Pneumonia

[natmadaboutdexters]

Has anyone experienced any pneumonia in their calves this winter? I have a four month old and a seven month old both with coughs and runny noses. I have treated the four month old at the beginning of the week and he seems to have brightened up, he is eating silage and a few nuts and grooming himself plus still drinking from his mum. The seven month old I have just treated this morning as he had a runny nose, he just looked a bit mopey yesterday so I wasn't sure if he was ill or not! I just wondered if this cold, sunny weather and then rain and warm air is playing havoc with their immune system? The Dexters are in the same barn as they were housed in last year and I don't remember having any problems then.

Natasha Lewis

[Duncan MacIntyre]

Pneumonia in calves is a very unpredictable affair, but any of the viruses or bacteria causing it tend to survive much longer in more humid air - so damp weather, lack of ventilation and wet bedding tend to make it worse, as does the number of stock in the same airspace.

Setting all the theoretical stuff aside I do think that rapid changes of weather make for more outbreaks.

Duncan