Bovine Diseases

Shipping Fever Complex

• IBR- Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis ( rednose)

• P13- Parainfluenza Type 3• BSRV- Bovine Syncytial Respiratory Virus• +/- Pastuerella multocida ( bacterial infection

secondary to viral infection)

• Symptoms- Fever 103-105, duration 3-5 days- Loss of appetite- Dry hacking cough ( +/- tracheal reaction with

palpation)- Serous nasal/ocular discharge- +/- rhinitis/conjunctivitis

• Treatment- In uncomplicated cases, treatment is rarely

necessary• Transmission- aerosol, morbidity directly related to management techniques

• Prevention- vaccination, preconditioning program• Note: recovery from natural infection with

IBR/P13/BRSV results in lifelong immunity• Economic impact- Weight loss, decreased rate of gain/carcass devaluation

• Epidemiology- High ( 80%) rate of exposure/antibody

production- Morbidity 50-70%- Mortality <5%

Bovine Viral DiarrheaBVD

• Infection can result in immunosuppression, may be factor in susceptibility to other diseases

• Symptoms- mild, transient diarrhea, many subclinical- 80% of cattle >1yr have antibodies to BVD- High morbidity( 100%) low mortality (0%)- 1-2 % viremic for life, resevoirs of infection

BVD Mucosal disease

• Low morbidity (5-10%), high mortality ( 95-100%)

• Symptoms:- Excessive salivation/oral erosion- Oral mucosa has cooked appearance- Watery diarrhea with blood/mucus/sloughed

intestinal mucosa- Smells like parvo diarrhea

BVD continued

• Treatment – fluid replacement +/- antibiotics• Prevention- vaccination

Rotavirus/coronavirus

• Virus is ONLY in the intestinal tract, does not enter body

• Symptoms- profuse watery/yellow diarrhea +/- flecks of blood

• Treatment- fluid, electrolyte replacement

Rotavirus/coronavirus cont’

• Prevention- Sanitation at calving- Maternal vaccination pre-calving- Protection is dependent on the presence of

colostral antibodies in the lumen of the intestine. Serum antibodies are of no benefit as virus does not leave GI tract

- Stimulate calf’s immunity with oral vaccine at birth

Fluid management of diarrhea in calves

• Colostrum requirement 1 pint per 20 lbs of body weight within 1 hour of birth and repeat within 12 hours

• Maintenance milk requirement 10% of the calf’s body weight in milk or milk replacer/day

• Maintain 2 hour interval between milk feedings and oral electrolyte replacement requirements

Dehydration

• 5% dehydration: dehydration, no other clinical signs, calf nursing normally

• 7% dehydration: eyes slightly sunken, skin losing elasticity

• 9% dehydration: eyes sunken, gums tacky, calf depressed

• 12% dehydration: skin tents, calf recumbent, non-responsive

Dehydration cont’

• Multiply percentage of dehydration by weight of calf( in Kg ) to determine the number of liters of electrolyte solution required for replacement

• NOTE: replacement fluids are administered in addition to the calf’s maintenance requirement for milk

Infectious Bovine KeratitisPinkeye

• Bacteria: Moraxella bovis• Transmission- Flying insects- Solar radiation and environmental conditions

(dust) exacerbating factors• Symptoms- tearing, blepharospasm, photophobia- Corneal opacity

Pinkeye cont’

• Duration of symptoms- 3-5 weeks- Note: weaning weight may be decreased by

10% as a result of pinkeye infection• Treatment- Subconjunctival penicillin and dexamethasone- Eye patch

Pinkeye cont’

• Prevention- Insect control- Natural infection confers immunity for 12

months- Vaccine is available but of questionable

efficacy

Esophageal obstructionChoke

• Symptoms- excessive salivation (loss of bicarbonate>acidosis) dehydration

• Treatment- Relieve obstruction, sedation- Head position is critical to avoid aspiration pneumonia- Lavage/probing ( has corkscrew end to try and snag

obstruction)- Fluid/electrolyte replacement as necessary- Warning: symptoms of choke may resemble those of

rabies, always assume rabies first

Urethral Calculiwater belly

• Symptoms- Straining to urinate, urine dribbling- Ventral subcu edema/fluid accumulation ( post

urethral rupture)• Causes- early castration reduces urethral

diameter, stress at weaning, inadequate conditioning, environmental factors lack of water, frozen water tanks

• Treatment- urethrostomy at location of calculi

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

• Cause- solar radiation and unpigmented skin like in Hereford cattle

• Treatment- enucleation• Economic impact- cost of veterinary care and

carcass devaluation

Traumatic reticulitis/pericarditisHardware disease

• Incidence- cattle eating hay made from or grazing on field containing old rusting fences, baling wire, or in vicinity of a building that was torn down

• Symptoms- sharp drop in milk production, arched back, grunting when pressure is exerted on the xiphoid process

Hardware disease

• Treatment- rumen magnets, traumatic pericarditis may require surgery, rib resection and pericardial drainage

• Prevention- monitor quality of feeds and pasture

Rumenal tympanyBloat

• Incidence-- cattle turned out on lush pasture, frothy bloat- Cattle fed a diet with low roughages to

concentrate ratio, gas bloat• Symptoms- Distension of left flank, dyspnea, collapse,

sudden death- If untreated, death occurs within 3-4 hours of

onset of symptoms

Bloat

• Treatment- Surfactants administered via stomach tube- Trocharization of rumen- Rumenotomy• Prevention- Restrict access to new pasture- Feed hay before turning cattle out on new pasture- Prophylactic use of antifoaming agents

Clostridial diseases

• Anaerobic bacteria- Gas producing, toxin producing, spore

producing- Sensitive to penicillin - Unbiquitous in environment- Speciation variation in susceptibility

Clostridial diseases of cattle

• Cl chauvei- blackleg• Cl. Septicum- malignant edema• Cl. Novyi- Blacks disease• Cl. Hemolyticum- Redwater disease• Cl. Perfringen Type C- Hemorrhagic enteritisPrevention- vaccination

Leptospirosis

• Agent- spirochete• Transmission- organisms in urine of affected

animals, may be asymptomatic• Symptoms- Chronic infection, abortions, stillbirths, weak

calves- Acute infection, jaundice, fever, death

Lepto con’t

• Treatment- Acute infection, antibodies- Chronic infection, no treatment• Prevention- vaccination

Post parturient paresisMilk Fever

• Incidence- Usually within 72 hours of calving• Symptoms- unsteadiness, sternal recumbency with head

displaced to the side, intestinal stasis, loss of anal tone and death

Milk Fever Con’t

• Diagnosis- symptoms, interval post calving- Blood calcium levels 3-7 mg/dl ( normal 10

mg/dl)• Treatment – IV calcium• Prevention- Dry period nutrition- Calcium supplementation,

Displace Abomassum

• Abomassum becomes distended with gas and or fluid and shifts to an abnormal position between the rumen and left abdominal wall

• Incidence- occurs withing 2 weeks of calving, associated with high concentrate level in diet during dry period

• Diagnosis- abdominal percussion, ping sound• Treatment- roll cow, surgery

Ketosis

• Symptoms- inappetance, constipation, mucus covered feces, decreased milk production, breath has acetone odor

• Incidence- usually secondary to other disease• Diagnosis- ketonuria, ketonemia, ketones in

milk• Treatment- glucocorticoids, address

precipitating conditions

BrucellosisBang’s disease

• Brucella abortus• Symptoms- abortion, infertility, birth of weak

calves, enlarged, arthritic joints• Transmission- bacteria shed in milk, aborted

fetus, placenta or reproductive tract discharges

Brucellosis Control

• Brucellosis Eradication Program• Surveillance- Bulk milk tank screening with Brucellosis Ring

Test- Non milk producing animals tested at market

or slaughter with Brucellosis Card Test

Eradication program con’t

• Disease identification- Herd quarantined, movement to slaughter

only• Prevention- vaccination, strain 19, Strain RB51- Test all replacement animals, quarantine

before admission to general population

Johne’s disease

• Mycobacterium paratuberculosis• Symptoms- Chronic diarrhea- Weight loss, unthriftiness, emaciation• Transmission- Oral bacteria excreted in feces and milk including colostrum

Johnes Control

• Avoid feeding raw, unpasteurized milk• Do not permit offspring to nurse off infected dam• Maintain colostrum from Johne’s negative

females• Do not pool colostrum from multiple animals• Avoid manure contamination of feed

bunks/water troughs• Premise disinfection, chemicl tuberculoid• NOTE: will take 5+ years to eliminate Johne’s

ActinobacillosisWooden Tongue

• Normal inhabitant of the bovine mouth an rumen that Actinobacillosis lignieresii that enters wound in the mouth, especially the tongue

• Symptoms- inability to prehend food, excessive salivation, anorexia, tongue protrudes ( make sure not rabies)

• Treatment- sodium iodide 70 mg/kg IV repeat in 1 week

ActinomycesLumpy Jaw

• Caused by Actinomyces bovis which is a normal inhabitant of the bovine mouth which enters a wound

• Symptoms- hard immoveable painless mass on mandible and may cause loose teeth

• Treatment- sodium iodide 70 mg/kg IV or penicillin 10,000 U/kg in valuable animals BID, treat any fistulas tracts that develop