Content
Bronchopneumonia in calves is common in veterinary medicine. The disease itself is not dangerous, but requires timely treatment. The neglected form of cattle bronchopneumonia leads to irreversible processes in the respiratory organs, which increases the mortality of young animals. It is possible to avoid such consequences.
What is bronchopneumonia
Bronchopneumonia of cattle is an inflammatory process in the bronchi and lungs of young animals, which is accompanied by the accumulation of catarrhal exudate in the lumens and cavities of the alveoli.
The disease is long-term, however, quickly spreads throughout the bronchial tree. Mostly young calves are affected, the age of which does not exceed 30-45 days.
Causes and risk factors
According to many scientists and researchers, bronchopneumonia of young cattle is a non-infectious disease. It arises from poor living conditions and unsatisfactory feed. Among the main reasons, scientists named the following:
- unbalanced feeding of the broodstock;
- lack of retinol in cattle feed;
- overheating or hypothermia of calves in the first months of life;
- keeping young animals in a poorly ventilated room where many microbes accumulate.
Incorrect selection of pairs and mating with close relatives leads to the appearance of weak young animals, which are susceptible to various diseases, including bronchopneumonia. Errors in feeding broodstock of cattle are fraught with a deficiency of vitamin A, which must be present in large quantities in cow's milk. Avitaminosis is dangerous for calves feeding on this milk. In young animals, the protective functions of the body are reduced, bacteria and microbes easily penetrate the respiratory tract.
The calf house must be dry and warm. Dampness, cold, stagnant air and drafts contribute to impaired blood circulation, as a result, mucus, dust, bacteria, ammonia accumulate in the lungs, which leads to the rapid development of bronchopneumonia.
In addition to these factors, there are anatomical features of young cattle:
- narrow passage in the bronchi;
- short trachea in calves;
- a large accumulation of blood vessels in the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract;
- inelastic tissue of the alveoli.
The accumulation of all or several reasons leads to the rapid onset and development of the inflammatory process in the respiratory tract of young cattle, which leads to bronchopneumonia.
Clinical picture
It is difficult to recognize bronchopneumonia, since all organs of the calves are involved in the process. At the beginning, changes occur in the nervous system of young animals, the protective functions of the body decrease. The amount of protein in the blood increases, congestion in the lungs and bronchial edema occur. Such microflora contributes to the development of microbes, the accumulation of toxins, the inflammatory process begins, necrosis of the tissues of the mucous membrane. The affected areas are poorly visible, become compacted. Calves begin to cough and snort.
With the development of bronchopneumonia in young cattle, ventilation of the lungs becomes difficult, gas exchange in them is disrupted, pressure decreases, the liver and kidneys work poorly, changes occur in the heart muscle.As a result, sick calves experience a fever, shortness of breath, the coat looks untidy, and most often the young cannot rise to their feet.
If cattle bronchopneumonia is diagnosed on time and treatment is started, then in a week or 10 days the calves will improve. Otherwise, there is a secondary lesion, pleurisy or pericarditis.
Bronchopneumonia of young cattle takes place in 3 stages:
- easy;
- sharp;
- subacute or chronic.
The mild or initial form of the disease lasts 5-10 days. It begins with malaise. Calves are lethargic, their appetite is reduced. On the 3rd day, the body temperature rises to 40-42 ° C, against which there is shortness of breath and shortness of breath. Serous mucus comes out of the nose, gradually it acquires a purulent character. A dry cough appears, which is replaced by a wet one. Heart sounds are muffled. In the blood of young cattle, there are typical changes characteristic of the inflammatory process.
The acute stage begins suddenly. Calves are clearly lagging behind in growth, they have no appetite at all, they constantly cough. The body temperature rises slightly. The mucous membranes of the eyes are pale, and serous mucus is secreted from the nose. In the lungs, wheezing is heard. The tissue in the lesion sites is compacted; during examination, lesions up to 2 cm in diameter are visible. Lymph nodes are easily felt. If the calf dies, then an autopsy can detect swelling of the upper respiratory tract, catarrhal exudate is released from the lesions.
Chronic or subacute stage of cattle bronchopneumonia lasts 20-30 days from the moment of injury. The course is undulating, exacerbations occur periodically. Young animals have poor appetite, moist cough, body temperature is normal in the morning, and rises by 1.5 ° C in the evening. Shortness of breath increases, the general condition of the calves gradually worsens, diarrhea appears, signs of toxicosis and intoxication of the body. The areas of the lungs affected by bronchopneumonia resemble dough in consistency, fluid accumulates in them. Autopsy of a dead calf shows that the liver is enlarged, the gallbladder is full, the heart muscle is dark in color.
Diagnostics
A number of procedures will help to make the correct diagnosis. First, you need to pay attention to the general condition of young cattle. Calves lie, under the shoulder blades and in the knee fold, you can feel the lymph nodes, however, this does not cause inconvenience to the animal. The body temperature remains normal, the conjunctiva of the eyes is slightly edematous. The appetite of a young patient with bronchopneumonia is weak, the act of chewing is reduced.
Pronounced changes in bronchopneumonia are noticeable on examination of the respiratory tract:
- breathing is shallow;
- shortness of breath is present;
- clear mucus is secreted from the nose;
- a dry cough begins, gradually turning into a wet one;
- wheezing in the lungs and bronchi is heard.
Blood tests can confirm the diagnosis. During the study, it can be seen that the total number of erythrocytes and hemoglobin decrease, there is not enough carotene, phosphorus, calcium, protein in the serum. All these data prove that the calves' diet was grossly disturbed, leading to malnutrition and vulnerability.
To make a correct diagnosis, it is important to take into account the general condition of the young, data on the nutrition of the mother and the maintenance of the herd. It is also important to pay attention to where the calves are walking and resting. General behavior, blood chemistry, and X-rays combine to provide a complete picture.
The task of the veterinarian is to exclude infectious diseases and viral pneumonia in calves. Only then can the treatment of bronchopneumonia begin.
Treatment methods
Bronchopneumonia in young animals should be treated comprehensively, depending on the severity of the disease. It is best to collect all the animals into a single group. For the treatment to proceed well and quickly, as well as to give a positive result, it is important to provide the calves with adequate nutrition and create suitable conditions for their housing.
With properly planned treatment, the initial stage of cattle bronchopneumonia, its acute form can be stopped. However, it is impossible to get rid of chronic bronchopneumonia. The process can be suspended, to alleviate the condition of the animal, but nothing more.
The complex of treatment procedures includes the following:
- antimicrobial therapy;
- symptomatic;
- substitutional.
For the treatment of cattle bronchopneumonia, broad-spectrum antibiotics are used, if necessary, together with arsenic preparations. Additionally, vitamins, mineral complexes and agents are prescribed that will help relieve the main symptoms of the disease.
In modern veterinary medicine, aerosol agents are used to treat cattle bronchopneumonia. This is justified by the fact that the smallest particles of the drug go directly into the lungs, bypassing the liver of the calves. They are better absorbed into the bloodstream and act on the affected areas within a few minutes.
Antimicrobial drugs are administered intramuscularly or intratracheally, which is more effective. The use of penicillin or tetracycline is allowed. They are bred in accordance with the instructions.
To combat cough and relieve pulmonary respiration of calves, expectorants are used in combination with inhalation of sodium chloride vapor. Vitamin therapy is of great importance, as it reduces the occurrence of side effects from taking antibiotics.
The introduction of immunoglobulin serum will help restore the immunity of young animals. The injection is done 2 times with an interval of 48 hours.
Researchers and leading veterinarians in this field have proven that the most effective recovery of young cattle in case of bronchopneumonia is under the influence of hemotherapy. The animal's blood is purified and then reintroduced into healthy tissues. Doses are set by the attending veterinarian, taking into account the patient's condition. In the acute course of bronchopneumonia, a single injection of 125-150 ml of serum is allowed. The number of injections is determined individually, up to 5 injections are allowed with an interval between them from 2 to 4 days. However, only the first 2 injections give an effect.
If there are no visible improvements, then the introduction should be stopped. The success of therapy can be judged in the case of:
- lowering the temperature to normal values;
- reducing the inflammatory process;
- disappearance of edema.
In some cases, to achieve a positive result, they use artificial heating of young animals with special lamps, rub the chest.
Forecast
Timely treatment of calves with bronchopneumonia is economically justified. With a properly selected course, the animal will feel better after 7-10 days. It will not be long before a full recovery.
The neglected form of the disease and its chronic stage are difficult to treat. As a rule, such calves are culled.
Prevention measures
All measures to prevent bronchopneumonia should be aimed at observing economic and sanitary standards. Premises intended for keeping young cattle must comply with standards. Air humidity is maintained at 70%, ammonia values should not exceed 5 mg / m, temperature drops should not exceed 5 ° C.
In addition, it is important to feed the calves in the first days of life. The only food for young animals is colostrum and mother's milk. In the prevention of bronchopneumonia, walks of young cattle in the fresh air are important. However, overheating of animals should be avoided. In hot weather, they should be under a canopy.
In the premises for young animals, wet cleaning is carried out daily in compliance with all sanitary and technical standards. Good results are obtained by aerosol treatment of the cowshed with disinfectants. Feed is distributed in the form of a damp mash to reduce dustiness in the air. It is mandatory to introduce vitamins, premixes and other drugs aimed at increasing the protective functions of the body.
Conclusion
Bronchopneumonia in calves is a dangerous cattle disease that can be successfully treated. However, it needs to be diagnosed on time and therapy should be started. The main causes of bronchopneumonia are poor conditions for keeping young animals and insufficiently balanced feed.
