Question of the Day

Treat these calves with oral electrolytes and injectable broad-spectrum antimicrobials. Milk feeding will not make diarrhea worse and provides an important source of nutrients and fluids for sick animals.

Fever, diarrhea and sudden death in eight-week-old calves is highly suggestive of septicemia due to salmonellosis.

Isolate sick calves to prevent transmission.

Use of antibiotics is controversial as they may prolong recovery and shedding and yield a carrier calf. However, if an animal is septic it needs parenteral antibiotics.

Prognosis is poor with neonatal salmonella and deaths can approach 100% in affected calves.

In adults, antibiotics may yield a clinical cure, but Salmonellae can establish in the biliary system and intermittently shed into the GI system, leading to environmental contamination.

Prevention is dependent on which species of Salmonella is causing the problems-host adapted or environmental.