Every effort should be made to get an accurate diagnosis and specifically prescribed treatment. Herd problems usually begin as a problem in a single animal. Individual identification and detailed records may serve to avert chronic health problems and encourage culling heifers not desirable as replacements. Diarrhea is not a specific disease but the chief symptom produced by a variety of bacteria, viruses, protozoa, environmental stresses and feeding errors. Most occurrences of diarrhea are self-limiting, but may outlast the calf.
Dehydration is the most noticeable consequence.
Treatment should be aimed first at replacing lost fluids, second at restoring a normal acid-base balance, and third at furnishing nutrients to the body tissues. Horns and Extra Teats Growth of horn buds should be stopped before calves are 2 months old. The most popular method is with an electric dehorning iron. Healing usually occurs without an open wound. Hair should be clipped from over the horn button and petroleum jelly applied below the area to protect the calf's eyes.