Cattle Health

Mad Cow disease in humans is known as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). The incubation of mad cow (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) in bovines is anywhere from 30 months to eight years. The incubation period for vCJD in humans is unknown as of now, but experts speculate that the incubation period could be anywhere from 8 months to 50 years.

Gas build up in the rumen which cannot be released by eructation. The bubbles or foam that builds up--which is a result of a cow eating too much grain, clover or alfalfa when they're really hungry--cannot be popped or released, which prohibits the animal from burping and releasing the gas in the rumen.

These gas bubbles that form are formed by the quick digestion of high-quality proteins in the animal's rumen. When digestion occurs at too fast a rate, gas builds up quickly making it very painful for the animal. This is mediated by tubing the animal with dish soap (detergent) or mineral oil to help pop these bubbles and release the gas. A trocar is used only if the situation is dire to the point that tubing with mineral oil or detergent isn't as effective enough to quickly release the gas built up in the rumen.

BSE is a fairly unique disease because the infectious agent is a misfolded protein called a prion, rather than a separate particle or living organism. Every cow naturally has the proteins that can become misfolded, but it is rare for the protein to become a prion.

Since this disease is contagious between certain animals, it kills alot of our agricultural animals(beef, dairy,ect..) Our economy depends on our production, and if it kills it off, wed be a seriously poor country.

Minerals for cows are obtained from different rock or minerals sources that are crushed to very fine particles that can be easily consumed and used by the animal. Minerals are basically the some of the elements in the periodic table that are needed by the animal for various bodily functions, primarily zinc, iodine, cobalt, selenium, molybdenum, sulphur, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, phosphorus, and manganese. Many soils are deficient or excessive in certain elements, and the minerals supplied give the cows what they need that the plants they eat--which gather a lot of nutrients from the soil--are lacking.

A common misconception is that 80% of antibiotics used in cattle (or livestock in general) are used in humans. The fact of the matter is that to generate such a percentage is not that simple as simply getting some simple percent to wave around in everyone's faces.

There are many more livestock in North America (more emphasis placed on the US of A) than humans, and most of these livestock are larger and need a bigger dose of medicine--including antibiotic--than the average human needs. Also, many antibiotics used in human medicine are different than what are used in animals.

See, 13 percent of antibiotics, in the form of ionophores (the most common form, being monensin, is not used in humans) make up the antibiotic total. The rest of the total of what the FDA had provided--as in a little over 13 million antibiotics--are used for sick animals, not on healthy animals just so the farmer can "make a quick buck."

Bottom line is that it is quite impossible to glean an exact percentage of antibiotics used in livestock like cattle, no matter how you try to look at it or work around it.

Creutzfeldt Jakob disease, a form of "mad cow" in humans, is mostly a genetic defect in humans. However you can "catch" it if you eat meat that is contaminated from exposure to brain tissues or spinal fluid infected with BSE prions, or from eating the brains or spinal column of an animal with the misfolded prion. But even that is very rare, and the chance of getting CJD is 1 in one million.

What kind of "cow" are you referring to? Is this a young calf or an older cow? Cows refer to mature female bovines. And your "cow" may be ill; not eating is a common symptom of a bovine that is sick.

Generally, animals do not get chickenpox. It affects humans and a few other primates, such as gorillas. It does not affect cats, dogs, and other typical pets.

On the dressed carcass there are no signs of bovine spongiform encephalitis (BSE, the scientific name for mad cow disease). However, the signs in live cattle are neurologic -behavior changes, nerve deficits and incoordination between muscle groups. This is why in the United States all cattle of all ages are individually seen while walking prior to slaughter - so inspection personnel can look for these signs on the live cattle and make sure such cattle are not put into the food chain.

Often a topical treatment of iodine will help.

The cows enjoy "foot fungus" meds being applied to the affected areas. (dont get in eyes).

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1) Ideally Isolate the infected animal if possible. This is highly contagious. The animal and the area he's occupied in the winter need to be cleaned. After a few days he's likely less contagious. (Clean the area with a bleach solution).

2) A 50/50 bleach/water solution may be used directly on the cow. Also foot fungus medicine can be used. iodine is another solution. I've also heard about diesel fuel, but this sounds a bit harsh (I like my cows).

3) Wear gloves! remove dry scabs (I bleach first) and brush out (some even say this must be done in an area that can be cleaned and disinfected.

4) clean enclosed area and spray with diluted bleach.

clearly this does not work well in the winter, when this stuff goes nutty, but this problem is easier to fix in warm weather..

5) I find the cows love the foot fungus creams (I buy at family dollar), I guess the problem gives them discomfort, and the cream feels good when worked onto the skin. This gives them great comfort, but does not work fast.

6) If weather permits, wash cow with antibacterial soap. (dry skin carries spores).

7) be aware, the cattle auction is the breeding ground for lots of diseases and cattle should be washed with antibacteria soap before introduced to your cows. Perhaps even quarantined for awhile.

8) After the ringworm is cleaned, do not be surprised if it looks really bad with flaky skin removed. You might even see some surface blood. This is ok.

9) My cows stand still for this treatment and appear to enjoy it. I have not had any need to restrain an animal for this treatment.

After treatment of your cows, remove your gloves, wash your hands, wash your cloths, etc.

Ug...I dont slaughter my cows (nor my friends), but if this is your intent, then you might want to use the bleach solution, or follow a good withdraw period before....

Currently your risk of getting variant Creutzfeld-Jacobs Disease (vCJD, the human result of infection with a BSE prion) is hovering around zero. Infectious BSE has been all but eradicated in the world; the recent cases of BSE have been atypical (non-infectious) variants that are expected to spontaneously occur in a few cattle in a normal cattle population.

During the initial emergence and outbreak, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, the proper name for mad cow disease) was primarily found in cattle in the United Kingdoms. Today it has been almost completely eradicated from the world, although sporadic cases are reported occasionally in different countries.

In a matter of speaking, yes. Mis-folded proteins are what cause "Mad Cow Disease," also known as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy in cattle or Creuztfeldt-Jakobson's Disease in humans.

Only the nerve cells, yes.

The bacteria and decay empties into the mouth.

There are no drugs created nor available to treat BSE. Mad Cow disease is an illness that stems from misfolded proteins, which, if entered into the animal's system, is not recognized as harmful by the animal's immune system like fungi, viruses, bacteria, or parasites would.

Yes, in a manner of speaking. Mad Cow Disease is a nickname for a more harder-to-pronounce name of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). Most believe that Mad Cow Disease also applies to humans, but this is a bit of a problem: humans are not cows. Yes they are capable of getting the variant form of this neurologically degrading disease, but that doesn't automatically entitle them to suddenly turn into a cow that is mad.

Seriously, humans don't exactly get "Mad Cow Disease." What they do get is Cruetzfeldt-Jakob Disease. The chances of getting this disease is 1 in 10 billion, and only from contaminated beef or infected brain matter and spinal column, bone marrow, and the eyes.

That's a natural disease so the answer is yes.

In humans it is called Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) and it is a degenerative neurological disorder that is both incurable and fatal. Transmission of CJD from animals to humans is rare, but not unheard of.

To some degree the answer depends upon the age of the calf and the severity of the diarrhea. In a neonatal calf with severe diarrhea, treatment needs to start immediately to prevent death within 48 hours; in a heavy calf with mild diarrhea, you can wait to see if intervention is needed.

Overall, diarrhea treatment in calves is symptomatic and reactionary - supplemental liquids, either oral or IV, to replace lost water volume; supplemental nutrition; extra protection from the wind and cold by bringing the calf into a shelter or a barn or building up the bedding. In rare occasions veterinarians may use antibiotics to help shorten the course of infection, but this is not typical - most bacterial diarrheas will resolve on their own and sometimes administering antibiotics to treat diarrhea makes the situation worse.

Yes. Antibiotics are mainly put in baby animal feed. Baby animals like chicks and calves have medicated feed, but you can choose un-medicated feed if you like.

Ionophores are a form of antibiotic that are added to the feed of feedlot cattle. They act to reduce the incidence of bloat and to increase feed efficiency by changing microflora dynamics. Doing so gets the rumen microbe community to produce less methane--a gas wasted via eructation--and more propionate, which can be more readily used by the animal. Ionophores are also used to reduce incidences of coccidiosis in cattle.

Antibiotics, in sub-therapeutic levels, are also given to dairy cattle, pigs and poultry to promote growth and feed efficiency. Note these feed additives are not given at the same levels, and are very often different from the antibiotics needed to be administered to animals with bacterial infections.

You can't really quarantine animals that have this illness, since it is a malady that is very hard to predict which animal has it or not, and there are (currently) no methods to test whether a live animal has BSE or not; there are only tests available for testing deceased animals. The only way you can "get rid of" BSE in your herd is to not feed any animal-by products to cattle.

Tapeworms in cattle can lead to various health issues, including weight loss, reduced feed efficiency, and stunted growth. Infected animals may also experience digestive disturbances and general weakness, making them more susceptible to other diseases. Severe infestations can cause significant economic losses in the cattle industry due to decreased productivity and the cost of treatment. Overall, tapeworms can negatively impact both the health of the cattle and the profitability of farming operations.