Chronic Scouring in Cows.

[Farmer]

Alright- I'm new to this forum, so if I do something wrong. Correct me.
I have cows that are constantly scouring and loosing weight. They are on feed, grass and hay and continues to eat like a hog. The one cow that worries me is one that has been doing this since spring. She was a big cow, Miked Great and then went down hill. She started scouring, loosing weight. She is still alive, eating fine, and stay right up with the rest of the herd. She is 2 years old.
I have had her tested for Johne's and it came back negative. I thinking BVD now. Does anyone know how to treat BVD? I want to use her as an experiment beings I left her running with the rest of the herd.
I have also been having other cows to abort their calves. I was thinking this was a BVD symptom also.
Should I vaccinate all of the cows? and calves?
Thanks alot and hopefully someone has answers.

 

[Howdyjabo]

Theres a test for BVD- search the web and you will find it
But maybe you had better consider getting a vet in to help figure out whats what and how to deal with it.

 

[CowGirl005]

Have you considered worms? What do you have them on for a deworming program?

 

[Farmer]

I deworm with Ivomec Plus twice a year.
I've had fecal after fecal done and nothing is showing in them.
That was the first thing I done.

 

[Engler]

Call a vet, do not pass go, do not collect $200, go directly to the phone and call a vet. In the mean time isolate her and anyone who has lost a calf if possible.

I don't know what an open cow costs you, but around here it's going to be $400+. I would guess that she's got something going on with her and it's spreading. It's already cost you way more than a vet call, and this is has the posibility to be a gift that keeps on giving.

I hope I'm wrong and she is just a zero in terms of keeping herself together and the abortions are a freak, unrelated deal, but if I was going to bet on that I'd be better off to go to the blackjack table.

 

[Farmer]

I've called a Vet numerous times and when they come out they say it's Johne's.
They test it and when the test comes back negative they say the test aren't always correct and they tell me it's still Johne's even when I do numerous test and it keeps coming back negative.
I don't have any help on this end.

 

[Angus Cowman]

I've called a Vet numerous times and when they come out they say it's Johne's.
They test it and when the test comes back negative they say the test aren't always correct and they tell me it's still Johne's even when I do numerous test and it keeps coming back negative.
I don't have any help on this end.

I would contact the State Vet or one of the Vet Schools and I bet ya then you will find out what it is

 

[ALACOWMAN]

how long have you had these cattle, could be the feed running through em does it have bovatec?

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Isolate that one cow. "Power Pack" her with wormers (consult Vet for proper wormer and schedule). Whether or not it's Johnnes, this cow may not improve. Compare your Vet & treatment cost to what the cow is worth per pound. If she's costing too much, haul her to Sale Barn and "mark her slaughter only" (dog food?). Could also be her sensitivity to certain types of hay or something else toxic to her. Don't chase a loser...

JMHO

 

[hillsdown]

Your vet can do an ear notch test for BVD ,get all cattle tested and while you have them in the chute get them on a good vaccination program.

Get all the scouring cattle tested for Johne's and a fecal test is more accurate than a blood test.

 

[ga.prime]

What was the vet's suggested remedy?

 

[regolith]

Had a shot at treating the scours?

What I've seen used - probiotics, antibiotics (injected), oral drench with kaolin and sulpha drugs (I think, product was called kaolin D and I can't remember if it contained the antibiotic or if I had to inject her as well).

Read up on BVD. http://www.controlbvd.org.nz/
If you have PI's (often unthrifty animals) you need to cull them. If the cows are being transiently infected, I don't know of treatment save probiotics &c for the scours, when infection passes cows are immune & okay (the big risk is fetal effects). A blood test will identify antibody levels and whether any of the animals tested are Persistently Infected (born with the infection and therefore carriers). Your vet should help you plan forward if you have BVD, but if you can't control exposure to the virus or identify and remove the PI animals vaccination will protect your herd.

What about salmonella? Or maybe the heifer had peritonitis (causing scouring) and survived it?

Or - what was the topic of discussion in another thread?? If it's not Johne's it might just be inadequate nutrition input. Quantity and quality - heavy milkers and wet grass combined could simulate these symptoms.

 

[C&APride]

Johne's is very hard to detect with a fecal test. If the cow is not dry you can test for BVD & Johne's with milk. You can take the sample your self & save the vet fee. I send all of my stuff to Enfer Diagnostics. You can find them on the web.

 

[Lucky_P]

Johne's serology is quick and easy - just need a red-top tube of blood(serum). The Johne's ELISA test that most diagnostic laboratories run is at its best as a herd-screening test; it was not really intended for individual animal testing - but if the cow is 'clinical', the vast majority of those will be seropositive.

Fecal culture is still the 'gold standard', but the organism is slow-growing, and it takes 12-16 weeks to get culture results back. PCR(DNA probe) on feces has cut that time to 1-3 days, but sensitivity may still be a little less than with fecal culture, which can detect as low as 50 organisms per gram of feces.

 

[Reds]

I suggest submitting the whole cow to a university or state diagnostic lab to get a diagnosis for the herd.