There are a number of non-communicable diseases that should be addressed when breeding cattle. These include postpartum paresis in a cow. Treatment is not difficult and is not expensive. Nevertheless, the disease brings considerable losses. Most of all, such a loss affects those farms where cow breeding is organized as a business. The death of even one head in a small farm significantly affects the profitability of production.
Postpartum Paresis in Cows
A severe, acute nervous disease, which is accompanied by partial paralysis of the tongue, pharynx, limbs, intestines, up to the loss of consciousness, is called postpartum paresis in a cow. Treatment should be started immediately to prevent death.
Risk groups
The exact cause of the disease has not yet been established. It is known that it is provoked by an acute shortage of calcium in the animal's body against the background of a sharp drop in blood sugar. The corpulent cow directs all its forces to the formation of the fetus, including calcium. An unbalanced diet can provoke maternal paresis in cows.
High-risk animals fall into the risk group. In all likelihood, this is due to the fact that high milk yields require more calcium. Well-fed animals for which they do not spare concentrated feeds are also at risk.
The stall period and age of 5-8 years, when the cow is at the peak of its productivity, colds are concomitant factors of the disease.
Signs of illness
As a rule, the development of the disease occurs in the first three days after a quick and easy calving. Although, as practice shows, in a cow, childbirth in most cases requires help and human intervention. Less often, the development of paresis from a few weeks to 1-2 months is observed. The absolute exception is the manifestation of the disease in pregnant cows and during calving.
The first signs of the onset of the disease:
- lethargy of the animal;
- poor appetite;
- lack of chewing gum;
- noticeable trembling;
- there is no peristalsis of the rumen and intestines;
- pain sensitivity is practically absent.
With a significant deterioration in the condition of the cow can not get to his feet. The pose in which the animal lies is also specific: the legs are bent under the stomach, and the head is turned to one side. The neck is arched with a characteristic S-shaped curvature. Feet and horns are cold to the touch, eyes are half-closed and watery, pupils are dilated. In severe cases, the total body temperature drops to indicators of 35 about -36 about .
The animal does not observe urination and excrement of feces. With pharyngeal paralysis, the tongue falls out of the mouth, profuse salivation occurs. Some individuals are for a short time in an excited state, can sharply shake their heads, throwing them back. They roll over, grind their teeth, beat against the walls, moo loudly. After a short-term activity, the cow calms down and becomes depressed.
Treatment
Postpartum paresis in a cow must not be allowed to drift. Treatment started immediately reduces mortality from the disease by 4%. For comparison: if no measures are taken in the first hours, 70% of the animals die.
Evers's special apparatus blows air through all four lobes of the udder through the nipples. To do this, they are pre-treated with a 70% ethanol solution. Before the procedure, the cow is seated in the dorsal-lateral position. Air is introduced using sterile milk catheters. The injection is carried out until the folds of the skin on the udder are spread. Be sure to massage the udder to evenly distribute the air.
To avoid air escaping, the nipples are bandaged at the base with a bandage or strips of gauze. In this position, leave the animal for 30-45 minutes. If after 8 hours no improvement has occurred, the procedure is repeated. After the cow gets up, after 1-2 hours it can be milked, while the air is not squeezed out of the udder.
Instead of air, 200-500 ml of fresh milk can be introduced into each share of the udder. It must be from a healthy cow.
To alleviate the condition of the animal, 20% glucose solution up to 200 ml and 10% calcium chloride solution up to 150 ml are injected intravenously. A 10% caffeine solution is injected subcutaneously. Active rubbing of the sides and limbs, wrapping up the animal, hot enema (up to 45 ° ) is recommended.
Complications
With the rapid and severe course of the disease, the life of the animal can be threatened by tympanum, this is one of the complications that causes postpartum paresis in the cow. Treatment is reduced to piercing the scar with a thick needle or trocar, after which up to 400 ml of a 5% alcohol solution of ichthyol or up to 40 ml of a 40% formalin solution is injected into the cavity.
In no case should you enter a liquid medicine through the mouth, due to partial paralysis of the pharynx, it can enter the trachea.
The measures taken in 2-3 days will completely cure the animal without any consequences for its health. Perhaps this will never happen again, or perhaps the cow after calving will experience postpartum paresis each time.
Prevention of postpartum paresis
To avoid the disease, adhere to the following rules:
- do not allow overfeeding of cows in the dry period and in the stage of lactation attenuation;
- carefully monitor the balance of the diet for micro and macro elements;
- the percentage of roughage and concentrated feed in the animal diet should be strictly observed;
- control the timely launch of cows;
- provide livestock with regular active exercise.
Cow farms should be equipped with special birth boxes where an animal is placed in front of the calving. There should be no drafts in the maternity ward.
For highly productive cows that have previously had postpartum paresis, the following preventive measures are provided: twice, 7-10 days before calving, vitamin D 3 is administered intramuscularly at a dose of 3-4 million units. Sugar, 200-300 grams per day, is introduced into the diet for several days before calving and after it.
Postpartum complications
In a cow, labor is almost always associated with a risk of complications. One of the main reasons is the incorrect position of the fetus in the uterus. Without human help, a calf can suffocate and be born dead. Sometimes the score goes for minutes, and there is simply no time to wait for a specialist. That is why it is important that attendants at the cow farm are trained in basic obstetrics skills. Even if help was provided in a timely manner and there are no visible violations, the specialist should examine the animal, if necessary, provide additional help or prescribe a course of treatment.
Prenatal or postnatal bed
Complications after childbirth vary in severity and time course. The most common include prenatal or postpartum bedding. The first occurs a few days or weeks before calving. The second occurs suddenly after childbirth.
Causes : vitamin deficiency, hypovitaminosis, osteomalacia, mineral starvation, rheumatism, general weakness.
Symptoms : depending on the underlying cause, appropriate symptoms are observed. For example, loss of sensation in the back of the body with damage to the sacral or lumbar spinal cord. Lying may be accompanied by severe complications: bedsores, exhaustion, blood poisoning, leading to the death of the animal.
Retention of the placenta
With a safely passing birth, the fetal membranes linger in the uterus for no more than 8 hours. Delayed release of the placenta can lead to serious complications up to infertility of the animal. The cause of this phenomenon may be a disease of the uterine muscles, infringement of the placenta in the non-pregnant horn or premature closure of the cervix, weak attempts or their absence, infectious diseases (brucellosis). The delay in the release of the afterbirth can be caused by vitamin deficiency, a lack of minerals in the diet and their imbalance, lack of exercise during the period of deep pregnancy or late start. Calving of the cow is over, and a cord hangs from the vagina with a tuberous surface, sometimes reaching the floor. If the uterus is not completely freed from the placenta, putrefactive processes can occur in it with all the ensuing consequences.
Eversion and prolapse of the uterus
It occurs due to excessive relaxation of the muscles of the uterus and the ligaments that support it. The reason may be a rough removal of the placenta, a large fetus or multiple pregnancy (twins, triplets), rapid extraction of the fetus with dry birth canal. Time of onset: childbirth and the postpartum period in the first hours. In case of incomplete loss (eversion), the animal behaves uneasily, attempts are observed. Rectal examination allows you to feel the fold, indicating the bending of the walls of the organ. An inverted uterine horn is found in the uterine cavity or vagina.
With a complete eversion of the uterus from the vulva, a pear-shaped formation hangs, to the level of the hock. On the surface of the uterus, you can sometimes see an unseparated last. In the future, the uterus swells (edema), turns blue, can bleed and burst. The course of the postpartum period must be monitored in the first few hours after calving. This will help in time to provide the necessary assistance to animals and avoid irreparable consequences.
Prevention of postpartum complications
To calve the cow as far as possible without complications, you must first worry about the health of the woman in labor. The following points should be taken into account on the holding:
- cows, ready for mating, should be of average fatness and absolutely healthy;
- they should receive a complete feed balanced in nutrients, vitamins, micro and macro elements, including calcium;
- overfeeding animals should not be allowed;
- in the winter-stall period, it is necessary to carefully observe the temperature regime in the rooms where animals are kept;
- clearly adhere to the start-up schedule of pregnant cows, preventing their overuse;
- take preventive measures to prevent the possible occurrence of diseases:
- limit and, if necessary, exclude from the diet protein-rich feed 4-5 days before calving;
- introduce chalk into ration cows;
- animals must have constant free access to lick salt;
- introduce sugar in the diet 3-4 days before calving and after it;
- in the farm premises, special boxes should be built for taking birth in cows (if the farm does not have a special maternity ward)
During pregnancy, animals should not be subjected to stressful situations, they may be disturbed by a change in milkmaids, a change in the composition of the diet, a violation of the usual daily routine, any unusual situation that arose in the barn or in the immediate vicinity of the animals. The staff must be attentive and immediately report to the veterinarian when the cow is in a state of health.
A cow after calving requires no less attention and care. Proper milking of the animal, especially if it is a calf, will help to avoid inflammation of the udder and prevent mastitis. Insemination of cows is carried out in the first or second hunt after calving. If the animal breaks the cycle, measures should be taken (stimulation with hormones) or, if necessary, prescribe a course of treatment.
Cow Breeding
To obtain a healthy and viable offspring, it is necessary to take care of the health and well-being of animal animals. Breeding cows as a business will succeed with the release of at least 90 business calves per 100 queens. Then the farm will profit from the sale of reared young animals. This is a difficult and nonetheless interesting area of work.
To obtain healthy calves, their mothers should receive a balanced diet from the first day of pregnancy, have a daily active exercise. Cow farms must comply with all animal hygiene standards.
The direction of cattle breeding is of great importance: dairy, meat, meat and dairy. The conditions of detention and methods for raising young cattle depend on this .