Calf diarrhoea, also known as calf scour is commonly caused by viruses including rotavirus and coronavirus. Calf diarrhoea has economic implications including the high cost of treatments, high morbidity, protracted convalescence with poor weight gain and extra labour costs.

Clinical signs • 8 to 14 days old • Acute onset watery yellow/green diarrhoea • Some calves deteriorate rapidly • Reluctance to stand and suck • Dull and increased salivation • Calf becomes dehydrated with sunken eyes and tight and inelastic skin • Recumbency • Death if not correctly treated.

Diagnosis Adverse spring weather can precipitate the disease due to overcrowding of livestock and the build up of infection in sheltered areas. Your veterinary surgeon may also consider differential diagnoses including Enterotoxigenic E.coli, which is the most common cause of scours in one to four-day-old calves. Alternatively he may consider salmonellosis, Cryptosporidiosis (zoonotic - transmissible to humans). Rotavirus and coronavirus can be identified on laboratory examination Treatment A diarrhoeic calf should be isolated in a dry, well-bedded pen and given one to two litres of oral electrolyte four to eight times daily. The fluid should offered by teat though oesophageal feeders can be used if necessary.

Intravenous fluids are essential in dehydrated calves that are unable to stand unaided and during recovery, alternate milk and electrolyte solution should be given every four hours. Oral antibiotics are generally not effective or necessary to treat viral infections.

Prevention and control Dam vaccination should be administered four to 12 weeks prior to calving to protect the calf against rotavirus and coronavirus. It takes 10 to 14 days for sufficient protective antibody levels to build up in the colostrum following vaccination which will give adequate passive antibody transfer. A 40kg calf requires four litres of colostrum within the first six to 12 hours after birth.

Other methods include environmental hygiene; dam nutrition and mastitis prevention Only 10-15 per cent of beef cows are vaccinated.

DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION SHOULD BE PART OF YOUR VETERINARY HEALTH PLAN – CONSULT YOUR VET