| Abstract: | In a high-capacity calf-house, twenty-one calves were subjected to repeated clinical and biochemical examination until they were 22 weeks old. For evaluating the health condition of the animals, the calves were divided into two groups, one including healthy animals and the other including those suffering from bronchopneumonia and diarrhoea as the most frequent disorders in high-capacity calf-houses. From four to eight weeks of age, both groups of calves showed low levels of plasma magnesium and iron. The levels of plasma zinc and copper showed a continuous decrease with age. Compared with the healthy calves, the animals affected by a disease had statistically significantly lower levels of plasma vitamins (A, E, C). Further, the diseased animals also showed statistically significantly decreased levels of plasma glucose, serum albumins, and a lower activity of alkaline phosphatase in plasma. In addition to this, the diseased animals also had significantly higher levels of plasma gamma-globulins and urea. These clinico-biochemical parameters can be used for determining the subclinical forms of disease, for objective diagnosis and for the introduction of preventive measures in high-capacity calf-house. |
