We have a retired show ?cow? that tested positive for neosporosis after aborting her first calf. She was AI again and after 6 months just aborted a second time. We hate to give up because she is our best winner and where told by the vet she should develope a ammunity. Has anyone had any luck?
Neosporosis in cattle
- Thread starter tmaggies
- Start date
Do a search on here for canine neospora. I had the same issue with a heifer. Anyway, there are treatments and they lead me to believe that the cows will not develop immunity. A great big dose of oxytet and some trimethoprim pills were what i gave my heifer, if my memory is correct. That treatment came from Auburn university. You might have your vet contact them directly for the current "new" treatment. She bred back on the next heat and has since moved on to be our most prolific donor and a dang good momma cow! We were really at a loss when we first found out. We looked at everything until we found the last fetus and had it necropsied, that was the only thing they could explain the abortions with. The pathologist, who happens to post on here often, (hint hint LuckyP) said he could count on one hand the number of times he's seen it. Can't thank him enough for the help!
Best of luck to you, it's not the end of the world for the cow!
Sizmic
Best of luck to you, it's not the end of the world for the cow!
Sizmic
Lucky_P
Well-known member
Sizmic,
I've seen at most, a half-dozen cases of Neospora abortion in cattle in MO & KY over the past 20 years - and we look for Neospora in EVERY set of aborted fetal tissues. That said, we're currently working with diagnosticians at the UK diagnostic lab on what looks to be an abortion storm due to Neospora in a central KY beef herd, with close to 50% of cows in the affected herd aborting within the past month.
The linked article below does as good a job detailing the disease - and probable outcomes, depending upon stage of pregnancy when infection occurs - as I've seen. Scroll down to pg 233, especially.
http://www.conception-animal.com/pdf/neospora.pdf
I've not researched treatments; vaccines look promising, but I'm not aware of any approved for use in the USA.
I'm surprised at the treatment recommendation from the guys at my alma mater. WDE anyway.
Trimethoprim-sulfa, administered orally to animals with a functional rumen, is very poorly absorbed - if at all; most folks say 'not at all'. I would only use oral T/S in baby calves that don't have a functional rumen; ruminating animals would need injectible T/S.
I'm unaware that tetracyclines would have any effect on eukaryotes, like Neospora.
I've seen at most, a half-dozen cases of Neospora abortion in cattle in MO & KY over the past 20 years - and we look for Neospora in EVERY set of aborted fetal tissues. That said, we're currently working with diagnosticians at the UK diagnostic lab on what looks to be an abortion storm due to Neospora in a central KY beef herd, with close to 50% of cows in the affected herd aborting within the past month.
The linked article below does as good a job detailing the disease - and probable outcomes, depending upon stage of pregnancy when infection occurs - as I've seen. Scroll down to pg 233, especially.
http://www.conception-animal.com/pdf/neospora.pdf
I've not researched treatments; vaccines look promising, but I'm not aware of any approved for use in the USA.
I'm surprised at the treatment recommendation from the guys at my alma mater. WDE anyway.
Trimethoprim-sulfa, administered orally to animals with a functional rumen, is very poorly absorbed - if at all; most folks say 'not at all'. I would only use oral T/S in baby calves that don't have a functional rumen; ruminating animals would need injectible T/S.
I'm unaware that tetracyclines would have any effect on eukaryotes, like Neospora.
Thanks for the update, Lucky. All I can say about the treatment I gave mine is, the vet( you probably should know well) came and gave her the shot of oxy, and gave me the pills to crush up and give the heifer in her feed every day for 7-10 days if I recall correctly. He said that was the current treatment that he was advised from Auburn. He also said there was quite a bit of research being conducted there on this particular matter. I was ignorant about the whole thing, he could've just been blowing smoke, but he did say he treats it quite abit in dairy herds around here, with good success.
There is a vaccine available, I can't remember exactly who its from, but I have a bottle. It's probably expired by now though, I think I got it from Valley Vet. If memory serves me again, it originated from South America somewhere.
Sizmic
There is a vaccine available, I can't remember exactly who its from, but I have a bottle. It's probably expired by now though, I think I got it from Valley Vet. If memory serves me again, it originated from South America somewhere.
Sizmic
vclavin
Well-known member
Neospora hides in the brain till preg. We had some test positive. Gave a vaccine. No more abortions. Couldn't say for sure that was the problem as not all cows were tested for it, just a few. I think we vaccinate for EVERYTHING now - lol
Valerie
Valerie
Lucky_P
Well-known member
Thanks, guys. After looking, I see that the vaccine has been approved & available in the US for 10 years or so. Never having seen a need to use it, or even to recommend that veterinarians suggest that their clients might need it, I didn't know.
