Use of Non Medicated Oral Rehydration Therapy to Treat Diarrhea and Scouring in The Young Calf

Abstract

Diarrhea and scouring are still major problems associated with rearing of calves. Calf mortality in the dairy herd may be as high as 15% and much of this is attributable to deaths as a result of dehydration, electrolyte imbalances and physiological starvation, associated with digestive disturbances (diarrhea & scours). Although the use of oral rehydration therapy has been advocated for a long time producers have been slow to move away from reliance on antibiotics to treat diarrhea.

Most oral electrolyte products simply aim at replacement of lost ions and perhaps replenishment of some energy with dextrose. Many of these electrolytes have severe imbalances in tonicity resulting in reduced absorption of ions. In addition, few electrolyte products slow rate of passage to prevent further excessive loss of ions through the feces.

With these problems in mind, an oral rehydration product (ORP*) was developed and tested in clinical situations.

The ORP consisted of a number of ingredients which are common components of diets and oral rehydration products for both animals and humans. These included: energy sources - dextrose, corn syrup solids, lecithin; fibers - to absorb water and slow flow rate in the gut; vegetable gums - to increase viscosity of gut contents to slow rate of passage and aid in suspension of insoluble fibers; electrolytes - sodium, potassium, magnesium.

The formulation is proprietary but ingredients were: dextrose, apple flakes, oat hulls, dried corn syrup, xanthan gum, guar gum, vegetable fat, sorbitol, lecithin, sodium bicarbonate, salt, potassium chloride, ascorbic acid, calcium pantothenate, potassium phosphate, dried whey product, magnesium sulfate, polysaccharide complexes of icon, zinc manganese, copper and cobalt, fumaric acid, citric acid, calcium propionate, sodium propionate, potassium sorbate, ethylenediamine dihydriodide, silicon dioxide.