Determining The Degree Of Dehydration
Calf unable to walk 24 hours after supplementing with Biocalf Plus
Determining The Degree of Dehydration
Things to be aware of
· Calves can lose 5 to 10% of their body weight in fluid within 1 day of scouring.
· Fluid loss in excess of 8% requires IV treatment, and over 14% loss can result in death.
How do we estimate fluid loss?
· Fluid loss can be estimated using symptoms such as skin tenting, gum condition, eyeball recession, attitude, and ability to stand or suckle.
How do we correct the fluid loss?
· Multiply the weight of the calf by % of dehydration to calculate electrolyte plus 10% of body weight to determine additional fluid intake as milk or milk replacer .
Calves can lose 5 to 10% of their body weight in fluid within 1 day of scouring. Fluid loss in excess of 8% requires IV treatment, and over 14% loss can result in death (Figure 1). This is why it is extremely important to monitor calves daily and treat them quickly when signs of illness are observed. The amount of water lost by scouring calves can be approximated using symptoms such as skin tenting, gum condition, eyeball recession, attitude, and ability to stand or suckle.
Visual representation of percent dehydration as related to clinical symptoms and health of calves.
Clinical symptoms that help evaluate amount of dehydration in calves.
To evaluate hydration using skin tenting, pinch a fold of skin (best done on the neck) and count the seconds it takes to flatten.
Flattening of skin in less than 2 seconds indicates normal hydration.
If skin takes 2 to 6 seconds to flatten, the calf is about 8% dehydrated.
Over 6 seconds indicates severe dehydration above 10%.
Gums can be evaluated by looking at their colour and feeling them for moisture. Normal gums should be pink and damp but if the gums are white and dry this indicates 8 to 10% dehydration. One of the best measures of estimated dehydration and illness in calves is their attitude during milk feeding. Calves may show no symptoms of dehydration but if they need encouragement to drink, monitor them closely for scouring or other illnesses.
Eyeball recession can also be used to evaluated dehydration.
The calf on the left (A) has a normal hydration status. There is no space between the eyelid and the eyeball. The calf on the right (B) is severely dehydrated. The eye is sunken at least 7 to 8 mm into the orbit.
Skin tent assessment along with gum evaluation and eyeball recession provides the most easily measured parameters during the physical examination and provides accurate clinical indication of dehydration. however using these clinical parameters can be somewhat subjective and initial assessments may occasionally be inaccurate.
Calculating The Amount of
Electrolyte and Milk To Feed:
Although there is little detriment in feeding too much oral rehydration solution, feeding too little may not help alleviate dehydration and can prolong scouring. Although many farms do not weigh individual calves, approximate amounts to feed should be established. To fully rehydrate the calf it is essential to determine the correct volume of fluid to reverse the dehydration over a 24hr period.
Calculating the amount of electrolyte
and milk or milk replacer to feed:
Multiply the weight of the calf by % of dehydration to calculate electrolyte plus 10% of body weight to determine additional fluid intake as milk or milk replacer
Example:
40kg calf x 7% = 2.8litres of electrolytes.
40kg x 10% = 4 litres of additional fluid.
Total intake = 6.8 litres/day
2. Feed the required volume for rehydration and maintenance at no more than 2 litres per feed every 24hrs until the calf returns to normal. If scouring persists consult your vet.
Reference: Penn State University. College of Agricultural Sciences. https://extension.psu.edu
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Download the Evaluating hydration chart. PDF
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