title: The relationship between total protein in serum, glutaraldehyde coagulation test and disease in feedlot calves.
abstract: Serum from in all 249 calves were used to correlate the level of total protein (serum-Tp), gamma-globulin and the reaction of glutaraldehyde coagulation test (GCT) to each other. Further, of the 249 calves 219 were bled within two days after arrival to a feedlot and serum-Tp and GCT were related to subsequent diseases. The results revealed a close relationship between the three tests. Of the 219 calves 15% had a negative GCT (hypogammaglobulinemia) and 26% had a serum-Tp below 55 g/l. There was a significantly (p less than 0.001) higher disease frequency, 81%, in the GCT negative calves than in the GCT positive, 35%. Serum-Tp was significantly (p less than 0.001) higher in healthy compared to diseased calves. The mean values were 60.6, 57.2, 55.2 and 53.1 g/l for healthy calves, calves with respiratory disease, enteritis and both respiratory disease and enteritis respectively. Further, calves with a serum-Tp below 55 g/l developed disease earlier after arrival to the feedlot than those above this limit. It was concluded that both serum-Tp and GCT can be used in field investigation to identify calves predisposed to disease.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Larsson
mesh_terms: D000447:Aldehydes / Q000378:metabolism*; D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D001780:Blood Coagulation Tests; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004751:Enteritis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary; D005976:Glutaral / Q000378:metabolism*; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary; D005719:gamma-Globulins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000447:Aldehydes; D001798:Blood Proteins; D005719:gamma-Globulins; D005976:Glutaral