Abstract
Seventeen diseased Arabian camel calves (Camelus dromedarius), 1-3 months of age in addition to the 5 more apparently healthy calves have been involved in this study. The selected animals were admitted with varying clinical disease conditions, but all had general history of diarrhoea, inappetence and poor body conditions. Based on the results of clinical and laboratory examinations, the diarrhoeic calves were allotted into 2 groups; Group (1) involved calves with bacterial diarrhoea and respiratory manifestations, while group (2) included diarrhoeic calves because of protozoal infestations. Blood samples for complete blood counts and biochemical analysis were obtained from all diseased and healthy calves. In addition, rectal as well as nasal swabs and faecal samples were also obtained from the diseased calves and were subjected to bacteriological and parasitological examinations.
The most prominent clinical signs among diseased calves were profuse watery, yellowish diarrhoea with offensive smell, elevated rectal temperatures and respiratory distress, varying degrees of dehydration, poor body conditions and reluctant to suckling their dams. Bacteriological examination revealed that E. coli and Pioteus spp was the incriminated micro-organism causing diarrhoea and Staph. aureus was the causative agent of respiratory troubles in diseased calves of group (1), while parasitic examination indicated that Eimeria spp and Balantidium coli were responsible for diarrhoea in calves of group (2).
The obtained results of haemogram revealed significant increase in the mean values of total leucocytic counts and packed cell volume in diseased calves with either bacterial or parasitic diarrhoea if compared with their values in healthy control calves. Differential leucocytic counts showed varying patterns as in the diarrhoeic calves with E. coli and Proteus infections. There is neutrophilia, while those calves with parasitic diarrhoea had eosinophilia. Biochemical analysis of blood sera samples revealed significant elevation in the mean values of potassium and blood urea nitrogen with significant reduction in the mean values of total proteins, albumin, sodium and chloride in the diarrhoeic calves of both groups if compared with their values in the healthy control group. The diseased calves showed varying response to the treatment protocols with gradual improvement within 2 weeks.