Straw is still ideal. I have encountered more problems with wood chips causing trauma to the navel area and they harbour more bacteria.
Navel infection (omphalophlebitis) can often become a chronic debilitating problem in newborn calves. Once infected, treatment is often long term and can be unrewarding.
The initial cause is bacteria invading the umbilical cord, resulting in infection right at the umbilical stump. The two arteries, two veins and urachus (duct leading from the fetal bladder) all can serve as a wick for infection to enter the calf’s body. Large abscesses are created in these areas, draining to the outside, or infection enters the bloodstream and often will localize in the joints. These infections become very difficult to treat. Blood supply is poor so most antibiotics don’t achieve high levels in the joints.
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Prevention is paramount to minimize the number of cases or decrease their severity. Four causes are:
1. Weak calves from prolonged calving or poor nutrition of the dam.
2. Poor hygiene (dirty calving areas and overhandling the navel when weighing).
3. Inadequate colostral intake (needs at least 1.5 to to 2 litres in first eight hours.
4. Navels ripping off short from backwards calves or with caesarian section birth.
When evaluating your own operation carefully look at these four causes.
Calving with contractions evident should result in a calf born in no longer than one-and-a-half to two hours. If not make sure she is assisted. Remember – a slow gentle pull with the cow’s contractions is far better and less damaging than rapidly pulling.
Make sure mineral status especially selenium and vitamins E and A is adequate for a pregnant cow in order that calves get up quick and suckle.
Proper bull selection, especially for heifers, minimizes birth weight resulting in livelier offspring.
Start clean
Start calving on a fresh area with bedding in an area which has not been used since last year. Straw is still ideal. I have encountered more problems with wood chips causing trauma to the navel area and they harbour more bacteria. Evaluate the source of bedding material, saving the very best for the calving season – the newborns deserve it.
Your maternity area, calf puller, chains, and sling should all be disinfected regularly. I see far too many pullers, especially the breech, badly contaminated, and producers using no gloves on obstetrical cases. This all serves as a source of contamination to the calf.
Producers, especially purebred ones who often weigh their calves shortly after birth, should be especially diligent on cleaning the sling. This area has much contact with the navel area. I’ve even had operators cut out a large circular area in the sling to prevent this contact. Another idea is to weigh to 24 hours of age when the umbilicus has started to dry somewhat. Some even use walk-on scales to avoid contact with the umbilicus.
Navel dipping
With disinfection arises the controversial topic of navel dipping. In our practice we don’t encourage it for several reasons.
Navels are often over-handled by unclean hands, resulting in further contamination.
Harsh disinfectants such as creolin or high concentrations of iodine can greatly inflame the area.
The disinfectant itself may become contaminated when wells such as teat dip containers are misused
Often calves are not treated until one day of age when any contamination would have already occurred, hence it’s futile.
Most veterinarians would not recommend any navel treatment at birth. In fact, it may even be harmful. Producers dipping who also have a low incidence of navel infection are probably looking after calf health, colostral intake and hygiene and most likely could stop with no consequences.
Difficult births
There is definitely an increased incidence of navel problems with backwards and caesarian calves. The umbilicus rips off abnormally short with these deliveries, exposing the area. If infection is anticipated, prophylactic long-acting antibiotics may be prescribed. With caesarian section calves we consciously make an effort to grab the umbilicus far away from the calf’s abdomen to facilitate it ripping off longer.
We also experience a higher incidence where calves are more likely to be cycled through a warm (above freezing) barn in early spring. The warm temperatures allow bacterial multiplication in the moist environment. These herds may receive long-lasting prophylactic antibiotics during this period. Consult your veterinarian as to what specific drugs they may recommend. Whatever drugs are recommended it generally needs to be for a longer period.
Ongoing care
Once the pain and fever have gone the infection is usually cleared. The scarred navel may remain enlarged for the rest of its life. Bull calves appear more susceptible as well since the prepuce is close, keeping the area moist from urine.
Even with all these precautions the odd navel infection may still result. Pulling off the old cord, if still present, to allow drainage cleansing and long-term antibiotics may prove successful. Anti-inflammatories may be used in conjunction with the antibiotics. If infected, the navel will appear swollen there may be discharge and the area is very painful to the touch. The calf will walk with an arched back and may not be suckling.
Surgery can be done in severe cases to remove the infected stalk especially when the infection moves internally towards the urinary bladder or liver. All purebred breeders should be cautious of any yearling bulls with a past history of navel problems as these infections may seed out into the internal secondary sex glands rendering them infertile.
Once healed the old umbilical stump will be enlarged hard but non painful and any treatment can be stopped.
I hope these suggestions will help you avoid most navel problems in this spring’s calf crop.
