Cattle are dear to the farm owner. Many cases of cattle disease go unnoticed because the farm one is unaware of the many diseases that affect cattle. Certain diseases spread rapidly and mortality rate is very high. Some diseases lie latent and appear and disappear
Cattle are dear to the farm owner. Many cases of cattle disease go unnoticed because the farm one is unaware of the many diseases that affect cattle. Certain diseases spread rapidly and mortality rate is very high. Some diseases lie latent and appear and disappear in intervals. Below are given details regarding common diseases affecting cattle. Cows are a farmer’s wealth. It is his livelihood. A farmer has to be aware of the common diseases in cattle. Awareness helps in prevention of diseases and helps the farmer to recognize symptoms.
Cattle are dear to the farm owner. Many cases of cattle disease go unnoticed because the farm one is unaware of the many diseases that affect cattle. Certain diseases spread rapidly and mortality rate is very high. Some diseases lie latent and appear and disappear in intervals. Below are given details regarding common diseases affecting cattle. Cows are a farmer’s wealth.
It is his livelihood. A farmer has to be aware of the common diseases in cattle. Awareness helps in prevention of diseases and helps the farmer to recognize symptoms.
1. Downer cow
This disease refers to the condition where the cow is unable to get up. The animal will have to be closely observed to find out the cause. The cause can be related to hypocalcemia, hypomagnesemia, tetanus, physical injury or rare disease. If the cow’s limbs are positioned behind the animal’s body, paralysis could be the reason. If the upper leg is positioned sideways, it could indicate adductor muscle break. Other causes like shock, fever and dehydration cannot be ruled out. The cow should be carefully examined and the temperature taken to determine the cause. Blood tests are usually taken to find out the cause. Symptoms include the inability to get up, fever, thrashing of legs while trying to rise, crawling and weakness. Treatment includes injections of calcium, helping the cow to rise, giving feed and water. Serious cases need veterinary treatment.
2. Cold cow
This disease affects cows in large numbers. The cause is not clear. The reason could be intake of carbohydrates or presence of mycotoxin and estrogen in pastures. The animal shows symptoms of being drunk. It cannot stand properly and has the tendency to fall. Other symptoms include cold skin, drop in milk, excessive manure bordering on diarrhea, weakness, loss of appetite and falling down. The quantity of milk drops so low that it is almost zero. The majority of the herd is affected. The only solution for ‘cold cow’ is to move the cows to different pasture. This syndrome is seen during spring time when pastures are thriving green.
3. Mad cow
The medical term for mad cow syndrome is bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The disease affects the cattle in a large scale. Humans who consume the meat of such infected animals are also affected. ‘Mad cow’ is a deadly disease. Cattle feed which includes poor quality feed and protein supplements which contain the bones of slaughtered animals are seen as a cause of this disease. The infected feed which contains the disease causing matter called ‘prion’ affects the brain of the animal and reduces it to a sponge like matter. Factory farming methods could also be seen as a cause. The symptoms include inability to walk straight, lack of coordination in movement, low energy, and drop in milk production, loss in weight, sensitiveness to sound and touch, drastic changes in behavior and hostility. Infected animals are slaughtered and their remains are destroyed completely.
Deficiency diseases in cattle can cause minor and major problems. The cattle should be given feed that contains proper amount of nutrients. Overdose can also create problems. Deficiency diseases can affect the milk output and fertility. Some of the common deficiency diseases in cattle are listed below.
1. Magnesium insufficiency
Magnesium is a mineral that plays an important role in metabolism. It helps in forming bones. Magnesium helps in the muscle’s neuromuscular activity. Though there are stored amounts of magnesium in the animal’s body, it is not fully utilized in terms of emergencies. There are two forms of magnesium deficiency diseases: - Lactation related tetany (indirect deficiency) and hypomagnesaemic tetany (direct deficiency).
The lactating cows often have low levels of magnesium in the body. When they graze on pastures high in nitrogen and potassium, there is high risk of tetany because the cows are unable to absorb magnesium. The symptoms include excess saliva, bellowing, staggering, convulsions, falling, froth and abrupt death. Calves which live solely on milk are at risk of magnesium deficiency because of high amount of calcium in the milk. Treatments are given in the form of magnesium injections.
2. Iod