Veterinarian View

contributed article by Dr. Vince Collison

COCCIDIOSIS IN CATTLE

We get asked many questions this time of year about vaccinating calves preweaning and processing newly purchased calves to feed out. In a previous article, I described the benefits of deworming at the time of vaccinating. Another parasite condition that needs to be considered in developing health protocols is coccidia.

Coccidia is caused by the Eimeria species and can cause issues in all ages of cattle. In addition, coccidia can occur in other ruminates species such as sheep and goats. The Eimeria species that affect sheep and goats are different than those that affect cattle, and it is important to note that it does not cross over to cattle and visa versa.

The typical symptom that one sees with coccidia in weaned calves is fresh blood in the manure, but any diarrhea in that age calf could be a symptom. Leading to this, there is a subclinical phase that can affect performance and make calves more susceptible to other diseases.

There are different things to think about relating to coccidia with each age group: 1) As it relates to weaned calves and cattle going into feed yards, we feel it is imperative to have control plans in place. This age of cattle is especially prone to coccidia, and any stresses can bring on clinical signs. Eimeria, the parasite that causes coccidia, is not sensitive to the typical de-wormers used at processing, and there are no vaccines for prevention. Thus, control is centered around prevention with feed medication and management. The main feed medications for the control of coccidia in this age of calves are decoquinate or amprolium. Lasalocid and monensin are also used by some to help to control coccidia. Sanitation and calf comfort are also crucial in controlling coccidia. Clinical signs can occur when large numbers of oocytes from Eimeria are ingested or anytime the calf’s immune system is suppressed. Even though coccidia is a gastrointestinal disease, it can lead to respiratory disease in this age of cattle. Even subclinical coccidiosis can contribute to respiratory disease. If cattle become clinical with coccidiosis, treatment with amprolium is most commonly used either via the feed or water. If individual animals need treatment, amprolium can be drenched as a solution for five days. Sulfa boluses can also be used for treatment on individual animals. When using amprolium, follow labeled directions for dose and time of treatment. It is a thiamine analog and can cause symptoms of polio if misused. Besides sanitation, fresh available water is one of the best management practices to implement. Some of the worse coccidia outbreaks I’ve seen followed that first hard freeze when the water source is frozen.

2) As it relates to newborn calves, most coccidia cases will not show up until the calf is 30 days of age. It takes this long for the Eimeria life cycle to damage the intestinal lining and cause symptoms. As with the older calves, control involves sanitation, prevention of overcrowding, and calf comfort. Implementing control with feed is more challenging with this age calf, but we have producers that have successfully hand-fed the calves in a creep area with an amprolium top-dressed on the feed.

3) As it relates to cows, they usually don’t show symptoms very often, but can still shed it in the manure. On occasion, a cow will have severe diarrhea that responds to treatment for coccidiosis. One of the larger concerns with cows is the contamination from their shedding when they are in dry lots and the calving areas. If feeding a mixed ration, control in the cows to reduce shedding can be achieved to some degree by feeding lasalocid with a TMR. In addition to controlling the shedding of Eimeria, this will also help the cow make more efficient use of the feed provided. This practice can benefit newborn calves by reducing environmental contamination in the calving and post-calving areas.

When planning preconditioning and processing protocols, we tend to focus on the vaccinations and deworming done in the chute. Consider coccidiosis management as an important part of your cattle’s overall disease control when planning your health programs. learn more collisionembryo.com

Dr. Vince Collison is co-owner of Collison Embryo | Collison Veterinary Services PAC in Rockwell City, Iowa.