Scours season can be challenging, and finding a sick calf in the shed is never the way anyone wants to start the day.
When scours appear, acting quickly is important, but treating without knowing the cause can lead to wasted time, unnecessary treatments and poorer outcomes for calves.
Several different pathogens can cause scours in young calves, and each may require a different management approach.
Common causes include:
Importantly, antibiotics are not effective against many of these pathogens, including Rotavirus, Cryptosporidium and Giardia.
Knowing exactly what you're dealing with helps you make better decisions about treatment, management and prevention.
The WITNESS® BoviD-5 test is a simple in-shed diagnostic tool designed to identify five common causes of calf scours.
Much like a rapid COVID test, it can provide results in around 10 minutes, helping farmers and veterinarians quickly determine the likely cause of disease.
The test screens for:
Using the test is straightforward:
No guesswork. No assumptions.
Early identification can help farmers make informed decisions around:
Testing early allows you and your veterinarian to respond appropriately and reduce the impact of scours on calf health and performance.
Benefits include:
✅ Faster diagnosis
✅ More targeted treatment plans
✅ Reduced unnecessary treatments
✅ Improved calf welfare
✅ Better disease management across the calf shed
If calf scours are a recurring challenge on your farm, talk to your Vetora veterinarian about incorporating rapid testing into your calf health programme.
Having a WITNESS® BoviD-5 test available in your calf kit can help identify problems sooner and support better treatment decisions throughout the season.
Test early, discuss the results with your veterinarian, and develop a treatment and prevention plan tailored to your farm.
