Calf pneumonia is a major problem in dairy and beef herds. It is a multifactorial disease and the most common post-mortem diagnosis in calves between one to five months of age.
Infectious agents involved include Mannheimia haemolytica, Haemophilus Somnus, Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR), bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and Parainfluenza III Virus (PI3), along with many other bacteria and mycoplasma species and viruses.
Environmental factors include low environmental temperatures and high humidity and poor ventilation and also direct draughts onto calves themselves. The relationship between season and outbreaks may also be related to management practices including calving patterns and mixing of different ages of calves.
There are two types of the disease, acute and chronic.
- Dull and depressed
- High temperature
- Raised breathing due to lung damage
- Nasal discharge
- Coughing
- Reduced food intake
- Chronic pneumonia is more gradual in onset with no distinct ill phase and the cow may appear to still eat well but may have a slight nasal discharge, sometimes with an increased respiratory rate and cough. Both forms of respiratory disease cause production losses as there is a reduction in live weight gain and there may be deaths in the acute syndrome.
Antibiotics, anti-inflammatories or anthelmintics can be prescribed for treatment.
It can be difficult to control pneumonia when calves are placed in communal pens. Improved husbandry, ventilation, and good nursing care can all reduce risks of pneumonia, as well as ensure that young animals receive appropriate amounts of colostrum within the first 24 hours of birth.
Colostrum:: All calves must have one gallon of colostrum within four to six hours of birth to receive adequate immunity. Calves that are not given enough antibodies at birth are at increased risk for pneumonia and scour throughout the entire growing period.
The most important step in any calf health-management program is a successful colostrum-management program.
Ventilation: Often if ammonia can be smelled it is a sign of poor ventilation.
Nutrition: Feeding calves inadequately will reduce calf growth and their immune system response.
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The timing of vaccination is at least as important as the choice of the vaccine.
Since maximum protection does not generally occur until approximately three weeks after vaccination, calves should be vaccinated two to three weeks before weaning at which time they start to be at risk of infection.
Single vaccination will reduce the severity of the disease, but not provide complete protection.
