn young animals. The disease develops within 1-2 days or in the first hours of life. Characterized by:
- lack of appetite;
- decrease in body temperature;
- profuse, watery, yellow-gray diarrhea. Feces often contain gas bubbles and lumps of coagulated colostrum;
- coldness of the limbs and ears;
- trembling all over the body;
- paresis of the hind legs;
- sinking eyes;
- dry skin;
- weakening of skin sensitivity.
The course of the disease is acute and lasts 1-2, less often 3-4, days. The prognosis is poor. Once the calf recovers, it remains susceptible to lung disease and lags behind in development.
If dyspepsia is already running and the case is close to death, the calf's skin becomes cyanotic or pale, the pulse is rapid.
Diagnosis of the disease
The diagnosis is justified after analysis of clinical signs, housing conditions and diet of the broodstock. Dyspepsia must be distinguished from colibacillosis, umbilical sepsis, and diplococcal infection. For this purpose, the corpses of the dead calves are sent to the laboratory for pathological studies.
For dyspepsia, drugs do not contain microorganisms.When a calf dies from another disease, microflora is present in the samples:
- umbilical sepsic - mixed;
- colibacillosis - gram-negative bacteria and microbes belonging to the group of E. coli;
- with diplococcal septicemia - Diplococcus septicus.
Pathological changes in dyspepsia in calves
The calf carcass is usually emaciated. The soft tissues are dehydrated. The abdomen is pulled in. Sunken eyeballs. When opened, a dirty gray mass with a putrid or sour odor is found in the stomach. The abomasum contains casein clots with signs of decay. The mucous membrane is covered with thick mucus.
The intestines and pancreas are characterized by structural changes. In the intestinal mucosa and abomasum, hemorrhages are observed: punctate, banded and diffuse. Fatty and granular degeneration of internal organs. The mucous membrane of the small intestine is swollen.
Calf dyspepsia treatment
Time does not stand still and treatment methods are gradually changing. Previously, complex treatment measures were used with the use of saline and electrolytes. An antibiotic is advertised today that does not require any additional measures. But the antibiotic is good if the dyspepsia was noticed at the very beginning, when the calf has not yet started serious changes in the body. In other cases, additional measures cannot be avoided.
In the treatment of dyspepsia, first of all, the diet is revised and the volume of milk consumed is reduced. One dacha can be completely replaced with saline or electrolyte of a complex composition:
- a liter of boiled water;
- baking soda 2.94 g;
- table salt 3.22 g;
- potassium chloride 1.49 g;
- glucose 21.6 g
The solution is fed to the calf in a volume of 300-500 ml for 15-20 minutes. before each serving of milk.
To prevent the development of pathogenic flora, antibiotics are injected intramuscularly. They are prescribed after analysis and isolation of cultures of microorganisms from corpses. Pepsin, artificial gastric juice, enzyme preparations, ABA are soldered.
With severe dehydration, when the calf can no longer drink on its own, 1 liter of electrolyte is injected intravenously 3 times a day: 0.5 liters of sodium chloride saline solution and 0.5 liters of 1.3% baking soda solution.
The calves are also warmed and injected with heart medications.
Second treatment regimen:
- tetracycline. An antibiotic that suppresses the intestinal microflora. 3 times a day intramuscularly for 3-4 days in a row;
- immunostimulant intramuscularly;
- a drug against indigestion. Orally at the dose indicated on the package. 3 times a day. Course 4 days;
- glucose solution 5%. Replaces blood plasma, is used to reduce intoxication and eliminate dehydration. 1 time intravenously.
A test calf treated with this treatment recovered after a week.
Forecast and prevention
In the case of mild dyspepsia, the prognosis is favorable. In severe cases, the calf will die if action is not taken in time. Even if he recovers, he will greatly lag behind his peers in growth. It is highly desirable to prevent dyspepsia, but this requires a year-round set of measures:
- long-term grazing of broodstock;
- organization of good feeding of cows;
- compliance with the launch dates;
- creating good conditions for calving;
- timely first and subsequent feeding of the calf;
- ensuring the cleanliness of milk boxes, hygiene of receiving milk;
- checking the quality of milk;
- observance of sanitary and hygienic conditions in the premises for newborn calves: daily cleaning of cages, regular whitewashing of walls, periodic disinfection, elimination of crowding of calves, maintaining a comfortable temperature.
To prevent the development of dyspepsia, calves should not be overfed. In the first 5-6 days of life, the amount of colostrum fed should be 1/10 of the weight of the animal per day.
Conclusion
Calf dyspepsia is almost always caused by the mistakes of the cattle owner.With the observance of the necessary rules for the maintenance and feeding of queens and newborn calves, the disease can be avoided.
