Combatting Calf Diarrhea: A Cornerstone of Dairy Success.

The health of young calves has a significant impact on their entire lifespan, affecting growth rates, reproductive efficiency and even future milk production. In fact, calves are more susceptible to mortality during the first three weeks of life than during the rest of their rearing period, which makes this period extremely important, economically. Numerous factors, including animal, environmental and management practices, contribute to calf health and disease (Figure 1).

Figure 1: The many factors associated with the health and morbidity of calves.

The Critical First Weeks.

Neonatal disease, especially diarrhea, has a significant impact on growth during the rearing period, long-term future performance and loss of genetic potential for future herd improvement. To effectively control calf diarrhea, a proactive approach is essential.

Implementing strong biosecurity measures, including cow vaccination programs and maintaining a clean environment, is critical. Providing newborn calves with an adequate amount of high-quality colostrum in a timely manner is another cornerstone of calf health. By focusing on these preventive strategies, farmers can build calf immunity and reduce disease incidence. However, despite significant advances in the understanding of neonatal diarrhea, it remains one of the leading causes of death in calves.

There are numerous infectious and non-infectious agents associated with calf diarrhea—it is not a single disease. Infectious causes include bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Clostridium perfringens; viruses such as rotavirus and coronavirus; and protozoa such as cryptosporidia and coccidia (Figure 2).

Figure 2: The most common bacteria responsible for calf diarrhea are E. Coli, Salmonella, and Clostridium perfringens. The viruses causing diarrhea in the calf are Rotavirus, Coronavirus, Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus, and Bovine Herpesvirus 1. A few protozoan species like Cryptosporidia and coccidiosis are responsible for calf diarrhea.

Some pathogens, like E. coli, produce toxins that stimulate an enzyme cascade and a large release of chloride ions into the intestinal lumen. Sodium passively follows to help maintain electron neutrality, and, as the osmotic pressure in the intestine increases, so does water. This is the pathogenesis of secretory diarrhea. Other pathogens—typically rotavirus and coronaviruses—cause osmotic diarrhea. These pathogens attack the intestinal villi causing villus atrophy, reducing the intestine’s digestive and absorptive capacity. Unabsorbed nutrients then remain in the intestine causing an increased osmotic pressure and water secretion into the intestinal tract (Figure 3).

Figure 3: The mechanisms of secretory and osmotic diarrhea. In both cases, the result is a net movement of water into the intestine, resulting in diarrhea.

However, regardless of the pathogen or mechanism involved, diarrhea increases the loss of electrolytes and water in the feces and often decreases milk intake. The result is dehydration, potentially causing severe metabolic acidosis, electrolyte abnormalities, and negative energy balance. Even when calves recover from these infections, they may never perform as well as unaffected animals.

A study of the long-term growth effects of cryptosporidiosis found that calves diagnosed with severe cryptosporidiosis had significantly reduced weight gain at 6 months compared to calves with only few clinical signs of infection. This underscores the negative long-term effects of this pathogen on weight gain and production efficiency.

It is critical for every farm to have an effective strategy to prevent and treat calf diarrhea, as quick action should be taken when diarrhea occurs. The priority is to minimize the calf’s fluid loss to prevent dehydration and reduce the risk of metabolic acidosis. Stabilizing the intestinal microbiota and promoting the regeneration of intestinal villi are additional key points to address in cases of calf diarrhea.

There are two main strategies for treating diarrhea. One is the compensation of existing fluid loss with products containing electrolytes like Prolyt Pack® Extra. The second is the reduction of fluid loss itself by using water-attracting products. This strategy works to decrease fluid loss, retaining it in the body.

DiaReset: Part of an Effective Strategy.

One such strategy is a dietary feed supplement, DiaReset, designed to be given to calves during a case of diarrhea to ease the intensity, reduce fluid loss, help restore gut integrity, and minimize performance losses. This unique product contains guar gum and provides fast and effective support when needed.

Guar gum is composed primarily of galactomannan, a polysaccharide that forms a gel when in contact with water. Guar gum increases viscosity and fecal volume, prolongs passage rate, and reduces defecation frequency. Additionally, it is almost 100% fermentable for a positive effect on microbiota growth.

DiaReset combines two natural probiotic strains that suppress the growth of non-beneficial bacteria while promoting the growth of lactic acid producing bacteria, participate in beneficial immune modulation, and increase nutrient digestibility through the production of digestive enzymes. Together, these powerful probiotics stabilize the gut microbiota.

Prebiotic yeast cell walls from hydrolyzed yeast complete the synbiotic component of DiaReset. This prebiotic can bind gram negative pathogens such as E. coli and Salmonella and help to prevent these pathogens from adhering to the intestinal wall as well as modulating and stimulating the immune system. Hydrolyzed yeast also provides functional amino and nucleic acids to support intestinal development and beneficial intestinal microbiota.

DiaReset also contains a source of saponins—compounds that are part of the defense mechanism of some plants. These saponins have been shown to have antiprotozoal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and immunostimulatory properties. Their effects on protozoa are particularly important as cryptosporidia is a top cause of calf diarrhea. By complexing with a cholesterol moiety of protozoan cell membranes, saponins can induce pore formation, cell lysis, and death.

DiaReset is supplemented with vitamins to support immune function and a highly bioavailable source of zinc. Zinc has many roles, including antioxidant functions, immune support, and tissue repair and healing. This includes the gut, where zinc stimulates cell proliferation, helps restore the mucosal lining, and improves barrier function.

Field-Proven Results.

A 12-week field trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of DiaReset on the regeneration and performance of calves with diarrhea. Calves (n=23) less than two weeks old that were showing signs of diarrhea were assigned to the treatment group. The control group (n=22) consisted of healthy calves that had been matched in age, sex, and dam parity to the treatment group. Calves in the treatment group received 100 g DiaReset twice daily until no signs of diarrhea were visible. The control group received no dietary feed supplement.

Fecal scoring was performed using the following scale: 1 = physiologically normal, 2 = pasty, 3 = thin feces but remaining on the bedding, 4 = very thin feces running through the bedding. In addition, health scoring was performed, and feed intake as well as body weight was recorded. On average, diarrhea occurred for the first time between day 9 and day 10.

In the trial, 81% of calves had normal fecal consistency (Grade 1) on day 3 after supplementation with DiaReset, and 91% of calves had normal stool consistency after 4 days, with a corresponding improvement in health score (Figure 4).

Although the daily weight gain of diarrheic calves often remains low, mainly due to damaged intestinal epithelium and reduced feed intake, calves supplemented with DiaReset showed significantly higher weight gains during the first 28 days of life. Thus, the high acceptance of DiaReset could help avoid the reduced feed intake in these cases.

Figure 4: Average fecal and health score of diarrhea-affected calves supplemented with DiaReset. On day 3, 81% of calves had normal fecal consistency (Grade 1) after supplementation with DiaReset, and 91% of calves had normal stool consistency after 4 days, with a corresponding improvement in health score.

Whichever system is chosen, a quick response is needed. DiaReset’s unique combination of ingredients can either help prevent or quickly reduce water loss in calves with diarrhea and support rapid regeneration for a quick return to previous performance levels.

Stay one step ahead with DiaReset.