Cattle diseases: an overview of the most common diseases, causes, treatments

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Cattle diseases are an important topic of modern veterinary medicine. Conventionally, all pathologies are divided into infectious and non-infectious. The most dangerous are ailments belonging to the first class, especially those that can spread to humans. Infection of even one animal is associated with the risk of losing an impressive percentage of the entire livestock. If the disease is not contagious, it is relatively harmless to others, but can be fatal. Suspecting a disease in an individual, it is urgent to contact a veterinarian and take measures for treatment.

Infections

This kind of pathology can appear against the background of penetration into the body of a virulent virus, a pathological bacterium, a fungus. Infectious diseases of cattle are contagious and can easily spread within the herd. Infection of just one animal can cause the disease of the entire livestock that the farmer has - and this entails serious financial losses. Most often, infection leads to foot-and-mouth disease and smallpox. Alsocows can get tuberculosis, brucellosis. Infectious diseases include rabies, actinomycosis, leukemia.

Brucellosis

The name of the infectious disease of cattle was given by the pathogen - brucella. This bacterium is dangerous to animals and can be transmitted to humans. The reproductive organs are the first to suffer, and infection occurs if he althy and sick cattle come into contact, graze in the same territory, drink from the same source. The pathogen is able to enter the body through microscopic injuries of the skin, reproductive and respiratory organs, through the gastrointestinal tract.

The disease does not manifest itself immediately, the latent period reaches three weeks. Brucellosis can be indicated by spontaneous interruption of calf bearing, retention of the placenta, inflammation of the udder, endometritis. In bulls, testicles, prepuce become inflamed. Regardless of the sex of the animal, brucellosis can cause abscesses and joint diseases.

The therapeutic course involves the appointment of broad-spectrum antimicrobials. As a rule, medicines on levofloxacin are chosen, which quickly depress the vital activity of the pathogen. The veterinarian usually prescribes Lexoflon for a course of five days or more. Until the program is completed, and recovery is not confirmed, neither milk nor meat of a sick animal should be consumed. After the termination of the course, the individual is checked twice for infection. Permission to use the product is given if both tests give a negative result.

Rabies

This is the name of an acute viral bovine disease,disturbing the functionality of the nervous system. The preferred outcome is death. Wild animals and animals living with humans can get sick. All species are susceptible to this disease. Juveniles are more commonly infected. The disease can be transmitted to humans. A distinctive feature of the pathogen is thermolability. When the medium is heated to 60 degrees, destruction occurs in 5-10 minutes. At the same time, the pathogen is resistant to low temperatures. Under the influence of acidic environments, alkali is inactivated, shows resistance to iodine, phenol.

When rabies is considered among other diseases of cattle in veterinary medicine, attention must be paid to the high level of contagiousness. Infection usually comes from an infected individual: the virus can spread with saliva. Often, transmission occurs through a bite. The microflora can exist in the substance for up to 10 days. From the point of entry into the body, the pathogen enters the brain along the trunks of the nerves, infects the NS cells. The latent period lasts a day or several, occasionally - a month or more. Most often, the first symptoms can be noticed approximately 3-6 weeks after infection.

Features of the disease

Usually, animal rabies is a silent disease of cattle. A sick individual mooing hoarsely, saliva is actively secreted from it. The animal walks unsteadily, paralyzes the limbs, appetite changes. If the pathology develops violently, cows become aggressive, which becomes especially noticeable when dogs approach them. A sick animal tries to break free from the leash, can throw itself at the walls, roar hoarsely. Some have an inherent desire to dig the ground with their hooves.

To diagnose a disease, it is necessary to evaluate clinical manifestations, epizootological signs. There is no treatment for this bovine disease. The infected individual is isolated, a doctor is called. After death, an autopsy confirms infection with the causative agent of rabies. Prevention of cases involves the timely delivery of vaccines. Livestock should be protected from stray dogs. An animal that has bitten a person must be isolated and monitored for at least 30 days.

FMD

This term refers to a pathological condition provoked by an RNA-containing virus. Foot-and-mouth disease occurs when infected with an aphthovirus from the Picornaviridae family. After penetration into organic tissues, the pathogen accumulates in epithelial cells, which leads to the formation of aphthous foci. When diagnosing cattle disease, it is necessary to pay attention to the presence of bubbles filled with a specific liquid. By the time the maximum possible concentration is reached, the pathogen gets a chance to penetrate the circulatory system, which provokes a sharp deterioration in the condition of the individual.

FMD can be suspected by an increase in temperature (up to 41.5 degrees), loss of appetite, frothy, abundant saliva and smacking. Aphthae appear on the oral mucosa. They can be seen in the udder area, hoof gap, near the scrotum in a male animal.

Distinguish between benign and malignant forms of bovine disease. The first option assumes the absence of secondary infection, and a complete cure is possible in twoweeks. If the pathology is complicated, it will not be possible to avoid a fatal outcome. Risks are greatest for small calves three months of age and younger. Symptoms in young animals are more like gastroenteritis than foot and mouth disease, and the pathology does not lead to the formation of aphtha.

How to get rid of

When cattle diseases appear, their symptoms and signs should definitely cause anxiety in the owner of the animal. It is necessary to call a veterinarian for an accurate diagnosis. When confirming foot and mouth disease, a special serum should be used, due to which the body's ability to resist the harmful virus increases. Aphthae are regularly treated with furatsilin, potassium permanganate, synthomycin ointment. To prevent re-infection, it is reasonable to prescribe an antimicrobial course. The drugs are given in liquid form along with food. If a sick individual refuses to eat, flour mash should be injected directly into the gastrointestinal tract through a probe.

Paraflu

This cattle disease also belongs to the class of viral, belongs to the group of contagious. The respiratory system suffers first, it is here that the main violations associated with the introduction of the pathogen are localized. More often the disease is observed in young livestock - not younger than ten days of age, but not older than six months. The disease is provoked by a paramyxovirus, which is characterized by poor resistance to disinfectants. For inactivation, you can use alkaline, acid solutions, ether, chloroform.

Usually, infection occurs from a carrier of the virus or a sick individual. Transmission is by airborne droplets. Presumably, a sick cow can infect a calf through milk. There is no exact information about the impossibility of sexual spread of the virus. More often, pathology is observed in cold weather, against the background of severe stress, crowded habitat and the need for transportation.

Features of pathology

Parainfluenza is a common disease of young cattle, therefore it has been studied quite well. It was revealed that the incubation period usually lasts 24-30 hours, after which the symptoms of the disease are immediately noticeable: the nasal mucous membranes turn red, tears are released, the nose flows, breathing is disturbed. The sick animal is depressed, the body temperature is elevated, inflammation of the eye cornea is observed, coughing.

To clarify the diagnosis, it is necessary to take a smear, washout for laboratory analysis. Samples are obtained between the second and fifth days of illness. It is necessary to examine the blood plasma in the first three days. Symptoms of parainfluenza are similar to other respiratory diseases caused by viruses, so special care is required.

Having identified the disease in young cattle, it is necessary to immediately isolate the individual. This animal is supposed to be treated, the rest - vaccinated. The therapeutic course involves the introduction of a special serum, globulin, convalescents. They use antimicrobial drugs, agents from the group of nitrofurans, sulfonamides.

Prevention of parainfluenza is possible if you carefully observe sanitary, veterinary, technological measures, take care of livestock and keep it in good conditions, and regularly vaccinateyoung livestock. An ill animal cannot be re-infected in the future. Newborn animals with colostrum receive antibodies when fed if the cow has been vaccinated. It is recommended to vaccinate animals on the 5th-7th day of birth, when the antibodies obtained from the mother stop working.

Smallpox

This is a disease of cattle, provoked by several pathogens. Possible cowpox, swinepox and vaccinia. A distinctive feature is the formation of clearly defined papules on the outer integument, the central part of which is somewhat depressed. The disease is characterized by an acute course, fever, general poisoning of the body. Smallpox can be suspected if the animal does not eat, is weak, rashes of pinkish papules form on its lips, udder, near the nose, gradually changing to a darker shade. Formations gradually burst, exudate flows out, crusts appear. The animal often lies, and if it gets up, it spreads its legs wide when walking. Measurement of body temperature shows elevated rates. Often, the pathology is complicated by mastitis. To avoid this, milk is expressed regularly. If it is impossible to do this with your hands, you need to use a catheter.

The therapeutic course involves the treatment of all rashes with formalin or brilliant green. Stimulation of regeneration is possible when using boron or zinc ointment. Improving the immune status is provided by vitamin supplements to the main diet. To prevent secondary bacterial infection, antibiotics are prescribed on streptomycin, bicillin.

Toto prevent smallpox, it is necessary to vaccinate livestock in time. It is especially important to do this if there have already been cases in the area.

Tendon diseases and bruises

It is not uncommon for cattle to have diseases of the joints and tendons, as well as a variety of lifestyle-related injuries. Many have tendinitis, tendovaginitis. These are especially common when an individual receives an injury, wound, and also against the background of infection. The diseased area becomes thicker, swells, hurts. The animal limps, when touched, an elevated temperature is felt. The therapeutic course involves ensuring complete rest, applying a pressure bandage, cooling the area. If excess effusion accumulates, it is necessary to make punctures, treating the area with antiseptic solutions. In this case, wet compresses with ichthyol alcohol, camphor should be used. When the pain subsides, camphor oil is used for local massage.

Bruises are very common among diseases of the limbs of cattle. Of course, an animal can get such an injury in any part of the body, but it is the legs that are more likely to suffer. A bruise is a mechanical injury in which the skin remains intact. A bruise is possible upon contact with a hoof, a mechanism, a blunt object. An animal can receive this kind of damage during transportation. If the bruise is severe, tissues nearby may become inflamed. In addition, there is a risk of fracture. The affected area is hot to the touch, responds with pain, after a few days changes in the color of the skin are noticeable. First theybecome bluish black and then yellowish green. If the wound is deep, the animal may be febrile without infection.

The injured individual needs rest. The skin is treated with iodine, potassium permanganate. In case of severe damage, it is reasonable to use cold, apply a compress or a pressure bandage. Treatment is chosen by the veterinarian, focusing on the condition of the animal. Bruises can be prevented by keeping livestock in adequate conditions, dividing by sex and age, observing the basic rules of transportation.

Cattle pathologies: different parts of the body suffer

Claw diseases are quite common in cattle. All of them bring a lot of problems and anxiety to the animals, since walking becomes a source of pain, as well as being in a standing position. Quite often, the so-called strawberry disease develops, in which small reddish tubercles form at the base of the gap and on the diadem. When they infiltrate, laminitis is diagnosed. Perhaps the appearance of corolla phlegmon, in which the tissues become inflamed, purulent exudate is released.

Cattle hoof diseases include lameness. The term denotes a condition accompanied by an active growth of the stratum corneum. This is more characteristic of the period of prolonged stay in the stall. In inflammatory processes at the base of the hoof, aseptic pododermatitis is diagnosed.

To identify the problem, it is enough to carefully observe the behavior of the animal. A sick individual tends to lie down, limps when walking. Visual inspection shows swellingand an increase in joints, deformation of individual sections. It is possible to form foci of ulceration, abscesses, a purulent substance is released from the gap of the hoof. With such symptoms, you should not look for information with photos about cattle diseases in reference books and other sources. You should invite a veterinarian to make an accurate diagnosis and select an adequate treatment.

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is one of the invasive diseases of cattle. Koch's wand provokes the disease. When it penetrates into organic tissues, a starting focus is first formed, from where it gradually spreads further with the generation of multiple affected areas. Gradually, organic tissues in the area of implementation are destroyed. Forms vary greatly from case to case, depending on the localization of the pathogen. It is customary to talk about the pathology of the skeletal system, respiratory, intestinal tract and uterus. There is a possibility of a generalized variant, in which the bacillus penetrates the circulatory system and infects several organs at the same time.

The disease is not only transmitted between livestock within a herd, but can infect humans. Symptoms are not always expressed, in adult animals it can proceed secretly. Most often, the localization area is the lungs. A sick individual loses its appetite, becomes emaciated, suffers from shortness of breath. There may be a rise in temperature, but rather insignificant, as well as a cough. Lymph nodes become larger, lose mobility, and listening to the lungs reveals wheezing.

Other forms of TB

Other arealocalization of Koch's wand gives other manifestations. So, when the udder is infected, the back part and the lymph node grow above the organ. With intestinal, loose stools with inclusions of pus and blood are noticeable. The generalized form may be indicated by the growth of lymph nodes in different parts of the body, which respond with pain.

To confirm the diagnosis, it is necessary to put a tuberculin test. Normally, it is done to the whole herd. Veterinary recommendations contain an indication of the timing of injections. If a positive answer is determined, the individual is subject to slaughter. When an infected animal is detected, the farm goes into the category of unfavorable. The herd should be completely replaced, all objects related to the maintenance of animals should be disinfected.

Telasiasis

Pathology is provoked by telazia that infects the lacrimal glands and other parts of the eye. The intermediate owner of the nematode is the barn. Usually, infection with this disease of the eyes of cattle occurs during walking on pastures. The fly feeds on the secretions of the animal, while swallowing the larvae, which then accumulate in the head and move through the proboscis to the eye of the mammal. The duration of this stage of the life cycle reaches 11 months. Symptoms are most pronounced from July to September. The animal actively separates tears, the cornea becomes cloudy. A sick individual is afraid of light, suffers from conjunctivitis, keratitis. Possible formation of ulcers on the cornea. The duration of the active period of the disease reaches two months. At the same time, the sick animal cannot see.

For clarificationdiagnosis, it is necessary to take a washout of a substance obtained from the conjunctival sac for examination. Telaziosis is diagnosed when larvae, adult parasites are detected. Noticing the symptoms of the disease in cattle, it is shown to do deworming. When complicated by secondary infection, sulfonamides, antibiotics of the penicillin series are indicated. Deworming involves the use of a half-percent iodine solution, ichthyol emulsion, lysol made from fish oil, and a solution of boric acid. The drug is administered under the third eyelid in an amount of not more than three milliliters, after which the eyes of the individual are massaged. It is necessary to do three such procedures, keeping a gap of no more than three days between them.

To minimize the risk of disease, you should carry out regular preventive deworming and fight flies. Prevention of infection involves taking preventive measures before grazing, while cattle are kept in stalls.

Hepatitis

Among the non-communicable diseases of cattle, hepatitis is one of the most common. The term refers to diffuse inflammatory processes occurring in the liver. Pathology leads to hepatic hyperemia, tissue infiltration. Dystrophic processes, necrotic changes are initiated. Liver cells and other structural elements associated with them suffer. The disease manifests itself as signs of insufficiency of the functioning of the liver. Usually hepatitis occurs if an individual eats spoiled food, lupins, potato sprouts. Similar symptoms are possible when almond poisons enter the body. Lead tosome invasive pathologies can cause hepatitis.

Hepatitis is a non-contagious disease of cattle, which manifests itself as a decrease in appetite and general depression of the sick individual. The animal is thirsty, vomiting opens, fever occurs, breathing becomes frequent, a secret with blood inclusions is abundantly secreted from the nose, the mucous membranes become yellowish, the skin areas itch, the animal combs the areas to the blood, the urine becomes dark. The duration of the acute period reaches a month, after which the cattle recovers or dies. During the transition to the chronic form, hepatic cirrhosis begins, the organ becomes denser, the functions weaken. A blood test shows a high concentration of bilirubin.

When this internal non-contagious disease is detected, cattle must be transferred to a diet. Coarse fodder crops, carbohydrates are shown. It is necessary to inject a glucose solution into a vein, orally - magnesium sulfate. The therapeutic course involves the use of Urotropin, Karlovy Vary s alt.

Plague

A long-known, frightening many farmers, acute viral disease that affects livestock is the plague. Infection proceeds systemically, provokes a severe febrile state, catarrhal and hemorrhagic manifestations. On the mucous membranes, you can see areas of inflammation. The probability of death varies between 90-100%.

This cattle disease has a long history. The term "plague" was first used in 1710. It is derived from the Greek word for epidemic infection. Then the plague wasit was decided to name any diseases that caused significant damage. Even during the period of the Roman Empire, outbreaks of rinderpest were recorded. In Asia, this officially happened for the first time only in the fourth century. In European countries, the disease was especially widespread in the eighteenth century, as a result of hostilities and active trade between countries. First, the German and Dutch, English and Italian lands suffered, then the pathology spread to the Scandinavian powers. There was a place for this cattle disease in the history of almost all countries in Eurasia.

Quite strong outbreaks were observed until the third decade of the last century. The damage from them cannot be estimated, it is so great. Between the 60s and 80s of the nineteenth century, about 200 million individuals died in Europe alone. Outbreaks of the disease were regularly observed in Asia and the Far East.

Distribution and frequency

In our century, the plague appears most often in African and Asian states. Such cases are noted in countries where the maintenance of the virus is ensured by the population of wild fauna. According to information collected by the OIE, between 1976 and 1980, about 15 countries in Africa remained extremely unfavorable on the issue of plague, where outbreaks of diseases were noted every year. Most often this happened in Sudan.

Among Asian countries, plague is common in 12 countries, eight of which are in the Middle East. The most urgent problem for India and Kuwait.

To study the characteristics of the course of the disease, he althy individuals were infectedthe causative agent of the plague. Tests have shown: the duration of the latent period reaches a week. With natural infection, the interval varies from three days to two and a half weeks. The course is usually acute, somewhat less often - subacute, superacute. As a rule, first there is a fever, the fever persists for several days, in the morning there may be some relief. A sick individual emits a gnashing of teeth, ruffles the coat. The nose leather is dry, on the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, mouth, foci of inflammation are visible. You can see separate areas of redness, often near the gums, gradually formed nodules of gray and yellowish tint. The epithelium dies, forming a yellow cyst with a specific odor, the resulting ulcers are characterized by jagged edges. The animal saliva is abundantly separated, the eyes and nasal mucous membranes become inflamed, vaginitis is observed. At first, the character is serous, purulent discharge gradually appears.

Under stable unfavorable conditions, benign forms are more often observed due to residual immunity. The symptoms are rather weak, there are usually no foci of necrosis on the mucous membranes, there is a chance of a complete recovery. Lethal cases mainly occur in young animals, their frequency does not exceed 40%.