Calf health and antimicrobial use in Swiss dairy herds: Management, prevalence and treatment of calf diseases

Fifty-two dairy herds in the canton Fribourg were included during one winter in a study on calf management, prevalence and treatments of calf diseases. Colostrum management was optimal in 46.2% of the herds only, and 51.3% of the calves had been sick at least once during the observation period. The most commonly observed diseases included respiratory disease (57.5%), diarrhea (32.8%) and umbilical disease (5.7%). Cases of pneumonia were treated with antimicrobials first by the farmers in 65.4% of the herds. Calf diarrhea was treated with antimicrobial drugs by 57.7% of the farmers. Fluorochinolones were used in 47% of all parenteral treatments and oral antimicrobial drugs included macrolides in 11% of the cases. These results provide information on calf management, calf health and treatment strategies in an area where dairying is the most important sector of the farming industry. They show clearly that the farmers are not sufficiently informed about the use of critically important antimicrobial drugs and about the etiology of calf diarrhea. Improvements in colostrum management and treatment strategies are urgently needed.