Ringworm outbreak

[Rookie Rancher]

What would you do?

I've got a herd of 10 angus heifers. 1 got ringworm & the vet told me to scrape the wounds, & scrub them with iodine every other day for a week. So I moved her to a corral and am doing that only to discover today that 4 more heifers are starting to develop spots around their eyes. That's half my herd (if you can call 10 that). Surely some of you have had ringworm hit your animals. Please share your thoughts.

Polk a dots aren't the designer cattle I was hoping for.

 

[Alice]

Get some athlete's foot medicine and put in on the spots...or wait it out...they'll go away.

Alice

 

[randiliana]

Don't worry about it. It will go away on its own eventually. Usually in the spring, when the sun gets stronger.

 

[TheBullLady]

I've got an outbreak of it myself.. no doubt because of the warm wet weather. I think the vet's tell you to scrape it and treat it every other day to give you something to do! It will eventually go away, after it runs it's course through your herd! The best thing is that once they get it, they won't get it again.

You can use athelet's foot treatment, but it can get expensive if you have a lot of it!

 

[sizmic]

I'm pretty sure they can get it again.

Sizmic

 

[Jim Nolen]

I had the same problem I agree with the others it will go away.Good luck

 

[angie2]

I'm pretty sure they can get it again.

Sizmic

yep they get it again. and again.

 

[jersey lilly]

The cheapest and fasted treatment we have found is the athlete's foot spray.....the cheap kind at walmart....equate brand. Think it's $1.97 a can, and if you run em thru the chute and soak each spot real good...and let em go....you don't hafta retreat....they are gone and growin hair again in about a week. (The checker will look at you funny tho if you go in and buy 5 cans) LOL

Vet told me to wash daily with iodine and water solution...or 50/50 bleach and water...for 7 days.......that's a bit rediculous if your treatin very many head. The foot spray works great!!!!

I will add however, that if you get your cows on a good mineral program.......you won't have stuff like this happen very often. We haven't had any since puttin our cows on loose mineral program.

 

[Calman]

Had the ringworm problem with the girls early in the spring. I just let it run it's course. Seems they started disapearing when the weather started getting warmer. It didn't seem to affect them in any way. exept made the black ones look polkadotted.

Cal

 

[randiliana]

Mineral program, or not, it is a fungus. Once you have it you have it. It lives in the wood of your corrals, and possibly the ground. So, unless you tear down your corrals, or don't use any, you are stuck with it. But, it is almost always just a cosmetic problem. The odd one will scratch its eye on something when scratching the ringworm, and end up with pinkeye. I know around here you don't get docked for ringworm at the sale barn.

As for treatments, we have used coppertox, and it works well enough, I suppose. But for something that is pretty much cosmetic, we rarely treat it unless the calves are getting sore eyes because of it. I have no desire to run 40 calves down the chute an extra time, and stress them again.

 

[jersey lilly]

It is a fungus. But....if your cows are on good mineral, their immune systems will be alot stronger, therefore more resistant to this type of stuff affecting them. I aint sayin it totally prevents it, but it greatly decreases it happening very often.

 

[KNERSIE]

haven't tried athlete's foot spray, but what really does work in one treatment is a 1:8 solution of copper sulphar. We used it as a fungacide in the vineyards so it was pretty much available whenever I need it. It will stain your hands a nasty bad smelling yellow, so use gloves.