The silent terminator
Is low blood sugar the silent terminator in newborn calves? Often a sick and scouring calf goes into a physiological shut down and collapse that can be hard to reverse.
What do these calves die of?
Hypothermia?
Dehydration?
Toxaemia?
Hypoglycaemia ? (low blood sugar)
Each or all of them, singly or collectively, could account for the death of a calf and must form part of an effective treatment protocol.
Hypothermia - the chance of recovery from exposure is much greater with the use of an intra-peritoneal injection of 20% dextrose before they are warmed up. Warming when energy levels are already exhausted can even hasten death.
Hypoglycaemia - the liver stores glucose when there is excess and releases it when it's low. This is not automatic but is affected by the actions of hormones. Factors that increase the release of glucose-controlling hormones are exercise, infections, and other stresses like cold or fright.
What happens when an adult with lots of body reserves falls off a boat and dies of hypothermia? They have ample glucose reserves to maintain body heat yet they die. Do they die from hypothermia or hypoglycaemia? It is like a fire box burning well and then the damper is closed off so that the fuel cannot be used due to a lack of oxygen (energy).
Is this what's happening in the ‘flat' calf with scours?
The only practical therapy relies on oral therapy to address the dehydration and to try and maintain energy levels. Any additional fluids must be given quickly and cheaply.
A survey on a small number of scouring calves shows that the blood glucose reserves in these calves are nearly exhausted, so oral therapy may not be enough to drive fluids and energy back into the cells.
A practical way to increase the recovery rate could be by injecting some dextrose intra-peritoneally, in addition to the usual oral replacement therapy.
Have Totally Vets veterinarians demonstrate this technique and let's see if we can stop the silent terminator.
