Each ranch seems to have its own set of problems. And some years are worse for infection than others, depending on weather and levels of calf stress and scour contamination. Some problems can kill a calf even before it has a chance to scour. Each rancher must learn how to deal with problems unique to that ranch and must become a good judge of calfhood illness to prevent losing calves. Management to reduce contamination can help prevent cases of scours, and learning how to diagnose causes of scours and how to properly treat them can reduce risk of loss.
Age is critical Many types of scours are most deadly in very young calves.
Young calves dehydrate more readily and more rapidly than older calves, and their gut linings are slower to heal. By the time a calf is 17 days old, its gut lining is more able to regenerate itself after a bout of damaging diarrhea, and it takes less time to heal, says Terrebonne, Ore., veterinarian Heidi Smith. Also, by the time a calf is that old, it's more able to handle several types of scours that can be deadly to a very young calf. It may still need doctoring, but it should be better able to fight off infection without as much gut damage or risk of serious dehydration. If pastures are contaminated, many calves will start to scour at about 3 weeks of age.