A sequel to Foot & Mouth disease in cattle

[asedem]

There is a syndrome that occurs in cattle that have recovered from Foot & Mouth disease.This is characterized by panting,the hairs are raised up,affected cattle like standing continuously in water and shade,reluctant to move away.This has been a worry to most farmers.There is no known treatment for this.I am using this platform to find out if someone knows or has a solution to this .
Gladys

 

[jkwilson]

Where do you live that there are living cattle that have been exposed to Foot and Mouth?

 

[asedem]

I live in tropical Africa,northern Ghana to be specific, where Foot & Mouth disease has not yet been eradicated.So every year there are outbreaks of this disease.
Gladys

 

[IluvABbeef]

The only methods I know that are effective to the eradication of FMD is very strict quarantine and humane euthinazia of all animals that have FMD and were exposed to it. That's how they did it in Britian....

 

[asedem]

My question is has anybody come across a syndrome like the one described above in cattle that have recovered from Foot & Mouth Disease before? If yes how was it handled.It is not about eradication.Also is there a vaccine against it?
Gladys

 

[Suzie Q]

As IluvABbeef said the only methods I have heard of his humanely euthanasia and strict quarantine. Which means that we have never got to the point of any syndrome afterwards, so you will be the one teaching us.

 

[IluvABbeef]

Why Aren't Herds Being Vaccinated?

Vaccination is effective in preventing clinical signs of the disease; however, it does not always prevent infection, allowing some animals to be carriers. There are several different strains of FMD, with little cross protection by vaccine. The vaccine's protective effect does not last long, so animals would need to be inoculated frequently.

Most importantly, the vaccine produces antibodies that are the same as those produced by the actual disease. Therefore, blood tests used to confirm the disease would not be able to distinguish between infected animals and those that had been vaccinated. This situation would extend the period before Canada could be recognized as disease-free, and all vaccinated animals would eventually have to be slaughtered

From: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex859 It was that reason (the part I bolded) that I said that it is best to humanely euthanize all animals with/in contact with FMD, simply because these types of animals with this seemingly secondary FMD infection are still carriers of the virus. IMHO, it should be about eradication.

Here's a couple other sites that may be of use to you:
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/ani ... fiee.shtml (click on titles for more)
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/htm/bc/51000.htm (scroll to the bottom for vacc. info)

 

[asedem]

Hi IlluvABbeef,
Thanks for the information.

 

[MoGal]

I'd say they aren't completely over the fungus. I don't know if a cow is the same as human, but humans with an alkaline gut ph is between 7.0 and 7.5 . Virus, fungus and bacteria cannot live in an alkaline environment. You need the cow's gut to be alkaline, so what do you give them for bloat? Over here, the cheapest thing is sodium bicarbonate (called baking soda here). Alkanize their gut ph and then give them probiotics to get the good bacteria going again.

Also, I'd raise the magnesium, zinc and iodine in your mineral program. I don't know about Africa but over here 70% of Americans are magnesium and iodine deficient so that means its not in the soils nor in our food and if I'm not getting it, then I seriously doubt that our cows are. Iodine has antibiotic properties to it, zinc reduces the arthritis (which should help because I wonder if the cows are standing in the water because of reduced oxygen to the blood cells and the feet aren't getting the oxygen they need plus maybe a slight temp?) and magnesium has so much stuff its needed for we've have to start a new thread just for it.

Here's a link and one vet's recommendation:
http://www.mindfully.org/Health/FMD-Homoepathy.htm this may be easier to obtain sodium tetraborate (known as mule team borax over here).
Please do your own diligent research as this is just my suggestion only. I would never intentionally misguide someone and we don't have FMD over here................. yet. I'm sure we're in for all kinds of surprises over the next 5 years. I have used borax 1/2 to 1 cup in 100 gallons of water and it clears up snotty noses and coughs. I have never used it beyond 3 days straight though and they need at least 3 days off per 7 days (this is important so don't give it every day).

Also you can use it on crops, 1/8 to 1/4 tsp per one liter of water.

You need to eradicate the fungus, then work on getting oxygen back into the cow's body. Just remember fungus (like cancer) lives on fermentation and sugar. When you get the oxygen levels up, your cows won't be standing in the water (stop and think about it, a foundered horse has problem with his feet because he isn't getting oxygen to the blood cells in his feet and the blood cells are dying off) .

Can you get food grade hydrogen peroxide?

 

[MoGal]

I'd say they aren't completely over the fungus. I don't know if a cow is the same as human, but humans with an alkaline gut ph is between 7.0 and 7.5 . Virus, fungus and bacteria cannot live in an alkaline environment. You need the cow's gut to be alkaline, so what do you give them for bloat? Over here, the cheapest thing is sodium bicarbonate (called baking soda here). Alkanize their gut ph and then give them probiotics to get the good bacteria going again.

Also, I'd raise the magnesium, zinc and iodine in your mineral program. I don't know about Africa but over here 70% of Americans are magnesium and iodine deficient so that means its not in the soils nor in our food and if I'm not getting it, then I seriously doubt that our cows are. Iodine has antibiotic properties to it, zinc reduces the arthritis (which should help because I wonder if the cows are standing in the water because of reduced oxygen to the blood cells and the feet aren't getting the oxygen they need plus maybe a slight temp?) and magnesium has so much stuff its needed for we've have to start a new thread just for it.

Here's a link and one vet's recommendation:
http://www.mindfully.org/Health/FMD-Homoepathy.htm this may be easier to obtain sodium tetraborate (known as mule team borax over here).
Please do your own diligent research as this is just my suggestion only. I would never intentionally misguide someone and we don't have FMD over here................. yet. I'm sure we're in for all kinds of surprises over the next 5 years. I have used borax 1/2 to 1 cup in 100 gallons of water and it clears up snotty noses and coughs. I have never used it beyond 3 days straight though and they need at least 3 days off per 7 days (this is important so don't give it every day).

Also you can use it on crops, 1/8 to 1/4 tsp per one liter of water.

You need to eradicate the fungus, then work on getting oxygen back into the cow's body. Just remember fungus (like cancer) lives on fermentation and sugar. When you get the oxygen levels up, your cows won't be standing in the water (stop and think about it, a foundered horse has problem with his feet because he isn't getting oxygen to the blood cells in his feet and the blood cells are dying off) .

Can you get food grade hydrogen peroxide?

 

[andybob]

It is common practice to quarentine, and vaccinate cattle infected with Foot and Mouth virus in the Southern African Territories, pigs are however slaughtered, and dairy cows usually culled as they do not recover their full production after recovering.
The native breeds recover fully, but exotics often suffer long term side effects, in areas wher F+M is endemic, only native breeds are kept, and no export of beef is allowed from these "red line" regeons.
My herd was exposed in 1978, including a consignment due to be exported to Namibia, the herd was vaccinated with SAT 2 and SAT3 strains, and when the quarenteen was lifted, the export heifers were further quarentined at the Kempton Park centre in South Africa, before consignment to Namibia.
Are your cattle native or exotic? which strains of F+M are endemic to your area?
Contacting the Onderstepoort research centre, University of Pretoria, South Africa would be a good start in identifying the symptoms, they have worked with centres in Botswana and Zimbabwe for over 30 years in disease controll, especially F+M for which the vaccines were developed in a program between Zimbabwe, Botswana and France in the 70's.