# What is the main cause of pneumonia in bottle calves?



## eggzackly (Apr 14, 2011)

I don't have one, and probably never will. I read here because I am interested. Seems a lot of bottle calves get scours or pneumonia, and I was wonderng if the pneumonia is a result of aspiration, or stress from cold weather, or not enough colostrum, along with exposure to pathogens, and how common are pneumonia causing pathogens in the general cow keeping environment. I guess the same question goes for scours. Bad food? No colostrum? Heavy germ load in the environment? Cold stress? Thanks for any answers. If will not be of any help to any current cow, but hey, maybe years from now....


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## farmgirl6 (May 20, 2011)

I am a Newby, but my vet told me it was common for bottle calves through aspiration of the milk. I am not sure how many calves that are raised on their mother's actually suffer from it. He said Annabelle got it from the angle I had the bottle at, I had one of those holders hooked to the barn door, went back to hand holding and she never got it again.


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Just to add to farmgirl's comments. Feed Holsteins below your belt loop. Feed Jersey's just above your kneecaps. There are many reasons for this, the only one I'll mention is that this height and position is natural to the calf. It's called locking the throat/neck into a drinking position so that the product reaches the correct compartment of the stomach. Pay attention one day at how they can lock their necks, their eyes roll back a bit but it' normal to them. Heck I can recall feeding mini Jerseys below my kneecaps...Feeding correctly is critical in expecting a healthy calf to survive. Topside


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

I learned something new today. Thanks


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## mozarkian (Dec 11, 2009)

Fowler said:


> I learned something new today. Thanks


Me too! I think I have a pretty good grasp of the basics, but everyday I learn something here.


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

eggzackly said:


> Seems a lot of bottle calves get scours or pneumonia, and I was wonderng if the pneumonia is a result of aspiration, or stress from cold weather, or not enough colostrum, along with exposure to pathogens, and how common are pneumonia causing pathogens in the general cow keeping environment. I guess the same question goes for scours. Bad food? No colostrum? Heavy germ load in the environment? Cold stress? Thanks for any answers. If will not be of any help to any current cow, but hey, maybe years from now....




I would say...were ever the weak point is at your farm is what causes it ...plus what the calf was exposed to before you got it


stress from cold weather
exposure to pathogens
No colostrum

general cow keeping environment


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## farmgirl6 (May 20, 2011)

luckily with Norman I didn't know any better, and for the first month or so of his life he drank out of regular baby bottles, like a dozen at a time, so he could not get enough out of the bottle at one time to aspirate it, finally he got big enough to pop the nipple right out of the bottle (don't recommend anyone try that, he could have injested it or got it caught in his throat, way too small) then when I got the "big animal" bottle he laid his head and neck in my lap while I was sitting because I didn't know any better most of time, so he stayed healthy...


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## stifflej (Aug 11, 2008)

The dairy I get my Holsteins from bucket feeds, as do I when I get them home, how do they manage to stay healthy if you should be feeding a certain height and angle?


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Because they are sucking downward up, not sucking upward down....Topside


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

One good biological reason for the low stress quiet and
gentle approach is that stressed calves have less effective
closure of their esophageal groove. Remember that&#8217;s the
muscular fold that channels milk into the appropriate
stomach (abomasum). Good closure is healthier than poor
closure. Stress at feeding time interferes with optimum closure....Topside


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## eggzackly (Apr 14, 2011)

Thanks SO MUCH for the info. I really REALLY appreciate it, even if I don't have cows. However, I am not dead yet, so maybe some day...


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## hiddensprings (Aug 6, 2009)

topside1 said:


> Just to add to farmgirl's comments. Feed Holsteins below your belt loop. Feed Jersey's just above your kneecaps. There are many reasons for this, the only one I'll mention is that this height and position is natural to the calf. It's called locking the throat/neck into a drinking position so that the product reaches the correct compartment of the stomach. Pay attention one day at how they can lock their necks, their eyes roll back a bit but it' normal to them. Heck I can recall feeding mini Jerseys below my kneecaps...Feeding correctly is critical in expecting a healthy calf to survive. Topside


This is a great way for me to visualize the correct way to bottle feed. I have jersey/holstein cross heifers. I've been holding the bottles between my waist and knee. The girls seem to know where they want it and I have noticed what you mentioned about locking the neck and they slight eye roll. Nice to know I've been doing it right :happy:


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## DJ in WA (Jan 28, 2005)

I went to the Merck Veterinary Manual and didn't see anything about method of nursing. Alot about exposure to viruses and bacteria through crowding, and low immunity. Immunity declines when the antibodies from the colostrum fade away (decline of passively acquired immunity). Poor immunity also results from poor nutrition and milk replacer. And the big one is poor immunity resulting from stress, as in the fear response when hauling them around in strange places. New trucks, new surroundings, new food, new feeding and watering systems to figure out, new people, etc, etc. Just because we don't feel the fear doesn't mean they don't. They don't understand what is going on. Fear makes the adrenal gland produce cortisol which directly suppresses the immune system.

Anyway, it is actually a wonder that so many live, for when they are hauled, they often are exposed to many other calves, passing around disease, and they go hungry, so can't make antibodies, and they are stressed, so their immune system is suppressed.

Best to get them straight from the source, keep the haul short, feed them well, and keep them separated and keep the environment clean.

Cold does not directly cause pneumonia, as long as they are given extra food to produce body heat. In people, cold weather only indirectly causes more respiratory illness because people go inside and spread germs to each other more. Would be better to be outside in the cold and not be spreading diseases.

Etiology means cause.

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/121207.htm



> Enzootic pneumonia of calves refers to infectious respiratory disease in calves. The term &#8220;viral pneumonia of calves&#8221; is sometimes used but is not preferred based on the current understanding of etiology and pathogenesis. Enzootic pneumonia is primarily a problem in calves <6 mo old with peak occurrence from 2-10 wk, but may be seen in calves up to 1 yr of age. It is more common in dairy than in beef calves and is a common problem in veal calves. It is also more common in housed calves than those raised outside. Peak incidence of disease may coincide with decline of passively acquired immunity. Morbidity rates may approach 100%; case fatality rates vary but can reach 20%.
> 
> Etiology:
> The etiology is similar to that for BRD complex in general (see Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex: Overview). The pathogenesis involves stress and possibly an initial respiratory viral infection followed by a secondary bacterial infection of the lower respiratory tract. Stress results from environmental and management factors, including inadequate ventilation, continually adding calves to an established group, crowding, and nutritional factors such as poor-quality milk replacers. Partial or complete failure of passive transfer of maternal antibodies is an important host factor related to development of disease. Any of several viruses may be involved, and a variety of bacteria may be recovered from affected calves. Mycoplasmal and bacterial agents including Pasteurella multocida , Mannheimia haemolytica , and Mycoplasma bovis represent the most frequently isolated pathogenic organisms. The individual viral and bacterial etiologies, clinical signs, lesions, and treatment are discussed under viral respiratory tract infections ( Viral Respiratory Tract Infections: Overview) and bacterial pneumonia ( Bacterial Pneumonia: Overview).
> ...


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## Madsaw (Feb 26, 2008)

Well most of the ideas are covered here. But 2 that come to mind are enviromental. Such as housing with a draft going through it. Or housing with poor ventilation.
Also here in southern WI we have seen a rise in mycroplasma infections in many herds. Luckly it is being controled with LA 200 so far.
Topside
Your knee high and belt loop feeding spots also bring to mind at some point a painfull experince may happen.
Bob


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Good one Bob, always be prepared...Top.


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

My vet told me once that "hands down" moisture content in the air was the leading cause of calf pnuemonia. If it's dry they get "dust pnuemonia" and if it's wet they get "bacterial pnuemonia". Not sure if I agree with it or if I buy it but that was what he said while I was buying some baytril off of him to treat some bottle calves. 

For what it's worth, I've simply started trying to head pnuemonia off at the pass by treating every new calf on the place with baytril and/or resflor. So far, so good.


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## Karen in Alabam (Jul 21, 2010)

I picked up a Holstein bottle calf that was 2 months old. I have had him over a month now. I went with my neighbor, and she was so upset, and told the guy that we (I) would take him if he gave him to us and try and save him.

Here is a picture of him the day I took him home:
http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab102/kgetchel/lenny2.jpg?t=1316918526

Took him right to the vet, with a temp of 105. Vet said had Pneumonia. My husband was ready to kill me. (then came the ear infection, then the swollen infected leg)

Vet told me summer calves are more susceptible to Pneumonia than winter calves. He said that winter calves are just stronger. (he used to have a dairy farm--and lucky for me he likes dairy cows and is very helpful and generous to us)

This is what he looks like today--his first day with the rest of the cows--more than a month later

http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab102/kgetchel/_MG_7640.jpg?t=1316919002


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

Karen in Alabam said:


> I picked up a Holstein bottle calf that was 2 months old. I have had him over a month now. I went with my neighbor, and she was so upset, and told the guy that we (I) would take him if he gave him to us and try and save him.
> 
> Here is a picture of him the day I took him home:
> http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab102/kgetchel/lenny2.jpg?t=1316918526
> ...


WHAT? Is that grass I see in that second pic?????? Haven't seen any of that stuff at my place since Fall of last year!

Does the calf still have stiff joints? I've seen some calves that had joint ill that never fully got over it and it eventually got the best of them. 

There's definetely a huge difference in the two pics. You done a great job!


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## Karen in Alabam (Jul 21, 2010)

The swollen leg still seems to give him some trouble. It is still oozing a little and a little raw from where he has been licking it. When I had him locked in the kennel or loose in the yard, I would put warm compresses on it, but then I moved him to my defunct strawberry patch and he hides out between the rolls of hay, so can't get to him with compresses. The swelling is 95% down, he feels better and runs around, especially today when I let him out with the big cows.

I have been putting Yo, my Jersey in with him lately at night to get some milk off of her in the morning. Her calf is over 6 months old and a monster. In a few weeks we will be able to take her off the property for a few months to totally wean her. At first I was putting the calf in with him, but she figured out how to get out.


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Great story Karen,,,thanks.


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

Karen, that's a BIG difference in just a month's time. It shows what good care and medical attention can achieve. Very nice to see!


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