If a calf has snot: what to do and what are the causes, treatment and prevention

In cows and calves, as in humans, coughing can be a symptom of respiratory disease. It can be a mild illness, like a cold, or a serious one, like pneumonia. To find out the reasons, establish a diagnosis and select a treatment, you need to contact a veterinarian, but the breeder himself can help the animal if he knows what to do if the calf has snot. Consider some cases, the symptoms of which diseases can be snot and the treatment regimen.

Causes of a runny nose in a calf

Rhinitis in cattle can occur for several reasons, often it is an allergy to substances, infections, respiratory and other diseases, or errors in livestock management appear as such a symptom.

Allergy

The most common form of allergy in cows is food. This is the reaction of the animal's body to any substance in the composition of the feed, to which the calf's body responds with an allergic reaction. The manifestation of allergies can be diverse, snot is a frequent and unmistakable sign. Allergy snot is liquid, transparent in color, odorless.

In the acute course of allergies, treatment is prescribed - intramuscular injection of antihistamines and corticosteroids, antiseptics and vitamins. During treatment, the calf must be kept separate from other animals. In order to prevent allergies in the future, you need to determine what caused the allergy and exclude this product from the animal's diet.

Respiratory tract disease

Respiratory diseases in calves, accompanied by a runny nose, develop in the cold season, in winter or spring. The reason is sudden fluctuations in air temperature, humidity, accumulation of gases due to rare ventilation, decreased immunity of calves due to hypovitaminosis.In summer, diseases can occur due to overheating and humidity.

Of the respiratory diseases in calves, bronchopneumonia is more common, which ranks second after diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. This disease affects the bronchi and lungs. Pathology can occur in acute, subacute and chronic forms. Without treatment, the consequences of the disease are serious damage to the lungs and heart.

Infectious diseases

Infectious damage to the lungs of calves is caused by viruses, resulting in the development of rhinotracheitis, parainfluenza and similar diseases. As a result of infections, the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract are affected. Against this background, protective functions are reduced, bacteria and fungi affect the lower parts of the respiratory system.

Treatment of viral and bacterial diseases should be carried out by a veterinarian, as well as preventive vaccination.

Cows in the household can suffer from tuberculosis, the appearance of which in the herd is facilitated by poor feeding, keeping in a dark, damp calf barn. Symptoms of tuberculosis - mood and behavior changes, unwillingness to eat, depression. The animal breathes through the mouth, you can see the release of exudate from the nostrils, then a cough appears, at first dry and sharp, then turns into a wet and soft. Sick animals require mandatory treatment with antibiotics, which can only be prescribed by a veterinarian.

Lumpy Dermatitis

This is an infectious disease of cattle caused by a virus. Symptoms include fever, swelling of subcutaneous tissue, formation of skin nodules, lesions of the eyes and mucous membranes of the digestive tract and respiratory system.The virus is transmitted among cows through the bites of blood-sucking insects such as flies, mosquitoes, mosquitoes. To prevent lumpy skin disease, vaccination is carried out, immunity lasts 1 year.

Treatment of the disease is symptomatic, if suspicious signs appear, you should immediately contact your veterinarian.

Content violation

The occurrence of such a symptom as a runny nose in calves is facilitated by the absence or lack of walks, sunlight, high humidity, drafts. And also low or, conversely, high temperature in the room, as a result of which the activity of the immune system decreases. Improper feeding, hypovitaminosis, lack of proteins, irregular cleaning and disinfection also lead to such results.

Disease Diagnosis

When calves have a runny nose, do not rely on the fact that it will pass on its own and the animal will recover. If measures are not taken, then an increase in the disease can lead to a slowdown in development, and in case of complications, to the death of the animal.

You can't treat a calf with self-prescribed medications. Only a veterinarian can make a correct diagnosis and choose a treatment.

What to do if a cow has snot

Before the arrival of the veterinarian, you must immediately remove the calf or cow from other animals so as not to expose the herd to the risk of infection. Folk remedies can help: decoctions of thyme and coltsfoot. Broths normalize the production of mucus in the bronchi, strengthen the body, destroy pathogenic bacteria. You can apply warm compresses, rubbing, inhalation.

But folk remedies alone are not always able to completely solve the problem, so the main treatment should be prescribed by a veterinarian. How long a calf needs to be treated depends on the severity of the disease and the ability of the animal's body to resist the disease. Usually, complex treatment is prescribed with the use of several antibacterial and antiviral drugs.

Prevention measures

In order for the animals not to catch cold, you need to create the necessary conditions for them: keep cows in a warm, dry and well-ventilated room. It should be free of drafts and dust. Cleaning of the barn should be carried out daily, change the bedding, ventilate. At least 2 times a year, in the spring, before the start of the pasture season, and in the fall, after the end, disinfect the entire premises and equipment.

It is impossible to allow hypothermia of young animals, especially after they have stood in a warm room or after transportation. Also, you can not give a calf cold water if the animal is hot after a walk.

To strengthen the immunity of cattle, you need to walk the cow and calf every day to give them the opportunity to move, breathe fresh air, and get sunbaths.Attention should be paid to the diet, to select feed so that the components correspond to the physiological needs and age of the cows. The diet should have a sufficient amount of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

The causative agents of some diseases can be transmitted through milk from mother to calf, therefore, if a cow is sick, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the young more carefully than usual. Or, if possible, feed the calf the milk of another animal until the cow recovers.

Snot in calves can be a sign of serious illness that requires immediate treatment. This may be a cold, which the animal can cope with on its own after a while, but often it is a sign of serious respiratory pathologies that, if left untreated, lead to poor he alth or death of the young.

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