Top 20 Bovine Conditions Part 1
5 Of Zuku’s Top 20 Bovine Conditions To Know For NAVLE® Success:
1. Bovine lymphosarcoma
Classic case:
Central nervous system - paraplegia, tetraplegia,
paraparesis, tetraparesis; head tilt, facial paralysis,
dysphagia
Gastrointestinal system - free gas bloat, vagal indigestion,
palpably enlarged abdominal lymph nodes, melena, thickened
rectum
Lymph nodes - lymphadenopathy, exophthalmos, weight loss
Heart - unexpected and sudden collapse, death, congestive Submandibular lymphadenopathy
heart failure, jugular pulse, distended jugular or mammary
veins, arrhythmia, tachycardia, weak pulse, subcutaneous
edema
Dx:
Etiology: Bovine leukemia virus (BLV), an oncogenic retrovirus
Lymph node biopsy
Positive antibodies (AGID or ELISA) to BLV
PCR or antigen-capture ELISA for BLV
Rx: NO effective or legal treatment; D-penicillamine has been given to affected pregnant cattle
to save a valuable calf but questionable
Pearls:
Grave prognosis
Affected cows will not pass slaughter inspection
Cows with BLV – most are asymptomatic, 5-10% get lymphosarcoma, and 30% have
persistent lymphocytosis
2. Ketosis
Classic case:
3 types – thin cow up to 45 days post-partum (type I),
obese cow peri-partum (type II), too much silage at any
stage of lactation (silage type)
Dairy cow 1-4 weeks post-partum with mild anorexia, low milk
production, malodorous breath
Pica or paresthesia, aggressive behavior
Mild proprioceptive deficits with hepatic failure
Dx: Transfaunation
Measure betahydroxybutyric acid in blood (best), milk, or urine;
diagnostic is greater than 14.4 mg/dL in whole blood
Look for acetoacetic acid in urine with dipstick
Thorough dental examination
Rx: Depends on type:
Type I – simple and short term Rx: oral propylene glycol, IV dextrose, corticosteroids, oral
potassium and calcium salts
Type II – difficult and longer-term Rx: transfaunate and force-feed, IV dextrose, oral
potassium and calcium salts, insulin
Silage type – don’t feed silage with high concentrations of butyric acid to pre- and post-fresh
cows!
Pearls:
Type I – excellent prognosis; prevent with low protein diet, maximize energy in early
lactation, and monensin
Type II – poor prognosis; cull obese cows
Economically important because higher culling rates, more retained placentas & decreased
pregnancy rates and milk production in obese cows
3. Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD)
Classic case:
Unvaccinated younger cow with acute diarrhea, nasal
discharge, ptyalism, ocular discharge, oral ulcers, fever,
anorexia, coronitis
In-utero infection: early embryonic death, cerebellar hypoplasia,
developmental defects, abortion
Persistent infection (PI): If a cow becomes infected by a NON-
cytopathic strain of virus between 40-120 days gestation, or calf is
from a PI dam, the calf will be PI and act as a reservoir; if infected Ptyalism
by cytopathic strain later in life, cow gets mucosal disease
Mucosal disease: acute signs and fatal with 2-4 weeks
Dx:
Etiology: Bovine viral diarrhea virus, a Pestivirus
PCR on milk
Antigen-capture ELISA on blood or tissue
Virus isolation or histopath at necropsy
Ear notching for PI cattle: use PCR or ELISA
Rx:
None
Prevention: Test and remove PI calves; vaccinate
Pearls:
Grave prognosis except for subclinical disease in adult vaccinated cow
Worldwide, economically important pestivirus
Not zoonotic but very contagious
4. Omphalitis, septicemia, joint ill, meningitis
Classic case:
Omphalitis – fever with swollen, painful
umbilicus and patent urachus +/- GI pain with 2º
peritonitis
Septicemia – calf less than 2 weeks old with fever,
diarrhea, depression, systemic compromise
Joint ill – lameness with painful, swollen joint
Meningitis – opisthotonus, hyperesthesia
Dx:
Omphalitis – palpate and ultrasound umbilical structures Joint ill - septic metatarsophalangeal
Joint ill – ultrasound/radiograph affected joint, aspirate joint
and culture joint fluid
Meningitis – CSF aspirate shows increased WBC count and protein
Rx: Antibiotics and…
Omphalitis: Surgical removal for advanced cases
Joint ill: Lavage joint then instill antibiotics; analgesics/NSAIDs
Meningitis and septicemia: Systemic supportive care, NSAIDs, diazepam if seizures
Prevention: Make sure calves get a minimum 500 grams IgG on first feeding and 4 L
colostrum by 2 hours of age; clean calving environment
Pearls:
Prognosis variable – good for omphalitis, poor for others (though some joints better than
others)
Measure total protein at 24 hours’ age – adequate colostral transfer if greater than 5.5 g/dL
5. Traumatic reticuloperitonitis
Classic case: Cow over 2 months of age with:
Acute anorexia and agalactia, unwillingness to move or lie down,
arched back, fever, positive grunt test
+/- Papple shape (pear on right and apple on left) and scant feces
if secondary vagal indigestion
Dx:
Positive withers grunt test – pinch withers while listening for a
vocalization with stethoscope
Positive abdominal rebound test – percuss abdomen while looking
for splinting and violent responses
Abdominocentesis – purulent or serosanguineous fluid
Cranial abdominal ultrasound or radiography
Rx: Similar outcomes with medical and surgical, better prognosis if
treated early
Medical – magnet, laxatives, antibiotics, analgesics
Surgical – rumenotomy, antibiotics, magnet
Prevention: ONE magnet per cow given at 400-600 pounds weight
prevents almost all cases! Papple shape
Pearls:
75% survival; bad outcome with secondary vagal indigestion,
diffuse peritonitis, and pericardial involvement
Images courtesy of Dr. Lisle George and The Yorck Project (3000-year old image of a farmer plowing with cattle, Egypt)
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