Publication Database

Field study on routine procedures for navel care in neonatal calves on dairy farms in Eastern Germany (2025)

Art

Vortrag

Autoren

Meier, Kim Kristin (WE 18)

Müller, Kerstin Elisabeth (WE 18)

Merle, Roswitha (WE 16)

Arndt, Heidi

Dachrodt, Linda

Hoedemaker, Martina

Kellermann, Laura

Knubben-Schweizer, Gabriela

Volkmann, Maria (WE 16)

Stock, Annegret (WE 18)

Kongress

XXIV Middle European Buiatrics Congress

Kosice (Slowakei), 07. – 10.05.2025

Quelle

Abstracts from XXIV Middle European Buiatrics Congress

— S. 39

Sprache

Englisch

Kontakt

Nutztierklinik

Königsweg 65
14163 Berlin
+49 30 838 62261
klauentierklinik@vetmed.fu-berlin.de

Abstract / Zusammenfassung

Objective: Evaluation of the impact of different ways of navel care on the occurrence of omphalitis in neonatal dairy calves in a field study in Eastern Germany. Material and methods: From December 2016 to July 2019, 196 dairy farms in Eastern Germany were visited on a single occasion. Overall, 1,967 calves aged between five and 21 days were clinically examined, including a thorough examination of the external umbilicus for signs of omphalitis (enlargement with or without heat, reddening or a pain response). In addition, information on animal health and farm management including the execution of navel care was obtained by interviewing the farm or herd manager. Causal diagrams were drawn, containing variables considering navel care (practice of navel care, preparation used, way of application, instillation of the preparation into the umbilical cord, first time of navel care, frequency of navel care, wearing gloves during navel care) as influence variables, „omphalitis“ as target variable and all potential confounder variables. Based on those causal diagrams multivariable statistical analyses were performed on animal level.
Results: One‑fourth of all calves examined showed signs of omphalitis (n = 525 calves, 26.7 %,). The risk for omphalitis increased 2.29 times if no navel care was performed compared to routine navel care after calving (in more than 90.0 % of the calvings). Instilling the preparation into the umbilical cord reduced the omphalitis risk 0.38 times compared to no navel care at all. Furthermore, wearing gloves during navel care increased the risk for omphalitis 1.34 times compared to not wearing gloves. A repeated application, however, decreased the omphalitis risk by 0.56 times compared to a single application. In the present study, neither the preparation administered, nor the way of administration or the time between birth and navel care had an impact on the occurrence of omphalitis.
Conclusions: Considering these results, routine navel care has a positive impact on the occurrence of omphalitis in neonatal dairy calves. Furthermore, different ways of navel care influence the omphalitis risk, as well. The application instructions (frequency, instillation into the umbilical cord), however, differ for varying iodine formulations. As the specific iodine formulations were not evaluated, the conclusion if positive effects are caused by the way of application or the formulation itself is difficult. Therefore, further investigations accompanying the actual formulation used and execution of navel care during the daily farm routine are necessary.