Serum protein electrophoretic profile in diarrheic neonatal calves

Abstract

The electrophoretic profile of clinically healthy newborn calves and calves with neonatal diarrhea was compared. Blood samples were collected at 3 and 10 days of age from 11 calves that remained clinically healthy throughout the study period and 14 calves with diarrhea. A significant reduction in the gamma globulins was observed in the diarrheic calves that can be attributed to the transfer of serum immunoglobulins, to the intestinal lumen to counteract the infection. Moreover, a significant increase in the albumin was observed in this group between the sampling days that is mainly attributed to the relative reduction of the gamma globulin fraction.