Every year sometime in February I have several producers ask what the new wonder-drug or treatment will be for calf scours in the upcoming calving season.
I always try to take time and explain the best treatment is good preventative measures but that discussion often occurs after the first cases of diarrhea have been spotted. A recent discussion with the head bacteriologist at a university diagnostic lab revealed that current strains of e.coli (the most commonly cultured bacteria in cases of scours of baby calves less than 2 weeks of age) are resistant to all strains of antibiotics tested on a susceptibility panel.
In other words, we now have bacteria that are resistant to the antibiotics we have to rely on in an outbreak of calf diarrhea. For this reason we need to work harder at measures that prevent scours instead of calling the fire department after the barn has already caught fire.
Common causes of neonatal diarrhea can be divided into bacterial, viral, and parasitic cases. Bacteria can be treated with antibiotics but as stated earlier many strains have become resistant to these antibiotics. Viral causes of scours DO NOT respond to antibiotics and must be treated with supportive care much like influenza in people.
Parasitic causes include coccidia that are treatable but often times the severe intestinal mucosa damage has often occurred by the time the bloody stool is observed.
Another parasitic disease we are beginning to see more often is cryptosporidium and to date has no definitive treatment. This organism is most commonly observed in heavy confinement birthing areas involving immuno-compromised calves (poor colostrum intake/absorption) or heavily contaminated pastures with concurrent bacterial/viral infections. Most samples I send in have results showing multiple bacterial and or viral components leading to even more complicated cases to treat.
As bleak and depressing as all this sounds, there are things producers can do to try and prevent neonatal diarrhea.
The number one preventative measure is to provide the cleanest environment with the least pathogen exposure possible. The best example is called the Sand Hills calving system, which has had several articles covering it. In a nutshell this approach moves cows that have not yet calved to a fresh clean paddock every two to four weeks to avoid areas of heavy feces contamination.
Number two preventative is making sure that each calf receives an adequate amount and quality of colostrum. Many things can be done to supplement distressed calves and it would take a whole different article covering supplements, replacements, and methods of vaccination to stimulate colostral antibodies.
The best advice I can give producers to prevent beef calf neonatal diarrhea is ask for advice from your local veterinarian, area extension specialists, and even fellow producers who seem to have a good plan in place.
If you are unfortunate enough to have a severe scours outbreak, please contact your veterinarian early in its course so a plan to combat the causative agents can be implemented to lessen the diseases severity.
