mange

Issy · Post by **Issy** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 11:56 am

I have decided to put one of my heifers ( the one I who lost her calf) in the freezer with my steer at the beginning of April. We only really have room for one cow plus her offsping so I will keep my registered girl and my sons heifer for company. My question is - the steer had mange a couple of months ago that I used pour on wormer to treat. At the same time I drenched all the girls with a wormer covering liver fluke as well. The heifer going has now developed mange on her muzzle - it isn't very bad so do I need to treat it before she goes? as the withdrawl date for the drug will take her up to a day before she goes. I think the other two are coming out in sympathy as well! but as one is six months pregnant and I have only just wormed her I was hoping to wait until after she had the calf to do it again.

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 10:52 pm

Duncan might know of a medication that has a shorter withholding period. Some of the pour-ons aren't too bad I believe. Perhaps there is an organic solution that you can spray on them which will do the trick until the two beasts go in the freezer?

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 11:18 pm

Sorry I am at home and do not have my book with all drug data sheets with me, but I just wonder if the heifer needs treated at all? Very difficult to advise blind on these things, pity we can't see a pic - one could be emailed to me at duncan.macintyre@btopenworld.com if you like.

Duncan

Issy · Post by **Issy** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 10:48 am

Thank you Duncan,
I will take a picture this afternoon and e'mail you. I don't want her to suffer but she isn't itching or showing signs of distress, I just didn't know what the rules for slaughter are. At the moment it is a bit bigger than a 50p piece. Is it likely to get huge in 3 weeks? she has had a bald patch there for 2-3 weeks and it has just scabbed up. My other girls have just started to show signs of 5p size sores - one on each heifer!
I used Dectomax pour on wormer in June and November last year and then a drench from the vet to kill liver fluke as well this month. Is it Ok to use Dextomax for the mange on the pregnant heifer or should I try and wait until she has the calf (it says on the drugs information that I can use it up to 60 days befor she has the calf which is not for another month)- but it seems an awful lot of chemicals to be pouring on.
I hope you don't mind me bombarding you with questions but we seem to be on a steep learning curve at the moment!
Thank you. Issy

Issy · Post by **Issy** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 7:20 pm

Duncan,
I have e'mailed you but have been having problems getting it to go! Please let me know if you don't recieve it. Thankyou Issy

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 11:21 pm

Pictures received and quite; clear, I certainly would not say it is an obvious case of mange. I wonder if it is a bacterial skin infection of some sort. May have got in by minor puncture. The picture taken straight on makes it look to me as thought there is some general thickening of the lip on that side compared to the other, partly why I am suggesting a bacterial skin infection. I would be inclined to be brave and do nothing. If it looks like swelling more or expanding in the next week or two ask your vet about some sort of antibiotic for it - again remember meat withdrawal times, though for most injectable things not so long as Ivermectin or the like. The muzzle is not the place I would expect mange to show up first in cattle either. Sorry the rest of you cannot see the pictures.

Duncan

Issy · Post by **Issy** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 8:16 am

Thank you again Duncan, I will keep an eye on it.

Issy