most common cattle diseases in Tn.

[tncattle]

What are the most common diseases among cattle in Tn.? I found research that said two viral diseases and Fescue toxicity accounted for the most loss among herds. Can anyone be more specific on the viral stuff?

 

[Lucky_P]

Spent a few years in veterinary practice in southern middle TN, now located just north of the KY line, and work on some middle TN cattle, still.

Age/stage of production will have an effect on what viruses(or other pathogens) you're likely to encounter:
Baby calves - Coronavirus and rotavirus scours; usually a bigger problem in dairy calves, but I've seen some pretty tough outbreaks in beef herds during mud season. If you get a viral diarrhea outbreak, there's usually one or both of these viruses involved - and frequently an enteropathogenic E.coli and Cryptosporidium, to boot.
Stockers/Feeders - BVD is a frequent player in initiating respiratory disease - probably 25% or more of the pneumonia cases I necropsy have BVD in the mix. Rarely see one of those BVD-Mucosal Disease cases.
IBR infection is quite uncommon in this area - might see a handful of cases one year then no more for 5-6 years, and I've not seen a confirmed case of BRSV or PI3 infection in nearly 20 years.
Adult cows - Bovine Leukosis Virus infection is common in both beef and dairy herds. Only 5-10% of infected animals will ever develop disease due to BLV, but after about age 7, the chance of one developing lymphosarcoma increases pretty significantly.
I haven't seen but maybe one or two IBR-induced abortions in the past 20 years, can't remember the last time I got BVD out of an aborted or stillborn fetus.
Have seen a good bit of 'infertility' in the past few years that I'm fairly certain was due to Lepto hardjo-bovis - and confirmed it in at least a couple of herds, but rarely see a confirmed Lepto abortion.

Unfortunately, Blackleg/Malignant Edema are still way too common; folks just don't get around to vaccinating calves - or they say, "I've never had it before." - It's everywhere; if you don't vaccinate, you're "rolling the dice", I don't care if you've never had a case - it'll catch up with you eventually.

Pneumonia in calves under 400 lb usually yields a Pasteurella multocida isolate, and calves over 400 lb usually have Mannheimia haemolytica. Mycoplasma bovis is a common complicating factor in those pneumonia cases in both weight classes. Occasionally see adult cattle with Mannheimia pneumonia.
Histophilus somnii (the bug formerly known as Haemophilus somnus) is an occasional offender, usually in the smaller weight class.

Other stuff's pretty sporadic - pinkeye, coccidiosis, cryptosporidiosis, listeriosis, salmonellosis, colibacillosis, etc. On the radar screen, but pretty low on the list of 'common' diseases.

Probably left something out, but these are the ones that I see month-in/month-out, year-in/year-out, with some regularity.

 

[tncattle]

Thanks! that was very informative and what I was looking for--I sent you a PM.

 

[tom4018]

Spent a few years in veterinary practice in southern middle TN, now located just north of the KY line, and work on some middle TN cattle, still.

Age/stage of production will have an effect on what viruses(or other pathogens) you're likely to encounter:
Baby calves - Coronavirus and rotavirus scours; usually a bigger problem in dairy calves, but I've seen some pretty tough outbreaks in beef herds during mud season. If you get a viral diarrhea outbreak, there's usually one or both of these viruses involved - and frequently an enteropathogenic E.coli and Cryptosporidium, to boot.
Stockers/Feeders - BVD is a frequent player in initiating respiratory disease - probably 25% or more of the pneumonia cases I necropsy have BVD in the mix. Rarely see one of those BVD-Mucosal Disease cases.
IBR infection is quite uncommon in this area - might see a handful of cases one year then no more for 5-6 years, and I've not seen a confirmed case of BRSV or PI3 infection in nearly 20 years.
Adult cows - Bovine Leukosis Virus infection is common in both beef and dairy herds. Only 5-10% of infected animals will ever develop disease due to BLV, but after about age 7, the chance of one developing lymphosarcoma increases pretty significantly.
I haven't seen but maybe one or two IBR-induced abortions in the past 20 years, can't remember the last time I got BVD out of an aborted or stillborn fetus.
Have seen a good bit of 'infertility' in the past few years that I'm fairly certain was due to Lepto hardjo-bovis - and confirmed it in at least a couple of herds, but rarely see a confirmed Lepto abortion.

Unfortunately, Blackleg/Malignant Edema are still way too common; folks just don't get around to vaccinating calves - or they say, "I've never had it before." - It's everywhere; if you don't vaccinate, you're "rolling the dice", I don't care if you've never had a case - it'll catch up with you eventually.Pneumonia in calves under 400 lb usually yields a Pasteurella multocida isolate, and calves over 400 lb usually have Mannheimia haemolytica. Mycoplasma bovis is a common complicating factor in those pneumonia cases in both weight classes. Occasionally see adult cattle with Mannheimia pneumonia.
Histophilus somnii (the bug formerly known as Haemophilus somnus) is an occasional offender, usually in the smaller weight class.

Other stuff's pretty sporadic - pinkeye, coccidiosis, cryptosporidiosis, listeriosis, salmonellosis, colibacillosis, etc. On the radar screen, but pretty low on the list of 'common' diseases.

Probably left something out, but these are the ones that I see month-in/month-out, year-in/year-out, with some regularity.

Friend just lost a really nice 5-6 month old heifer to a suspected case of blackleg that he never got around to vaccinating. We did the same thing early on in our operation, mostly due to poor facilities. Blackleg vaccines are too cheap to do without.

 

[Lucky_P]

Yep, and I'll be the first to admit - I've lost calves to blackleg, too - just 'cause I didn't get around to vaccinating in a timely manner. What's that old thing about the shoemaker's kids going barefoot?

But, since my wife took over as 'farm manager', that's not likely to ever happen again. She's a tough, organized boss!

 

[shaz]

I've seen Johnes on 3 occasions. That's the one that scares me the most.

Pinkeye is easy to deal with but it helps to catch it early.
Seems like blackleg is the one I hear about alot but have yet to see it. I vaccinate for it though.

 

[bse]

Nice post Lucky P. I use selectvac plan, vaccinate twice a yr Nov1st and April 10th got about 10 dollars a head in my cows i think its cheap insurance. I was just doing it whenever, then just got on this plan and do it on these days, may move one day foward or backward but no more than that. The only thing im not giving is the scour shot to the cows. Ive not had a problem with it. Thoughts on the scour shot?

 

[Lucky_P]

IF rota/corona scours have been a problem in the herd in the past, I'd recommend a 'scours' vaccine, but otherwise, not. Back when I was raising dairy calves, which eventually went out with the beef herd, I did use a rota/corona vaccine in the beef herd, 'cause I KNEW some of those Holsteins had the potential to bring one or both viruses in with them.
I don't have any idea about whether the E.coli K99 fraction in the scours vaccines is worthwhile - yeah, it looks, on paper, like it protects against disease due to E.coli K99, but we almost never see K99 in scouring calves anymore, so it's value is, at best, questionable, IMO.

 

[robertwhite]

Unfortunately, Blackleg/Malignant Edema are still way too common; folks just don't get around to vaccinating calves

How young is "too" young to hit with Alpha-7?

I had to get some Noromycin into a momma cow yesterday and asked a buddy about shooting her calf (2 weeks old) with Alpha-7 while she was so close. I was told not until 3 mths. That to me is a bit odd as a small calf running around a muddy pasture is very succeptible (sp?) to Black leg. Of all the diseases out there, Black leg scares me the most.

 

[kenny thomas]

I sure am not the expert that Lucky_P is but the label says after three months is a first sign. Also the calf is suppose to be protected by mother nature until about that time. At the advice of Lucky_P I do give the cows Alpha 7 every other year. It adds to the immunity of blackleg and a few other things. Remember the blackleg is only 1 of the 7.

 

[Lucky_P]

Probably not much to be gained by vaccinating a calf less than 1-3 months old, but if your calving season is spread out, and you're working 3-4 month olds, and there are some younger calves in the bunch...I'm gonna vaccinate them, and booster them later.
The vaccine manufacturers specify 1 month, 3 months, etc., because that's the age of calves that they used in their trials to get USDA/FDA approval for their product. If they didn't use calves less than 3 months of age, they don't have any data to prove that it works effectively in anything younger than 3 months, and can't make a label claim.
No harm in vaccinating young calves - though recent studies have shown that from days 3-7 after birth, a calf's immune system is at its lowest point, and I wouldn't count on any vaccine administered in that window eliciting a protective response.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Stockers/Feeders - BVD is a frequent player in initiating respiratory disease - probably 25% or more of the pneumonia cases I necropsy have BVD in the mix. Rarely see one of those BVD-Mucosal Disease cases.

Have seen a good bit of 'infertility' in the past few years that I'm fairly certain was due to Lepto hardjo-bovis - and confirmed it in at least a couple of herds, but rarely see a confirmed Lepto abortion.

Pneumonia in calves under 400 lb usually yields a Pasteurella multocida isolate, and calves over 400 lb usually have Mannheimia haemolytica. Mycoplasma bovis is a common complicating factor in those pneumonia cases in both weight classes. quote]

Do you see the dreaded persistently infected BVD carriers, or are folks just not vacinating for BVD, or both?

I have heard some folks re vaccinating every 6 months... How effective is an annual 9 way or 10 way Lepto booster?

I have learned to vaccinate all calves and purchased cows for Pasteurella. Is there any reason for any annual booster once they are settled into the herd?

 

[snickers]

lucky p here's a question for ya, we just lost a heifer that was 22 months old and 7 months pregnant due to coccidia and she didnt show any signs of anything until xmas eve she wouldnt eat and sunday we watched her and she had brown running stool so we got her up in the lot and gave la200, monday vet came over and took a stool sample and called and said yea she had it and other worms egs to even thoough we worm twice a year but only pour on. he loaded her up with stuff to get her appitite back wormer and some other things and we went ahead and put corid in her water which she would drink. by wednesday she was dead. so we are now treating our whole herd with corid in the drinking water for 5 days and the vet recommended doing that twice a year with injectible wormer will that be enough? we actually thought she had gotten hit by another cow at the bale ring and was losing her calf never dreamed it was coccidious. we have 4 calves on the ground right now and 4 more to go in feb. we are pretty nervous about all of this not knowing if we could lose everything. any advice would be appreciated and do they make a wormer that you can put in their water like corid?