Haematological and blood biochemical alterations associated with respiratory disease in calves

Abstract

Respiratory diseases of cattle, particularly in young animals, represent the most important health and economic problem of cattle rearing. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the changes of selected blood indices in 25 calves aged 2–9 months suffering from etiologically undifferentiated chronic respiratory diseases. Blood samples were analysed for haematological indices and selected serum biochemistry variables. The results found in sick animals were compared with results from 25 healthy animals of the same age, housing and feeding system. Significant differences in means between the groups of clinically healthy and sick calves were found in 13 out of 24 evaluated indicators. In sick animals we found significantly higher mean concentrations of haemoglobin and total number of white blood cells (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively), as well as higher mean activity of AST and LDH (P < 0.01), concentrations of total proteins and total immunoglobulins (P < 0.001). Significantly lower mean values were recorded in the serum concentrations of albumin, creatinine and glucose (P < 0.001), as well as in the concentration of Mg (P < 0.01), P (P < 0.001), Fe and Zn (P < 0.05). The presented results suggest the effect of respiratory diseases in calves on several changes of haematological and selected serum biochemical indicators. They indicate that respiratory diseases did not lead only to direct disturbance of gas exchange and acid-base balance, but they also indirectly affect some other variables of blood biochemistry.