Cattle Related Question - Tetanus

[JMJ Farms]

Funny my vet says the same thing. Castration during cold weather should keep the swelling and flies at bay.

Bob always makes me think that I overthink everything. Or maybe he underthinks. I'm not sure. But in his world everything is simple. He is as old school as they come!

He brought his sweetie out to tube a bloated bull for me a few Saturday's ago. His piece of fuel line got doubled up and wouldn't come out of the bull. So he set his hand pump down and pulled with both hands. Needless to say he ended up on his back in the mud. He gets up laughing and says I sure didn't expect that.

Sounds just like him. He came out and fixed a prolapsed cow for my dad probably 15 years ago. She had been like that for at least 24 hours when he found her. Anyway Bob had blood and crap all over his shoulder and side of his face and head. Looked like he had been shot. Cabin is beside the cow lot. Pops asked him if he wanted a shower or to clean up. He said "No. You got any whiskey?" So we fixed him up and sent him on his way. I sure like him but he's a little rough around the edges. If he comes, only two outcomes. Cow will make a fully recovery or be dead within hours. No in between.

 

[76 Bar]

Covexin 8 also covers Red Water or Bacillary hemoglobinuria.

Cavalry 9 is the same as Covexin 8 except Cavalry 9 covers Clostridium sordellii - malignant oedema. Both made by Merck.
For Information, here is a list of the Clostridial bacteria and the diseases they cause in cattle:
Clostridium perfringens........Enteritis/enterotoxemia
Clostridium septicum..........Malignant edema
Clostridium tetani............Tetanus
Clostridium chauvoei..........Blackleg
Clostridium haemolyticum........Bacillary hemoglobinuria or red water
Clostridium novyi.........Necrotic hepatitis or Black disease
Covexin 8 covers all those. And it covers both Types B, C and D perfringens. Thus how you arrive at the number 8.

Thanks for the info BR. :tiphat: :lol:

 

[Bright Raven]

Covexin 8 also covers Red Water or Bacillary hemoglobinuria.

Cavalry 9 is the same as Covexin 8 except Cavalry 9 covers Clostridium sordellii - malignant oedema. Both made by Merck.
For Information, here is a list of the Clostridial bacteria and the diseases they cause in cattle:
Clostridium perfringens........Enteritis/enterotoxemia
Clostridium septicum..........Malignant edema
Clostridium tetani............Tetanus
Clostridium chauvoei..........Blackleg
Clostridium haemolyticum........Bacillary hemoglobinuria or red water
Clostridium novyi.........Necrotic hepatitis or Black disease
Covexin 8 covers all those. And it covers both Types B, C and D perfringens. Thus how you arrive at the number 8.

Thanks for the info BR. :tiphat: :lol:

Very welcome. I hope it helped others.

 

[bball]

Took me a minute, but I found the article I had read regarding the topic. May benefit someone.
https://www.drovers.com/article/dont-forget-tetanus-prevention-when-banding-bulls

For the record, I band at birth and have never used any toxoid or antitoxin, but also accept the risks involved.

 

[kenny thomas]

Took me a minute, but I found the article I had read regarding the topic. May benefit someone.
https://www.drovers.com/article/dont-forget-tetanus-prevention-when-banding-bulls

For the record, I band at birth and have never used any toxoid or antitoxin, but also accept the risks involved.

Good reading. I hadn't thought about ear tagging being a possible cause.

 

[sstterry]

Took me a minute, but I found the article I had read regarding the topic. May benefit someone.
https://www.drovers.com/article/dont-forget-tetanus-prevention-when-banding-bulls

For the record, I band at birth and have never used any toxoid or antitoxin, but also accept the risks involved.

Good reading. I hadn't thought about ear tagging being a possible cause.

Why would the author list elastrator band castration and ear tagging but not regular castration with a blade? I understand the argument on older calves, but it seems to me that an open wound is an open wound.

Also, it once again appears that to do it right, the calves should be run through the chute 3 times over 4-5 weeks.

 

[bball]

While you do have an open wound with typical castration, you do not create the environment that the bacteria thrives in; namely anaerobic due to strangulation of tissue, or dead, rotting tissues. Knife cut still has oxygenated blood flow to the area(this is what promotes, clotting and healing of knife cut) so there is less risk of tetanus.

 

[sstterry]

While you do have an open wound with typical castration, you do not create the environment that the bacteria thrives in; namely anaerobic due to strangulation of tissue, or dead, rotting tissues. Knife cut still has oxygenated blood flow to the area(this is what promotes, clotting and healing of knife cut) so there is less risk of tetanus.

But isn't that the same with tagging? Puncture wound and no strangulation of tissue?

 

[bball]

While you do have an open wound with typical castration, you do not create the environment that the bacteria thrives in; namely anaerobic due to strangulation of tissue, or dead, rotting tissues. Knife cut still has oxygenated blood flow to the area(this is what promotes, clotting and healing of knife cut) so there is less risk of tetanus.

But isn't that the same with tagging? Puncture wound and no strangulation of tissue?

The puncture provides the opening for the bacteria to enter the calfs body. If the calf is banded, it has the anaerobic environment available for the bacteria to thrive. The ear tag is the entry point. The strangulated scrotum is the incubator. A knife cut calf has an entry point, but generally lacks the incubator (anaerobic environment)

 

[kenny thomas]

While you do have an open wound with typical castration, you do not create the environment that the bacteria thrives in; namely anaerobic due to strangulation of tissue, or dead, rotting tissues. Knife cut still has oxygenated blood flow to the area(this is what promotes, clotting and healing of knife cut) so there is less risk of tetanus.

This is how it was explained to me also. For my piece of mind I give the anitoxin when I knife cut.

 

[True Grit Farms]

I use Covexin 8 or Calvary 9 for black leg, the tetanus is just a bonus. Personally I can't imagine not vaccinating against black leg.

 

[sstterry]

While you do have an open wound with typical castration, you do not create the environment that the bacteria thrives in; namely anaerobic due to strangulation of tissue, or dead, rotting tissues. Knife cut still has oxygenated blood flow to the area(this is what promotes, clotting and healing of knife cut) so there is less risk of tetanus.

This is how it was explained to me also. For my piece of mind I give the anitoxin when I knife cut.

So, it is not the tagging alone, it is the tagging in conjunction with the banding, is that correct?

 

[Bright Raven]

Clostridium chauvoei is the Clostridial that causes Blackleg. That is the one that is the most likely to occur. Regarding Clostridium haemolyticum, which causes bacillary hemoglobinuria or red water, unless you are in an area with liver flukes, it is very unlikely to occur.

Regarding the Antitoxin, if I personally had not given the two TT shots before banding or cutting, I would give it for piece of mind.

 

[bball]

While you do have an open wound with typical castration, you do not create the environment that the bacteria thrives in; namely anaerobic due to strangulation of tissue, or dead, rotting tissues. Knife cut still has oxygenated blood flow to the area(this is what promotes, clotting and healing of knife cut) so there is less risk of tetanus.

This is how it was explained to me also. For my piece of mind I give the anitoxin when I knife cut.

So, it is not the tagging alone, it is the tagging in conjunction with the banding, is that correct?

Yes sir

 

[T & B farms]

No one asked me, but I will share what I do. Most of the time I band newborns. Used to give covexin 8 at banding, but have not done that in 3 years. Have banded several hundred over the last 3 years, yet to loose one to tetanus. I try to give everything close to home covexin 8at 2 months, then again at weaning. At weaning I go through the bulls left intact to possibly be breeding bulls, knife cut the ones I don't like. give shot of penicillin with tetanus in it per my vets recommendation. Then at 10-12 months I will go though them again and band the few that don't stand out. Im using the zip bands. These are given a shot of covexin 8. I slit the sac. Knock on wood, no issues from tetanus so far.

 

[Banjo]

I worry more about the blackleg than the tetanus. Never had a calf get tetanus that I'm aware of, but lost several to blackleg over the years. Its supposed to come from the ground they say, so i guess both are important if they are going to be in a lot with much bare ground, especially after banding. Blackleg seems to be more prevalant where a lot of tobacco is or has been grown in the past. Don't know if the soil organism is related to "Blackshank" in tobacco.
I was told that the man who owned where i live now 40 years ago had several calves die in a short period of time once.....finally it was diagnosed as blackleg, then started to vaccinate for it. He also grew a lot of tobacco here.

 

[kenny thomas]

I worry more about the blackleg than the tetanus. Never had a calf get tetanus that I'm aware of, but lost several to blackleg over the years. Its supposed to come from the ground they say, so i guess both are important if they are going to be in a lot with much bare ground, especially after banding. Blackleg seems to be more prevalant where a lot of tobacco is or has been grown in the past. Don't know if the soil organism is related to "Blackshank" in tobacco.
I was told that the man who owned where i live now 40 years ago had several calves die in a short period of time once.....finally it was diagnosed as blackleg, then started to vaccinate for it. He also grew a lot of tobacco here.

I think its more of an issue that the ground has been tilled than that it had tobacco there. I feel that an area that has been stirred up has more of the blackleg potential.

 

[Silver]

Without going back and reading all the posts on this thread, I will just say that blackleg has never happened here, nor tetanus that I'm aware of. We knife cut up until about 3 or 4 years ago with no precautions. Well, I sometimes wiped my pocket knife on my pant leg before cutting. I will say that every once in a while we get a case of joint ill. Coulda been the knife, coulda been the naval, coulda been the ear tag. Rare cases, but every one hurts nonetheless. Maybe 1/3 of one percent?