Neonatal disease of Farm Animals 2

Question 1

What are common neonatal infectious diseases of ruminants?

Answer 1

• Diarrhoea
• Navel ill
• Joint ill
• Septicaemia
• Bloat (abomasum + rumen)

Question 2

What are general principles of infectious diseases in calves? How can you reduce?

Answer 2

*Most transmitted via faecal-oral
*Reservoir, modes of transmission, incubation period
*Cleaning + disinfection

Question 3

How would you diagnose problems in the neonate?

Answer 3

*Demeanour
*Suck reflex
*Faeces
*Hydration status
*CNS signs
*Total proteins
*Post mortem

Question 4

What is the transmission, key sign + sequale of navel ill?

Answer 4

*Transmission = navel / oro-respiratory route
*Key sign = hard swollen navel (Possible hernia)
*Sequale = peritonitis, septicaemia, polyarthritis / joint ill

Question 5

What are risk factors leading to navel ill?

Answer 5

*Pathogen load - hygiene at calving
*Patent navel - iodine
*Immune status of calf - colostrum intake

Question 6

How is navel ill diagnosed?

Answer 6

*Clinical exam (Swollen + hard)
*Ultrasound - peritonitis / extension up the vessels

Question 7

How is navel ill treated?

Answer 7

*Antibiotics
*Drainage
*Surgery - remove infected umbilical arteries + urachus (poor prognosis if veins affected - liver involvement)

Question 8

What is joint ill a sequel to? What is the prognosis + treatment?

Answer 8

*Sequel to navel ill
*Prognosis = poor
*Tx = reduce bacterial load, antibiotics, joint lavage, anti-inflammatories

Question 9

What is the difference between bacteraemia + septicaemia?

Answer 9

*Bacteraemia = bacteria in blood, secondary to mucosal disease
*Septicaemia = bacteria multiplying in blood - concurrent endotoxaemia = FATAL

Question 10

What are common bacteria of septicaemia?

Answer 10

E.coli
Actinomyces
Staph
Salmonella

Question 11

When is most cases of septicaemia seen?

Answer 11

*0-5days old - failure of passive transfer
*Less cases = 5-14days = associated with decline in IgM

Question 12

What are clinical signs of septicaemia?

Answer 12

*Non-specific
*Collapsed
*Shocked (endotoxaemia)
*Very congested conjunctiva - DIC, Petechiae
*CNS signs
*Aged 1-5days old
*Meningitis

Question 13

How would you treat septicaemia?

Answer 13

*Antibiotics
*NSAID - flunixin
*Corticosteroids
*IVFT
Very rarely successful

Question 14

What is the agent of calf diphtheria? What lesions does it cause? What is the treatment?

Answer 14

*Fusobacterium necrophorum
*Oral lesions - sore mouth, salivation + foul smell + ulcerative lesions
*Tx = Penicillin

Question 15

What are Ddx for abdominal swelling in calves?

Answer 15

*Abomasal bloat - death within 6hrs if untreated - blocks flow of blood to heart
*L sided swelling
*R sided swelling
*Atresia coli

Question 16

How would you approach a swollen calf?

Answer 16

*Full clinical exam
*Pass stomach tube
*Listen to guts before + after passing tube
- pings + splashing

Question 17

How would you treat abomasal bloat?

Answer 17

*Sedate (xylazine) + role onto back - 16gauge needle into ‘ping’

Question 18

How would you treat ruminal bloat?

Answer 18

*Relive distension with tube
*If repeated = ‘red devil’ trochar

Question 19

What are nutritional causes of rumen bloat?

Answer 19

*Rumen drinkers - milk goes to rumen (no oesophageal groove)
-ferments + metabolic acidosis
*Poor rumen development = often pot-bellied