Diarrhoea

in cattle

D. Luseba
2002 First print

2005 Second print

Printed and published by
Department of Agriculture
Obtainable from
Directorate: Agricultural Information Services
Private Bag X144
Pretoria
0001

This publication is available on the web: www.nda.agric.za/publications

Information provided by
Animal Health for Developing Farmers
ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute
Private Bag X05, Onderstepoort 0110
Tel. (012) 529 9158

For further information contact your animal health technician

or state veterinarian
or
Animal Health for Developing Farmers
ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute
Private Bag X05, Onderstepoort 0110
Tel. (012) 529 9158
or
Resource Centre, Department of Agriculture
Tel. (012) 3197141/7085
What is diar
diarrr hoea and what causes it?
Diarrhoea (purging, scours) can have many causes.
Possible causes include bacterial and viral infections, certain chemicals,
intestinal parasites, poor diet, overfeeding on milk or lush grass, poisonous
plants and other toxins, food allergies and even stress.
In diarrhoea, the intestine fails to adequately absorb fluids, and/or secretion
into the intestine is increased. Loss of fluids through diarrhoea produces
dehydration and the loss of certain body salts.
It causes a change in body tissue composition and severe depression in the
animal.
Death from scours is usually the result of dehydration and loss of body salts
rather than invasion of an infectious agent.
The correct determination of the cause of diarrhoea is important in order to
take effective preventive measures.

Some conditions are always accompanied

by marked diar
marked diarrr hoea
Poisoning by arsenic or plants such as tulp, chincherinchee,
slangkop and certain cereals contaminated with moulds.
Worm infection, e.g. conical fluke.
Infectious diseases, e.g. coccidiosis, salmonellosis,
colibacillosis, Johnes disease or paratuberculosis.

When is diar
diarrrhoea ver
veryy risk y?
risky?
Slangkop
Calf diarrhoea can cause a greater financial loss to
cow/calf producers than any other disease-related problem they encounter.
The age of the animal is very important. The younger the animal, the greater the
chance of death. Many diarrhoea cases can be directly related to a lack of
colostrum intake by the newborn calf.
A calf that consumes 750 ml to 1 l colostrum in the first few hours after
birth will absorb an adequate number of antibodies and therefore will be less
susceptible to infections that can cause diarrhoea.

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Diar
Diarrr hoea in calves

Viral diar
diarrr hoea
Rotavirus diarrhoea
Within 24 hours of birth, a germ called rotavirus
causes this type of diarrhoea.
Infected calves are severely depressed. There may be drooling of saliva and
watery diarrhoea.
The faeces will vary in colour from yellow to green.
Calves lose appetite and the death rate may be as high as 50 %.
There are no signs on dead animals; however, there is an increased volume of
fluid in both the small and large intestine.

Coronavirus diarrhoea
This occurs in calves that are over 5 days of age; the germ is called
coronavirus.
The animal is not as depressed as in rotavirus diarrhoea.
The initial signs may be the same as in rotavirus, but later on the faeces may
contain clear mucus that resembles the white of an egg.
Mortality is low (125 %).

Bovine virus diarrhoea (BVD)

Diarrhoea begins 2 to 3 days after exposure to the germ and may persist for a
long time.
Ulcers on the tongue, lips and in the mouth are the usual lesions found in the
live calf.
Bovine virus diarrhoea is controlled by vaccinating all replacement heifers 1 to
2 months before breeding.
Pregnant heifers should not be vaccinated. Consult your state veterinarian
before starting a BVD vaccination programme.

Bacterial diar
diarrr hoea
Colibacillosis (Eschericia coli)
Eschericia coli is a major cause of diarrhoea in young calves.
E. coli germs attack the intestinal mucous membrane and other mucous
membranes and produce toxins (poisons).
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 The toxins cause severe inflammation of the intestinal lining (enteritis) and can
lead to death within hours. A less severe form of the disease is usually
characterised by diarrhoea accompanied by progressive dehydration.
Colibacillosis lasts 2 to 4 days and its severity depends on the age of the calf.
E. coli inhabits the intestine and is excreted in the faeces. It can contaminate
kraals, stables, floors, paddocks and even water supplies.
Control of E. coli scours can be difficult in a severe herd outbreak. Early
detection (as well as isolation of affected animals) and treatment of scours
help to prevent new cases. Speak to your state veterinarian or animal health
technician for advice on the use of the available remedies, which are usually
mixtures of sulphas and antibiotics.
Animals may be vaccinated 6 weeks and 3 weeks before
calving. However, the calves must get colostrum in the first few hours of life
for the vaccine to be effective.
Guidelines for colibacillosis control consist of letting cows calve in an
uncontaminated environment, e.g. in the veld; ensuring that calves consume
enough colostrum and assisting weak calves; feeding or treating cows with a
vitamin A preparation during dry periods (winter); keeping calves in clean
pens and paddocks; feeding calves out of clean buckets; and the
vaccination of pregnant cows.

Salmonella
Salmonella germs produce a poison called an endotoxin.
Calves are usually affected at 6 days of age or older (the same as in
coronavirus diarrhoea).
Signs of salmonella scours include diarrhoea, presence of blood and fibrin
(yellow clots) in the faeces, depression and elevated temperature.
Salmonella germs multiply in the intestine and many reach the bloodstream,
causing blood infection and sudden death.

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 Finding a membrane-like cover in the intestine of a dead animal suggests
salmonellosis.
Tick-borne diseases and underfeeding of calves predispose them to
salmonella scours. Heavily infected animals may become severely depressed
following treatment with antibiotics because treatment causes the salmonella
organisms to release toxins.
Treatment should therefore be designed to combat the effects of endotoxins.
Consult your state veterinarian if possible. Animals that recover may become
sources of infection and therefore should preferably be destroyed.
Poor feeding, unhygienic conditions and other predisposing causes should be
guarded against. Vaccines are available and details on their use may be
obtained from the state veterinarian or animal health technician.

Enterotoxaemia (pulpy kidney)

The disease usually starts quite suddenly. Affected animals become listless,
display uneasiness, and strain or kick at their abdomen. Bloody diarrhoea may
or may not occur.
It is usually associated with change in the weather, a change in the feed of the
cows, or management practices that cause the calf to nurse for a longer
period of time than usual. The hungry calf may overconsume milk which
establishes an environment in the gut that is conducive to the growth and
production of toxins by germs.
In dead animals the gut may be red in colour or have bloody, purplish areas.
The disease can be controlled by vaccinating cows with an appropriate
vaccine (Clostridium perfringens toxoid) 60 and 30 days before calving.

Other causes of calf diar

diarrr hoea
Coccidiosis
Coccidiosis occurs in calves of 3 weeks of age and older, usually
following stress, poor sanitation, overcrowding or sudden changes of feed.
A typical sign of coccidiosis in young calves is diarrhoea with faeces
smeared over the rump as far around as the tail will reach. The
symptoms are diarrhoea, with slimy and bloody faeces, emaciation,
weakening and anaemia. The affected calves strain excessively when
they defecate.
Speak to your veterinarian or animal health technician for treatment of the
disease with appropriate remedies such as sulphonamides and Amprolium.
Good feeding practices, management and sanitation are possible control
options.

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Nutritional diarrhoea
Nutritional scours are caused by anything that disrupts the normal
nursing pattern, for example storms, strong wind or the mothers
temporary absence. When the hungry calf gets the opportunity to
nurse, the cows udder may contain more milk than normal and the calf
may take in excessive quantities, resulting in nutritional scours.
It is usually white scours caused by undigested milk passing through the
intestinal tract.
It usually presents little problems. Milking the cow to limit the milk intake
by the calf usually clears up the problem. Oral antibiotics may be used
if the calf becomes depressed.

Treatment of calf scours

Treatment of the forms of diarrhoea is very similar regardless of the cause.
Specific treatment is often not possible and symptomatic treatment of the
diarrhoea itself should be applied.
It should be directed towards correcting the loss of fluids (dehydration),
acidosis (acidity) and loss of salts.
Calves may be given milk diluted with an equal quantity of clean water.
Antibiotic and or sulpha treatment can be given simultaneously with the
treatment for dehydration.
There are salt powders (also called electrolyte powders) available that can be
mixed with water for oral administration.
If these powders are not available, oral preparations can be made on the
farm. Speak to your state veterinarian or animal health technician.
For example, you can combine 1 tablespoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt
and 250 cc of 50 % dextrose (or light Karoo syrup), and add enough water
to total 5 l. You can also combine 2 dessert spoons of salt, 2 dessert
spoons of baking soda, 8 dessert spoons of glucose and add water to total
2 l.

Diar
Diarrr hoea in adult cattle

Johnes disease or paratuberculosis

Johnes disease is an incurable wasting disease of adult cattle.

5
 It is of greater concern in dairy herds than in beef operations. This difference
reflects variations in management practicesespecially close confinement in
dairy operations, which promotes easier transmission of the organism.
The germ causes an infectious inflammation of the intestines with severe
weight loss and diarrhoea.
It is economically important because some animals may become so
emaciated that they are unfit for slaughter.
Milk production is reduced.
Johnes disease should be suspected when, despite persistent diarrhoea,
animals continue to eat well and look bright. The manure of typical cases is not
mixed with blood or mucus.
An adult cow with persistent diarrhoea, lasting for months, that is not
responding to treatment, is likely to have Johnes disease.

Other causes of diarrhoea

Salmonellosis (unusually a wasting disease in adults).
Bovine virus diarrhoea.
Winter dysentery, which affects several adult cattle in a herd simultaneously. It
is characterised by a dramatic decrease in milk production and loss of body
condition.
Intestinal parasites rarely produce severe diarrhoea in adults, but it is possible.
Poisonous plants and other chemical poisonings (e.g. arsenic) usually cause
sudden diarrhoea.

Treatment
A veterinarian or animal health technician should be consulted if possible on
the best course of treatmentespecially when diarrhoea is severe or
persistent.
Try to determine the cause and then apply appropriate treatment.
Always administer clean water or barley water at intervals of 2 to 3 hours to
compensate for the loss of body fluids.
Dosing activated charcoal with water may be of benefit in cases of poisoning.
Limewater, tannic acid or commercial diarrhoea remedies could be used to
treat diarrhoea if the animal is in danger of dehydrating. If the diarrhoea is not
severe and the animal is not dehydrating it is better not to stop the diarrhoea.
Sulphas and antibiotics should only be used on the recommendation of a
veterinarian or animal health technician.