Common diseases and control in Cattle – Contagious diseases
Cattle are subjected to a large number of diseases. Cattle in normal health appear bright, alert and active in their movements with a shiny coat. They also enjoy normal appetite and sleep.
Cattle in ill health appear dull, restless and change posture frequently with a
drop in milk yield.
Contagious diseases :
The diseases which spread easily by various modes are called contagious diseases. These diseases are of bacterial or viral origin.
The bacterial diseases are anthrax, haemorrhagic septicemia, mastitis
and tuberculosis. The viral dieases are cow pox, foot and mouth
disease and rinderpest.
1. Anthrax : Anthrax, a bacterial disease is due to b anthracis which causes
sudden death in cattle.
Symptoms : High temperature (41-41.50c), swelling of the neck, thorax,
flanks and lumbar regions which are neither hot nor painful. Blood discharges
from natural openings, the affected animal dies in 10 to 36 hrs.
Control : Vaccination with spore vaccine at the age of 6 month and then
annually. Affected animals are to be segregated, contaminated place to be
disinfected and the carcasses to be burried deep.
2. Cow pox is a contagious viral disease attacking cows and buffaloes.
Symptoms : Retarded rumination, swelling of udder and teats, rise in
temperature, eruptions on skin and udder and teats developing into vesicles,
pustules and scabs by stages ultimately leading to mastitis and loss of milk.
Prevention : Segregation of affected animal, giving sloppy food for
swallowing and digestion, fomenting udder with warm disinfectant solution,
giving saline laxative and diuretics, treating lesions with mild antiseptic
ointment. Cow shed should be kept clean.
3. External parasitic diseases : Common ectoparasites are flies, ticks,
mites, fleas and lice. They are directly involved by sucking the blood from
cattle and become an irritant. They are also indirectly involved in transmitting
bacterial, viral and protozoan diseases.
4. Internal parasitic diseases : Hook worm, round worm, tape worm and
flukes are some of the intestinal parasites causing diarrahoea, dysentry and
some other complications.
Related Topics in Zoology:
Bio Zoology All Important Topics
- Livestock and Management
- Important cattle breeds and their characteristics
- Milch breeds (or) Dairy breeds
- Dual purpose breeds & Draught breeds
- Exotic breeds of cattle
- Common diseases and control in Cattle – Contagious diseases
- Non-contagious diseases – Cattle
- Techniques adopted in cattle breeding
- Poultry Breeds
- Farming methods
- Poultry byproducts
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- Sphygmomanometer
- Haemocytometer
- Urine Sugar analysis
- ECG Electrocardiogram
- Computed Tomography CT
- Endoscopy (Laproscopy) techniques , Artificial Pacemaker
- Autoanalyser