Abstract   

    This study was carried out on 24 Nili-Ravi buffalo neonatal calves divided into four equal groups and maintained at Livestock Production Research Institute, Bahadurnagar, Okara. Diarrhoea was induced with oral administration of enteropathogenic E. coli in first three groups while the fourth group was kept as uninfected untreated control. Twenty four hours post-infection Ist group was treated with rehydration solution and kanamycin, 2nd group with kanamycin and the 3rd group with rehydration solution. Treatment continued till the recovery or maximum up to six days. Results obtained on clinical parameters indicated green to yellow white colour of diarrhoeic contents while consistency varied from watery to semisolid. Generally in treatment groups in about first two days, calves passed faeces around 6-10 times a day. This frequency became low in about further 2-4 days. During first 3-4 days of treatment all calves appeared weak, dull depressed, emaciated and dehydrated. Total erythrocyte counts, hemoglobin concentration packed cell volume was low in calves treated with rehydration solution + kanamycin as compared to other treatment and control group. Total leukocyte counts were high in calves treated with rehydration solution than other groups. Neutrophil and lymphocyte counts varied significantly (P<0.05) among all treatment and control group. Moderate to severe emaciation and dehydration was present in calves treated with only antibiotic but these changes were less prominent in calved treated with rehydration solution alone or in combination with antibiotic.

Key words: Buffalo neonatal calf diarrhoea, experimental trials, enteropathogenic E. coli, haematological studies.