Abstract
The aim of the research is to study the effect of Fitostim-1 on the clinical and physiological status of sucking calves affected with enteritis after its inclusion in a traditional treatment regimen. Holstein calves were divided into experimental and control groups of 12 animals each. Animals in the experimental group were given Fitostim-1, a supplement containing mead-owsweet extract and lactobacilli, daily in combination with Bovitab, Butastim, antibiotics, novocaine blockade, Ringer-Locke solution, or Amino-Solvo. Control calves were treated with similar medications but without Fiostim-1, which was replaced by Sacrolyte. The significance of the obtained results was assessed using the Student's t-test at P < 0.05. Hematological analysis of the calves after their recovery revealed that, compared to the control group, the erythrocytes and leukocytes in the animals of the experimental group exceeded the similar indicators of the control group by 8.0 and 19.6 %, respectively. The study of the leukogram revealed an increase in the number of band and segmented neutrophils in the calves of the experimental group by 50.0 and 11.0 % compared to the control. The study of blood biochemistry parameters revealed that the levels of alkaline phosphatase and urea in the blood of calves of the experimental group were lower than in the control by 25.3 and 34.7 %, respectively. The duration of treatment for calves of the experimental group was 3.38±0.12 days, while in the control group it was 4.16±0.30 days. Animals in the experimental group had a milder disease course than those in the control group, that was characterized by appetite restoration, the absence of polydipsia, and normalization of body temperature, pulse, respiration, and defecation on the second or third day of treatment. Average daily weight gain in calves in the experimental group exceeded that in the control group by 6.7 %, and total weight gain by 27.3 %.