Clinical, hematological and some biochemical alterations during diarrhea in Friesian calves naturally infected with and .

Background: This study aimed to assess the clinical and hemato-biochemical changes associated with diarrhea in and pathogens in Friesian bovine calves less than one month old as well as to examine the relationship between Vit D and cardiac biomarkers.

Results: The study was carried out on 43 Friesian calves from a private farm in , 33 diarrheic calves aged 1-14 days with an average body weight 43.7 ± 1.2 kg, and 10 apparently healthy calves were kept as a control group to investigate the clinical and hemato-biochemical profiles. and pathogens were isolated from the diarrheic calves where 76% were and 24% were . Diarrheic calves showed signs of anorexia, weakness, dullness, staggering gait, pale mucous membranes with sunken eyes and dehydration. Analysis of clinical and hemato-biochemical profile of the diarrheic calves revealed significant increase in body temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, white blood cells, neutrophils, serum potassium, urea, creatinine, ALT, AST, cardiac NT-proBNP and cardiac troponin I with significant decrease in hemoglobin, packed cell volume, erythrocytes, serum Vit D, sodium, glucose, total protein and albumin concentrations.

Conclusions: It could be concluded that bacterial diarrhea has a severe negative impact on the clinical and hemato-biochemical profile of the neonatal calves with diarrhea. Serum cardiac biomarkers such as cardiac troponin I (cTn-I) and NT-proBNP were significantly higher in neonatal calves with diarrhea, and there is an important relationship between cardiac biomarkers and vitamin D levels.