The umbilical cord of a newborn calf is a “highway directly to the liver,” according to Taylor Engle, DVM, MS, with Four Star Veterinary Service, LLC, Dayton, Ohio.
It’s a powerful metaphor to explain why new-life navel care is so critical for calves. “If an infection translocases to the liver through the umbilical cord, it can then be dispersed to the blood, organs, and joints, and the animal become septic,” Engle shared. “At that point, it’s very hard to reverse.”
Hayley Springer, DVM, PhD, Veterinary Medical Field Officer for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, said proper navel care expands beyond the basic navel dip.
In a bulletin from Penn State Dairy Extension, Springer noted the umbilical cord – a vital structure before calves are born – is essentially useless, and even a liability, after birth.
Springer said umbilical cord dipping is just the first step in shutting down the potential infective pathway provided by the fresh navel. Her comprehensive advice for effective navel care includes:
- Use the right dip – The navel dip of choice is 7% tincture of iodine, which serves to not only disinfect the navel, but also dries out and promotes healing of the umbilical cord. Because this product is sometimes difficult to acquire, subbing it with an iodine-based teat dip might seem like a logical decision. “But remember that teat dips are designed to keep teat skin soft and supple, while navel dips are designed to dry out the umbilical tissue,” she shared. “Those opposing goals make teat dips a poor choice for proper navel care.”
- Dip with discretion – Dipping, versus spraying, provides better coverage of navel tissue. Springer advises using bathroom-sized disposable paper cups for dipping, versus a reusable dipper that can easily become contaminated and spread bacteria. She said dipping should be done as soon as the calf is breathing after delivery. “Get all of the calf’s umbilical tissue into the cup, hold it against the calf’s belly, and give it a good shake,” she advised.
- Don’t forget about bedding – While dipping is important, so too is the environment into which newborn calves enter the world. Exposure to harmful bacterial pathogens can be minimized by making sure calves are born into a maternity area covered in clean, dry bedding – either wood shavings or straw, depending on the season.
- Colostrum, colostrum, colostrum – Like nearly everything in a young calf’s life, Springer said navel care and the disease prevention it confers is dependent on the vital and timely delivery of high-quality colostrum to every calf.
- Set up a navel-checking protocol – Excellent navel care and maternity-pen cleanliness should help promote navel health, but infections can still sometimes occur. Springer suggested checking the navel of every calf twice within the first 10-14 days of life. “By one week of age, the calf’s navel should be about the size of your thumb,” she noted. An infection might be present if the navel is larger than that; has a thick, white, foul-smelling discharge; or if the calf shows pain-induced behaviors like tucking up its belly or kicking when its navel is touched or gently squeezed.
Veterinarian-advised treatment should be started as soon as a navel infection is detected. Outcomes are much better when cases are detected and treated early. Prompt treatment is best to help avoid the respiratory disease, joint ill, and potential hernias that can occur
Engle recommends a similar navel-check protocol for calves relocated to custom-rearing facilities. “Every navel should be inspected on arrival, and infected ones treated immediately,” he stated. “And remember that infections can develop later, so a protocol should be in place to re-check navels several times during the first week after arrival.”
This video from Cornell Cooperative Extension provides an excellent overview of proper navel dipping that can be useful for worker training to support good navel care.
