Survey of critical clinco pathological values in relation to neonatal diseases in native calves

In all, 256 neonatal calves 196 (76.5%) ill and 60 (23.5%) normal up to one month of age, from 3 organized dairy farms from Jeonbuk province in Korea were investigated during the period from September 1998 to August 1999. The mean (±SD) serum IgG, globulin, protein, glucose and plasma protein were significantly (P<0.05) lower while plasma fibrinogen, A/G ratio and total leukocyte count were significantly (P<0.05) higher in calves died due to critical illness during neonatal period of up to one month of age. The most frequent ailments affecting calves were gastrointestinal diseases (57%) followed by mixed infections of respiratory and gastrointestinal tract (17.6%). Routine monitoring of critical clinico-pathological values may be an effective biochemical approach for an early diagnosis and timely treatment of neonatal diseases to increase calf survival rates.