Recognizing and Managing Common
Health Problems of Beef Cattle
Floron C. Faries, Jr., DVM, MS
Professor and Extension Program Leader for Veterinary Medicine
Texas AgriLife Extension Service
Texas A&M System
“My cows’ eyes are cloudy and runny.”
 Pink Eye
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Bacterial disease

Ulcer develops

Cornea becomes cloudy
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Immediate treatment

Isolation of infected cattle
 IBR Virus Eye (Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis)

Viral disease

May develop cloudy cornea

No ulceration

Isolation of affected animals

Vaccination of the whole herd
 Cancer Eye (Squamous Cell Carcinoma)

Smooth plaques on the eyeball
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Ulcer or horn lesions on the eyelids
 Photo Eye (Photosensitization)

Hypersensitivity to sunlight

Cloudiness of the cornea

Protection from sunlight
“My calves have areas of hair loss
with skin lesions.”
 Ringworm Fungus (Dermatophytosis)

Fungus infection

Direct contact to calves

Circumscribed grayish lesions

Located on the face and neck

Calves should be separated and treated
 Warts (Papillomatosis)
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Papilloma virus

Transmitted to calves by direct contact

Cauliflower-type growths
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Calves with warts should be isolated

Warts dry and sluff
“Every winter my cows rub their
heads, necks and shoulders”
 Horn Fly Allergy (Allergic Dermatitis)

Skin allergy to saliva

Itch sensation

Cattle rub from December through March

Hair coat becomes sparse

Reduce the horn fly population
“I have occasionally a cow or a bull
crippled on one foot.”
 Foot Crack (Web Tear)

Web of skin between the toes deeply cracked

Damaged tissue must heal inside out

Confined for a few weeks
 Foot Rot (Necrotic Pododermatitis)

Draining infection with a foul odor

Hot, swollen and painful foot

Bacteria in manure mixed with mud
 Corn (Interdigital Hyperplasia)

Vertical mass of skin growth

Web of skin between the toes
“One of my cows coughs, protrudes her tongue and
breathes with her mouth open.”
 Infectious Lung Disease (Pneumonia)
 Several viruses in concert with various bacteria



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IBR-PI3-BVD-BRSV
Pasteurella
Haemophilus
Mycoplasma

Predisposing stress factors

Isolated for treatment

Vaccination plan for whole herd
 Fog Fever (Pulmonary Emphysema and Edema)

Fever is not present

Toxic reaction in the lungs

Lush, green grass in spring or fall

Handled with caution

Cowherd should be moved from the lush pasture
“My calves have a runny, snotty nose.”
 Runny, Snotty Nose (Sinusitis)

Extreme hot or cold temperatures

Windy conditions


Irritants and allergens
Viral and bacterial infections

Use of antibiotics is contraindicated

Low-grade fever

Absence of fever
“Some of my cows got the staggers, went
down and are unable to rise.”
 Polio (Polioencephalomalacia)

Cows are thin

Low protein, low roughage, and high sulfate diet


Confined and fed a grain diet without roughage
Downer cow attempts to stand

Ankles remain flexed or knuckled over

Immediate treatment
 Range Ketosis (Acetonemia, Hypoglycemia)

Cows are thin

A low carbohydrate, low energy diet

Stressed from cold weather or calving and nursing

Incoordination, bellowing, wallowing and licking
with tongue

Pressing against walls, posts and trees

Immediate treatment
 Grass Tetany (Hypomagnesemia)
 Cows are thin

Grazing lush pasture high in nitrogen and
potassium


Stressed from cold, cloudy weather or calving
and nursing
Staggers, tossing head

Bellowing and galloping

Convulsions

Immediate treatment
“I have occasionally a thin, downer cow.”
 Dietary deficiencies
 Enteric bacteria and parasites
 Pleurisy, peritonitis
 Abscesses
 Cancers
“I continue every year to have cows
prolapse and retain afterbirth.”
 Bruising of uterus

Difficulty in calving

Prolonged calving process
 Straining with prolapse of the vagina, cervix
or uterus
 Placenta retained due to bruising
inflammation
“I have low conception rates, repeat breeders and
abortions in my cowherd.”
 Infectious diseases
 Dietary deficiencies
 Stresses of hot weather and malnutrition

Poor quality or short grazing
“I had several calves suddenly die that before dying
were rapidly breathing, weak and feverish.”
 Lepto (Leptospirosis)

Five serovars of bacteria

Exposures to calves are from urine

Kill unborn calves and nursing calves

Vaccination of whole herd

Vaccine failures may occur
 Blackleg (Clostridial Disease)

Bacterial toxins (poisons)

Spores from the soil

Spores are ingested


Go to muscles and remain dormant
a trigger breaks them out of dormancy

Dead calves should be burned

Vaccination of the whole herd
 7-way/8-way blackleg vaccine
 Clostridial Diseases (Blackleg Group)

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Blackleg (C. chauvoei)
Blackgut (C. perfringens B)
Blackgut (C. perfringens C)
Blackgut (C. perfringens D)
Blackneck (C. sordellii)
Blackliver (C. novyi)
Malignant edema (C. septicum)
Redwater (C. hemolyticum)
“Some of my calves are rapidly breathing, weak,
feverish, scouring and dying.”
 Scours (Enteritis-Colitis Septicemia)



Ground becomes heavily contaminated with germs
from manure
Kill baby calves from scours by dehydration and
septicemia
Scours are caused by bacteria, viruses, and
protozoa in the intestines
 Rotovirus and coronovirus

E. coli and C. perfringens B, C, D

Cryptosporidia and coccidia
Provide clean maternity areas

Vaccination program for the whole herd
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