Part 14

(Laryngitis and Pharyngitis)

CAUSE.—Sudden cooling of the surface of the body, as when cattle are exposed to cold weather or cold rain or the inhaling of irritating gases.

SYMPTOMS.—The muzzle is dry, temperature slightly elevated and saliva dribbles from the corners of the mouth. The animal either does not swallow, or swallows with great difficulty, and holds its head in a stiff, straight position, moving it as little as possible. The eyelids are half-closed and bloodshot, and the animal occasionally grinds the teeth. After masticating the food the animal drops it out of its mouth as if to avoid the pain of swallowing, and also evinces great pain when pressure is applied from the outside. In acute attacks of sore throat, the animal coughs with great difficulty and breathes very noisily. The nostrils are dilated and nose extended.

TREATMENT.—Place the animal in as comfortable a place as possible, permitting plenty of fresh air, but avoiding drafts. Blanket the animal if the weather is chilly, also hand rub the legs and bandage with woolen cloths.

Administer Chlorate of Potash, two ounces; Nitrate of Potash, two ounces; Tannic Acid, one-half ounce; Molasses, eight ounces. Mix well and place one tablespoonful on the tongue every three or four hours. Feed soft food, as wheat bran mashes and steamed rolled oats, or boiled vegetables. Give drinking water with the chill taken off.

It is always necessary to apply liniments to the throat, and I would advise the application of Aqua Ammonia Fort., four ounces; Oil of Turpentine, four ounces, and Sweet Oil, four ounces. Apply and rub in well two or three times a day.

STRINGY MILK.

CAUSE.—Cows wading or standing in stagnant pools of water. Frequently stringy milk results from fungi entering the udder. This takes on an infectious form, and several cows may become affected at one time.

SYMPTOMS.—Although the milk appear perfectly normal when first milked, it becomes stringy after standing for a few hours. If a needle is inserted in the milk and slowly withdrawn, the milk will adhere to the point and have a stringy appearance. If the cow is examined carefully, the temperature will be found to be elevated a degree or two, the appetite poor and the nose dry.

TREATMENT.—Feed laxative food and see that they have fresh water to drink. Also place two drams of Soda Bisulphite once or twice a day in a gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun. Do not permit the cow to come in contact with stagnant pools of water that carry this infection. Perhaps the best plan is to fence out all such stagnant pools of water.

SUPPRESSION OF MILK.

(Absence of Milk)

CAUSE.—Usually due to poor health, debility, emaciated, chronic disease of the bag, or wasting of its glands from various diseases or impure food. Sometimes this condition is produced without any apparent cause.

TREATMENT.—Determine the cause, if possible, and remove it. Feed warm wheat bran mashes, steamed rolled oats or barley. Administer Pulv. Anise Seed, one-half ounce, two or three times a day. This has a very good effect in this particular condition. Also rub the bag and strip the teats often, and apply Oil of Lavender. The majority of cases respond to this treatment if not due to chronic disease of the bag.

TAPEWORM.

CAUSE.—Small portions of tapeworms, consisting of one or more segments, are occasionally seen in the droppings of infected cattle. The infection is undoubtedly taken in with the food or water, infection being spread by the eggs of the parasite, and being expelled with the feces of an infected animal. The eggs being swallowed by insects, worms or snails, which act as an intermediate host, and which when swallowed accidentally by cattle while grazing or drinking carry with them into the animal’s stomach the infectious stage of the tapeworm. Aged cattle do not seem to suffer much from tapeworms, but in calves these parasites cause scours and rapid emaciation.

SYMPTOMS.—Emaciation, diarrhoea, loss of flesh, ravenous appetite, paleness of the mucous membranes of the mouth and eyes, and the segments of the tapeworms can occasionally be seen in the droppings.

TREATMENT.—Withhold all food from eighteen to twenty-four hours, and to calves from two to eight months old give two teaspoonfuls of gasolene in a pint of milk. To yearlings, place one tablespoonful in a gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun. To cattle one year and over, place one ounce in capsule and give with capsule gun. Repeat this treatment two or three times during intervals of a week or two.

TEXAS FEVER.

CAUSE.—Due to a micro-organism (Pirophalasna Bigenium) which imbeds itself in the red blood corpuscles. This disease is transmitted or scattered by means of a tick which drops from the affected animal. The disease has various names, according to the locality in which it appears. Among them are: Spanish Fever, Red Water, Black Water, Red Murrian, Australian Cattle Tick Fever, etc.

SYMPTOMS.—Loss of appetite. The animal ceases to ruminate or does not chew the cud, and every sign of unthriftiness is displayed; a high temperature, and when the animal is standing the back is arched, but the animal however, prefers to lie down most of the time and shows desire for solitude. The urine is very dark in color, hence the name “Red or Black Water.” The disease is usually fatal, the animal dies within a few weeks.

TREATMENT.—My advice is, when this disease once develops, or an animal shows any of the particular signs that I have mentioned, examine carefully and immunize by the use of serums, disinfectants, etc.

TICKS.

Ticks are very difficult to kill, on account of their protected location, as ear ticks are not affected by dipping, and remedies strong enough for this purpose are liable to injure the animal, but these parasites may be expelled by pouring into the ear Carbolated Cottonseed Oil with favorable results.

TUBERCULOSIS.

CAUSE.—The bacilli of Tuberculosis thrive in animals, especially those in a weakened condition, or when exposed to atmospheric changes, unwholesome food, dark and poorly ventilated stables. They gain entrance into the body through the lungs or the intestinal canal. They lodge in various portions of the lungs or intestines, and multiply very rapidly, causing irritations and formations, nodules, cysts or abcesses. They are the means of the bacillus entering the blood, which carries the infection to other parts of the body, as the spleen, liver, udder, womb, etc. Cows affected with generalized tuberculosis, that is to say the infection being confined to not only a small portion of the lungs, but also to any of the above mentioned organs, etc., may give birth to a calf having general tuberculosis at birth, or shortly after, due to the cow’s blood circulating through the body of the calf before birth.

SYMPTOMS.—This disease may pass a casual observer unnoticed, although in some instances we notice a slight cough, unthriftiness, dullness. The coughing is best marked after taking a drink of water in the morning and then being exercised. Some animals keep up in good condition and look perfectly healthy while some get emaciated, have constipation, variable appetite, and sometimes growths or abcesses can be felt or seen in the udder or glands of the body and neck.

However, cattle showing any weakness, or the above symptoms should be tested for tuberculosis by the administration of tuberculin.