Haley Zynda, Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Wayne County, Ohio State University Extension
We’re back with the second installment of Antibiotic Stewardship in Calves, a part of Veal Quality Assurance training. The
Haley Zynda, Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Wayne County, Ohio State University Extension
We’re back with the second installment of Antibiotic Stewardship in Calves, a part of Veal Quality Assurance training. The first module of this training involved understanding antibiotics and antibiotic resistance. The second module is titled “Clinical Evaluations,” an essential factor to determining proper course of action.
In part 2, the goal is to be able to evaluate and score clinical signs of disease, as pertaining to calves. Fun fact, a “disease symptom” is something you are personally feeling, while a “disease sign” is something you observe in someone else or in animals. In order to better score potential disease, it is necessary to understand what a healthy calf looks like, so a sick calf stands out and is appropriately treated. So, what factors need to be observed?
Calves are naturally playful; sometimes I see them referred to as “grass puppies” on social media because of their bouncy and curious personalities. Healthy calves also have bright eyes and alert ears, paying attention to the world around them. They will typically stretch upon rising. On the flip side, sick calves may seem lethargic or disinterested in their surroundings. Dull eyes or mucus coming from the eyes and nose is a clear sign of illness. They may not be as eager for their meals and potentially have greater respiratory rates.
If you happen to have a sick-looking calf, there are 5 major indicators in which you need to evaluate. The first is dehydration. If a calf is uninterested in eating or drinking, chances are it may become dehydrated. Water is lost from the body not only through urination or excessive salivation, but also through respiration (and if the breathing rate is increased as mentioned earlier, more water is lost from the body through the respiratory tract). You can pinch skin on the calf’s neck to check for dehydration; the skin should flatten in less than 2 seconds. If the skin remains tented for more than 4 seconds and the calf also has sunken eyes, it is slightly to moderately dehydrated and needs attention immediately. A calf can die when it is 10% dehydrated.
The second indicator is fever. Animals will likely feel hotter than normal on a summer day, but prolonged elevation of internal temperature is an indication of inflammation or infection. A normal temperature for a calf is below 103˚F in normal weather conditions (i.e., not sweltering heat). Temperature should be taken rectally over the course of several days at the same time to determine a baseline and how the temperature fluctuates if there is concern of illness. Defecation during temperature measurement calls for a second try.
Navel infections are the third indicator. The umbilicus is