Blackleg

JamsHundred · Post by **JamsHundred** » Fri Sep 04, 2009 4:05 am

I'm researching "blackleg" disease in cattle as it pertains to Dexters. Is this a disease in the past or present found in cattle in England? If so, does anyone know of anyone with Dexters diagnosed with this disease past or present?

I'm interested to know if the traditional Dexter immune system would be as effective in preventing the disease if exposed as it is with other health threats.

Thanks for any info.

Judy S.

strawberriesclint · Post by **strawberriesclint** » Fri Sep 04, 2009 8:33 am

Hi
I have had an animal die of BLackleg, it really is an awfull thing to witness. The steer in question had picked it up through an open wound. We put the steers in a field that they had been in before but we had recently had the ditches doug out and according to our vet the disese can lie dorment in the earth for a number of years and so when we had the ditches done we brought Blackleg back to the suface. We now annually vaccinate against Blackleg, and have not had any more problems.

cyndy

carole · Post by **carole** » Fri Sep 04, 2009 11:28 am

Hi Judy
We lost our 3 year old bull to a combination of black disease and liver fluke. We had innoculated against black leg but clearly that was not sufficient. We now use covexin rather than just the black leg vaccine.
Let me know if you would like any other info for your study.

ann · Post by **ann** » Fri Sep 04, 2009 9:37 pm

Hi I always vacinate agains

t blackleg as the farm I live on has a history of this problem. (in days gone past it was a marsh)

This is one problem I am not prepared to put my dexters at risk to.

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Fri Sep 04, 2009 9:51 pm

Blackleg occurs in cattle in Scotland as well as England.

In my little corner I think the incidence both in terms of individual cases and affected farms is rising, maybe because we are in a period of increasing rainfall and warmth. In the first 10 years of my time on Bute I do not remember seeing any blackleg. In the middle 10, probably very few. In the last 10 years I have seen it on at least 15% of farms. One or two vaccinate for it with the specific Blackleg vaccine, though the vaccine manufacturers are pushing for more use of multivalent clostridial vaccines such as Covexin-8 and more recent improved versions. There is increasing evidence in UK veterinary investigation centres that liver fluke is rising sharply, and with it clostridial infection such as black disease as a result of anaerobic conditions in damaged liver tissue which allows clostridial spores to activate. Plain and simple Blackleg vaccine is one of the cheapest vaccines on the market and if anyone is in any doubt that they suffer cases then it is not a big cost and the potential benefits are substantial as the disease is invariably fatal.

Duncan