TREATMENT AND CONTROL OF NEONATAL DIARRHEA IN CALVES WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO USES OF NON-MEDICATED DRUGS

Abstract

More neonatal calves are lost annually from scours than from all other calf diseases combined. The etiological agents have been extensively described. This include bacteria, viruses, nutrition-related scours, digestive enzyme deficiencies, fungal infections and parasitic causes which are responsible for few cases. Dehydration resulting from scours has been reported as the major cause of death (90%) of scouring calves. Oral treatment with rehydrating solutions must . be U§ed. to . replcice the loss of water and electrolytes in diarrheic calves to give •• the shortest duration of diarrhea and decrease calf loss. Sixty diarrheic calves less than three months of age were chosen for this study. These were subdivided into four groups each of 15 ones to be treated with rehydrating solutions. Four rehydrating solutions were used with a fixed antibiotic in treatment of diarrheic calves. The four rehydrating solutions were: 1- Glucose-glycine-electrolyte mixture (GGEM). 2- Glucose-electrolyte mixture (GEM). 3- Lectade powder. 4-Lomoton. These groups were compared with normal calves (control) Body condition of diarrheic calves was examined clinically (temperature, sunken eyes, skin elasticity and rate of dehydration).