My 6-month-old calf has scours but is eating fine. What's the cause?

Hello and thank you very much for your question. Cavs that are not on their mother until fall weaning age of 6 to 8 months are susceptible to infectious gastrointestinal and pulmonary diseases. The scours could be due to a variety of diseases like E. coli, infectious colitis, coccidiosis, other internal parasites, etc. Most likely the cough is due to an acute or chronic calf pneumonia. The coughing may or may not have anything to do with the scours and can be due to Pastorella, IBR, RSV, PI3, etc Both of these clinical symptoms and their associated diseases can cause your calf to become quite sick and in some cases die. I urge you to schedule an appointment with your local large animal veterinarian as soon as possible so that they can do a full physical examination. they also may want to do a fecal analysis to get a diagnosis for the scours also. Your veterinarian will most likely prescribe something anti-inflammatory to get the fever down enough to eat, A strong antibiotic like naxcel/excenel etc, and antiparasitic medication. Thanks for the question.

Your calf may have coccidiosis, which is pretty common in bottle-fed dairy calves, especially those who've not received adequate colostrum upon calving. I'd recommend at least taking a fecal sample in to your local vet for analysis and treatment, as the antibiotics you've had him on may not be effective. Pneumonia is definitely a concern in these calves as well.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Diarrhea can be observed with conditions such as colitis, gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, intestinal parasites, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They may choose to check for parasites and to start medications for diarrhea depending on the results. Good luck! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Diarrhea can be observed with conditions such as colitis, gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, intestinal parasites, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Daisy evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They may choose to check for parasites and to start medications for diarrhea depending on the results. Good luck! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

The new grass may have caused upset. Discontinue feeding it or restrict access to area where it grows in the pasture. Discontinue any grain temporarily and feed grass hay. Provide plenty of fresh water to treat or prevent dehydration. An electrolyte replacement beverage can also be considered. A veterinary probiotic may help to restore balance to bacterial populations in the gut. Submit a stool sample to your vet to diagnose intestinal parasites. Keep him separated from other goats in case he is infectious and clean his stall frequently. Wash your hands and boots well before and after tending to him. Monitor for lethargy, decreased or loss of appetite and persistent diarrhea. These are symptoms that should be addressed by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating ruminants.

This could be from parvovirus or intestinal parasites. Since he’s so small and young I recommend a veterinary exam and treatment. He could get dehydrated quickly and that can become life threatening. They will test him for parvovirus and check for intestinal parasite. They will probably give him fluids to prevent dehydration and medication to control the diarrhea. Usually if treated quickly they will recover. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Charlie.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would recommend adding in a probiotic such as Purina Fortiflora, which can be found online or at your local pet store quite easily. This may be a bacteria related problem. If she continues to refuse to eat, I would recommend having her blood tested to ensure there are no systemic changes that may indicate disease or infection. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!