7 Main Causes of Diarrhea in Cows and Its Treatment

Diarrhea in a cow is a pathological condition, accompanied by increased frequency and looseness of stool and developing against the background of the consumption of poor-quality feed, poisoning, viral and infectious diseases.

The disease is fraught with dehydration and requires immediate treatment.

What is dangerous?

The occurrence of diarrhea in cattle should be a cause for concern due to the consequences:

1. Rapid dehydration of the body occurs, which leads to failure of all organs.
2. With frequent urges, the intestinal walls are constantly under tension, and this causes bleeding; if treatment is not started, a fatal outcome is possible.

Causes

Disorders in the digestive system of cattle and, as a consequence, diarrhea, can occur due to:

1. Improper nutrition – lack or absence of roughage allows for the development of putrefactive bacteria and the death of beneficial microflora in the intestines, dysbacteriosis develops. For stable functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, bran (rye or wheat) should be added to the feed.
2. Infection of the body with worms.
3. Poisoning from ingesting toxic plants and substances used to disinfect the barn, from inhaling toxic fumes, or during the treatment of wool against parasites.
4. Poor feed with a small amount of microelements forces animals to look for them on their own, which leads not only to diarrhea, but also to mechanical damage to the digestive tract and even death.
5. Infection with various viral or fungal infections.
6. Anomalies in the development of internal organs.
7. Allergies to food and care products.
8. After calving, bloody stools occur.

Poisoning

Poisoning in cows is a consequence of eating:

• poisonous grass or acorns;
• inedible mushrooms;
• green potatoes;
• large amounts of salt;
• moldy food.

In addition to diarrhea, animals may experience:

• bloating;
• vomiting;
• oppression;
• unsteady gait;
• increased breathing and heart rate;
• increased salivation;
• constriction or dilation of the pupils;
• redness and ulceration of the oral cavity;
• cyanosis of the skin.

Food allergy

Food allergy is a disease that is widespread among young animals and is characterized by hypersensitivity to certain products, manifested by damage to the gastrointestinal tract, skin, and blood vessels.

The main reasons for the development of pathology are:

• predominance in the diet of glycoproteins and proteins that are not suitable for feeding young animals;
• the presence of drugs and chemicals in feed that are unusual for the animal’s body;
• high contamination of feed with microorganisms or the presence of fungi in it.

And the predisposing factors are:

• insufficient barrier and enzymatic function of the gastrointestinal tract;
• abuse of antibacterial drugs, causing digestive disorders and changes in the composition of intestinal microflora.

In addition to diarrhea, a cow may experience:

• stomach ache;
• nausea and vomiting;
• constipation.

Dysbacteriosis

Dysbacteriosis is one of the main causes of diarrhea in cows. The pathology develops against the background of a lack of fiber (for example, when switching from conventional feed to green) and is accompanied by a decrease in the proportion of beneficial microflora in the intestine, which, in turn, leads to stool disorders.

Micronutrient deficiencies

Copper and zinc deficiencies can also cause diarrhea in cows.

In the first case, in addition to diarrhea, the following is observed:

• deterioration of appetite;
• growth retardation;
• depigmentation of the coat;
• weakening of the skeleton;
• decreased joint mobility;
• anemia.

In the second:

• decreased appetite;
• teeth grinding;
• parakeratosis;
• vomiting;
• reproductive disorders.

Worm infestations

Like any other cattle, cows are susceptible to worm infestations.

Their bodies may contain:

• nematodes;
• whipworms;
• onchocerca;
• trematodes;
• cestodes;
• echinococci;
• moniezii.

In addition to diarrhea, sick animals may experience:

• weight loss;
• growth retardation;
• dermatitis;
• hair loss;
• hoof damage;
• cough;
• apathy;
• perversion of appetite;
• edema.

Coronavirus infection

Coronavirus infection is a viral disease that develops in calves and is accompanied by damage to the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory organs. Infection occurs through household items, food and air.

The incubation period for calves under two months of age lasts 18-24 hours, for young animals – 36-48 hours.

In addition to diarrhea with blood, mucus and inclusions of curdled milk, animals experience:

• apathy;
• change in stool color to gray-yellow;
• refusal to feed;
• slight decrease in body temperature;
• ulcerations of the oral mucosa and foamy discharge from the mouth (in some cases);
• nasal discharge, shortness of breath, dry cough.

In the case of a malignant course of the disease, animals fall into a coma and die. In the case of a benign course, they recover in one or two weeks, but do not regain their body weight.

For your information. Calves up to eight weeks of age that have maternal antibodies do not get coronavirus.

Colibacillosis

Bovine colibacillosis is an infectious disease that affects calves aged one to seven days and develops against the background of infection with E. coli.

The disease is transmitted to babies from adults (cows that have recovered from the disease can be carriers). The incubation period ranges from one hour to three days.

In addition to liquefied feces with mucus and blood, animals experience:

• dehydration;
• sunken sides and eyelids;
• difficulty moving;
• increased heart rate and breathing (in the septic form);
• increased body temperature;
• oppression.

Rotavirus infection

Rotavirus infection is an acute, contagious viral disease that develops in newborn calves and is accompanied by damage to the gastrointestinal tract.

The disease is transmitted by food, and its incubation period ranges from twelve to twenty-four hours (in some cases it increases to two to three days).

The pathology occurs in mild, moderate and severe forms and begins with the appearance of straw-yellow, watery feces with a sour smell. Sick animals are depressed and refuse to eat.

As the disease progresses, the feces become dirty yellow, with blood and mucus impurities appearing in them. The calves become dehydrated, their eyes become sunken, they begin to secrete profuse, sticky saliva, and their heart rate increases.

On the fourth or fifth day, the animals either fall into a coma and die, or gradually recover.

First signs

In order not to be late with treatment, it is necessary to pay attention to the earliest signs that indicate problems with the animal and they will be as follows:

1. The amount of stool increased from 5 to 10 times.
2. The stool became a different color, the smell and consistency changed (watery, with foam, mucus and bloody diarrhea).
3. The desire to eat has disappeared.
4. The animal becomes depressed and loses strength.

With frequent loose stools, there is a large loss of fluid from the body, which causes the following to occur:

1. The mucous membranes become dry.
2. Eyes are sunken.
3. The animal stops urinating.
4. The blood thickens and the heart works slowly.

What to do? Treatment at home

When the first signs appear, you need to contact a veterinarian who will make the correct diagnosis and prescribe treatment. The animal must be separated from the herd, kept clean and warm.

Keep the cow on a starvation diet for a few days to rest the intestines and to avoid dehydration, it is recommended to give the animal boiled water with salt every 30 minutes or 1 hour, while it should drink 4-5 liters of liquid. Food is introduced gradually.

Important! Loss of more than 15% of fluid results in death of the animal.

Veterinary medicines

Treatment is carried out according to strict doctor’s recommendations if the cause is infectious or poisoning has occurred.

The doctor may prescribe:

1. Antiparasitic drugs – “Dicroceliosis” or “Metronidazole”.
2. Broad-spectrum antibiotics for bacterial forms, such as “Furazolidone”, “Biomycin” or “Tetracycline”.
3. Sorbents for removing toxins – activated carbon or “Polysorb”.
4. To restore the water-salt balance, rehydrates are prescribed – “Regidron”.
5. Probiotics for restoring intestinal flora – “Biomastim” and “Emprobio”.
6. Enzymes for the digestive tract – “Oltek” or “Finzim”.
7. In case of poisoning, the stomach is washed with a solution of burnt magnesia or “Polyphepan”
8. If diarrhea is caused by allergies, use “Smektu” or “Suprastin”.

Folk remedies

If for some reason it is not possible to contact a veterinarian, you need to know how to cure diarrhea in a cow or a bull by resorting to folk remedies that have long been used to combat this scourge:

1. Rice broth – 3 glasses (prepared as for people) every hour.
2. Burnt black bread – grind into crumbs and dilute in water, give to the animal to drink.
3. Rose hip decoction – a glass of berries is boiled in a liter of water for 10 minutes and the cow is given 2 liters to drink every 0,5 hours.
4. When switching abruptly to free grazing, in the morning, before leaving the stall, for 15 days, it is necessary to give 2 kg of hay or dried grass, moistened with saline solution.

Treatment of diarrhea in calves

Diarrhea is more common in calves than in adults. In addition, it is most dangerous for them, since young cattle have not yet strengthened their bodies.

In case of dehydration, calves die on the second day: first, activity decreases, then the cattle bend their legs and cannot stand up.

What to give a calf for diarrhea:

1. Onion tincture. Take 200 grams of finely chopped onion peel and 9 grams of table salt. Then add 1 liter of water brought to a boil. Shake the liquid well for 2-3 minutes to dissolve the salt. Then pour 100 ml of purified sunflower oil into the bottle. Using a sieve, clean the solution from the peel and give 3 ml per kilogram of the animal’s weight at least 5 times a day every hour.
2. A decoction of oatmeal. Take water and oats in a ratio of 1 to 10, then boil on low heat for 5-6 hours. The solution is given in unlimited quantities.
3. A mixture of black tea and eggs. Add three egg whites and 1 tablespoon of table salt to the tea leaves, then beat thoroughly. Give 10 ml per kilogram of weight to drink.

Preventive measures

To avoid such a problem as diarrhea in cattle, which every second animal owner faces, it is necessary to take preventive measures.

The main ones are:

1. Compliance with sanitary standards for keeping cows – clean stalls and feeders.
2. Clean drinking bowl and fresh water every day.
3. High quality feed.
4. Timely and regular treatment with antihelminthic drugs.
5. Compliance with the required vaccination schedule.
6. Isolation of a sick animal to prevent the spread of the disease in the herd.

Conclusion

Diarrhea in cattle, especially young animals, is a dangerous phenomenon that, if ignored, can lead to the death of the animal. Therefore, monitoring the cows and taking preventive measures will help stop this problem.