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. 2009 May 15:200–294. doi: 10.1016/B978-141603137-6.50009-0

TABLE 6-4.

Diagnostic Plan for Workup of Herd Neonatal Diarrhea Problems (<14 Days of Age)

Management Patient
  • I.
    Assess success of passive transfer on at least two or three consecutive affected calves
    • A.
      T. P. and/or GGT
    • B.
      Specific immunoglobulin level on serum from affected calves
  • II.
    Discuss management of dry cow
    • A.
      Vaccines
    • B.
      Housing
    • C.
      Calving area (cleaned and so forth)
    • D.
      Colostrum and how fed
    • E.
      Are affected calves from primiparous or multiparous dams or both?
  • III.

    Statistics on morbidity/mortality in calves

  • IV.

    What are calves fed after initial colostrum?
  • I.
    Feces collected immediately after onset of diarrhea to diagnostic lab on at least two or three consecutive affected calves
    • A.
      Bacterial
    • —E. coli (type and sensitivity) Salmonella (type and sensitivity)
    • —Clostridium perfringens (relative numbers + is toxin present?)
    • B.
      Viral—EM, ELISA
    • —Isolation possibly
    • —Rule out BVDV by buffy coat isolation from blood
    • C.
      Parasitic—Cryptosporidium
    • —Coccidia
    • —Giardia
  • II.

    Serum and whole blood

  • III.

    Acid/base and electrolytes

  • IV.

    Hydration status

  • V.

    Body condition
Generalities
l. If FPT, ignore E. coli unless same organism confirmed also on non-FPT calves.
2. Whenever possible, more than one calf should be sampled before blaming the whole herd problem on a single isolate.
3. Only fresh cases are worth sampling.
4. If patient older than 2 weeks, consider poor replacer rather than infectious diseases.