AUG2010 NEWS FROM DAYBORO VETS
Vaccinations for Cattle and other Production Animals
AND A REMINDER:
PARALYSIS TICKS ARE HERE
August is nearly here and so it is timely to remind people with cattle that this is the best time to vaccinate for 3-day sickness (Bovine Ephemeral Fever – BEF)
BEF or 3-day is a disease that affects cattle and is spread by midges. The severity of the disease is directly related to how many infected midges bite the animal. This is why there are some years that are really bad and then others when we don’t see much of the disease. Animals can also get some immunity throughout their lifetime which is why we see it more in young cattle around 10 – 20 months of age. Calves can have some maternal immunity – so the very young rarely present with 3-day but it is not unheard of.
We recommend vaccinating in August so that animals are at peak immunity when the warm weather, and therefore the midges, arrive. Cattle can be vaccinated from 3 months of age and, if never vaccinated before, need 2 shots, 2 – 4 weeks apart, then annual vaccinations. The vaccine is not guaranteed 100% BUT will significantly reduce the severity of the disease. The vaccine is not cheap and comes in vials of 10 doses. It needs to be reconstituted and after that it will only last 12 hours. Therefore, if people with only a small number of cattle can co-ordinate with neighbours or friends to build up numbers, it is often a good deal for all.
The best way I can describe cattle with the disease is like “cow flu” without the coughing sneezing or nasal discharge we get. They get what is called a “shifting lameness” so like the flu they ache in this joint today and that joint tomorrow; they look miserable; have a high temperature; and often go down. This is a REAL problem because the disease occurs in summer and when these cattle go down it is invariably in the blazing sun which rapidly heats up an animal that already has a significantly high temperature. This is a critical time when they can die. These animals are also “creepers” which means they can often shuffle around a bit when they are down. This makes it exceedingly difficult to erect any shade over them. It should also be remembered that as a general rule of thumb animals need to drink 10% of their body weight just to maintain their fluid needs. So a 400kg beast will need an absolute minimum of 40litre of water per day. Cattle are also highly susceptible to bloat because of their rumen, so they can not be left to lay out on their sides and need to be “sat up”. This can be achieved by putting a bag of something or a bale either side of their ribs and securing it in place with a star picket.
There is no cure for this disease; all we can do is treat the symptoms. The drugs we use are prescription only so these animals need to be seen by a veterinarian.
This is one disease that presents here on an annual basis and can be vaccinated for.
There are several diseases that are here all year round and are opportunistic. The clostridial diseases such as tetanus and blackleg are soil dwellers and can affect all livestock. So talk to your veterinarian to get a vaccination regime that works for you.
BEF or 3-day is a disease that affects cattle and is spread by midges. The severity of the disease is directly related to how many infected midges bite the animal. This is why there are some years that are really bad and then others when we don’t see much of the disease. Animals can also get some immunity throughout their lifetime which is why we see it more in young cattle around 10 – 20 months of age. Calves can have some maternal immunity – so the very young rarely present with 3-day but it is not unheard of.
We recommend vaccinating in August so that animals are at peak immunity when the warm weather, and therefore the midges, arrive. Cattle can be vaccinated from 3 months of age and, if never vaccinated before, need 2 shots, 2 – 4 weeks apart, then annual vaccinations. The vaccine is not guaranteed 100% BUT will significantly reduce the severity of the disease. The vaccine is not cheap and comes in vials of 10 doses. It needs to be reconstituted and after that it will only last 12 hours. Therefore, if people with only a small number of cattle can co-ordinate with neighbours or friends to build up numbers, it is often a good deal for all.
The best way I can describe cattle with the disease is like “cow flu” without the coughing sneezing or nasal discharge we get. They get what is called a “shifting lameness” so like the flu they ache in this joint today and that joint tomorrow; they look miserable; have a high temperature; and often go down. This is a REAL problem because the disease occurs in summer and when these cattle go down it is invariably in the blazing sun which rapidly heats up an animal that already has a significantly high temperature. This is a critical time when they can die. These animals are also “creepers” which means they can often shuffle around a bit when they are down. This makes it exceedingly difficult to erect any shade over them. It should also be remembered that as a general rule of thumb animals need to drink 10% of their body weight just to maintain their fluid needs. So a 400kg beast will need an absolute minimum of 40litre of water per day. Cattle are also highly susceptible to bloat because of their rumen, so they can not be left to lay out on their sides and need to be “sat up”. This can be achieved by putting a bag of something or a bale either side of their ribs and securing it in place with a star picket.
There is no cure for this disease; all we can do is treat the symptoms. The drugs we use are prescription only so these animals need to be seen by a veterinarian.
This is one disease that presents here on an annual basis and can be vaccinated for.
There are several diseases that are here all year round and are opportunistic. The clostridial diseases such as tetanus and blackleg are soil dwellers and can affect all livestock. So talk to your veterinarian to get a vaccination regime that works for you.
Cheers from
All at Dayboro Vets.
