A clinically rare occurrence of rectal mucosal prolapse associated with tenesmus in a calf caused by Eimeria sp

Eimeria sp. is a host-specific intracellular parasite that mostly affects young animals. This parasite causes great economic losses in livestock sector. A 6 weeks old calf was brought to Referral Veterinary Polyclinic, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar with the history of inappetance and passage of foul smelling diarrhoeic feces rich in occult blood and mucous for the last 3 days. On clinical examination, calf was found to be present in lateral recumbency and showed severe tenesmus, prolapsed rectal mucosa along with small quantity of blood mixed feces sticking to the perineum and tail regions. Diagnosis was done based on clinical observations and fecal examination which showed oocysts of Eimeria sp. The prolapsed rectal mucosa was corrected aseptically by manual procedure. The calf was treated with a combination of sulfadimidine and amprolium along with supportive therapy. The calf recovered clinically after 5 days of therapy and further fecal examination showed no evidence of oocysts of Eimeria sp.