Scours Wreaks Havoc

Protect against the main causes of Scours

Scours, or diarrhea, is a common result of bacterial and viral infections in the lining of baby calves’ small intestines. Calves are especially vulnerable to disease because their young immune systems have not yet developed, and they face many stresses in the first few hours of life. In fact, infected calves can quickly infect other newborn calves in close proximity.

Scours can be caused by coronavirus, rotavirus, K99 E. coli bacteria or Clostridium perfringens Type C. With so much potential for infection, choosing the appropriate, broad-spectrum vaccine is essential.

Source: Tobey K. Preg-check and Protect with Scour Bos 9. Presentation given at Beef Producer Seminar: August 23, 2006.

Signs of Scours

Causes of unwanted heifer calf deaths

Scouring calves have moderate to severe diarrhea which leads to dehydration, depression and sometimes death. Some strains of scours are more prevalent in very young (0 – 7 days) calves, while others tend to appear later, up to 21 days or more after birth. Calves that manage to survive a scours outbreak are often weak and tend to underperform throughout their lives.

Source: 2007 National Animal Health monitoring system study.

Prevent Scours, Protect Profits

Prevention is essential to any herd health strategy. The combined effects of scours—death loss, treatment costs and poor performance—can add up to thousands of dollars in losses each year. Vaccinating with Scour Bos^® helps calves reach maximum lifetime value and contribute more profitably to the operation.

To learn more about scours prevention, visit our literature library.