Robson Vets
Farm Newsletter
September 2015
Pneumonia
Vaccination against the common infectious causes of pneumonia can be an
essential component of the control of respiratory disease in young stock. Ideally, the
vaccine course should be completed before housing to allow time for immunity to
develop and to reduce the stresses at housing time. For spring born calves being
housed for the first time, a full cover including protection against PI3 and RSV should
be considered. Older stock may not need as full coverage, but protection against
IBR should definitely be considered.
Alongside vaccination, husbandry is also very important for control. Try to avoid
mixing age groups at housing and ensure sufficient space for each as overstocking
can encourage the spread of the infectious causes of pneumonia as well as
increasing stress. Other procedures such as dehorning and castrating should be
avoided at this time as well. Keeping the housing well ventilated and dry with
sufficient bedding will also reduce the risk of pneumonia outbreaks.
If you notice respiratory symptoms (coughing, snotty noses, red eyes, increased rate
or depth of breathing), checking temperatures should be the first step. Antibiotics
are not always needed but anti-inflammatories can help reduce longterm damage,
decrease the symptoms seen and increase appetites faster so reducing loss of
condition. If you have any questions about the best use of vaccines or are
concerned about respiratory disease starting in your stock please call the surgery
and speak to one of the vets. Early intervention and investigation of cases prior to
treatment is important to reduce the impact this disease will have on your herd.
Liver fluke
A new test has been developed for the detection of liver fluke infection. This test is
done on faeces and is called the ‘coproantigen ELISA’. The benefits of this test
include detection of active infection with late immature and/or adult fluke as infection
can be detected BEFORE eggs can be found in the faeces and the test can be run
on a smaller sample of faeces. Even better, the samples don’t need to be collected
by a vet!
Fluke treatment at this time of year should be aimed at complete eradication of
infection, so treatment should target every life stage from early immature through to
adult. Triclabendazole is very effective for this and should be used at an appropriate
dose for the bodyweight of the animal. Resistance is starting to develop against this
drug, so post treatment testing should be carried out in cases where continuing
infection is suspected.
Staggers
We have seen a couple of cases of staggers (hypomagnesaemia) recently, most
likely due to the flush of new grass with the very cold mornings being seen unusually
early this season. Prevention can be difficult, but the provision of high magnesium
content licks or water supplementation should minimise the impact of this disease in
high risk areas. Treatment of mild cases (cows lying down, twitching, eyes rolling)
can be done with injections of magnesium under the skin. In more severe cases,
especially if the individual is fitting, treatment may have to involve giving intravenous
medication including on extreme occasions, magnesium. Left untreated, severely
affected individuals will die, and those that are already seizing need immediate
veterinary attention for a chance of survival.
Quarantine
Any purchase of new stock is a significant risk for introducing new diseases and
parasites to your existing flock or herd. A quarantine period should be observed for
all new stock and also for those individuals who have been travelling to shows or
returned from sales – a minimum of 4 weeks, but ideally a couple of months.
During quarantine, attention should be given to ensuring their vaccine status
matches that of your other stock as well as using an effective parasite treatment to
prevent introduction of new parasites or resistance to your farm. Blood testing and
faecal analysis can be performed on entry to quarantine but this may not reveal
recent infection.
Coccidiosis
This disease is found in both cattle and sheep and usually affects young stock during
their first season at pasture, though can affect those reared indoors if conditions are
ideal for passing infection. Adult stock can carry the infection and contaminate
surroundings. High infection doses are needed to see clinical signs, which is why the
younger animals in the groups tend to be the most severely affected.
Symptoms are usually of a chronic scour with wasting and a decreased appetite
though sudden death can occur. The scour is usually very dark in colour, with a tarry
consistency and mucosal shreds can often be seen in acute cases. Usually, a
significant proportion of the young stock will be affected and group treatment is
needed to minimize losses and improve the rate of recovery.
Diagnosis can be done through faecal samples, though the clinical signs and number
of animals affected will usually be suggestive and response to treatment is usually
rapid though full recovery can take several weeks. Supportive treatment of antibiotics
to prevent infection from the damaged intestines and fluid therapy to prevent
dehydration are essential to minimize losses. Treatment of the infection is usually
with oral medications, either Vecoxan or Baycox and the whole group should be
treated.