Tips to prevent and avoid 4 diseases for cattle in cold weather

(Baonghean.vn) - In winter, low temperatures combined with high humidity make the bodies of buffaloes and cows spend a lot of energy to fight the cold, reducing resistance; creating opportunities for pathogenic microorganisms to invade.Therefore, livestock farmers need to take measures to protect their livestock and prevent the following diseases.

1. Pneumonia

Symptoms:Calves under 1 year of age are more likely to get the disease and it is more severe than in adult cattle. The incubation period is 3-7 days. After that time, there are signs of fatigue, poor appetite and high fever, usually 40-42 degrees Celsius, with fever continuing throughout the disease.

After that, the sick buffalo and cows have continuous watery eyes and runny noses and have difficulty breathing. The sick calves lie in one place, raising their necks to breathe strongly, quickly and with difficulty. In severe cases, pus will appear from the animal's nose and they will cough in fits. These coughs often occur late at night and early in the morning.

Due to lung damage, oxygen intake is difficult (lack of oxygen in the blood), so the mucous membranes of the eyes and mouth of sick buffaloes and cows appear dark red, congested, and then cyanotic.

When sick, calves die at a high rate of 60 - 70% of those infected. When the disease becomes chronic, it will last for months.

Disease prevention:Do not change the diet too suddenly, supplement with concentrated feed. Supplement vitamins and minerals to increase the cow's resistance. Isolate cattle from sources of disease transmission, avoid borrowing tools from other farms.

When there is a risk of developing into an epidemic, disinfect once a day (continuously for 3 - 7 days), periodically disinfect every week or 2 - 3 - 4 weeks/time.

First vaccination when cows are over 4 months old, second dose 4 weeks later, revaccination every 6 months. Pay attention to checking for parasites (internal and external parasites) by periodically deworming.

Treatment:Let the animals rest, keep them warm, and feed them energy-rich foods. Use Marnagin - C and Phar-Nalgin C to reduce fever. Use antibiotics as directed by the veterinarian based on the condition of each animal.

2. Pasteurellosis

Reason:This is an infectious disease caused by septicemia bacteria. The bacteria are present in the soil and are easily spread during the rainy season, sticking to straw, grass or drifting along water sources; buffaloes and cows get sick by eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water.

Some buffaloes and cows may carry the pathogen but do not show any symptoms. When exposed to unfavorable conditions such as lack of food and water, sudden changes in weather, cold and rain, overwork, and poor resistance, the bacteria will increase their virulence and enter the bloodstream, causing disease.

Symptom:Cattle often get sick in 3 forms: hyperacute, acute and chronic.

Hyperacute form: cattle suddenly have high fever, are aggressive, the disease develops very quickly and they can die after 24 hours. Cattle die suddenly right on the pasture or in the barn, without showing clinical symptoms.

Acute form: the disease progresses in 3 - 5 days, the mortality rate is very high, 90 - 100%. After the incubation period of 1 - 3 days, the animal shows signs of not chewing its cud, sudden high fever, difficulty breathing and heavy breathing due to pleurisy, acute pneumonia. When dying, the cow is seen lying paralyzed, having difficulty breathing, with many dark red hemorrhagic spots on the mucous membranes. If the disease turns into sepsis, the animal dies quickly within 24 - 36 hours.

Chronic form: appears in animals with acute disease that do not die, the disease will turn into chronic. The disease manifests with symptoms: chronic enteritis (sometimes diarrhea, sometimes constipation), chronic bronchitis and pneumonia, arthritis and the animal has difficulty walking, eats less, and loses weight quickly.

Disease prevention:Regularly clean and disinfect barns with 10% lime water or other disinfectants; clear drains around barns and pastures to limit the existence of pathogens in nature.

When an epidemic occurs, it is necessary to promptly detect sick animals for isolation and treatment; dead buffaloes and cows must be buried deep, lime powder must be poured into the burial pit, barns and pastures must be disinfected, and manure mixed with lime powder must be composted to destroy pathogens.

Vaccinate against fowl cholera every 6 months; vaccinate in March - April and September - October before the changing seasons.

Strengthen care, nutrition and disease prevention hygiene, especially during the changing seasons and cold, rainy weather.

Treatment:Because the disease often occurs in acute form, early detection, isolation and timely treatment are needed to be effective.

Treatment with antibiotics Streptomycin, Kanamycin, dosage according to manufacturer's instructions.

Animals with high fever should be injected with antipyretics and given supportive therapy; animals that are too weak and refuse to eat should be given serum and given increased care and nutrition.

3. Chilblains

Reason:Due to the cold weather, high mountainous areas often have frost and frost, temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius make buffalo and cows susceptible to chilblains.

In cold weather, cows and buffaloes must stand and lie in damp, wet barns; having to soak their feet in cold water for a long time causes the capillary system in the legs to contract, hindering blood circulation. If this continues for about 2-3 days, it will lead to swelling around the toenails and ankles, and the cows and buffaloes will not be able to walk.

Symptom:In the early stages of the disease, the legs are slightly swollen, the animal walks slowly and limps. If not treated promptly, the legs will show signs of edema, swelling, many purple-red spots or cracked skin, yellow fluid oozing, the buffalo cannot stand up and walk, if the wound is deep, the buffalo or cow will be lame and have to lie down.

Although chilblains in cattle is not a contagious disease, it can occur in large numbers, greatly affecting plowing and transportation. Cattle and buffaloes lose weight and have reduced resistance, making them susceptible to secondary infections.

Disease prevention:On cold weather days (below 12 degrees Celsius), do not graze buffalo and cows outdoors. They need to rest from plowing.

Always keep the barn dry, clean, windproof, keep the livestock warm and ensure barn hygiene.

Regularly observe the movement of buffaloes and cows. If you see symptoms as mentioned in the symptoms section, you need to have timely treatment methods so that buffaloes and cows can recover quickly.

Use materials to keep livestock warm, such as making coats from blankets or sacks, or raising the temperature of the barn by burning coal or firewood to warm the buffalo and cows.

Fully vaccinate and periodically deworm buffalo and cows before the cold rainy season. Periodically clean and disinfect barns and the breeding environment.

Treatment:If the disease has just appeared, you need to wash and dry your feet, use crushed ginger and galangal, heat them, put them in a cloth bag and apply to the swollen area or use straw, sacks... to rub many times on the swollen area to dissolve the blood clot, and restore blood circulation, apply twice a day.

Use Methylxalixilate alcohol to rub the feet of buffalo and cows after washing and drying. Do not let buffalo and cows lie on one side for too long as it will cause necrosis of the skin in contact with the floor of the barn.

If the leg has a broken or infected ulcer, wash it with potassium permanganate solution, then sprinkle with Tetracycline or Sunfamid powder.

If the leg has many necrotic areas, it is necessary to remove the necrotic tissue, then treat with antibiotics continuously for 5-7 days. Inject antibiotics according to the manufacturer's recommended dosage.

4. Foot and mouth disease

Reason:Caused by a virus belonging to the Picorna Viridae family, the virus has many different types, virus type O, A Asia 1; is an acute, dangerous disease that spreads very quickly.

Symptom:Cattle and buffaloes incubate for 2-7 days, sometimes lasting 14 days. The animal has a high fever, eats little, drinks a lot of water, and saliva flows from the mouth like soap bubbles. After the animal has a fever for 2-3 days, blisters begin to appear on the tongue, upper jaw, mouth, and nose. Blisters on the hoof and between the hoofs make it difficult for the animal to move.

The blisters grow and burst, forming red ulcers. Ulcers on the feet, due to frequent contact with dirty environments, can become infected, causing the hoof to fall off, making it difficult for the animal to walk or lie down.

Disease prevention:Practice good veterinary hygiene, keep the cage dry, clean and warm; disinfect regularly.

Strengthen care and feeding of cattle and buffaloes, especially during cold, rainy days; supplement concentrated feed and green roughage.

Vaccinate against foot and mouth disease every 6 months. If you suspect your livestock has the disease, immediately notify the nearest veterinary agency for instructions on how to handle it.

Treatment:There is no specific treatment. Treatment of symptoms is as follows: Use mild antiseptics (Methylene blue, 1% potassium permanganate), lemon juice, star fruit juice to wash and disinfect the ulcers;

Use decoctions of herbs such as guava, green tea... to wash ulcers; Use supportive medicine by supplementing vitamins and minerals; Use antibiotics to prevent secondary infections.

Ngoc Anh

(Synthetic)