What causes diarrhea in cattle? What should be done about calf diarrhea?

Diarrhea is a common and frequently occurring disease in cattle. So what exactly causes diarrhea in cattle? According to analysis, there are many causes of diarrhea in cattle, and the clinical symptoms also vary. So, what should be done about diarrhea in cattle? In fact, in cattle production, farms (households) must effectively prevent the occurrence of diarrhea in cattle by adopting corresponding prevention and control measures according to the different types of diarrhea and disease symptoms in cattle, so as to achieve good prevention and treatment results. The common clinical types of diarrhea in cattle and their prevention and treatment methods are described below:

1. Mycotic diarrhea in cattle

Cause: Diarrhea caused by mycotic gastroenteritis in cattle after they consume moldy and spoiled forage.

Symptoms: Affected cattle generally show listlessness, reduced appetite, reduced rumination, and persistent diarrhea, with the loose stool having a foul odor and often containing foam, mucus, and blood, but the body temperature of the affected cattle does not rise, and treatment with antibiotics generally has no effect.

Prevention and treatment methods: The cattle's forage should be replaced in a timely manner, and moldy and spoiled forage must strictly not be used to feed cattle;

For cattle that have already developed mycotic diarrhea, 2500 ml to 4000 ml of 0.9% saline solution can be given orally, 2 to 3 times daily, while fresh green and succulent forage should be supplied to the cattle;

For severely affected cattle, intravenous injection of 1000 ml to 3000 ml of 5% glucose and sodium chloride injection and 2 g to 4 g of vitamin C should be combined, and it can generally be cured in 2 to 3 days.

2. Rumen acidosis diarrhea in cattle

Cause: It is mostly diarrhea caused by rumen acidosis in cattle due to feeding overly acidic silage, distillers' grains, or a one-time excessive intake of concentrate, among other reasons.

Symptoms: Affected cattle generally show depression, pale red conjunctiva, reduced or even completely lost appetite, dull gaze, staggering gait, and kicking at the abdomen with the hind limbs; in severe cases, the animal lies down and cannot stand, grinds its teeth and groans, has muscle tremors, and shows a state of coma and collapse.

At the beginning of the disease, the affected cattle pass gray loose feces, which then turn into green frothy watery diarrhea; if not treated in time, it will ultimately lead to bloody stool and death in cattle.

Prevention and treatment methods: The forage fed to cattle should be as fresh and varied as possible; silage, distillers' grains, and other feed stored for too long should not be fed in excessive amounts at one time; supplemental concentrate feeding to cattle should be done gradually, and it is essential not to supplement too much at one time, so as to guard against the occurrence of rumen acidosis diarrhea in cattle.

For cattle that have already developed rumen acidosis diarrhea, 50 g to 100 g of lime can be taken, added to 1000 ml to 1500 ml of water, fully stirred and left to settle for 5 to 10 minutes, after which the supernatant is taken and given orally to the affected cattle at one time, 3 times daily for 2 to 3 consecutive days; for severely affected cattle, intravenous injection of 200 ml to 500 ml of 10% calcium gluconate injection should be combined.

3. Diarrhea in cattle due to unclean forage

Cause: It is diarrhea caused by bacterial gastroenteritis in cattle due to consuming unclean forage and drinking unclean water.

Symptoms: Affected cattle generally show depression, elevated body temperature, reduced or even completely lost appetite and rumination, and persistent diarrhea. At the beginning of the disease, the affected cattle defecate in a jet-like manner, and later defecation becomes weak, with the loose feces containing foam, mucus, and blood.

Prevention and treatment methods: The forage and drinking water fed to cattle should be kept clean, and it is essential to avoid inducing unclean-type diarrhea in cattle due to unclean forage and drinking water.

For cattle that have already developed unclean-type diarrhea, 60 g of garlic can be mashed and mixed with an appropriate amount of water and given orally to the cattle, 3 times daily;

For severely affected cattle, chloramphenicol should be injected intramuscularly at 5 mg to 10 mg per kg of body weight, combined with oral sulfadiazine (initial dose 0.2 g per kg of body weight, maintenance dose 0.1 g), twice daily.

4. Diarrhea in cattle due to overgrazing on young grass

Cause: It is mostly diarrhea caused by gastrointestinal dysfunction in cattle due to a one-time excessive intake of newly sprouted tender grass or green feed during the first few days of grazing after the beginning of spring.

Symptoms: Affected cattle generally show good spirit and appetite, and normal body temperature, with only diarrhea occurring, and the feces are thin and green.

Prevention and treatment methods: In the first few days of grazing cattle after the beginning of spring, farms (households) should first feed the cattle roughage (for roughage, it is best to choose silage corn, ammoniated rice straw, peanut vines, sweet potato vines, etc.), and only turn them out to graze after feeding them to half fullness.

After a transition period of 15 to 20 days, once the gastrointestinal function of the cattle has gradually adapted to digesting green grass, they can be shifted to normal all-day grazing, strictly preventing diarrhea caused by overgrazing on young grass.

For mildly affected cattle, it is only necessary to strengthen conditioning, feed the cattle an appropriate amount of hay or rice straw, and control the intake of tender green grass and green feed, and the diarrhea in the cattle can recover;

For cattle with more severe diarrhea, 50 g to 75 g of ginger can be taken, mashed and stir-fried until cooked, then mixed with 50 ml to 100 ml of white liquor and given orally to the cattle at one time, 3 times daily, and it can be cured after 2 to 3 consecutive days.

5. Diarrhea in farm cattle due to overwork injury

Cause: It is often caused by chronic digestive tract disease in farm cattle, combined with poor feeding and management leading to a weak constitution, and farmers continuously increasing the load-bearing time of the cattle because of urgent farm work, resulting in injury to the tendons, bones, and internal organs of the farm cattle and thus overwork-injury diarrhea.

Symptoms: Affected cattle generally show mental fatigue and weakness, lying down all day, reduced or completely lost appetite, and long-term persistent diarrhea with foam, mucus, and blood in the loose feces, but the body temperature of the affected cattle generally does not rise.

Prevention and treatment methods: On the premise of promptly treating chronic digestive tract disease in farm cattle, strengthening feeding and conditioning of the cattle, and reducing the draft and load of the farm cattle, 50 g to 75 g of sappanwood can be taken, decocted in water, and after it cools to lukewarm, 50 g to 75 g of chopped fresh cycad leaves can be added and given orally to the cattle at one time, 3 times daily, and it can be cured after 3 to 5 consecutive days;

For cattle with more severe diarrhea, intravenous injection of 1000 ml to 3000 ml of 5% glucose and sodium chloride injection and 2 g to 4 g of vitamin C should be combined, and it can generally be cured in 5 to 7 days.