Blackleg and ringworm

[strawberriesclint]

Hello everyone

First may I wish everyone a happy new year!
Please please vaccinate your animals for Blackleg, I learnt the hard way on that. Just before christmas we moved a small group of short Dexters on some different land and for a couple weeks they were happy, then one morning whilst doing the rounds for feeding my husband spotted my four month steer stretched out on the floor. It was a horrific scene, we called the vet and they did their best injecting him for tetanus etc and we brought him home, I nursed him through the night but the next day I decided enough was enough. If it wasn't for the fact he moved his eyes you would have said he was already dead, I have never seen anything take over a animal so quickly. So PLEASE for what the vaccine cost I strongly reccomend you do it just to be sure.

Also (boy did I have a awfull few months) I had an out break of Ringworm, on asking questions the general opinion was to let it stay and eventually it would go when the u v rays hit it. I was not happy with this so Yet again I called out the vet and thankfully he gave me a bottle of Imaverol which was only about £16 and you dilute it with warm water in a hand sprayer and apply to animal. After just one application it looks to be working, I just though if anyone else was having a Ring worm problem this will help.

Hope this is of some use.

Cyndy

[Duncan MacIntyre]

In Scotland there has been quite an increase in Blackleg and other Clostridial diseases in the last few years. Some of the increase is probably linked with damage to livers from Liver Fluke, which has also had a huge increase. I think this is probably true for the whole of UK. More attention should be paid to dosing for fluke and an eye kept open for any signs of resistance.
Vaccination for simple Blackleg is very cheap using a single component vaccine, but more comprehensive clostridial cove can be got by using 8 in 1 vaccines, not quite so cheap but fuller cover. We now have 3 farms on Bute routinely using clostridial vaccine in cattle whereas 5 years ago there were none.
I would recommend anyone with ringworm amongst their cattle to see their vet to have Imaverol or Mycophyt prescribed, both very good. Don't forget that the inside of sheds especially wooden bits can harbour the spores so outbreaks may occur for some time if a thorough clean up is not done.

Duncan

[Jo Kemp]

Am I right in thinking that blackleg is a danger mainly in youngstock Duncan? A neighbour vaccinated the newborn calf just once! I usually vaccinate once a year but don't give 2 injections at first. I'm told that this does not give full cover but I am a bit twitchy!Blackleg has killed a stirk in the field next to ours but the farmer has merseland (saltings) and there is certainly blackleg on that land. I think he has brought it with the stock, up to the other land.
Other neighbours haven't been bothered.
My 'bible' seems to disagree with the usual information which is that blackleg needs a broken skin problem to get into the animal's body but Blowey doesn't seem to believe this.
Jo

[Duncan MacIntyre]

Blackleg vaccination and indeed every Clostridial vaccination that I can think of needs TWO doses usually 4 -6 weeks apart to set the immune system up properly. The first dose gives a kick to the immune system and a modest rise in antibodies occurs. After that has had time to take effect the second dose produces a huge rise in antibodies relative to the first. If you do not give the second dose the small rise is unlikely to be sufficient, and if the body does recognise the challenge when infection strikes it takes too long to produce the equivalent of the second dose response. There are so many vaccines on the go now that I do not count on being able to remember the exact instructions for them all - every bottle should have a data sheet with it with details on it - always read the instructions. They can even change from time to time. The quantity given, the route, into muscle or under the skin, or up the nose, the time between doses, the time between booster doses, the length of time the bottle can be opened between doses, the temperature for storage prior to use, the age to start all should be done "by the book" if you want good results.
For blackleg it is probably sufficient to vaccinate the first year only but that may not be sufficient in areas severely affected and boosters every months can be needed.
If other clostridial diseases are seen as a problem cows should be done annually. Up to date I have not been used to having to advise it, but things change - there certainly has been a huge increase in fluke in recent years and this can trigger clostridial growth in the liver.

Duncan

[strawberriesclint]

Duncan

Can I ask how to got about cleaning wood in pens, as I am going to have to have the animal in a pen so I can really get to work on the Ring worm and I dont want to have reinfections later.

Cyndy

[ann]

I'm sorry you have lost an animal due to blackleg, quite often the animal is found dead and unless you ask the fell monger to investigate you may not know the reason why it died, its called black leg as the flesh on the affected part goes black.

as someone who lives on a farm subject to blackleg, we always vacinate all our young stock usually about 6 wks before turning out the year following their birth and this seems to work well, as all our stock are wintered in due to our land always being very wet in winter.

Black leg is a virus in your soil and talking to farmers who have the same problem as us, the land has usually been marsh land in an earlier life.

Duncan may prove me wrong on this one, but I have never known any one who has had this problem living in area's where the pasture has never been subjected to floods at sometime.

I alway insist visitng cattle are vacinated before coming onto my holding to the bull, and this precation seems to be the best line of defence

If your not sure about the history of any land you obtain ask your local cattle farmers, they are usually the best source of imformation

Ann

[Duncan MacIntyre]

Cleansing of buildings after ringworm cattle have been in them need not be too elaborate, especially if the animals with ringworm have only been in there briefly.
When cleansing and disinfecting anything, always remember that the first thing to do is to clean the surfaces - not a lot of point applying fancy disinfectants to a load of caked on dirt. Use a pressure washer if possible, or if pens are moveable it is a good idea to clean them and leave them out in direct sunlight for a while.
After thorough cleaning, use a good all round disinfectant like virkon or FAM and let it dry on the wood. Remember to do any grooming equipment or halters, ropes etc .

Duncan