How to Diagnose and Treat Scours in Calves

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Calves may develop scours due to bacterial or virus infections. Scours is known as "calf scours" or neonatal calf diarrhea. The primary causes of scours include: Rota virus, Corona virus, Cryptosporidium parvum , Salmonella , and Escherichia coli . [1]

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  1. Calves that are moving around in the pasture, with their tails up, probably do not need treatment. Check to see if the diarrhea is yellow or white. If this is the case, treatment is probably not needed. [2]
  2. Calves that are lethargic or not participating much in the playful activities with other calves are a red flag to pay attention to. Calves that are also losing condition are also cause for alarm.
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  3. You can check for dehydration [3] by pulling on the calf's neck skin. If the skin "tents" this is a sign of dehydration. [4]
  4. A normal body temperature ranges from 100.5 °F (38.1 °C) to 102.5 °F (39.2 °C). Anything outside of this range is a sign for treatment. [5]
  5. You'll want to do this to avoid spreading the disease further. [6]
  6. You may need to inject the fluids via IV or orally. Follow the package directions when mixing up the solution. [7]
    • Feeding the calf water will not work because it will simply pass through his system and not be completely absorbed. [8]
  7. [9]
  8. This may include providing shelter, feed, and a warm place to sleep.
    • A drawback of providing shelter is maintaining infectious control. You will have to work extra to get rid of soiled bedding and disinfect everything that a calf will touch, from the floor to the fence panels and even the feed bucket. [10]
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Should I move heifers to a clean pasture, even though cold will be a factor?
    Community Answer
    Not a great idea if you don't have a portable shed and bedding to go with it. Clean the barn or stall out and keep replacing old straw with the new so they stay warm. Cold calves won't be healthy calves if they don't have shelter and bedding to lay in. A south-facing shed is perfect for them to stay warm, if you don't have a barn or stable, out in a field or pasture.
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  • Question
    I have 300 calves, all in separate cages. Their bedding is sand. How can I manage scour cases?
    Community Answer
    Use straw or shavings for bedding instead of sand and clean the bedding out each day. Sand is a breeding ground for bacteria. Switching to proper bedding will solve a large part of your scour problem.
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  • Question
    What is the best injectable medicine for calf scours?
    Community Answer
    There is no injectable medicine available. Scour boluses are available, but generally they're for young calves with bacterial infection of the gut. You may also need to use electrolytes and make sure bedding is cleaned out regularly. Scours is just a symptom of a bunch of different possible diseases or conditions, from feeding too much milk to a gut bacterial infection caused by E. coli, Campylobacteria, Salmonella, etc., or some other illness. Please talk with your vet about treating scours in your calves.
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      Tips

      • Few vaccinations are available for scours. Check with your vet to determine what he or she suggests. [11]
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      • A time-proven folk remedy is giving the calf a shot of bourbon such as Cabin Still, followed up with a raw egg. You can only do this when the calf is in a warm area such as in the ranch house. The bourbon opens up the calf's blood vessels underneath the skin allowing greater heat transfer between the calf and its environment. The raw egg helps treat scours. Check with your vet before attempting this folk remedy. [12]
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      Warnings

      • Promptly contact your vet if 5 percent of your calves have scours and require treatment. [13]
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      • Contact your vet if greater than 2 percent of your calves have died. Stool samples and freshly dead calves can be examined to determine the appropriate treatment for your herd. [14]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3973752/
      2. ↑ https://vikaspedia.in/agriculture/livestock/general-management-practices-of-livestock/common-animal-diseases-and-their-prevention-and-treatments
      3. ↑ https://extension.umn.edu/beef-health/beef-calf-scours
      4. ↑ https://www.beefresearch.ca/blog/calf-911-dehydration-video/
      5. ↑ https://extension.umn.edu/dairy-youngstock/dairy-calf-scours
      6. ↑ https://www.zoetisus.com/conditions/beef/neonatal-calf-diarrhea.aspx
      7. ↑ https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.603358/full
      8. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7115579/
      9. ↑ https://ucanr.edu/sites/UCCE_LR/files/152012.pdf
      1. ↑ https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1217&context=rangebeefcowsymp
      2. ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1871141317302342
      3. ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030262896337/pdf?md5=03ccd9461d2874a88785c33fae2e0389&pid=1-s2.0-S0022030262896337-main.pdf
      4. ↑ https://ucanr.edu/sites/UCCE_LR/files/152012.pdf
      5. ↑ https://ucanr.edu/sites/UCCE_LR/files/152012.pdf

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