CONFUSION
Tick Paralysis – Tick Fever – 3-Day
Tick Paralysis There is a toxin carried by one of the ticks (Ixodes) in the district which will cause paralysis.
The animals mainly affected are dogs and cats but, as this is a toxin, any animal can be effected and the smaller and younger usually are worse.
The animals mainly affected are dogs and cats but, as this is a toxin, any animal can be effected and the smaller and younger usually are worse.
It causes a paralysis that is ascending, that is, it starts in the muscles of the hind limbs and works it way to the heart, which is, after all, a muscle. Simultaneously it can also affect the swallowing ability and voice of the animal, therefore these animals should not be forced to eat or drink as they will usually inhale it into their lungs. Prevention is the best course of action as there is no vaccine and treatment is costly and not always successful.
Tick Fever This is a disease of cattle and it is caused by an organism that is carried by the cattle tick (Boophilis). There are three types of this organism – Bovis, Bigemina, and Marginale. They enter the blood stream and into the red blood cells. The blood cells then break down and the animal suffers anaemia and will excrete the broken cells in their urine and therefore the other name the disease gets is Red Water.
There is a treatment which is an injection, once a diagnosis is made. There is a very effective vaccine which, when given, will provide a lifetime immunity. This is a live vaccine that is made fresh weekly and only has a shelf life of 4 days. It has to be ordered in especially and we call the tick fever vaccination 3-germ as it is effective against all three strains of the disease.
3-day This is the disease that gets confused with three germ vaccination. 3-DAY’s real name is BEF or Bovine Ephemeral Fever.
This disease affects cattle and is carried by insects that bite the animals and inject them with the disease. Therefore the more midges etc. on an animal the greater severity of the disease.
It presents similarly to how a human with the flu feels. High temperature, and shifting lameness as, just like us, they will have one joint sore today and another sore tomorrow. They feel terrible and will often lay down. As it is a summer disease they will go down in the heat and this can then be fatal. We can give them drugs to make them feel better but can not treat the disease.
There is a vaccine that can be given annually that will greatly decrease the severity of the 3-day or prevent it altogether. It comes in 2 bottles- one a freeze dried pellet and the other liquid. Once mixed together the vaccine has to be used within 12 hours. There are 10 doses per bottle.
We hope this clarifies some of the confusion and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask.
We have emergency staff rostered all over the break but hope you won’t need to call except for seasons greetings.
Have a wonderful and safe Christmas,
All at Dayboro vets.
Tick Fever This is a disease of cattle and it is caused by an organism that is carried by the cattle tick (Boophilis). There are three types of this organism – Bovis, Bigemina, and Marginale. They enter the blood stream and into the red blood cells. The blood cells then break down and the animal suffers anaemia and will excrete the broken cells in their urine and therefore the other name the disease gets is Red Water.
There is a treatment which is an injection, once a diagnosis is made. There is a very effective vaccine which, when given, will provide a lifetime immunity. This is a live vaccine that is made fresh weekly and only has a shelf life of 4 days. It has to be ordered in especially and we call the tick fever vaccination 3-germ as it is effective against all three strains of the disease.
3-day This is the disease that gets confused with three germ vaccination. 3-DAY’s real name is BEF or Bovine Ephemeral Fever.
This disease affects cattle and is carried by insects that bite the animals and inject them with the disease. Therefore the more midges etc. on an animal the greater severity of the disease.
It presents similarly to how a human with the flu feels. High temperature, and shifting lameness as, just like us, they will have one joint sore today and another sore tomorrow. They feel terrible and will often lay down. As it is a summer disease they will go down in the heat and this can then be fatal. We can give them drugs to make them feel better but can not treat the disease.
There is a vaccine that can be given annually that will greatly decrease the severity of the 3-day or prevent it altogether. It comes in 2 bottles- one a freeze dried pellet and the other liquid. Once mixed together the vaccine has to be used within 12 hours. There are 10 doses per bottle.
We hope this clarifies some of the confusion and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask.
We have emergency staff rostered all over the break but hope you won’t need to call except for seasons greetings.
Have a wonderful and safe Christmas,
All at Dayboro vets.
