Heather Thomas went coast to coast to gather information from professors and producers about calf dehydration. Dehydration, loss of electrolytes and decrease in blood pH (metabolic acidosis) are the three biggest problems with scouring calves, says Geof Smith, DVM. “Rehydrating those calves is critical,” he says.
George Barrington, DVM, says that means supportive treatment with fluid and electrolytes is vital, regardless of the cause of scours—whether bacterial, viral, protozoa or something else.
And often, those life-saving fluids can be given orally, says Derek Foster, DVM. “My rule of thumb is that as long as the calf can get up and stand and still has a suckle reflex, we can give oral fluids, and the calf doesn’t need IVs,” he says.
Source: Beef, March 1, 2018.
It’s important to keep administering electrolyte fluids until the calf is no longer scouring. “A lot of producers ask about this,” says Smith. “If they give electrolytes and the calf goes back to the cow, should they give electrolytes again? Calves often have diarrhea for several days. As long as you can catch them, they probably need to be kept on fluids and electrolytes to make sure they don’t relapse,” he says.
INSIGHTS: While there are a lot of variables, this article gives good guidance on issues about dehydrated calves. Whether sales rep, DVM or retail associate, use this article as a backdrop to discussions of methods, timing and products.