Understanding and preventing diseases that can effect your livestock is essential for identifying potential threats. Listed below is an overview of common diseases organized by species.
Poultry
INFECTIOUS
DISEASE
POULTRY
AFFECTED
CAUSE
SYMPTOMS
TREATMENT
PREVENTION
Brooder pneumonia
Young chicken and turkeys especially
Fungus:
Aspergillus fumigatus
Rapid breathing, labored, depression
None
Strict sanitation in brooder equipment
Blackhead or histommoniasis
Turkeys especially
Protozoa:
Histoma meleagridis
Listless, ruffled feathers, dark blue head
Carbasone, nitarsone, dimetridazole, ipronidazole, acidified copper sulfate, plus others
Strict sanitation; rotate ground; keep other birds away
Botulism Lembunich
Ducks
Bacteria:
Clostridium botulinum (toxin)
Sudden death
None
Sanitation
Coccidiosis
All species
Coccidia, one or more variety for each species of bird
Bloody droppings in chickens
Amprolium, sulfonamides; get the current recommendations
Sanitation
Duck plague
All species
Herpes virus
Sudden death
Keep wild fowl away from flock, and vaccination
Fowl cholera
All
Bacteria:
Pasteurella multocida
Rapid death
Sulfaquinoxaline, tetracycline
Vaccination
Fowl pox
Chickens, turkeys
Virus
Poxlike sores on unfeathered areas of body
None
Vaccination, in areas where disease is a problem
Viral hepatitis of ducks (DVH)
Ducks under 7 weeks
Picornavirus
Sudden death
None
Rat and wild duck control; strict iso- lation of young ducks; vaccination of adult breeder stock from older birds
Hemorrhagic enteritis of turkeys
Ducks under 7 weeks
Group II adenovirus
Sudden onset, bloody diarrhea
None
Vaccination (given in drinking water) enteritis of turkeys
Infectious bronchitis
Chickens
Coronavirus
Coughing, tearing
None
Good nursing, vaccination
Infectious coryza
Chickens
Bacterium:
Hemophilus gallinarum
Facial swelling may close eyes, discharge
Erythromycin
Buy replacement from clean flock; a bacterin is available
Infectious laryngotracheitis
Chickens
Virus
Gasping, coughing with hock extended
None
Vaccination
Influenza
All
Virus
Signs are those of a cold
None
Reportable disease
(Note: Avian flu–especially the H5N1 strain, which has become such a concern lately–falls into this category, but so far is limited to Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.)
Infectious serositis, “new duck disease”
All
Bacteria:
Pasteurella antipestifer
Eye and nose discharge
Sulfaquinoxaline, penicillin, steratomycin
Bacterin available
Newcastle disease
Primarily ducks
Virus
Coughing, sneezing, with nervous system involved in severe cases
None
Vaccination
Pullorum disease
Chickens, turkeys, ducks
Bacteria:
Salmonella pullorum
Symptoms inyoung poultry: listless, whitish diarrhea, do noteat
None
Control by testing of breeding flocks; eradication program; vaccination
Pullorum disease
Chickens
Virus. One of the first cancers proven to be caused by a virus
Paralysis, some- times only depression
None
Vaccination
Rabbits
INFECTIOUS
DISEASE
CAUSE
SYMPTOMS
TREATMENT
PREVENTION
VIRAL DISEASES
Infectious myxomatosis
Virus; poxvirus
Milky eye discharge; ear edema; nasal discharge
None
None
BACTERIAL DISEASES
Pasteurellosis, “Snuffles”
Pasteurella multocida
Thin, purulent nose and eye discharge
None
Recovered animals may become carriers
Abscesses
Abscess on any part of body
None
Mastitis (Bluebreasts)
Staphylococci, Streptococci
Hot, swollen mammary glands
Penicillin variants
Good sanitation
Treponematosis, vent disease
Spirochete:
Treponema cuniculi
Scabs and/or loss of fur in genital region
Penicillin var., entire herd
Do not use affected ani- mals for breeders
Hutch burn, urine burn
Wide range of possible organisms
Similar parts affected as vent disease
Antibiotic ointment; apply to affected parts
Keep hutches clean and dry
Enterotoxemia
Clostridium spiroforme
Sudden death
Onset usually too rapid to treat
Avoid diets too low in fiber
Mucoid enteropathy
Unknown
Constipation
None
Oral fluids to overcome dehydration
Tyzzer’s disease
Bacillus piliformis
Severe diarrhea
None
None
PARASITIC DISEASES
Coccidiosis: hepatic and intestinal
Coccidia
Young rabbits may be off feed, dull
Sulfaquinoxoline in feed or water
Good sanitation; avoid fecal contamination
Ear mites
Infestation
Scratching at ear
Clean ear withperox- ide, then use ear mite medicine
Good sanitary practices
MISCELLANEOUS CONDITIONS
Wet dewlap (moist dermatitis)
Various
Inflammation of the dewlap
Clip affected area-use antiseptic powder
Useautomaticdewdrop valves; elevatedrinking dishes
Hair chewing
Perhaps low-fiber diet
Chewing of fur
Change to higher fiber diet
High-fiber diet, e.g., good quality hay
Hairballs
Swallowing fur
Indigestion, gagging
None
High fiber diet–mineral oil, etc. of no value
Heat Exhaustion
Overexposure to bright sunlight
Heavy panting, elevated body temperature, and extreme lassitude
Immerse severely affected rabbits in cold water
Construct hutches to allow for good ventila- tion. Provide cold water and sprinkle hutches in hot weather.
Sore hocks (ulcerative pododermatitis)
Direct contact with wire mesh, especially in heavy breeds where there is an accumulation of urine-soaked feces.
Raw, weeping sores on hind legs
Difficult to treat. Affected animals should be culled.
Keep hutches clean
Malocclusion
An inherited characteristic
Failure of teeth to grind against each other, especially the incisors or front teeth.
Affected teeth should be clipped off.
Affected animals should not be used as breeders.
Sheep
INFECTIOUS
DISEASE
CAUSE
SYMPTOMS
TREATMENT
PREVENTION
METABOLIC DISEASES Those caused by feed intake or stresses affecting all the body systems due to conditions such as lambing
Grass staggers, grass tetany, hypomagne- semic tetany
Low intake of magnesium; suddenly placing animals on lush pasture in the spring
Erratic behavior after being put on lush pasture
None
Magnesium supplements to fertilize pastures; feed dry hay before turning out
Parturient paresis
Unknown
Sudden onset 6-10 weeks prior to lambing, especially in heavy ewes: muscle tremors; stilted gait; down; death
Calcium solution I.V. or under skin
Good dietary management
Photosensitization
Light colored skin that has a hyperactive reaction to sunlight
Reddening and fluid (edema) in the skin.
Graze at night; steroids
Affected animals should not be used as breeders
Somebreedsofsheep(SouthdownsandCorriedales)haveadefectexistinginlivermetabolismthatpreventssubstancesthatpredis- posetheanimaltophotosensitizationfrombeingeliminatedintheusualway.Sheepofthesebreedsshowingthistraitshouldnotbe used asbreeders.
White muscle disease
Selenium deficiency
Stiff gait, arched back unable to rise
Selenium injections
Selenium supplement in feed
Pregnancy toxemia, ovine ketosis
Any factor that disrupts feed intake in fat ewes carrying twins late in pregnancy
Nervous signs, inability to get on their feet; coma
Propylene glycol, steroids induce abortions, glucose
Induce exercise; feed away from shelter; avoid stressful situations wherepossible
INFECTIOUS BACTERIAL DISEASES
Tetanus
Bacteria:
Clostridium tetani
Often follows surgical procedures in early life; “saw-horse” appearance.
None
Administer tetanus antitoxin; later give toxoid
Overeating disease
Clostridium types C, D
Sudden death, especially in weaned lambs on full feed
No effective treatment
Bacterin to those on full feed
VIRAL DISEASES
Bluetongue
Bluetongue virus spread by biting flies
Difficult breathing; reddening of muzzle, lips, ears; ulcer, erosions of mouth
None
Vaccine in affected areas only
OPP (ovine progressive pneumonia)
Retrovirus
Very slowly progressing disease in mature animals; slow, wasting disease
None
Test and slaughter program; isolate lambs at birth, and feed milk from known-negative ewes
Sore mouth, contagious ecthyma
Poxvirus
Lesions on lips, sometimes feet.
None
Recovered sheep highly resistant; vaccine available
Scrapie (Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy)
Prion (structure smaller than a virus)
Loss of wool, intense itching, altered gait; loss of condition in sheep usually over 2 years
None
Test and slaughter
“Black disease” (infectious necrotic hepatitis)
Clostridium novyi
Sudden death; toxin produced by organism, together with liver flukes, which have already damaged the liver.
None
Toxoid (vaccine) in fluke region
Mastitis
Often
Streptococcus or
Staphylococcus species
Hot, swollen udder; Abnormal secretion
None
Antibiotics; hot packs; frequent stripping
Strawberry foot rot
Fungus (actinomycete):
Dermatophilus congalensis
Sores in lower leg
Penicillin variants
Self-limiting
Scours
Escherichia coli
Profuse diarrhea in newborn
Fluids to combat dehydration; antitoxemia drugs, antibiotics
Dip navels in iodine; strict sanitation in lambing pens
Joint ill
Erysipelothis rhusiopathiae
Swollen joints and some- times navel
Penicillin variants
Dip navels, strict clean- liness when castrating or docking
PARASITIC DISEASES There are a wide range of parasites that affect sheep. Some invade various parts of the digestive tract while lungworms settle in the lungs.
Goats
INFECTIOUS
DISEASE
CAUSE
SYMPTOMS
TREATMENT
PREVENTION
CAE (caprine arthri- tis and encephalitis)
Lentivirus
Encephalitis in young goats, arthritis in adults
None
Butazolidin in arthritic form; remove kids from doe immediately after birth and feed pasteurized colostrum
Abscesses
Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosi
Abscess formation around head and neck.
None
Urinary calculi (esp. in petwethers)
Metabolic imbalance
Urinate with difficulty or not at all
Surgery to create artificial opening
Feed diet with calcium-phosphorus ratio of2:1;addammonium chloride to diets;keep magnesium levellow
Mastitis
Several different bacteria
Abnormal milk ranging from watery to bloody
Variety of antibiotic preparations infused into udder; may need to run antibiotic sensitivity test to determine the best choice
Strict sanitation during the milking process; clean bedding and in general clean environment
Goatsaresubjecttomuchthesamerangeofdiseasesasaresheep.Themanagementofthevariousconditionsfollowsthelinesfol- lowed insheep.
Pigs
INFECTIOUS
DISEASE
CAUSE
SYMPTOMS
TREATMENT
PREVENTION
Metabolic and nutritional iron deficiency
Milk naturally deficient in iron
Symptoms of anemia
None
Administer iron to newborn by injection; keep sod in pen
Hypoglycemia
Any factor that limits piglets’ milk intake, especially during first week of life
Low body temperature; listless; unresponsive
Give glucose intraperitoneally
Be sure sow has enough milk; that all piglets are getting their share; keep warm and dry
MMA or Mastitis- metritusagalactia syndrome (lactation failure in sows)
Not understood at this time, a complex interaction of many factors
Piglets show signs of starvation; piglets depressed; increased temperatures; sows listless; refuse to let piglets nurse
Corticosteroids and broadspectrum antibiotics
Good management practices; place piglets on foster sow if available
BACTERIA, SPIROCHETES, AND VIRUSES
Bacterial brucellosis (a disease transmis- sible to man, especially when handling infected carcasses at slaughter)
Brucella suis
Abortion: temporary or permanent sterility: lameness
None
Test and slaughter
Atrophic rhinitis
A complex disease with many contributing factors
Twisted snout may be end result
Several drugs effective including trimethoprim, tylocin, and tetracycline
Keeping a closed herd; good sanitation
Enteric colibacillosis
Escherichia coli
Profuse watery diarrhea in young pigs
Restore fluid level; antibiotics as determined by sensitivity, previous experience
Avoid chilling and dampness; vaccinations of sows to increase level of necessary antibodies
Enteritis
Clostridium perfringens, Type C
Bloody diarrhea in piglets, 1-5 days
None
Vaccination of pregnant sows is of some value to increase value of colostrum in affording protection
Edema
Escherichia coli
Disease of young pigs 5-14 days after weaning; rapid death; wobbly; paddling of legs; head twist
Antibiotics may help
Gradual change of feedfromcreepfeedto weaningration
Erysipelas
Erysipelothrix rhusipathiae
Several different forms of this disease: (1) sudden death; high temperature, walking stiffly or remain lying down; (2) may show skin discolorations as “diamond skin disease”; (3) arthritis; (4) heart valve involvement
Penicillin variants
Vaccination
Leptospirosis (may act as reservoir to cause infection in man)
Leptospira pomona
Abortions; being off feed; listlessness
None
Vaccinations
Mycoplasma pneumonia
Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae
Coughing, mild pneumonia; greatest problems: poor feed utilization and growth rate
Tylocin, Tetracycline
Establishment of disease-free herds
Pleuropneumonia
Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae
May be very severe with sudden deaths, especially in young pigs; extremely difficult breathing; high fatality rate
Several antibiotics have been suggested, including Tylocin and Trimethoprim
All-in, all-out management (all pigs in a group introduced simultaneously into area where they will be raised and later removed simultaneously)
Salmonellosis
Salmonella cholerasuis
Nursing pigs have diarrhea but die from septicemia;olderpigshavebloody diarrhea
Some antibiotics may be of value, but no drastic changes may be seen
Intensive clean-up after outbreaks
Swine dysentery
Treponema hyodysenteriae (a spirochete)
A mucous, bloody diarrhea is the most common symptom
Do antibiotic sensitivity test and determine best antibiotic, which might include bacitracin, lincomycin, and others
Good sanitation; treatment of carrier pigs
Tuberculosis (a disease transmissable from animal to man)
Mycobacterium species. Pigs are susceptible to three types: cattle, bird, and man
Lymph gland involvement: a wasting disease
None
Good management (e.g. cleanliness, good ventilation)
VIRUSES
Hog cholera (no longer present in USA), now more properly called “classical swine fever” (CSF)
DNA virus
Lethargy; off feed; high temperature
Hyperimmune serum
Vaccinations not always effective; worldwide test-and-slaughter policy in effect for any animals that test positive
Pseudorabies, “mad itch”
Herpes virus. The pig acts as a reservoir for the virus, which is highly fatal in other species such as cattle and sheep
In piglets, may see fever, trembling, convulsions; symptoms become progressively less severe as pig grows older
None
Bring in replacements from disease-free herds; segregation; isolation
Swine influenza, hog flu
Type A influenza virus
Rapidly spread throughout entire herd; high temperature; off feed; coughing; prostration
None
Good management with a stress-free environment
TGE (transmissible gastroenteritis)
Coronavirus
Vomiting followed by profuse, watery diarrhea; highly fatal in very young pigs, much less so in older pigs
None
Vaccinations
PARASITESThosewormsaffectingthestomachandintestinaltractofpigscanbecontrolledbythesametypesofmedicationsusedin otherspecies.Therearesomewormspeculiartoswinethatshouldbementioned.
Kidney worm infestation
Stephanurus dentatus
Pigs tend to be “poor doers”; economic loss from contamination of affected organs and tissues
None
Maintain clean environtment; rotate stock to keep herd young through “gilts-only” breeding program.
Trichinosis
Trichanella spiralis
Primarily a public health problem where insufficiently cooked, infected meat is eaten
None
Garbage containing pork should be cooked at 212° F for 30 min- utes before being fed to swine, or not feed at all
Calves
INFECTIOUS
DISEASE
CAUSE
SYMPTOMS
TREATMENT
PREVENTION
Colibacillosis
Escherichia coli
Diarrhea; dehydration; weakness; death
Electrolytes, fluids, antibiotics
Buy calves from reputable sources; avoid stress; keep isolated; draft-free, well ventilated housing (calf hutch excellent)
Pneumonia
Various bacteria and viruses
Cough; difficulty breathing; off feed; fever
Fluids, antibiotics
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