Urgent- can I cure Pestivirus aka BVD?

[PetCow Mum]

3 years ago I bought 2 "pet cow" lawnmowers (herefords-steers) and I love them dearly!!! One (Ginger) has been ill on and off - always skin and bones, the first to get a cough, etc. He is now really ill - swollen knee first (?), then swollen front ankles. Now cough, temp and cut between front "toes". He's still eating but it obviously hurts him to walk. He was salivating excessively- that's now stopped. Doesn't have diarrhea - just swollen ankles, knee and dry cough. My vet here in Oz took a blood sample and we're waiting for results, but she thinks its pestivirus (or BVD-mucosal disease) and says there's no cure - just euthenasia. Please can anyone make ANY suggestion about ANYTHING that might save him!! He's a beloved pet!!! Would a vaccination now do anything - or what can anyone suggest???

 

[Anonymous]

3 years ago I bought 2 "pet cow" lawnmowers (herefords) and I love them dearly!!! One (Ginger) has been ill on and off - always skin and bones, the first to get a cough, etc. He is now really ill - swollen knee first (?), then swollen front ankles. Now cough, temp and cut between front "toes". He's still eating but it obviously hurts him to walk. My vet here in Oz took a blood sample and we're waiting for results, but she thinks its pestivirus (or BVD) and says there's no cure - just euthenasia. Please can anyone make ANY suggestion about ANYTHING that might save him!! He's a beloved pet!!! Would a vaccination do anything - or what can anyone suggest???

Blood work will tell. But it may be that I am the initial bearer of bad news. Best to shoot it from the sound of it.

Didn't you vaccinate these things on a regular protocol?

Bez

 

[MikeC]

3 years ago I bought 2 "pet cow" lawnmowers (herefords) and I love them dearly!!! One (Ginger) has been ill on and off - always skin and bones, the first to get a cough, etc. He is now really ill - swollen knee first (?), then swollen front ankles. Now cough, temp and cut between front "toes". He's still eating but it obviously hurts him to walk. My vet here in Oz took a blood sample and we're waiting for results, but she thinks its pestivirus (or BVD) and says there's no cure - just euthenasia. Please can anyone make ANY suggestion about ANYTHING that might save him!! He's a beloved pet!!! Would a vaccination do anything - or what can anyone suggest???

Hope it's not Bvdv! If it is, chances are any calves born would be a P.I. calf and would continue to re-infect each newborn. Whether vaccinated or not. Sorry, no cure for Bvdv. It's kinda like AIDS. The virus itself doesn't kill them but usually a pneumonia will get them because of the lack in immunities.

 

[Susie David]

Sorry to hear about your animal, BVD effects the immune system even after the diarrhea is gone. Sounds like your steer has been infected for some time...now comes the unpleasant part of owning cattle...
if it is BVD the animal is a carrier and will shed the virus all its life, any unvaccinated animals are open to be infected.
Our sympathy is with you.
Susie Mc

 

[Medic24]

Now look......ok, lets say your cow does have the BVD..... and you want to try and keep it alive as a pet...this may be far different from a producer raising cattle for an income.

The first thing I would ask is ...........are there any other cattle in proximity to this one? sounds like the answer is yes.....one? also a pet? Vaccinate it asap, although already may be too late. but hey......ya know??

Ok next question and the most important one here....if these are pets, and there are no other cattle in the proximity, and there WON'T ever be any.......you can try to manage it by controlling the symptoms, meaning you have to treat the symptoms as they appear , and also give excellent supportive therapy....yup. just like an AIDS Pt.

Now for those not initiated as to current Aussie gun control laws.... it may be hard to find a gun to shoot it with, with the exception of a constable or wardon, or some one who has hidden one away. Shame , as no doubt USA will eventually follow suit, but thats another forum all together.

See what yr Vet has to say about the matter......as long as you will not subject other cattle to the illness, it may be your call.

Either way.good luck to you mate. :cboy:

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry to hear about your animal, BVD effects the immune system even after the diarrhea is gone. Sounds like your steer has been infected for some time...now comes the unpleasant part of owning cattle...
if it is BVD the animal is a carrier and will shed the virus all its life, any unvaccinated animals are open to be infected.
Our sympathy is with you.
Susie Mc

Sorry - no sympathy here. This is a diseased animal that will continue to shed this disease. In MOST cases completely preventable provided the owner had exercised responsible ownership and vaccination protocols.

If this animal is well and truly infected - then it is a walking time bomb. The animal can and will continue to shed this disease and the human owner can carry this disease via various means to other areas.

Far as I am concerned this place should be under quarantine until all factors are known and remedies resolved.

Part of the responsibility of owning a "pet" is to ensure the health of the animal.

There is also a responsibility to not allow a sick animal to be a carrier that can cause problems to others.

As for Assie gun laws - quite familiar with them. There are numerous hunters and shooters in that part of the world - I know the owner of a feral animal extermination company quite well - there will be someone near you who can do the job.

Find someone to do the deed - or have the vet do it.

Show some responsibility.

Kill it. Bury it. Burn it. Dispose of it. What ever. But get it done.

Sooner the better.

Bez'

 

[Bama]

Gotta say I agree with Bez. Remember the movie ol' yeller?

 

[PetCow Mum]

Thanks everyone for your support. Yes there are just the two of them. I'm on a 100 acre property surrounded by national park with only 7 acres cleared (4 of them my "paddock" for my two cows). No other cows within several kilometres. So they never come into contact with any others. They have been together from birth - I bought them from the same guy and was told they were "mates" - so I'm sure the other one also has it. they are inseperable.
In the last 3 years I have had the vet visit 4 times to see them and I have constantly asked what to do about their lack of condition, asked about vaccinations and all I ever got was "just drench them once a year (which I have done)", and paid for some tetracycline and penecillin shots to get them over their "colds".
In terms of diseases I was told they had had their "vacc" before I bought them!! And being a first time cow owner (aka sucker) I believed him. Since then the vet has never mentioned any vaccs or I definately would have!!
Am trying to treat the symptoms - swollen feet and lame in the one leg with the swollen knee. I thought I'd try a zinc supplement as I read it's effective for footrot - so may help. Any other advice on that would also be great! Thanks

 

[Vicky the vet]

Well, I've seen a LOT of BVD, and if it's that, you also have a secondary infection, since I've yet to see a crippling arthritis without one. Mycoplasma is very likely infecting the joints and that's treatable. It is quite likely, however that there is SO much damage that it is too late. It actually sounds like CAE (except that's a goat disease vs a cow disease and cows don't get it) which actively attacks the joints.

BVD will comprimise the immune system and allow secondary invaders. Infection is for life IF the cow doesn't clear it on it's own, and some do. It is unlikely that there is a whole lot that you can do for your cow at this time. Since I'm in Canada and not Oz, I don't know the towns where you have vet colleges (I know one is in Queensland, but not where...) so I don't know if that is an option.

If this cow is infected, test the second. If she is not, check for other diseases such as parasites, Johnes, BIV etc and figure out what the problem is. Heck, if your vet is great they can tap the joints and do aerobic, anaerobic, microaerophilic and mycoplasmal cultures on the fluid to see if that's the problem. A vet college can definitely do this.

Good Luck
V

 

[MikeC]

Infection is for life IF the cow doesn't clear it on it's own, and some do.

Vicky, If the cow is a P.I., the infection will never go away and will die (usually before 1 year, but not always) of other immune related complications.
Some cattle who have been exposed will build an immunity to BVD and serology will detect titres. But not the ones exposed while in utero without immunities. They think BVD is a normal part of their system.

Correct?

 

[Vicky the vet]

Ok, if the animal is infected in utero, it could be PI but not necessarily. Some will be aborted, some will be PI and some will be able to respond against the virus. The way to find the PI animals is to take titres...vaccinated animals that are PI will not develop resistance or antibody titres to the vaccine. Now having said that, these are the animals which will develop mucosal disease on exposure to the BVD virus type 2 in the future.

Animals which can develop immunity, aka NOT PI, can still develop an immune deficiency with the virus but it is not usually fatal, and is usually transient. These animals will usually throw off the virus in time, although some may become persistant shedders.

Did I clarify or muddy your understanding?