Diseases and Parasites of Beef Cattle Chapter 17 Diseases and Parasites of Beef Cattle

Objectives Explain the importance of maintaining healthy beef cattle Identify and recommend prevention and treatment for beef cattle diseases and parasites common to the local area

Objectives (cont.) Recognize and suggest controls for common nutritional health disorders of beef cattle in the local area

Herd Health Plan Key to success of a health plan is prevention of problems Develop a good working relationship with a veterinarian Observation can help with early detection Better to prevent health problems than to try to cure them

Diseases Anthrax Cause: bacteria Infection results from grazing infected pastures Symptoms: sudden death or high fever, sudden staggering, trembling, collapse Death follows shortly after Treatment: vaccines can be used for control

Diseases (cont.) Anthrax (cont.)

Diseases (cont.) Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus Cause: virus Affects cells lining the respiratory system Symptoms: respiratory system is weakened, becomes vulnerable to other viruses, bacteria Treatment: a combination vaccine

Diseases (cont.) Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) Cause: prion Affects the central nervous system of cattle Sometimes called mad cow disease Symptoms: aggression, nervousness, abnormal posture, difficulty in rising and lying down, loss of body weight, etc. Treatment: none; animals eventually die

Diseases (cont.) Bovine Virus Diarrhea (BVD) Cause: virus Appears in mild, acute, chronic forms Symptoms: fever, coughing, nasal discharge, slow gains, rapid breathing, diarrhea, mouth ulcers, lameness, dehydration Treatment: no cure; treat diarrhea, infections Prevention: modified live virus vaccination

Diseases (cont.) Blackleg Cause: bacteria Infected soil: spores enter body through mouth or wounds Symptoms: sudden death, lameness, swollen muscles, inability to stand Treatment: massive doses of antibiotics Prevention: vaccination

Diseases (cont.) Brucellosis Cause: microorganism Dangerous to humans, can cause Malta fever Symptoms: abortion, retain afterbirth, sterility, reduced milk, enlarged testicles Treatment: no cure Prevention: good management practices; calves should be vaccinated

Diseases (cont.) Calf Enteritis (Scours) Cause: virus Affects young calves (under 2 months) Symptoms: shock, cold in nose, ears, legs, diarrhea, weight loss, sudden death Treatment: antibiotics, sulfa drugs Prevention: proper sanitation, vaccination

Diseases (cont.) Campylobacteriosis Reproductive disease also known as vibriosis Intestinal and venereal form, venereal more serious Symptoms: abortion, infertility, irregular heat Treatment: possibly antibiotics Prevention: vaccination

Diseases (cont.) Foot-and-Mouth Disease Cause: virus Affects cloven-hoofed animals, spreads easily Symptoms: loss of appetite, fever, blisters in mouth and on feet, lameness, death Treatment: no cure Prevention: vaccination, destroying infected animals

Diseases (cont.) Foot-and-Mouth Disease (cont.)

Diseases (cont.) Foot Rot Cause: bacteria, fungi, and other organisms Symptoms: lameness, loss of appetite, fever, depression, death Treatment: massive doses of antibiotics or sulfa drugs Prevention: no vaccine, sanitation, good drainage, spreading lime

Diseases (cont.) Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) Cause: virus Can affect respiratory system, genitals, eyes, brain, and nervous system Symptoms: fever, nasal discharge, inflammation of vagina, vulva swelling, blisters, lack of muscle control, convulsions, death Prevention: vaccination

Diseases (cont.) Johne’s Disease (paratuberculosis) Cause: bacteria Causes a thickening of the intestine wall Symptoms: rarely shows signs, mistaken for diarrhea, loss of weight and eventually death Diagnosed with a Johnin test Prevention/treatment: culling diseased calves to prevent further problems

Diseases (cont.) Johne’s Disease (cont.)

Diseases (cont.) Leptospirosis Cause: bacteria Some infected cattle show no symptoms Symptoms: acute cases show sudden temperature rise, rapid breathing, appetite loss, bloody urine, jaundice, diarrhea, abortion Prevention: proper sanitation, isolation of new animals, vaccination

Diseases (cont.) Listeriosis Cause: germ Common in animals fed low-quality silage Affects the brain Symptoms: fever, appetite loss, difficulty standing, droopiness, animal wandering, death Prevention: proper sanitation, no vaccine

Diseases (cont.) Listeriosis (cont.)

Diseases (cont.) Lumpy Jaw (Actinomycosis) Cause: organism Seldom deadly, causes economic loss as affected body parts condemned at harvest Affects jaw, surrounding bony part of head Symptoms: tumors, lumps on jaw Prevention: ensure no sharp objects in pasture or feedlot

Diseases (cont.) Malignant Edema Symptoms, control, treatment similar to those for blackleg

Diseases (cont.) Pinkeye Cause: insects Affects eyeball, cornea becomes cloudy Symptoms: corneal cloudiness, ulcers may develop, blindness may result Treatment: isolation, antibiotics, sulfa drugs Prevention: control flies and insects; vaccinations are now available

Diseases (cont.) Pinkeye (cont.)

Diseases (cont.) Prolapse in Cattle Abnormal repositioning of a body part from its normal position Types include vaginal and uterine Vaginal: caused by pressure during pregnancy Uterine: occurs after calving and must be treated immediately to avoid death

Diseases (cont.) Ringworm Skin disease: can spread to animals, humans Symptoms: scaly patches of skin that lack hair Affected areas clear up, but infection may spread to other parts of the body Treatment: iodine tincture or ammonium Prevention: proper sanitation

Diseases (cont.) Shipping Fever Cause: stress, viral and bacterial infections Affects respiratory tract of animal Symptoms: depression, droopy ears, nasal discharge, watery eyes, appetite loss, diarrhea, weight loss, difficulty breathing Prevention/treatment: vaccination, antibiotics, good feedlot management, careful handling

Diseases (cont.) Trichomoniasis Cause: protozoan Venereal disease, infects the genital tract and transmitted during breeding Symptoms: early abortion, low fertility, heat irregularity, infection of uterus Treatment: no treatment for bulls Prevention: no vaccination; use clean bulls

Diseases (cont.) Warts Cause: virus Spread by contact Treatment: warts may be clipped off, or treated with different acids or oils Prevention: disinfecting pens and rubbing posts; vaccination

Diseases (cont.) Wooden Tongue (Actinobacillosis) Seldom fatal, causes economic loss when animal is harvested Causes lesions on soft tissues around head, swelling of lymph glands of the neck Spread by contaminated animals through feed. Treatment: animal isolation, surgery

External Parasites Include flies, lice, mites, and ticks Chemical, biological, mechanical, and cultural control methods can be used to control external parasites Proper sanitation also helps with control and prevention

External Parasites (cont.) Flies, Gnats, and Mosquitos Bloodsuckers Horn Fly Stable Fly Horsefly Deerfly Blackfly Mosquitoes

External Parasites (cont.) Flies, Gnats, and Mosquitos (cont.) Irritation flies Screwworm Fly Housefly Face Fly Heel Fly

External Parasites (cont.) Lice One species of biting lice and four types of bloodsuckers that attack beef Population low in summer, higher in fall, winter Symptoms: constant rubbing, bloodsuckers weaken cattle Control through insecticides Treat in late fall or early winter

External Parasites (cont.) Mites Live on skin or burrow into skin Cause condition of scab, mange, or itch Population lowest in the summer Symptoms: small pimply areas on skin; restlessness; rubbing, scratching, licking of affected area Treatment/prevention same as for lice

External Parasites (cont.) Ticks Serious pests to cattle in parts of U.S. Bloodsuckers that transmit serious disease Can cause scabby skin condition, injury Symptoms: rubbing, scratching affected area Ear ticks controlled by dipping/treating ears individually, others similar to lice treatment

Internal Parasites Most common are Anaplasma Coccidia Flatworms Roundworms

Internal Parasites (cont.) Anaplasma Cause: protozoan parasite Destroys red blood cells Spread by various biting insects Symptoms: anemia, weight loss, difficulty breathing, abortion, death Prevention: reduce insect populations Treatment: antibiotics

Internal Parasites (cont.) Coccidia Protozoan that live in the intestinal lining Cause irritation of intestinal wall and bleeding Symptoms: bloody diarrhea, weakness, and going off feed Treatment: sulfa drugs and antibiotics Prevention: proper sanitation

Internal Parasites (cont.) Flatworms Include tapeworms and liver flukes Symptoms: diarrhea, weight loss, limping, weakness in hind quarters Treatment: typically not successful, though new treatments being tested Prevention: feeding cattle on paved lots, pasturing away from streams, ponds, swamps

Internal Parasites (cont.) Roundworms Include eight different types of worms Stomach worms are the most serious Symptoms: anemia, weakness, constipation, diarrhea, sometimes bottle jaw Treatment: several chemicals, boluses, drenches, or feed additives Prevention: good sanitation

Nutritional Health Problems Bloat Bovine Pulmonary Emphysema Brisket Disease Enterotoxemia (overeating disease) Fescue Toxicity Fluorosis

Nutritional Health Problems (cont.) Founder Grass Tetany Hardware Disease Nitrate Poisoning Photosensitization Poisonous Plants

Nutritional Health Problems (cont.) Urinary Calculi Rumenititis White Muscle