Major Catle Diseases With Symptoms: Identification of the Major Catle Diseases

Cows and buffaloes are the major cattle being reared in India and other parts of the world. These cattle play an important role in the economic development of the country. Every year a large number of these cattle die due to various diseases, that’s why the farm owners and the economic development of the country get severely affected.

According to Harikishan Sharma, the 2022 lumpy skin disease outbreak resulted in the death of nearly 1 lakh cattle in India between July and 23 September. This was a huge loss to the Indian livestock sector. Apart from this disease, there are many other diseases related to animals, the symptoms of these diseases also vary. It is very important to identify them at the right time so that maximum damage can be avoided.

In this post, we will learn about the symptoms of important diseases related to cattle.

List of important cattle diseases

FMD (Foot and Mouth Disease)
Haemorrhagic Septicaemia
Anthrax

Also read: Categories of Medicine: Veterinary Science

Symptoms of Haemorrhagic Septicaemia

• First body temperature: 40-42°C
• Animal is lazy, depression, standing still in a single place.
• Swelling in throat.
• Continuous drooling.
• The tongue is in between the teeth and it hangs outside the mouth.
• Often the tongue is swollen.
• Difficulty in breathing.
• Sometime bleeding from the nose.
• First constipation then diarrhea.
• Tears and slush in eyes.
• ‘Ghurr’ like sound from the throat.
• Difficulty in breathing and pneumonia.
• If immediate medical attention is not given, the animal dies.

Symptoms of Anthrax

Preacute form

• Sudden staggering, shaking, trembling, and difficulty in breathing before death.
• Sudden onset of disease and death of animal.
• Bloody frothy discharge from the mouth, nose and anus.

Acute form

• Body temperature is 105-108°C.
• Wobbly legs.
• To visit often, and acute pain.
• Black coaltar like discharge came out from natural holes and did not solidify.
• Death in 24-48 hours with bloody diarrhea.

Subacute form

• High fever.
• Loss of appetite and no rumination.
• Swelling in abdomen.
• Bloody discharge from the mouth, nose and intestines.
• Death in 2-6 days.

B. Q.

• Animals over 3 years are affected from this disease.
• Body temperature 41.7-42.3°C.
• Swelling in shoulder.
• Down body temperature.
• Foamy black discharge on incision of swelling.
• Generally death occurs within 12-40 hours.

Mastitis

Acute symptoms

• Animal malaise and fever.
• Lack of appetite.
• Udder is hot, reddish with sore.
• Sudden milking in udder.
• Udder become hard.

Chronic mastitis

• Udder is hard and no if pressed.
• Milk is thinner or gone.

Enterotoxaemia

• Sudden death in animals.
• Tearing and drooling.
• Champing of jaws.
• Difficulty in breathing.
• Bloody stool.
• Walking with front legs.
• Tottering and fall.

FMD (Foot and Mouth Disease)

• Body temperature is 40-41 °C.
• Blisters on mouth, hooves and udders.
• Lack of appetite.
• More drooling.
• Jerky legs.
• Low amount of milk in udder.
• Premature abortion may result.
• Animal becomes very poor.

References:

Sharma H. (2022). Lumpy skin disease: Nearly 1 lakh cattle deaths, toll almost double in three weeks. The Indian Express.

Also read: Veterinary Science MCQ: Objective Questions