Animal feed supplement BILANTUL REHIDRA

cattlefor pigspoultry

Description
Transport, weaning, the post-calving period, heat stress and scours all have one thing in common: the animal loses fluid and electrolytes faster than it can replace them. And what decides recovery is not water alone, but restoring the electrolyte and acid-base balance.
Bilantul Rehidra is a complementary dietetic feed for the maintenance of water and electrolyte balance, supplied as a soluble powder, for cattle, sheep and pigs in all production categories. It restores that balance quickly and rehydrates the digestive and respiratory mucosa, helping them recover their barrier function against pathogens.
Oral rehydration is the first-line tool in the management of neonatal diarrhoea: correcting dehydration and metabolic acidosis is what determines recovery, whereas the routine use of antibiotics is not indicated in uncomplicated cases (Constable, 2004; Smith, 2009). Bilantul Rehidra therefore fits into the farm's antibiotic reduction programmes.

Target species and production stages

• Cattle: milk-fed calves, feeder calves, dairy cows and suckler cows.
• Sheep: suckling lambs and feedlot lambs.
• Pigs: suckling piglets and breeding sows.

Directions for use
Preparation: 30 g of product per litre of drinking water. For young animals, prepare with lukewarm water (approx. 30 °C).
The dose depends on the percentage of fluid loss: 1 litre of solution per kilo of bodyweight lost. Field example: a calf leaving the source farm at 46 kg and arriving at the feedlot at 40 kg has lost 6 kg, which corresponds to 4 feeds of 1.5 L.

• Milk-fed calves: 4 feeds of 1.5 L as a preventive protocol. During lactation scours, 2 L per feed given at midday, so it does not coincide with the milk feed.
• Feeder calves: dehydration of 5 to 10 % of bodyweight depending on transport time and season, which means 10 to 20 L per animal.
• Suckling lambs and piglets: during lactation scours, offer the solution ad libitum until the symptoms subside.
• Dairy cows and suckler cows: 40 L per animal after calving.
• Breeding sows: 10 L per sow after farrowing.

Practical points on farm: the first feed is given on arrival at the unit, before the animals come into contact with the rest of the group. Milk replacer must not be given while the rehydration solution is being administered; it is not a problem if calves or lambs do not take milk during their first days after arrival. After the feed, do not offer drinking water for two hours, so the solution is not diluted and absorption is not compromised. Period of use: one to three days when it constitutes the sole feed.

Composition and analytical constituents
Composition: dextrose, sodium chloride, potassium chloride and sodium bicarbonate.
Additives (per kg): technological additives, silicic acid (E551a) 21,670 mg/kg. Sensory additives, neohesperidine dihydrochalcone (2b959) 660 mg/kg.
Analytical constituents: sodium 1,774 meq/kg. Potassium 442 meq/kg. Chlorides 1,825 meq/kg. Glucose 4,576 mmol/kg. Crude protein, crude fibre, crude oils and fats, crude ash, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, lysine and methionine: below 0.1 % in all cases.
Physical and chemical properties: white powder with a sweet odour. Moisture 10.0 % or less. Density 0.75 ± 0.5 g/ml.
How the formulation works: the glucose-to-sodium ratio is what drives the intestinal co-transport of sodium and water on which all oral rehydration is based; without available glucose, sodium is not absorbed efficiently and water is not retained. Sodium bicarbonate provides alkalinising capacity against the metabolic acidosis that accompanies dehydration, and potassium chloride covers potassium losses, which are particularly relevant in prolonged scours.

Safety and compatibility
No withdrawal period for meat or milk.
By its nature, food-grade sugars and mineral salts with no pharmacologically active substances, Bilantul Rehidra does not interfere with veterinary treatments or vaccination programmes, and can be integrated into routine farm management. It does not replace the judgement of the attending veterinarian: in scours with systemic involvement, oral fluid therapy must be combined with clinical assessment of the animal.

Logistics
Pack sizes: 1 kg bag (box of 8 units), 3 kg bucket and 25 kg sack. Shelf life: 12 months from the date of manufacture. Once opened, use within 15 days. Storage: cool, dry place away from heat sources, container tightly closed. The product is highly sensitive to moisture.

Regulatory framework
Category: complementary dietetic feed. Registration number: ESP45000371. Manufactured and marketed by Agroalimentaria Manchega de Biotecnologia, S.L. (AMBiotec), Toledo (Spain). Management systems: FAMI-QS, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. Formulation developed at AMBiotec's own R&D laboratory, which analyses raw materials, feed, water and faeces as part of its technical service to the farm.

References
Constable, P. D. (2004). Antimicrobial use in the treatment of calf diarrhea. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 18(1), 8-17.
Smith, G. W. (2009). Treatment of calf diarrhea: oral fluid therapy. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice, 25(1), 55-72.