IS YOUR COW SUFFERING FROM DIARRHEA?

Diarrhea in cows

Diarrhoea, or scours, occurs when intestinal fluids are not absorbed appropriately in the intestines. Usually these fluids are mostly reabsorbed and only a small amount is passed in the faeces. Anything that affects the intestines' ability to absorb fluid may result in diarrhoea.

· Diarrhea (purging, scours) can have many causes.

· Possible causes include bacterial and viral infections, certain chemicals, intestinal parasites, poor diet, or lush grass, poisonous plants and other toxins, food allergies and even stress.

· In diarrhea, the intestine fails to adequately absorb fluids, and/or secretion into the intestine is increased. Since the peristaltic movement is increased so there is poor absorption of fluid and volume of excreta increases. Loss of fluids through diarrhea 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 diarrhea is important in order to take effective preventive measures.

HOW TO KNOW YOUR ANIMAL IS SUFFERING FROM DIARRHEA?

Affected animals become listless, display uneasiness, and strain. 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. And in case of calf may over consume the milk

DIARRHEA IN CALVES (CALF SCOUR)

Diarrhoea is a multifactorial disease entity that can have serious financial and animal welfare implications in dairy herds. It has been estimated that major of early calf mortality in dairy herds is caused by acute diarrhoea in the pre-weaning period

Calf diarrhea is a commonly reported disease in young animals, and still a major cause of productivity and economic loss to cattle producers worldwide.

About 80% deaths due to diarrhoea occur in the first 6 months of calf life. Diarrhoea is an important cause of malnutrition. This is because calf with diarrhoea eat less and their ability to absorb nutrients is reduced; more over their nutrient requirements are increased as a result of infection

Diarrhoea is a common complaint in cattle and young ruminants (particularly in the first few months of life). Many of the pathogens and management practices that cause diarrhoea in calves also affect lambs and goats. Most herds are exposed to diarrhoea causing pathogens, and management practices will largely determine the health impact that those pathogens will have on the young stock. In "real life", most young ruminant diarrhoea is caused by more than one factor or pathologic agent. It is important to be able to correctly diagnose and appropriately treat diarrhea in livestock, and to be able to suggest management strategies that will prevent further outbreaks of disease. So great care must be taken when handling diarrheic animals, contaminated bedding, and fecal samples to avoid contaminating yourself and others.

There are many other diseases where diarrhea presents as a secondary issue. Some of these include:

a. liver disease

b. peritonitis (e.g. hardware disease)

c. heart failure

d. chemical or plant poisonings (e.g. lead or nitrate)

A vet can help diagnose the cause of diarrhea by collecting faces, blood or post-mortem samples for laboratory analysis.

BACTERIAL DIARRHEA

Decisions about the

treatment ofbacterial diarrhea should be made in consultation with your vet. Outbreaks of bacterial diarrhea require close management and a plan should also be discussed.

Treatment options may include antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and rehydration fluids, while management practices such as isolating unwell animals, waste management, pest control and nutrition can be considered more broadly.

BOVINE VIRAL DIARRHEA

Per acute diarrhea due BVD virus infection can occur in immunocompetent, non -persistently infected adult ruminants.
Morbidity rates of per acute BVD may reach up to 40% with mortality rates reported at 20%.
Clinical signs associated with per acute BVD include severe diarrhea, pyrexia, thrombocytopenia, hemorrhagic disease, agalactia, and death.
Reproductive disorders associated with per acute disease include decreased conception rates, abortion, stillbirth, congenital defects, and weak calves.

COCCIDIOSIS

Coccidial parasites of the genus Eimeria are important in ruminants. The life cycle of coccidia is direct, and infection occurs via ingestion of the infective oocysts.
Coccidiosis is commonly a disease of young, nonimmune ruminants.
Other risk factors for clinical coccidiosis other than young age include nutritional status of the animal, high stocking density, other concurrent diseases such as helminthiasis, and environmental or management stressors.
Coccidiosis is uncommon in adult sheep and cattle because of acquired immunity after infection13 but an important disease of adult goats.14
Additionally, outbreaks of coccidiosis have been reported in adult beef cattle.15
Clinical signs include in appetence and acute diarrhea, with foul-smelling faeces containing blood and mucus.
Pale mucous membranes might be present depending on the degree of blood loss in the faeces

PARASITIC DIARRHEA

Roundworms are the most common and economically important group of internal parasites in beef cattle. Impacts can include reduced appetite and grazing behavior, depressed weight gains, poor feed efficiency and diarrhea in calves and yearlings; and reduced milk production and reproductive inefficiency in cows.
Clinical signs of worm infested cattle include pale mucous membranes, bottle jaw, pot belly, diarrhea, not grazing, not chewing cud, rough and dry hair coat.

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