If you have dealt with calf scour in the past, you can be certain that you were also in a fight against acidosis.

One of the most dangerous consequences of calf scour is acidosis, a lesser-known condition characterised by a low pH level in blood.

Calf scour is uniquely associated with acidosis and is the main reason traditional electrolyte treatments are too slow to act or fail altogether.

As farmers, you fully understand that diarrhoea in calves results in loss of fluids and electrolytes. However, during the disease process two additional events occur making it much worse.

First is the significant loss of sodium, and second is the production of unwanted biological acids. Combined, these events result in a large drop in blood pH, regardless of the cause of the scour.

The signs of acidosis in your scouring calves begin with weakness, the calf becomes reluctant to move or stand, they take on a dazed appearance, and their appetite reduces to the point where they no longer drink.

If left untreated, coma and death follow rapidly.

If calf scour is three problems in one - acidosis, electrolyte loss and dehydration - what is the best solution to fix all three?

Based on years of research, a new generation of oral electrolyte and buffering solution was developed. Vitalife for Calves was designed to be the fastest-acting electrolyte available and to tackle acidosis in the strongest way possible.

It was subsequently evaluated at Teagasc Moorepark to assess its efficacy. In this trial, blood of scour calves was examined before treatment with Vitalife for Calves, and again after.

The results were clear; 24 hours after treatment, blood components, including blood pH, returned to normal values, strong ions were rebalanced, and the full health of the calf was restored, as shown in table below.

Using two doses of Vitalife for Calves, 98% of calves tested made a full recovery within 24 hours, as demonstrated with a big shift towards full clinical health, as seen in table below.

Vitalife for Calves is a unique kind of electrolyte with a superb capacity to neutralise blood pH and balance strong electrolytes.

Owing to its chemical strength and its high strong ion difference, it can correct acidosis and rebalance electrolytes fast.

Because of the fast recovery, calves don’t suffer from long-term negative effects, such as weight loss.

Irish farmers who have been using Vitalife for Calves will confirm the fast and efficient treatment of calves with scour.

The updated formulation enables feeding Vitalife with milk if the calf is able to drink, and utilising the strongest dose with water only for those calves that don’t.

Preventing calf scour through good colostrum management, hygiene, and vaccination is sometimes not enough. When outbreaks occur, rest in the knowledge that Vitalife for Calves is the strongest electrolyte in the world.