Animal Science Quiz 7 Diseases

Scours

is a term for diarrhea

There are a variety of causes of scours in baby animals. Most of these are infectious agents.

• Viruses

• Parasites

• Bacteria

• Nutrition

Treatment options are

• antibiotics

• fluids

• probiotics

• kaopectate

Prevention

• management

• nutrition

• attention to newborn

• environment sanitation

Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) “Shipping Fever”

Refers to any disease of the upper or lower respiratory tracts

most common and costly disease affecting the North American beef cattle industry

• Commonly associated with infections of the lungs causing pneumonia

• Caused by environmental factors (transport, commingling, temperature fluctuations, crowding, ventilation, auction-sourced, etc.)

Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV)

a common cause of respiratory and resproductive issues in the herd, and it’s transmitted in a number of ways.

• Through congenital infection of the fetus or after birth

• Congenital infections may cause abortion, stillbirth, or live-birth

• Congenitally infected fetuses

Symptoms such as: Diarrhea, calf pneumonia, decreased milk production, reproductive disorders, increased occurence of other diseases, and death

Treatment such as: Supportive therapy, vaccination, Cull

Blackleg

is caused by the spore forming, gas producing bacter Clostridium chauvoei

• the spores of the organism can live in the soil for many years

• the bacteria enters the calf by ingestion

• cattle that are on a high plane of nutrition, rapidly gaining weight and between 6 months and 2 years of age are most susceptible to the disease

Clinical signs

• depression

• lameness/swilling in affected limb

• fever

• death (normally occurs from 12-36 after first sign)

Treatment is normally futile, vaccination is highly recommended.

Pinkeye (also known as Infectious Bovine Keratoconjuctivitis) (IBK)

a highly infectious bacterial disease affecting the eyes of the cattle

face flies are major transporters of the microbes

Signs

• watery eye, redness around eye

• sensitivity to light

• Ulcers can develope and cause scarring

early treatment is important.

Prevent with fly control, vaccination, and good management.

Brucellosis (Bang’s Disease)

is an infectious disease that occurs from contact with animals carrying Brucella bacteria.

• Can infect cattle, goats, sheep, dogs, and pigs. The bacteria can spread to humans if you come in to contact with blood, infected meat or the placenta of infected animals, or if you eat or drink infected un-pasteurized milk or cheese

• highly contagious, it spreads very easily between cattle

There is no treatment

Vaccination is available and is important for controlling disease. It’s given by a vet and marked with a tattoo.

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)

“Mad cow Disease”

A progressive neurologic disease of cattle (but not contagious through contact)

signs: incoordination, acting nervous or aggressive

• long incubation: an infected cow won’t show signs for 4-6 years

no treatment and no vaccine

Grass tetany

often fatal metabolic disorder characterized by low levels of magnesium in the blood of serum of cattle.

• happens most frequently when cattle graze on rich, immature grass.

Pregnancy Toxemia

common metabolic disease in sheep, caused by a disturbance of carbohydrate metabolism due to inadequate nutrition and stress in late gestation.

Enterotoxemia

also called over eating disease. Found in soil and as normal part of microbes in the digestive tract.

White muscle disease

also called stiff lamb disease or muscular dystrophy

caused by a vitamin E deficiency, its the degeneration of the skeletal and cardiac muscles of lambs.

Scrapies

Affects nervous system, its a degenerative disease. There’s no treatment and it’s deadly. It’s one of several transmissible spongiform encephalopathies related to mad cow disease.