Page 3 - CalfCare - Management of the Scouring Calf
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How should you treat a calf with scour?
1 Remove 2 Rehydrate 3 Feed Milk
1 Separate the scouring calf!
Remove the calf from the group – this helps prevent spread of infection and gives the calf a better chance to
recover. Scouring suckler calves and their dams should be separated from other calves and their mothers.
2 Give Oral Rehydration Solutions!
The single most important treatment is to replace the salts and fluids that are lost with scour. Healthy calves
need up to 4 litres of fluid a day and scouring calves need an additional 4 litres to replace lost fluids.
Give one or two extra feeds (2 litres each) of a good quality oral rehydration solution (see Veterinary Technical
Note) as soon as the calf starts scouring and while it is scouring. These should be given independent of
the milk feeds (for example, at lunchtime and, if the diarrhoea is severe, again late in the evening).
You can safely give these solutions by stomach tube if the calf refuses or is unable to drink.
3 Continue To Feed Milk!
Continuing to feed with milk or good quality milk replacer does not cause,
worsen or prolong scour. The milk actually helps the healing of the intestine.
Continue to offer scouring calves normal amounts of milk or milk replacer
as long as they want to drink. Do not feed diluted milk to calves. Leave
suckler calves with their dams.
Milk or milk replacer should not be stomach-tubed. Milk given repeatedly
by stomach tube will lead to the build-up of acids in the rumen and damage
the ruminal wall. Therefore, it is not recommended as a method for feeding
of milk to calves that are not drinking due to ill health. Stomach tubing can,
however, be used for feeding of electrolyte fluids quite safely.
If calves are fed normally they can grow like healthy
calves despite having had scour!
If milk is withdrawn, calves quickly lose body
condition/weight, become stunted, and may die
from starvation.
When should you call your local vet?
If calf scour is a problem in your herd, your vet can investigate what infectious agents
are involved and give you advice on the best measures of prevention and treatment.
A calf with scour should be seen by your local vet if:
• It refuses to drink several feeds in one day.
• It is down or very weak.
• Its eyes are sunken from dehydration.
• Its temperature is above or below the normal range (38.5ºC - 39.5ºC).
How should you treat a calf with scour?
1 Remove 2 Rehydrate 3 Feed Milk
1 Separate the scouring calf!
Remove the calf from the group – this helps prevent spread of infection and gives the calf a better chance to
recover. Scouring suckler calves and their dams should be separated from other calves and their mothers.
2 Give Oral Rehydration Solutions!
The single most important treatment is to replace the salts and fluids that are lost with scour. Healthy calves
need up to 4 litres of fluid a day and scouring calves need an additional 4 litres to replace lost fluids.
Give one or two extra feeds (2 litres each) of a good quality oral rehydration solution (see Veterinary Technical
Note) as soon as the calf starts scouring and while it is scouring. These should be given independent of
the milk feeds (for example, at lunchtime and, if the diarrhoea is severe, again late in the evening).
You can safely give these solutions by stomach tube if the calf refuses or is unable to drink.
3 Continue To Feed Milk!
Continuing to feed with milk or good quality milk replacer does not cause,
worsen or prolong scour. The milk actually helps the healing of the intestine.
Continue to offer scouring calves normal amounts of milk or milk replacer
as long as they want to drink. Do not feed diluted milk to calves. Leave
suckler calves with their dams.
Milk or milk replacer should not be stomach-tubed. Milk given repeatedly
by stomach tube will lead to the build-up of acids in the rumen and damage
the ruminal wall. Therefore, it is not recommended as a method for feeding
of milk to calves that are not drinking due to ill health. Stomach tubing can,
however, be used for feeding of electrolyte fluids quite safely.
If calves are fed normally they can grow like healthy
calves despite having had scour!
If milk is withdrawn, calves quickly lose body
condition/weight, become stunted, and may die
from starvation.
When should you call your local vet?
If calf scour is a problem in your herd, your vet can investigate what infectious agents
are involved and give you advice on the best measures of prevention and treatment.
A calf with scour should be seen by your local vet if:
• It refuses to drink several feeds in one day.
• It is down or very weak.
• Its eyes are sunken from dehydration.
• Its temperature is above or below the normal range (38.5ºC - 39.5ºC).
