A million dairy heifers are reared on New Zealand farms each year, and raising healthy and productive animals is a process that begins as soon as calves arrive on the farm. Unfortunately, diarrhoea (scours) is common in new-born animals.
Scours has a variety of causes and leads to progressive dehydration, electrolyte loss and metabolic acidosis, which are potentially fatal1. And despite significant progress in understanding it, scours continues to be a major cause of economic loss to the industry2.
Oral rehydration serves as the backbone of treatment protocols for diarrhoea in neonatal calves2.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) states the development of oral rehydration therapy was one of the most significant advances in human medicine of the 20th century and in calves, DairyNZ recommends oral electrolytes as an easy and successful method for treating diarrhoea.
Novolyte is one of those oral electrolytes. Like all NZAgbiz products, it contains high-grade ingredients, and its formulation is based on solid scientific evidence and expert input.
NZAgbiz worked closely with Massey University’s Dr Kristina Mueller, Senior Veterinarian Dairy Cattle Health and Production, who perfected the Novolyte formulation. It contains key alkalinising agents to address severe metabolic acidosis, as well as essential ingredients to aid the rehydration of calves with neonatal diarrhoea while providing energy to help restore the function of damaged gut cells.
It also has the right concentrations1 of sodium required to correct dehydration and includes the recommended3 ratio of sugars and salts to maximise rehydration rates and boost energy.
The combination of ingredients makes up a readily dissolvable dry powder with good mixability.
It comes with an easy-to-use scoop and a re-usable zip tie to keep the product in optimum condition once opened.
1.Michell AR, Brooks HW, White DG, et al. The comparative effectiveness of three commercial oral solutions in correcting fluid, electrolyte and acid-base disturbances caused by calf diarrhoea. Br Vet J 1992; 148:507-22.
2.Smith G. Treatment of Calf Diarrohea: Oral Fluid Therapy. Vet Clin Food Anim 2009; 25:55-72.
3.Brooks HW, Hall GA, Wagstaff AJ, Michell AR. Detrimental; effects on villus form during conventional oral rehydration therapy for diarrhoea in calves; alleviation by a nutrient oral rehydration solution containing glutamine. Vet J. 1998;155(3):263-74.