Affects calves under three months of age; the causative agent is Fusobacterium necrophorum, a bacterium associated with unsanitary conditions. In calves older than three months, it can cause laryngitis, while in adult animals it can lead to interdigital infections and liver abscesses.
3-week-old Holstein calf: initial symptoms include cheek swelling, hypersalivation, and the presence of ulcers under the tongue and on the oral mucosa.
If left untreated, this can progress to hyperthermia, difficulty swallowing, coughing, labored breathing, depression, poor appetite, and pneumonia.
