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Dyspepsia in young calves causes the greatest damage in animal husbandry. 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
This is an acute disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. The disease is polyetiological in nature. Occurs in newborn young farm animals and is characterized by severe diarrhea. Calves and piglets are most susceptible to dyspepsia. Lambs and goats suffer the least.
Types of Dyspepsia
In veterinary medicine, calf dyspepsia is divided into two types:
- organic (popularly “simple”);
- functional (reflex-stress). In everyday life “toxic”.
At that time, alimentary (due to violations in feeding) and viral dyspepsia were distinguished. Some researchers combined these areas and believed that inadequate feeding leads to the birth of weakened young. The inability to resist infection that enters the gastrointestinal tract with the first sip of milk contributes to the development of the disease.
Causes of dyspepsia in young cattle
If calves really were that tender, all cattle would have died out at the aurochs stage long before domestication. The main reason for the development of dyspepsia in newborn calves is the wrong diet of the uterus. In the future, the disease is aggravated by violations in the feeding of young animals.
organic dyspepsia
Develops in hypotrophics. The cause of this form of the disease is physiological immaturity. Calves with malnutrition are not able to properly absorb colostrum due to the imperfection of internal organs and tissues.
Such calves do not adapt well to the external 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 malnutrition. The latter occurs due to improper diet and poor conditions for keeping the cow.
functional dyspepsia
It occurs due to a violation of the rules for feeding newborn calves:
- non-compliance with the intervals between drinking;
- feeding spoiled or chilled colostrum;
- incorrect height or speed of colostrum drinking.
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 suckle the uterus, is forced to tilt its head to the ground and bend its neck. Colostrum is also secreted from the nipple in a thin stream. Thanks to this mechanism, the calf cannot drink a large amount of liquid in one gulp.
Another situation is with artificial soldering. A special drinking bucket or colostrum bottle 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’s excretion of rennet juice and saliva is reduced. The colostrum in the abomasum coagulates to form large, dense clumps of casein. The latter is digested very poorly 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:
- abrupt change of colostrum to milk;
- soldering of defective colostrum;
- feeding cold or hot colostrum;
- too late drinking of the first portion.
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 number of livestock and mass calving, it is easier to take the cub immediately for manual feeding. And the health of an adult cow on a dairy farm comes first. It often takes a long time before the calf’s turn comes.
When drinking colostrum later than 6 hours after birth, putrefactive bacteria penetrate into the intestines of the calf, as the immunity of the cub has time to decrease. Pathogenic microflora decomposes colostrum entering the abomasum and releases toxins.
Another major stress for a calf is feeding cheap milk replacer with palm oil.
Symptoms of dyspepsia
There are two forms of the 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 is in heat.
A symptom of such an intestinal disorder is very severe diarrhea. Otherwise, the calf is alert and relatively cheerful. Appetite decreases slightly, body temperature is normal, the condition is quite vigorous. A lethal outcome is possible if you do not pay attention to diarrhea and allow dehydration.
Toxic dyspepsia
She’s also functional. Starts out mild. Under unfavorable conditions, it develops into a severe one with general intoxication of the animal’s body. Dyspepsia begins with frequent defecation. Feces are liquid. Without treatment, the disease continues to develop:
- little oppression;
- decreased appetite;
- lack of mobility and desire to lie down;
- transfusion of fluid in the intestines, rumbling;
- spasms of the intestines and colic on this basis are possible: anxiety, involuntary shuddering, sniffing of the abdomen, hitting the stomach with the hind legs, groans;
- increased heart rate and respiration;
- the temperature is usually normal, a decrease signals the prospect of a lethal outcome;
- dehydration progress: severe depression, loss of strength, sunken eyes, dull and disheveled coat, dry nasal mirror, lack of appetite, exhaustion.
The latest signs indicate that the mild form of dyspepsia has already turned into a severe one and the calf is likely to die.
Heavy form
Immediately with a severe form, dyspepsia begins in a newborn young. The disease develops on 1-2 days or in the first hours of life. Characterized by:
- lack of appetite;
- decrease in body temperature;
- profuse watery diarrhea of yellow-gray color. In the faeces, gas bubbles and lumps of coagulated colostrum are not uncommon;
- cold extremities and ears;
- trembling of the whole body;
- paresis of the hind legs;
- sunken 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 unfavorable. If the calf has managed to recover, it remains susceptible to lung disease and is noticeably retarded.
If dyspepsia is already running and the case is nearing death, the calf’s skin becomes cyanotic or pale, the pulse is rapid.
Diagnosis of the disease
The diagnosis is substantiated after the analysis of clinical signs, conditions of detention and diet of the broodstock. Dyspepsia must be distinguished from colibacillosis, umbilical sepsis, and diplococcal infection. For this purpose, the corpses of dead calves are sent to the laboratory for pathological studies.
In dyspepsia, preparations do not contain microorganisms. When a calf dies from another disease, microflora is present in the samples:
- umbilical sepsisc – mixed;
- colibacteriosis – Gram-negative bacteria and microbes belonging to the group of Escherichia coli;
- with diplococcal septicemia – Diplococcus septicus.
Pathological changes in dyspepsia in calves
The carcass of a calf is usually emaciated. Soft tissues are dehydrated. The abdomen is drawn in. Sunken eyeballs. At autopsy, a dirty gray mass with a putrid or sour smell is found in the stomach. In the abomasum there are casein clots with signs of decay. The mucosa is covered with thick mucus.
Structural changes are characteristic of the intestines and pancreas. In the mucous membranes of the intestines and rennet, hemorrhages are observed: point, striped and diffuse. Fatty and granular degeneration of internal organs. The mucosa of the small intestine is swollen.
Treatment of dyspepsia in calves
Time does not stand still and methods of treatment are gradually changing. Previously, complex treatment measures were used with the use of saline and electrolytes. Today they advertise an antibiotic that does not require any additional measures. But an antibiotic is good if dyspepsia was noticed at the very beginning, when the calf had not yet begun serious changes in the body. In other cases, additional measures cannot be dispensed with.
In the treatment of dyspepsia, first of all, the diet is reviewed and the volume of milk drunk is reduced. One dacha can be completely replaced with saline or an electrolyte of 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. They solder pepsin, artificial gastric juice, enzyme preparations, ABA.
With severe dehydration, when the calf can no longer drink on its own, 3 liter of electrolyte is poured intravenously 1 times a day: 0,5 liter of sodium chloride saline solution and 0,5 liter of baking soda solution 1,3%.
The calves are also kept warm and injected with cardiac drugs.
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;
- drug for 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.
An experimental calf that underwent this treatment recovered after a week.
Prognosis 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 lag far behind his peers in growth. It is highly desirable to prevent dyspepsia, but this requires a year-round set of measures:
- long-term grazing content of the broodstock;
- organization of good feeding of cows;
- adherence to launch deadlines;
- creation of good conditions for calving;
- timely first and subsequent feeding of the calf;
- ensuring the cleanliness of milk pans, hygiene of milk production;
- checking the quality of milk;
- observance of sanitary and hygienic conditions in the premises for newborn young animals: 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 drunk should be 1/10 of the animal’s weight per day.
Conclusion
Dyspepsia in calves is almost always caused by the error of the cattle owner. If the necessary rules for keeping and feeding queens and newborn calves are observed, the disease can be avoided.