Occurrence - Livestock Animal husbandry Beef Cattle Production and Management

Beef cattle production and management

Practical Action

Occurrence

It is common in summer. Old animals are highly susceptible to infection.

Clinical Signs

 Fever

 Loss of appetite, weakness and incoordination

 Pale mucous membranes and jaundice

 Increased frequency of urination and the urine is normally golden yellow or amber coloured

 Constipation, and at times the dung is covered with mucous

Postmortem

 Jaundice (yellow discolouration of mucous membranes and of whole carcass

 Watery blood

 Spleen and liver are enlarged. The liver is friable and yellow orange in colour

 Gall bladder is distended with thick bile, hence the common name of the disease

 Rectum contents are dry and faeces are covered with mucous

Diagnosis

 History

 Clinical signs

 Postmortem findings

 Identification of parasite on peripheral smears

Treatment

OxytetracycIines

Imidocarb diproprionate (irnizol)

Control

 Dipping

 Vaccinations

Red Water (Bovine Babesiosis)

Occurrence

It is common in summer and older animals are more prone to get the infection than young

animals. The causative agent, which is a protozoan, is transmitted by blue ticks.

Clinical Signs

 fever

 loss of appetite, dullness and staring coat

 laboured breathing

 pale or yellow mucous membranes

 red urine

 nervous signs

Postmortem

 Pale to yellow carcass and mucous membranes

 Red urine in the bladder

 Enlarged spleen

Diagnosis

 Clinical signs

 Postmortem

 Parasite identification on peripheral smears, spleen smears or brain crush smears

Treatment

 Diminazine aceturate (Veri ben or Berenil)

 Imizol