The calf has constipation: what to do, symptoms and treatment with drugs and folk remedies

Digestive disorders are common problems in ruminant pets. This is especially true for young people. This is because the nutritional system of small calves is not yet well developed and cannot yet cope with adult food. Consider what to do if a calf has constipation, its causes, characteristic symptoms, how to diagnose and treat it with drugs and folk methods.

Causes of constipation in cattle

Constipation in a newborn occurs from the fact that he does not drink colostrum or drinks it later than necessary. Colostrum contains substances necessary to activate and normalize digestion, strengthen immunity.Among them are acids that stop the development of pathogenic microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract of calves.

Then the calf goes to milk. If it is grown without a cow, constipation may occur due to non-compliance with the feeding pattern, when overfed with milk if it is cold or too warm, sour. All such cases are the result of the carelessness of the owner of the animal.

A small animal may experience prolonged constipation due to the stress it experiences at weaning.

But much more often the cause is an infection that enters the baby's body from the outside, if the cleanliness of bedding, inventory and equipment is not maintained in the barn. Constipation can be caused by helminths that live and multiply in the intestines of calves.

Symptoms and signs in cows and calves

Delayed feces in a calf for more than a day is an alarming symptom. Prolonged non-removal of waste products leads to intoxication of the body, and may even result in the death of the animal.The first signs of constipation in cows can be seen a day after the disorder. Prior to this, the animal does not yet experience severe discomfort and reacts little to what happens in its body.

Because the intestines are clogged and there is no exit of feces, the calf feels discomfort, his stomach swells a little, becomes dense, and defecation is rare or absent. The animal is depressed, lies a lot, mumbles when trying to defecate, its temperature rises. But the main sign of constipation is a strong stool or its absence due to a stop in the movement of intestinal contents. Deficiency of fiber and especially water is also a prerequisite for its appearance.

In this case, the stool is formed dry, cannot move through the intestines due to weak motility.

Constipation can develop from blockage of the book with food lumps and their drying between the sheets of the organ. Blockage from feed occurs due to prolonged feeding of cattle with roughage, grazing on poor pastures, eating dirty or too finely chopped root crops.Blockage of the digestive tract occurs due to atony of the proventriculus, poisoning, infectious diseases.

Diagnosing the problem

Despite the obvious signs of a problem, the diagnosis and its cause should be established by a veterinarian. He will need information about what the calf was eating before the problem appeared, how he behaved, whether he was active.

At home, a preliminary diagnosis can be made by characteristic signs, feel the stomach, if it is dense, a little swollen, and the animal is unpleasant to touch, it tries to escape, kicks, mooing, then it may be constipation.

A blockage can also be detected during a rectal examination - a plug of hard feces will be visible in the rectum.

How to treat constipation

Treatment depends on the severity of constipation and its duration. You can fight with folk remedies if the constipation is mild, or give the calf special laxatives if they are ineffective.

Drugs

Of the medicinal antibacterial drugs, the calf can be given "Synthomycin", "Norsulfazol", "Levomycetin", "Fthalazol". Laxatives are sold in powder form or in tablets. It is not difficult to make medicine for cattle out of them at home, you need to dilute a certain amount of the product with water.

Dose medications strictly according to the instructions and give them also in the amount indicated in it, since improper treatment can easily lead to the opposite effect. Give laxatives 0.5 hours before meals 3-4 times a day. If the swelling is severe, doctors advise rubbing the animal's abdomen with turpentine diluted with water to enhance its work.

Folk methods

As soon as constipation is detected, you need to stop giving milk to the baby. It is processed in the stomach with the formation of gases, which only worsens the situation. In order for the calf to defecate, he is given castor or vegetable oil (100-150 ml each), a decoction of flaxseeds.

He is given an enema with warm soapy water. After that, the calf's stomach is massaged to start the digestive processes and intestinal motility. Movements should be soft, smooth, it is impossible to press hard and sharply on the stomach. The calf is massaged in a standing position, if it lies down, there will be no effect. Instead of massage, you can simply take the calf outside and make him move for at least 0.5 hours in a row. Movement stimulates the stomach and intestines. If these methods do not work, you should contact your veterinarian, who will select the appropriate solution for each case.

Preventive measures

Starting the prevention of constipation in cattle is necessary when the cow is pregnant. She needs to be well fed, because a calf develops in her, which draws a huge amount of nutrients. Remove bedding as soon as it gets dirty. Do not lay old moldy straw or hay as bedding, as animals will eat them from the floor.

To prevent constipation in a newborn, you need to leave him with his mother to drink colostrum. Make sure that the calves do not drink more milk than they need. A hungry baby can drink more milk at a time than usual, but instead of staying in the stomach, it will spill into the scar, where it will turn sour, since there are no bacteria there that process it. Therefore, you need to calculate how much food the calf needs, how often to feed it with milk and drink it according to the scheme.The same goes for formula feeding.

It is important to monitor the psychological state of the baby. If it is necessary to separate him from his mother, then this should not be done abruptly, but gradually, so that the calf can get used to the new conditions. Otherwise, in nervous individuals, stress affects the work of the whole organism, and in particular the digestive system.

Feed new foods gradually so that the stomach can get used to unfamiliar food, cut root vegetables and vegetables into pieces so that the calf can swallow them. In autumn, when frosts begin, make sure that cows and calves do not eat frozen grass that is wet from dew or rain.

To prevent blockage of the intestines with feces, the calf is given yogurt on acidophilus bacteria in the amount of 1 glass immediately after birth.

So that constipation does not develop in calves from an infectious disease, you need to clean the bedding in the barn in time, lay a new one.Wash and disinfect equipment and utensils. Disinfect the premises 2 times a year. Decontamination of materials is the best way to avoid infectious diseases in livestock.

Feed, especially small calves, a balanced diet so that all nutrients are supplied to their bodies in the quantities they need. The diet should include grass and hay, root crops, vegetables, mixed fodder. Be sure to give plenty of water, as much as the calf can drink. You need to let him out with the cow for a walk every day. Movement has a beneficial effect on intestinal motility, makes the contents move towards the exit.

Constipation in a calf means that there has been a digestive disorder, which is a symptom of certain diseases, poisoning, overfeeding, improper feeding. In most cases, constipation does not go away on its own, the calf needs help to get rid of the problem. The livestock breeder has at his disposal effective folk methods and preparations of traditional veterinary medicine.As a rule, when used correctly, the treatment gives a good result, the calves have normal digestion, they feel much better.

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