Clinical, haematological and biochemical findings in milk-fed calves with chronic indigestion

The principal clinical signs in 59 milk-fed calves with chronic indigestion were general malaise and depression, poor appetite, poor body condition, dehydration, a dull and scaly hair coat, alopecia and clay-like faeces. All the calves had metabolic acidosis, which was associated with an inability to stand up in more than half of them. There were significant differences in the severity of acidosis between the calves that could stand and those that could not. Other signs in some of the calves were dehydration, leucocytosis, and increased activities of liver enzymes.