To evaluate the main clinical signs of bronchopneumonia in calves and determie the classification as moderate or severe form, 48 calves were divided in 3 groups: 10 clinically healthy animals (G1), 18 animals with moderate bronchopneumonia (G2) and 20 animals with severe bronchopneumonia (G3). The classification of these experimental groups was based on clinical characterization and confirmed by statistical Group Analysis. In the clinically healthy calves (G1), the results revealed absence of clinical signs of respiratory disease and low clinical score. The calves with bronchopneumonia were identified by the association of clinical signs showing pulmonary abnormalities. Cough and positive cough reflex, high corporal temperature and cardiac rate, abnormal tracheobronchial and bronchobronchiolar noises and interrupted inspiration were important in the bronchopneumonia diagnosis but did not differentiated the severe or moderate cases. High respiratory rate, dispnoea, signs of compact parenchyma, silence areas and crackles and whizzels were the most important signs to differentiate the clinical cases of bronchopneumonia.
bronchopneumonia; calves; clinical signs; respiratory sounds
