Treatment of the Scouring Calf – Vet Guide 2025 🐄💧

Welcome! I’m Dr Duncan Houston BVSc. In this detailed 2025 protocol, we focus on treating scours (diarrhea) in calves—specifically tackling the critical issue of dehydration and acidosis. Learn how to assess hydration, choose between oral or IV fluids, correct blood chemistry, and leverage Ask A Vet support for swift, effective treatment. Let’s protect your herd! 😊

1. Understanding Scours & Mortality Risk

During calving season, diarrhea—aka scours—is common and dangerous. While treating diarrhea is essential, the real threat is dehydration and metabolic acidosis. This combo leads to lethargy, loss of suckle reflex, and collapse—making rapid fluid therapy vital.

2. Hydration Assessment 🧠

Quick, accurate hydration checks can save lives. Use these methods:

• Skin tent test: pinch skin at shoulder; tent longer than 2 seconds indicates dehydration.
• Sunken eyes: recession into skull means moderate to severe dehydration.
• Compare to healthy calves in your herd to establish a baseline.

3. Recognizing Acidosis ⚠️

Dehydrated calves often become acidotic—dropping blood pH—and suffer increased weakness. USDA and veterinary standards define acid-base balance; correcting acidity is essential for muscle function, digestion, and recovery.

4. Mild Cases: Oral Fluid Therapy

If calves are standing, alert, and have a suckle reflex, consider oral rehydration with an esophageal feeder.

• Sodium: ~100 mmol/L — replaces losses and supports hydration.
• Chloride: ~60 mmol/L — maintains osmolality and electrolyte balance.
• Potassium: ~20 mmol/L — combats hypokalemia common with scours.
• Glucose: equal to sodium — supplies energy and enhances sodium uptake.
• Acetate/propionate: 50–100 mmol/L to correct metabolic acidosis.

These components help restore fluid volume, electrolytes, blood pH, and energy balance. Offer small feeds of milk replacer alongside.

5. Severe Cases: Intravenous Fluid Therapy 💉

If calves are down, non-responsive, or without a suckle reflex, IV therapy is essential:

• Veterinary evaluation: bloodwork-driven electrolyte and acid-base adjustments.
• IV fluids: isotonic or hypertonic crystalloid base—e.g. Lactated Ringer’s, isotonic NaCl.
• Alkalinizing agents: sodium bicarbonate added to correct acidosis.
• Electrolytes: tailored sodium, potassium, chloride per calf need.
• Immediate energy: early reintroduction of milk replacer to support recovery.

Under IV therapy, calves often regain function rapidly—within hours—but need close monitoring and follow-up support.

6. Rechecking and Monitoring 🕒

• Reassess hydration daily with skin tent and eye checks.
• Check milk/refusal and fecal quality.
• Monitor mental status and nursing behavior.
• Dogs weight gain and temperature to detect secondary infection.
• Record treatments, doses, and responses for herd health tracking.

7. Preventing Scours & Supporting Gut Health

1. Ensure strong colostrum intake within 2 hours of birth.
2. Maintain sanitation in calf housing and feeders.
3. Use quality milk replacers or cow milk with correct disinfection.
4. Vaccinate dams/ calves for E. coli, rotavirus/coronavirus if prevalent.
5. Introduce clean water and coarse starter shortly after birth—promotes rumen development.
6. Isolate scouring calves to prevent pathogen spread.

8. Role of Ask A Vet 📱

Ask A Vet supports you with:

• Real-time triage—helping assess calf hydration status remotely.
• Formulating oral rehydration recipes and trainer videos.
• Guidance on IV fluid additives—bicarbonate, electrolytes.
• Supporting colostrum management protocols and pathogen control.
• Follow-up tracking and treatment reminders through the App.

9. Herd Health & Record-Keeping 📊

• Track cases of scours—age, treatment, outcome.
• Record fluid volumes, IV additives, and recovery times.
• Note calves that required veterinary IV therapy.
• Log mortality rates and economic impact.
• Use data to refine colostrum, hygiene, nutrition protocols.

10. 2025 Key Take-Home Messages

• Scours kills via dehydration and acidosis, not just diarrhea.
• Assess hydration fast—skin tent and sunken eyes tell the story.
• Oral fluids work for mild cases, but know formulations.
• IV therapy saves severe cases—requires vet guidance and acid-base correction.
• Prevention matters: colostrum, hygiene, vaccination, and calf management.
• Ask A Vet makes treatment easier—remote support, calculators, and protocols.

Conclusion

Scours in calves can become life-threatening due to dehydration and acidosis—but with quick, targeted fluid therapy and expert support, survival rates climb dramatically. Use the approaches described here and Ask A Vet’s telehealth services to safeguard your calves—ensuring health, productivity, and minimal losses in 2025 and beyond. 🐮❤️