Producers often look for the magic bullet when treating scours, but antibiotics are only helpful if bacteria are involved.
Scours can be a caused by a virus or bacteria, but it is really the dehydration and electrolyte imbalances from fluid losses that kill the calf.
Fluid and electrolyte replacement is by far the most important treatment.
The sick calf loses tremendous amounts of water and electrolytes out the back end, but sucking is also diminished if it is really depressed.
A normal 90 to 100 pound calf needs four to five litres of fluids daily for maintenance, or 10 percent of its body weight. It needs more than that to grow.
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The standard recommendation for dehydration is one and a half litres up to four times daily.
Several good brands of electrolytes are on the market. They are balanced with the main electrolytes, sodium, chloride and potassium, as well as varying amounts of dextrose for energy.
High energy electrolytes are recommended if the calf has lost weight or is going to be on electrolytes for an extended period.
Electrolytes don’t contain protein, so they can’t be the sole source of nutrients for more than two days. Otherwise, weight loss will become a problem.
Even if the scours is not fully cleared up, it is important to get the calf back on milk, if only at every other feeding.
Don’t mix milk and electrolytes at the same feeding. They dilute the milk and interfere with the clotting mechanism that forms the curds and whey. This will further aggravate the diarrhea.
Electrolytes come in individual packages holding up to several gallons of powdered concentrated electrolytes.
Follow the instructions closely to get the right dilution and seal the container well between uses.
I don’t recommend homemade electrolytes because a mistake in formulation can cause a calf to become too alkalotic, too acidotic or give it salt poisoning. The better quality electrolytes have been researched and formulated to provide the right proportions.
The only time I break from this routine is when I see a calf that is extremely acidotic.
An acidotic calf will be weak and stagger as if in a drunken stupor. I treat initially with one tablespoon of straight baking soda in a small amount of water. Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is a strong base that will help neutralize the acid.
The electrolytes will do this as well but require the calf’s body to convert more bicarbonate. As a result, the process takes longer.
Follow up with regular electrolytes after the initial dose of baking soda.
Some scour boluses include keopectate and other stool hardeners to help prevent fluid loss out the back end.
However, the problem with scour boluses is that the tablets drop into the rumen, which isn’t fully functioning yet. As a result, it is best to use injectable products, including antibiotics where possible.
The natural bacterial organisms in the digestive system may be killed if scours lasts for more than a few days and must be reintroduced to help digestion return to normal.
Good commercial probiotic products are available that provide large numbers of lactobacillus and streptococcus organisms.
Again, they are more important than antibiotics. Do not overtreat with antibiotics because they may themselves wipe out the normal gut flora.
Always isolate calves with scours and their mothers from the calving herd in a warm, dry and preferably stress free place.
Deal with calving cows and newborns before treating scouring calves.
Use a different esophageal feeder, change coveralls and disinfect everything between treatments. Farmers can be the worst cause of scours spread around the farmyard.
Calves are more than eight to 10 percent dehydrated if their eyes sink into their heads, and oral electrolytes alone will not get them back to normal. This is where intravenous fluids may be necessary.
Non-steroidal antinflammatories such as banamine can also help with the shock. The kidneys must be functioning, so make sure you are hydrating the animal well when administering these types of products.
These suggestions should provide a much better outcome than just relying on the magic antibiotic bullet.
