Common Diseases of Cattle and their Treatment Options: An In-depth Overview

Having cattle or taking care of them is not a piece of cake. The job entails many tasks like feeding, grooming, hygiene, milking, and health upkeep. Dairy farmers consider their cattle as one of their own, and their only wish is that they live a healthy and disease-free life. And to ensure that, it is crucial that you know all the whereabouts of any common diseases of cattle. So, in this blog, we will delve into all the potentially dangerous and common diseases of cattle, how you can identify them, their symptoms, and treatments.

Common Diseases of Cattle

There are several common diseases of cattle, but we have covered some significant and known diseases of cattle further in this article. 

Dehydration due to Heat and Excess Strain

When the climate gets all hot and humid, some of your cattle might not be able to stand it. India in summers can go up to 40 degrees Celsius which is unbearably hot for even humans. The highest temperature livestock can take is up to 38 degrees. After a certain point, they will get dehydrated and might also faint. Some symptoms or indicators of this are fever, concentrated or yellow urine, concave eyes, and coat tent. Well, you cannot regulate the temperature, but you can ensure they stay hydrated and cool. To provide them with solace as well as comfort during extreme climates, you can keep at least 25-35 gallons of clean, fresh water at all times. And, you can keep a check that they at least take in around 5-7 gallons of that. Another thing to add is a shade so that the cows can be free from direct sunlight. 

Common Diseases of Cattle: Bracken Poisoning 

Bracken is a type of poison that contaminates plants and grass; it causes grass not to grow. The likelihood of this happening are higher during the fall. If your cattle accidentally consumed a large quantity of bracken grass, they might have a down bone marrow and low white blood cell count. This disease is fatal and can cause death within five days after the earliest signs. Some of the common symptoms are dismay and loss of hunger, bloody motions, increased temperature, weakness, fainting, and demise. Preventing Bracken poisoning can be challenging, but using herbicides and burning down such grass can eradicate this disease. Also, make sure you vaccinate your cattle against it if there are any suitable options.

Common Diseases of Cattle: Anthrax Disease

Anthrax is highly transferable and deadly; it is caused due to rectangular-shaped bacteria known as Bacillus Anthracis. This bacterium causes critical mortality in all the corners of the world. These bacteria create toxins that can be very harmful and cause severe adversities. When in contact with oxygen, this bacteria produces spores. Your cattle can attract this disease when they feed, inhale, or swallow the poisonous grass spores. The symptoms of this troublesome disease are clearly visible in about 2-5 days once consumed. The worse part of it is that once the symptoms are observable, the cow or cattle will die in 2 days at most. Farm animals like deer, sheep, cows, and goats are the ones affected the most. Identifying this prior to consumption can be difficult as the spores made by the bacteria are odourless, tasteless, and practically invisible.

The effects and symptoms of this disease are from worse to lethal. There are really high chances of death of the cattle within 3 hours of consumption. And the scary part is that your cattle might look perfectly fine when you check up on them during these hours. Although there are very few signs that you can look out for, those include a high temperature, shivering, breathing problems, concussions, bloody discharge from any exterior exits like nose or mouth post-death due to incapability of blood clotting. As soon as you can identify the disease, take your livestock to the vet, and they might be given some antibiotics. However, the only way to reduce the chances of death or prevent this disease is by a shot of vaccination. You can find the same at the nearest possible veterinary care.

Black Quarter

Here is yet another severe and contagious disease that affects the back legs of cattle. It can impact cows, sheep, buffaloes, and goats of the age of 6 months to 2 years. And, it is unfortunate that any healthy cattle can become excruciatingly ill after landing this disease. The most common time when your livestock can catch this disease is during the monsoon, as it is a soil-spawned disease. If you want to pierce a bit deeper about it, this disease is caused by bacteria called Clostridium chauvoei. Typically, any disease that has to do with bacteria is very infectious and can cause detrimental effects on your cattle.

Now, as for the symptoms and treatment! You can notice a fever of around 107 degrees F, loss of hunger, uneasiness, anxiety, loss of energy, high palpitation, breathing issues, swollen legs, hip, shoulder, recumbency or prostration, and then death. Well, fortunately, this disease can be treated with the help of an expert veterinarian. You can also follow some ethnoveterinary techniques that include making a paste out of several ingredients like kodikalli, banyan tree, and so on. Caretakers must apply this medicinal paste to the groin area of the cattle as a measure to reduce the chances of disease.

Common Diseases of Cattle: Foot and Mouth Disease

Cloven footed animals, as in cattle with feet separated into two parts, are the only ones affected by this disease. Cows, sheep, and goats have cloven feet. It can be identified by a basic fever, blisters in the mouth, back, and the skin between the toes and feet. Recovery from this disease is possible with the help of a vet. Like most diseases on this list, it is spread through contact with soil, manure, infected grains, or fellow cattle animals. Insects, rodents, and other bizarre animals can also be carriers of the disease. It is one of the distinct common diseases of cattle and can be seen frequently at dairy farms.

Signs of the same include a fever of around 105 degrees F, gushing saliva out of the mouth, and lines of it sticking out. You might also observe a lack of enthusiasm and low energy. Note that the chances of this happening to cross-bred cattle are more likely than a purebred one. As for the treatment, you can always rely on a medical professional and apply antiseptic creams, dressings, coal tar, and copper sulfate combinations to alleviate the stress caused by those blisters. Always hold in mind that prevention is termed as better than cure, and so it would be better if you avoid cross-breeding or breeding with a foreign species. Also, ensure that your equipment is sterilized and free from bacterial infection.

Common Diseases of Cattle: Rabies (Mad Dog Disease)

Sheep, goats, and cattle are all susceptible to rabies. The animals become agitated and aroused as a result of rabies. They may bite themselves, dripping saliva from their mouth. In cattle, the most essential indicator would be that the animal breathes (calls) repeatedly and with an unusual sound. The livestock will become immobilized and die as a result of this. Rabies vaccination is available for dogs in your neighbourhood. You should inquire about rabies immunization with your veterinarian^[1]. In the event of a rabies epidemic, your community’s animals can be immunized as well.

The Final Words

These common diseases of cattle are very frequently seen in current scenario. They are all possibly avoidable if your livestock is vaccinated on time and kept in hygienic conditions at all times. Remember, it’s consistently better to be safe than sorry. Keep a check on your vet’s regular runs. Ensure that your cattle get a good diet and freshwater every day. And lastly, do not bring hybrid animals or equipment that might be infected and could start an epidemic that will be potentially dangerous.

Read Our Article: Mastitis in Cows: Causes, Detection, and Treatment