PREVENTION, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 73 



Diarrhea. See Indigestion, Enteritis. 



Diarrheal Diseases of Calves. — Etiology and Symptoms. 



The direct cause is usually some source of infection, as from 

 drinking water, dirty and infected feeding utensils, infected 

 premises, from cows about to calve or from infected calves brought 

 upon the premises; from mother's milk infected owing to mastitis. 

 Predisposing causes are lack of fresh air and therefore presence of 

 bacteria; milk over rich in fat or, less often, casein; feeding at 

 infrequent intervals and teething. 



The symptoms of diarrhea are so well known as to scarce 

 require notice. Appearing from birth to the end of the second 

 week, the fecal movements become frequent — from 5 to 20 move- 

 ments daily — foul, and contain mucus and pus ; in color of a yellow 

 or yellowish white. There are fever, rough, staring coat, emacia- 

 tion, prostration, anorexia, and erosion about the rectum with 

 often a fatal ending in one or two days or weeks. 



Prevention and Treatment. — Prevention aims at avoiding or 

 remedying the causes noted. Calves should be kept away in 

 separate buildings from calving cows or those about to calve. 

 They should be allowed to suck thrice daily unless running with 

 the mother. Feeding utensils should be scrupulously clean and 

 treated with boiling water. On the appearance of diarrhea the 

 calf should be segregated and the premises disinfected (see p. 282). 

 The milk should be boiled and diluted with 2 /$ boiled or pure water; 

 or broth or barley water with eggs given ; or whey made by adding 

 rennet to warm milk. At the very outset two ounces of castor oil 

 should be administered and followed with one teaspoonful of bis- 

 muth subnitrate three times daily. A mustard paste or oil of tur- 

 pentine may be rubbed once daily over the belly. 



JDysentery, White Scours of Calves. — This fatal con- 

 tagious disease is apparently due to a specific bacillus which inhabits 

 barns and leads to enzootic and persistent attacks year after year. 



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