Bovine Diseases 3

Question 1

Prevention of Mastitis:

Answer 1

• Good milking technique:
• Make sure the milking machine is working properly. Improper vacuumed will damage teat canals and/or force milk back up the teat canal.
• Milk the cows with mastitis last.
• Keep the cows with mastitis separate from the healthy cows.
• Cull cows with chronic mastitis.
• Treat all cows at the end of lactation with a “dry cow” antibiotic treatment.
• Maintain good records to catch mastitis early, when it is curable.

Question 2

Good milking technique:

Answer 2

o Pre-dip teats before milking with antiseptic.
o Wipe off teats with a clean towel for each cow.
o Dip teats again after milking with an antiseptic dip that seals the teat ends

Question 3

Causes of abortion in cattle:

Answer 3

• Bacterial: Brucellosis, Salmonellosis
• Viral: BVD, Bovine Herpes virus
• Protozoal: Neospora
• Nutritional: toxic plants, deficiencies, ect.

Question 4

Diagnosis of abortion:

Answer 4

Abortion kits
• State Vet Pathology labs have kits for diagnosis.
• Fetal membranes and fetus should be submitted as soon as possible.
• Many causes of abortion are zoonotic.
• Many causes of abortion are contagious.

Question 5

Milk Fever or Periparturient Hypocalcemia:

Answer 5

• A problem with calcium regulation.
  * Fetal skeletal growth and milk production consumes a lot of calcium.
  * High dietary calcium before parturition can decrease the action of the parathyroid gland.
• Occurs in late gestation or right after parturition.
• More common in high producing dairy cows and Jersey & Guernsey cows.

Question 6

Clinical Signs of Milk Fever:

Answer 6

• Anorexia
• Tremors
• Low blood calcium
• Flaccid paralysis
• Bradycardia
• Decreased rumen contractions
• Death

Question 7

Calcium gluconate intravenously

Answer 7

 Must be given slowly to prevent cardiac arrest.

 Often combined with phosphorus and magnesium.

Question 8

Calcium gluconate subcutaneously.

Answer 8

 Used in combination with IV calcium.

 Contains dextrose. Use aseptic techniques.

Question 9

Calcium gluconate gel orally:

Answer 9

 Comes in a huge tube.

 Dose is one tube per cow.

Question 10

Calcium Supplementation

Answer 10

o Calcium gluconate intravenously:
o Calcium gluconate subcutaneously.
o Calcium gluconate gel orally:

Question 11

Prevention of Milk Fever:

Answer 11

• Feed quality grass hay prior to calving instead of alfalfa.
• Avoid mineral supplements with high amounts of calcium.
• Supplement the diet with highly digestible protein and energy feed.
• Recent research has linked hypocalcemia with pregnacy toxemia (ketosis).

Question 12

Pregnancy Toxemia or Ketosis

Answer 12

(Also called acetonemia)
• Occurs in fat or thin cattle during the last month of gestation or first 60 days of lactation.
• Occurs in muliple fetus pregnancies.
• Cattle are deprived of feed or unable to ingest adequate energy due to large uterus or heavy lactation.
• Often combined with hypocalcemia.

Question 13

2 Types of Ketosis:

Answer 13

Wasting Ketosis

Nervous Ketosis

Question 14

Wasting Ketosis:

Answer 14

• Rapid weight loss.
• Anorexia: refuses grain at first.
• Decreased milk production.

Question 15

Nervous Ketosis:

Answer 15

• Bizzare behavior of rapid onset.
• Hyperesthesia
• Tremor
• Ataxia

Question 16

Clinical signs of ketosis

Answer 16

• Anorexia
• Rumen stasis
• Scant feces
• Weakness
• Recumbancy
• Ketonuria
• Metabolic acidosis
• Ketonia: can smell ketones on breath.
• Fatty liver syndrome

Question 17

• Delivery of the fetus.
• Intravenous fluids with glucose & bicarbonate.
• Insulin: helps get glucose into the cells.
• Propylene glycol orally as a drench.
• Corticosteroids: increase glucose metabolism.
• Treatment is often unsuccessful.

Answer 17

• Delivery of the fetus.
• Intravenous fluids with glucose & bicarbonate.
• Insulin: helps get glucose into the cells.
• Propylene glycol orally as a drench.
• Corticosteroids: increase glucose metabolism.
• Treatment is often unsuccessful.

Question 18

Prevention of pregnancy ketosis:

Answer 18

• Avoid overfeeding or underfeeding cattle in late gestation and the dry period.
• Supplement the dry cow ration with a high quality concentrate 4 weeks prior to parturition.
• Insure adequate energy consumption at parturition and during the first 2 months of lactation.
• Gradually increase the amount of concentrate to avoid rumen acidosis.

Question 19

Failure of Passive Transfer(FPT):

Answer 19

• Ruminants must have colostrum to receive maternal antibodies.
• Gut closes to absorbtion of antibodies in 24 to 36 hours after birth.
• Absorbtion of antibodies by the gut gradually decreases over the first 24 hours.
• The first milking of colostrum has the most antibodies.

Question 20

Causes of FPT:

Answer 20

Inadequate consumption of colostrum

Poor quality colostrum

Question 21

Inadequate consumption of colostrum:

Answer 21

o Calf needs at least 2 liters in the first 12 hours (4 liters is best).
o Some calves are weak and can’t suckle.
o Some teats are hard to reach or suckle.
o Some cows won’t allow the calf to suckle.

Question 22

Poor quality colostrum

Answer 22

o Pre-milking the dam will decrease antibodies.
o Some cows don’t have quality colostrum.
o Feeding colostrum from later milkings instead of first milking colostrum.

Question 23

Prevention of FPT:

Answer 23

• Milk the cow and feed the colostrum to the calf in the first few hours of life.
• Feed at least 2 liters in the first few hours.
• Bottle feeding is best, but if the calf won’t nurse, give the colostrum by stomach or esophageal tube.
• In beef cattle, make sure the calf is suckling and the dam has milk.

Question 24

Diagnosis of FPT:

Answer 24

•	Serum IgG < 500 mg/dl
o	Test 8 to 12 hours after birth.
•	Several tests available.
•	Total Protien< 5.0 g/dl
o	Dehydration can give false elevations in TP.
o	Practical and easy test.

Question 25

Treatment of FPT:

Answer 25

• Blood transfusion from the dam.
• Plasma transfusions.
• Oral Immunoglobulin does not work! The gut is closed to absorbtion.