Sick cows

[cracker hand]

About 2 weeks ago we had a cow turn up dead. The herd is about 70 cows and is a closed herd so no new cattle introduced to them lately. Then another got sick and was very lethargic with a fever and not eating. She could void fine. The vet gave her a broad spectrum antibiotic and she appears to be doing fine now.

Today I found another cow that was laying by the fence while the others were out grazing. She appeared feverish, had trouble getting up and had a little bright red blood coming from her nostrils. While getting her up to the corral she had a bowel movement and also urintated. Everything appeared to be functioning.

It's been hot and dry down here. Any ideas what may be causing this? The vet did not seem that concerned. None of them are wheezing or coughing. I will tell you this the three that got sick were the out of the last 5 that had their calves weaned this year.

Thanks for any help or ideas you may have.

 

[lefty]

Anaplasmosis can do that & responds to antbiotics if it caught in time .

Also called tick fever . Just a guess .

 

[porter]

Sounds like anthrax to me. You may want to have them tested.

 

[Faster horses]

If they are Herefords and have anaplas, they will have a yellow look
around their eyes, bag, vulva, etc. If they are black cattle, it's hard to tell.

If it is anaplas get them in and spray them for ticks and it will stop the
disease. If you don't they are likely all to get it. Spraying them is
easier than giving every one an antibiotic.

We dealt with anaplas in Wyoming for years. Not fun.

http://www.cattle.com/articles/title/Anaplasmosis.aspx

Anaplasmosis is an infectious disease of cattle that affects the red blood cells that transport oxygen in the blood. Affected red blood cells are not able to take part in circulation and die. Once they have died, they are removed by the body and from circulation

 

[porkchop]

If they are Herefords and have anaplas, they will have a yellow look
around their eyes, bag, vulva, etc. If they are black cattle, it's hard to tell.

If it is anaplas get them in and spray them for ticks and it will stop the
disease. If you don't they are likely all to get it. Spraying them is
easier than giving every one an antibiotic.

We dealt with anaplas in Wyoming for years. Not fun.

http://www.cattle.com/articles/title/Anaplasmosis.aspx

Anaplasmosis is an infectious disease of cattle that affects the red blood cells that transport oxygen in the blood. Affected red blood cells are not able to take part in circulation and die. Once they have died, they are removed by the body and from circulation

On black cattle you can tell with a poast exam by looking at their spleen. Will have the same yellow to white color. Here in Mo. we are able to keep in check with high levels of CTC in the mineral, but CTC mineral will not cure. If I remember correctly to cure you must give CTC for a period of time in feed or give everyone LA200 shot so you can get the "carrier". This only works if your neighbors with in the area do the same since it is carried by inscects from animal to animal. Good Luck!

 

[Faster horses]

In my previous post, I meant it was hard to tell visibly if black cattle have it. And I know
for a fact that spraying works, but that was in an area where the
'tick vector' wasn't right for the disease to continue after spraying.
We moved cows that had anaplas from Wyoming to SW Mt. (and
yes, we had a health certificate--for what that amounted to) and the
cows started dieing. We got the local vet out and he didn't know what
they had, so we told him what we suspected. He autopsyed one and went home and read up about it. Sure enough, that's what it was.
We had a really good horse, and Mr. FH could rope the cows by the hind feet (we had
no corrals on this 'new' place) and the horse would hold the cows and
Mr. FH would doctor the cows with antibiotic. The vet was going
to quanantine our cows but when he called the state vet he was
advised that the 'tick vector' wasn't right and if we sprayed the cows
it would stop the disease. And it did. We didn't lose any more and never
got it again in the 18 years we lived there.

 

[porkchop]

In my previous post, I meant it was hard to tell visibly if black cattle have it. And I know
for a fact that spraying works, but that was in an area where the
'tick vector' wasn't right for the disease to continue after spraying.
We moved cows that had anaplas from Wyoming to SW Mt. (and
yes, we had a health certificate--for what that amounted to) and the
cows started dieing. We got the local vet out and he didn't know what
they had, so we told him what we suspected. He autopsyed one and went home and read up about it. Sure enough, that's what it was.
We had a really good horse, and Mr. FH could rope the cows by the hind feet (we had
no corrals on this 'new' place) and the horse would hold the cows and
Mr. FH would doctor the cows with antibiotic. The vet was going
to quanantine our cows but when he called the state vet he was
advised that the 'tick vector' wasn't right and if we sprayed the cows
it would stop the disease. And it did. We didn't lose any more and never
got it again in the 18 years we lived there.

I am certainly not disagreeing; I think you are spot on. I was just trying to add to your post with information I learned when I fought it a couple of years ago. In my case the neighbor turned out a couple of loads of Sale barn cows next to me. Those cows started to die and during fly season and it wasn't long and I had the same problem on the North end of my rented ground. Cows that were 5 to 10 miles away had no problems, even though they had been together 3 months previous. My Vet said that the neighbor's sale barn cows probably brought in the Anaplas, and the flies, (I believe horse flies) carried it across the fence to me. I was not able to keep flies away even with rubs and fly tags. Medicated mineral was all that would work to keep the anaplas in check that summer. It hammered my conception rates on that farm too. We medicated the feed the following winter, as did the neighbor, to wipe anaplas from cows. Since then I have not had any more trouble. Once you get the cows' clean, flies,ticks, nor any other bloodsuckers have anything to transmit.
FH, hope you don't think I am stepping on toes by quoting you, again I think you are spot on. I was just trying add my own experiences to what you said to help crackerhand. Sorry if I am out of line.

 

[Faster horses]

No problem, absolutely!! I wish we had known about CTC when we had
the problems with it. But that was way back in the 70's.

And I'm sorry you thought I meant more with my
second post than I did. You made me realize that the 'tick vector' was
perhaps why spraying our cows eliminated the problem. Anaplas just
was not an issue in that Mt. valley, whereas in Wyoming it was prevalant.
('Sides that I got to brag on our good horse. )
One can always learn something on here. Carry on!!