What Are The Causes Of Cow Diseases

Introduction

Cows are one of the most common livestock animals in the world. Cows are generally raised for food purposes. Their meat is widely known as beef. Tthey are also known as the source of milk and other dairy products such as cheese, butter, ice cream, whey products, among others. Cows are also farm animals, which make them useful in working the field. They can be used for pulling carts and wagons and other heavy work.

History

Cattle can give so many benefits and uses that is why it is very important that proper care is given to these animals. One way of doing this is to make sure that your cattle are healthy. To do this, you need to have ample knowledge about the diseases that could affect your cows and what are its causes. There is a long list of diseases that are known to affect cows but there are diseases that have shown to be predominant with cows. Here are some of the prevalent sicknesses affecting cows.

Features

Black leg disease is characterized by high fever, loss of appetite, and unusual swelling in different parts of the cow's body like the thighs, breast, neck and shoulder. This disease is caused by anaerobic bacterium. This could be treated with antibiotics. Dosage depends on the severity of the case. If not treated immediately, this could end in a swift death.

Another common disease is calf sours. Symptoms of this disease include diarrhea, loss of appetite, depression, rough coat and sunken eyes. The cause of this is virus and bacteria. Cow pox is characterized by reddish and painful spots on the udder. Overtime, these spots can turn into blisters. A virus causes this disease.

Hoof and mouth disease symptoms include water blisters in the mouth and in the skin by the claws of the hoof. Other blisters are found on the teats and udders. Fever is another symptom of this sickness. This disease is also caused by a virus.

Symptoms of Johnes disease include loss of flesh, constipation, diarrhea and watery, almost liquid feces. This disease is caused by a bacteria called mycobacterium paraubercolosis. The infectious bovine rhinotracheltis has symptoms of loss of weight, slobbering, pain in swallowing and fluids coming out of the nose. This too is caused by a virus.

Anaplasmosis is a blood disease which is known to be very infectious. This cow disease is caused by parasites. Symptoms to this are anemia, fever, weight loss, clumsy movements, abortion and breathlessess. If untreated, could lead to immediate death.

Mad cow disease has been one of the outbreaks that marked history. This disease affects the central nervous system of the cattle. Symptoms include aggressive behavior, unusual posture, loss of motor control and having a problem in rising. This disease is caused by prions, an infectious protein similar to virus.

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