Warts? Ringworm? I just don't know.

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Correct - it's a fungus - and fungus needs air to survive. That's why the old-timers always used tar or OLD motor oil - it smuthers it.
It's like a childhood disease. Once they have it, they "generally" never get it again.
We ignore it except for show cattle - can't show with it. I find the best thing to do is use a curry comb & scratch all the dry scaley stuff off - til it bleeds - then put clorox (we don't use iodine because it stains!) then smother it with vaseline & keep applying vaseline because they will rub it off. Skin turns nice & pink & soft in a few days. But, they usually pop up with another spot - and another - and another. They have had it for quite some time before you SEE it.

 

[angus9259]

Ringworm, without doubt. I use a 1:8 dilution of lime sulphar,m only need to treat properly once, will go away in about three weeks after the treatment. I don't know of any preventative measure you can take. Its close enough to the eye for me to treat it instead of just ignoring it like i would do if it was on the legs for instance.

What's the issue with the eyes? I've had it circled right around the eye . . . or is it that you don't want it to get to the eye because it's hard to treat there?

 

[randiliana]

If it is close to their eye, there is a chance they might scratch their eyeball when scratching the ringworm around the eye.

 

[backhoeboogie]

They have had it for quite some time before you SEE it.

Jeanne, I keep seeing and hearing this in the forum, and simply have to respectfully disagree. Maybe it is the slicker coats on cattle here in this climate. As I pass through a herd looking for signs such as pink eye, I can spot ring worm is the glistening hair patterns on cows long before there is any scaling. Usually it is in the spring when the climate is wet if and when it occurs in this part of Texas.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Backhoe - if we have shaved our show calves bald - then I can see the ringworm before they lose their hair - it will have a raised area - almost like a big welt. But, our "normal" cattle, we would never know they had started with it until they lost the hair. I have had show calves that had "hair" and never knew they had ringworm until I blew their hair with the blowdryer - seperating the hair & allowing me to see the "skimpy" getting hairless areas.
So, if your cattle are slick all the time, & you KNEW to watch for the welts, yes, you sure would KNOW they were getting it. But, so many "newbies" have no clue. (not trying to be offensive!) :banana:

 

[backhoeboogie]

You weren't offensive.

The slick hair on mine has a sheen to it. The light shows the ring. I need to get a pic of it next time. Not to prove anything but more to reveal what I am trying to explain. If you saw a pic, you'd understand. Maybe I am catching it really early? Curing anything in the early stages is always easier. Maybe it would help others and it is just one of those things I take for granted that others see too.