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Respiratory disease calves

Respiratory disease or also called lung problems in calves are caused by a complex of factors, also known as calf flu. Both external factors (stable climate) as micro-organisms (viruses and bacteria) play a role in this.

Definition

Cause

For the catch on and the spread of respiratory diseases are multiple factors of influence:

Stable climate (temperature, humidity, air velocity and ammonia)
Defence of the calves (inherited protection from the colostrum, stress, non-optimal nutrition)
Infection pressure of viruses and bacteria

The main causes that, alone or in combination, may play a role, include: Viruses:

Adeno viruses
Reo viruses
Toro viruses
Corona viruses
Para Influenza viruses
Bovine Respiratory Syncytial virus (BRS) = see respiratory disease due to influenza by calves
Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) = see respiratory disease due to IBR
Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) = see respiratory disease due to BVD

Viruses are in fact the primary causes that open the way for bacteria.
Bacteria:

Mannheimia haemolytic; (MHA) and Pasteurella Multocida (PMU) = see respiratory disease due to pasteurellosis
Actinomyces pyogenes
Haemophilus somnus
Salmonella dublin = see diarrhoea due to Salmonella dublin

Mycoplasma:

Mycoplasma bovis
Mycoplasma myocytes
Mycoplasma bovirhinis
Mycoplasma dispar

Description

The causes of respiratory disease in calves can either directly (from animals to animal) or indirectly (e.g. through the air, hands and clothes) be transferred. The disease is usually detected as the, by the colostrum obtained, defence decreases, at an age between 4 and 8 weeks. A large part of the couple can be affected in a short period of time. The symptoms can be mild to very severe. The following symptoms can be observed in the couple:

Decreased appetite and slow drinking
The couple is silent and calves continue to lie down too long.

Individual animals:

decreased appetite (the calf does drink usually, but firstly does not eat it’s roughage)
fever up to 40 – 41 C (sweating)
nasal discharge
crooked head
dangling ear
mucus from mouth and nose holes
shed tears
accelerated breathing and cough
in severe cases heavy pumping breath with fluttering of the belly
mortality

Disease progression in the couple often takes more than a week. Cough, as a complaint, can often last longer. At a number of affected calves, occurs lasting lung damage. These, often very stuffy, calves don't grow more because a lasting damage to the lung tissue.

Treatment

In particular, the number of sick calves and the pace with which the disease goes through the company determines the commitment of a couple cure with antibiotics to treat the infection with pathogenic bacteria (usually Pasteurella spp) and Mycoplasma. Of great importance is the adjustment of the ration and optimization of the stable climate.
In order to limit economic losses due to failure, extra monitoring is necessary to individual intervene quickly if necessary. This means that the calves need to be assessed several times a day. One can also assess the climate in the stable and if necessary adjust that. Individual patients with severe respiratory problems should be treated long enough. To relieve additional signs the immediately apply of a pain reliever/fever inhibitor or at a later stage, in chronic cases, a one-time injection of anti-inflammatories is strongly recommended. At "stuck cough" can mucolytic methods (bromhexine 2.5% for 3 days in the milk, bisolvon injection) provide relief. Antibiotics that can be used should be agreed with your veterinarian. For a good result and the prevention of resistance, it is important to finish the injection cure; for most products it means: 3 to 5 days.