Hematologic values in newborn beef calves

Abstract

Summary Hematologic values were determined in 35 beef calves at birth, at 24 and 48 hours, and in 22 of these calves at 3 weeks after birth. Thirty calves did not have clinical signs of disease throughout the 3-week period. Variables that changed significantly over time in these healthy calves included hematocrit, rbc count, hemoglobin concentration, mean cell volume, mean cell hemoglobin concentration, wbc count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and plasma total protein and serum immunoglobulin concentrations. Of the 35 calves, 5 had clinical signs of disease at 3 weeks. Comparison of hematologic values from these calves with values for healthy calves revealed significant differences at each sample collection time, although disease was not evident at the 3 early sample times. The band neutrophil count and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio differed between the 2 groups at birth. At 24 hours, the monocyte count was higher in the 5 ill calves. At 48 hours, total leukocyte, mature neutrophil, and monocyte counts, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio also were higher in the 5 calves. At 3 weeks when clinical signs of disease were detectable in the 5 calves, the total leukocyte, band neutrophil, and mature neutrophil counts, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and plasma total protein and fibrinogen concentrations were higher. When calves were grouped and compared at each sample collection time on the basis of sex (male vs female) and meconium staining at delivery (no staining vs staining), significant differences in hematologic values were not observed between groups. When calves were grouped on the basis of delivery assistance (assistance vs no assistance), hematocrit, rbc count, and hemoglobin concentration were significantly lower in delivery-assisted calves during the first 48 hours of life.