Permission to publish by Jeff Langemeier at Saskatoon Colostrum Company

Introduction

Neonatal calf diarrhea (calf scours) is a commonly reported disease in young animals, and the leading cause of productivity and economic loss to cattle producers worldwide. In the report of the 2007 National Animal Health Monitoring System, over half (56.5%) of the deaths among pre-weaned calves was attributed to diarrhea¹. Calf scours is not a single disease; it is a clinical sign associated with several diseases characterized by diarrhea. Multiple pathogens are known or postulated to cause or contribute to calf diarrhea development Including: viruses, bacteria and protozoa. Other factors including nutritional or environmental factors and management practices may influence disease severity or outcomes. However, the exact cause of the diarrhea may be less important than prompt, effective treatment. Regardless of the cause, diarrhea prevents the absorption of fluids from the intestines; also, body fluids pass from the scouring calf’s body into the intestines. The primary harm that scours causes to calves are dehydration, loss of electrolytes (body salts), and inflammation of intestinal lining which impairs the ability to digest nutrients. These things combined cause dehydration, weight loss, and low blood sugar, leading to death if not treated as soon as possible. In addition, dehydration is associated with loss of essential body chemicals (electrolytes), sodium and potassium, and the buildup of acid. The scouring calf becomes dehydrated and suffers from electrolyte loss and acidosis. Infectious agents cause the primary damage to the intestine, but death from scours usually results from dehydration, acidosis, and loss of electrolytes. Early detection, identification of the causal organism, and proper treatment or prevention are the mainstays for managing calf scours.

Causes of Calf Scours

The known causes of calf scours can be broken down into two main types, non-infectious and infectious.

Non-Infectious

Non-infectious causes are best defined as flaws in management which appear as nutritional shortcomings, inadequate environment, insufficient attention to the newborn calf, or a combination of these.²

Infectious

Infectious causes of calf scours may be grouped as follows:
Bacterial causes: Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Clostridium perfringens and other bacteria
Viral causes: Rotavirus, Coronavirus, BVD virus, IBR virus
Protozoan parasites: Cryptosporidium, Coccidia, Yeasts, and Molds

Some pathogens may be more predominant than others in a given area. It appears that cryptosporidum is more common than previously thought. Single infections are common, but mixed infections (e.g. E. coli + cryptosporidium or coronavirus + salmonella, etc.) are often reported.²

Prevention

Prevention of scours has been and continues to be the best course of action for managing this disease complex. Calf scours prevention is a year-round effort, not a set of activities centered only around the calving season. All facets of management are important. Particular attention should be paid to nutrition, environment, sanitation, and care of the newborn calf. Dam nutrition is vitally important during all stages of pregnancy. Calving should be done in a clean, sanitary environment. Furthermore, ingestion of an adequate amount of high-quality colostrum in the first two hours of life is vital. Calves are born with limited antibodies to fight disease challenge. Colostrum provides these antibodies for the calf’s immune system to function properly.  Furthermore, there are numerous molecules within colostrum which include and are not limited to carbohydrates/sugars, oligosaccharides, proteins, growth factors, enzymes, nucleotides, cytokines, fats, minerals and vitamins.³ Calves should be encouraged to get up and nurse shortly after birth. In situations where the calf is weak and unable to nurse or if the dam has poor colostrum quality then colostrum should be supplemented or replaced with dried bovine colostrum.  

Treatment

Traditional recommendations for the treatment of calf scours has been focused on treating the calf’s symptoms. These have included: antibiotics, probiotics, prebiotics, electrolytes and sugars. In some cases, IV fluids may be necessary to correct severe dehydration. While all these recommendations may have some validity in their use, they may not provide the full spectrum of treatment that is necessary. Additionally, antibiotic use will not have any effect on the most common causes of viral diarrhea and may in fact make the problem worse.

What if there was a better option? What if there was an all-inclusive treatment that had antibacterial properties, had prebiotics to support the gut health of the calf, was full of vitamins and minerals essential to immune health, contained a powerful energy source, could reduce the inflammation and help repair the calf’s digestive system?

Bovine colostrum may be the answer. Bovine colostrum contains over 200 bioactive compounds that may have activity in treating diarrhea. Colostrum contains a milieu of immunoglobulins that bind pathogens within the lumen of the GI tract and allow them to be passed out of the calf without being absorbed.⁴ It also contains proteins and colostral fat that have potent anti-bacterial properties. Bovine colostrum is packed with vitamins A, D, E and B and contains high levels of essential minerals. Colostral fat is a potent energy source as well that provides the calf with the energy it needs to fight disease. Furthermore, colostrum contains oligosaccharides and growth factors that help to rebuild the damaged gut and reduce inflammation.

Interestingly, with the multitude of immune factors and bioactives, bovine colostrum has unique efficacy supported in over 2000 research articles in humans, including efficacy to improve muscle development and recovery.⁴

The following is the recommended protocol for feeding dried bovine colostrum for the treatment of scours:

At the first sign of scours, begin feeding 100 grams of dried bovine colostrum per feeding. Continue for 5-7 days. If cryptosporidium infection is suspected, treatment may need to be extended to 10-14 days.

Sources

1 U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dairy 2007: Heifer Calf Health and Management Practices on U.S. Dairy Operations, 2007.
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahms/dairy/downloads/dairy07/Dairy07_ir_CalfHealth.pdf. Accessed June 3, 2020

2 White, G; “Calf Scours: Causes Prevention and Treatment” (2014) Texas A&M University https://animalscience.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2012/04/beef-calf-scours.pdf. Accessed June 3, 2020

3 McGrath, B.A., Fox, P.F., McSweeney, P.L.H. et al. Composition and properties of bovine colostrum: a review. Dairy Sci. & Technol. 96, 133–158 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13594-015-0258-x).[A1] 

4 Godhia ML, Patel N. Colostrum—its composition, benefits as a nutraceutical: a review. Curr Research Nutr Food Sci. 2013;1:37-47.

Recent Posts