Normal calf and cow body temperature and reasons for the increase
Body temperature is a criterion by which one can judge the health of an animal. Normal indicates that there are no pathological changes in the body, an increase or decrease - about an onset disease or pathological condition. Consider what the body temperature of a cow, an adult and a calf is, why it changes, how to measure it, and how to bring it back to normal.
Body temperature of cows
They differ in adult animals and calves. In young animals they change with age, in cows and bulls they stabilize.
In adult animals
The normal temperature for cattle is 37.5-39 ˚С. Slight deviations upward or downward are allowed, which are explained by the individual characteristics of the organism. You can measure the temperature of a cow using a veterinary thermometer.
| Animal age | Temperature |
| 1 year and older | 37.5-39 ˚С |
Calves
The body temperature readings of young calves differ from those of adult animals. They also vary depending on the age of the calf. After calving, the temperature may drop as the calf dries.
| Calf age | Temperature |
| 2-6 weeks | 38.5-41 ° C |
| Up to 2 months | up to 40.2 ° С |
| Up to 1 year | up to 40 ° С |
Deviations of 1 ° C or more may indicate the development of a pathological process.
Possible reasons for the increase
The temperature can rise due to diseases, infectious and other diseases, poisoning. In cows that have given birth, its rise can be observed due to complications after calving. Promotion may be due to poor animal care.
Poisoning
Cows have a poor taste of food, so they can eat plants and foods that are poisonous to them. An increase in normal temperature is one of the signs of poisoning, along with diarrhea, depression, behavioral changes, and decreased physical activity. After the poisoning is detected, you should immediately contact your veterinarian. An animal can die from the poison within a few hours.
Poor nutrition
Raising can cause poor, poor quality feed fed to cows. Bacteria and fungi enter the cattle organism, the toxins of which provoke a rise in temperature. Digestive upset is also observed, but the death of animals usually does not occur.
The reaction in the form of an increase in heat release in cows may be due to the introduction of unfamiliar feed or additives into the diet, due to stress during transportation, or violation of the walking regime.
Diseases
Infections that have entered the body, bacteria and viruses, become the causative agents of dangerous diseases. Temperature rises as a result of the body's immune response to inflammation. Diseases in which this occurs: leukemia, leptospirosis, pneumonia, brucellosis, foot and mouth disease, plague.
Complications after calving
Postpartum illness can also be the cause of this reaction of the body. This is often a symptom of endometritis, paresis, or mastitis. These are serious diseases that can lead to complications and even death of the animal.
Hyperthermia is explained by trauma to the birth canal and inflammation that arose after childbirth, the retention of the placenta.
Mastitis develops in milking animals, the inflammation is concentrated in the udder, but the temperature can rise throughout the body. The reason is streptococci and staphylococci that enter the open milk channels.
Reasons for a drop in temperature
The causes of hypothermia, or a drop in body temperature, can vary in cows. This can be hypothermia (a decrease is recorded once), weakening as a result of severe pathologies. Decrease can be caused by dehydration, enteritis, severe blood loss.
To establish why the cow's temperature dropped, it is necessary to find out whether it was exposed to hypothermia, whether he had diseases or conditions characterized by a decrease in the level of thermoregulation. You can determine the degree of hypothermia by symptoms:
- mild - drowsiness, tremors, weakness;
- moderate - bradycardia, hypotension, a decrease in the frequency of respiration and its depth, stunnedness, muscle rigidity;
- strong - dilated pupils, coma, respiratory depression, slowing of heart activity.
Hypothermia associated with inhibition of the central nervous system should be differentiated from hypoglycemia, tumor diseases, imbalance in water and mineral balance, and brain pathologies.
How to shoot down
After establishing the reasons for the development of hyperthermia, you can begin treatment. Cows are prescribed antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, antipyretics, vitamins, and a lot of water.
However, trying to eliminate hyperthermia, one must remember that the cause should be eliminated, not the consequences.
In addition, lowering the temperature can make it worse, because the rise in temperature is a protective function of the body, with which it tries to fight viruses and bacteria. Therefore, it is possible to bring down the temperature only after the veterinarian has established a diagnosis and prescribed treatment. The duration and intensity of therapy is determined by the doctor based on the current state of the animal.
How to measure temperature
Various instruments are used to measure. They are used both in veterinary clinics and at home. One of the common methods is to insert a thermometer into the rectum. Thermometers can be mercury or electronic. Despite the higher cost, the electronic form makes measurements more accurate, moreover, it is safe for humans and animals.
The measurement process can be divided into stages:
- disinfection of tools - wiping with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol;
- lubrication with petroleum jelly or other means to facilitate insertion into the rectum;
- insertion of the device 2-3 cm into the intestinal cavity.
To measure, the thermometer is kept in the cow's body for 6-8 minutes. - mercury and 1 min. - electronic. After the end of the procedure, the instrument is cleaned in soapy water and again disinfected with alcohol. The anal area of the cow is treated with an antiseptic.When measuring, remember that some animals are nervous during the procedure and may be aggressive. Therefore, it is necessary to work with cows, adhering to safety measures.
During treatment, measurements can be taken up to 3-4 times a day until the animal recovers. After its completion, you can measure 1-2 times a day for 2-3 weeks. This is necessary to prevent the likelihood of a relapse of the pathology.
If the body temperature of cattle is normal, the animal is healthy. If there are deviations up or down, this is a signal that pathological changes are taking place in the body of livestock, and it needs treatment. This is why measuring and monitoring this bodily function is so important. Sometimes the life of a cow or calf depends on the timeliness of the treatment.
