How should I treat a scouring calf?

With some calves on the ground, the calving season is about to gear up, here are some tips on how to treat the scouring calf.

Remove - Removing the scouring calf from the group – this helps prevent the spread of infection and gives the calf a better chance of recovery. Scouring suckler calves and their dams should be separated from other calves and their mothers. Calves should be isolated in a well bedded pen well away from other healthy calves with access to fresh clean water.

Rehydrate - The most important part of treating scour is fluids. Healthy calves need a minimum of 4 litres of fluid a day, but scouring calves need an additional 4 litres to replace lost fluids. Give two extra feeds (2 litres at each extra feed) per day of a good quality oral rehydration solution when the calf starts scouring and while scouring persists, even if the calf is bright and alert. These should be given separately from the milk feeds (for example, at lunchtime and again late in the evening). It is safe to give these fluids by stomach tube, assuming you are competent and confident with the technique.

Feed Milk - Continue to offer scouring calves normal amounts of milk or milk replacer as long as they want to drink. Do not feed diluted milk to calves. Continue to feed with milk or good quality milk replacer as it does not cause, worsen or prolong scour. Milk or Calf Milk Replacer should not be stomach-tubed, as it will not be properly digested and this can lead to the build-up of acids in the rumen and damage the ruminal wall.

Hygiene – Maintain good hygiene practices to limit the spread of scour causing pathogens. Use separate feeding equipment for sick calves and wash thoroughly with hot water after each use. Wash hands and clean and disinfect footwear and clothing regularly, especially after tending to sick calves.

Other Treatments – Your vet will be able to advise based on the farm diagnosis. Depending on the cause of scour there are other treatments specific to the type of scour. It is very useful to know the diagnosis as there are some treatments that can be used as preventatives also, which may help in the outbreak type scenario.

Do I need to give antibiotics?

Antibiotics do not work against parasites and viruses that most often are responsible for scour. They should not be routinely used in the management of mildest cases of calf diarrhoea. However, they should be used (by injection form only), if the calf is very sick, if it has blood in the scour or if it has a temperature >39.5°C.

First Published 2 February 2024