Lichen is one of the most common diseases of domestic and farm animals. Owners of cattle-breeding farms, unfortunately, encounter this ailment very often. Moreover, in most cases, cows, like many other animals, are affected by the shearing, rather unpleasant form of this disease.
Main symptoms
Cows are caused by simple microscopic pathogenic fungi in cows. The main symptom of this ailment is the appearance on the skin of cattle of oval flaky sharply defined spots with fallen hair. Also, with lichen, symptoms such as:
In those infected with a ringworm, calves, among other things, have a lag in development. When infected, adult cows and bulls often look lethargic, inactive. In especially severe cases, depletion is observed in animals.
How is the disease transmitted?
Ringworm infection occurs most often with direct contact of animals with each other. Also, spores of the simplest fungi of this species can be transmitted from cow to cow through care items and equipment.
Most often, ringworm epidemics on farms erupt in the autumn-winter period. That is, when the cattle is kept on premises for days on end.
Development reasons
Ringworm - the disease, unfortunately, is very contagious. The main reasons for its spread in the herd is crowded keeping of animals and non-compliance with sanitary standards in the barn. Dampening the epidemic often also leads to dampness in the cattle room.
Cows are animals strong enough. Their immune system is very well developed. If the spores of the simplest fungus that causes lichen get on the skin of an absolutely healthy and active cow, infection may not occur. However, in case of violation of the rules for caring for cattle, an epidemic of this ailment in the economy can erupt with a very high degree of probability. With poor feeding, for example, in cows, as in any other farm animals, immunity is greatly weakened. The fungus that has fallen on the skin of the burenka in this case will cause the disease almost completely.
Thus, in addition to poor housing conditions, the reasons for the development of deprivation in cows may be insufficient feeding or an unbalanced diet. Cows on the farm must necessarily and in the right quantities receive all three types of feed intended for farm animals and poultry - succulent, rough, concentrated. That is, cattle should be given, in addition to hay, bran, cereals and legumes, root crops, silage, meal, oilcake, etc.
Which animals are most susceptible
As was noted, calves under the age of 2 years are most often affected by ringworm in farms. The result, as already mentioned, is the lag of the young in development. This, in turn, leads to a significant decrease in the profitability of cattle breeding. Weakened deprive calves gain weight worse, and later reach physical maturity. From the bulls, as a result, in the future it will be possible to get not so much meat. Heifers will give less milk and will not bring a quality offspring. The consequence of all this will be a decrease in farm owner’s income.
Preventive measures
Of course, lichen can not be attributed to the group of especially dangerous diseases. This disease is treated with the right approach to business quite easily. Lunge from it in farms almost never happens. However, the damage to farms, as a business, can still be significant. Therefore, in farms it is important to carry out special activities aimed at preventing the development of this disease.
The main preventive measures against ringworm in cows include:
periodic cleaning of manure;
disinfection of premises according to the schedule;
thorough washing, cleaning and disinfection of equipment and care items.
Cows, of course, need to be kept in fairly spacious rooms equipped with at least the simplest ventilation system. The cowsheds should always be dry, warm and light enough.
Treatment
Cows can develop ringworm both on large farms and on private farmsteads. There are several methods of treatment. In large and medium-sized complexes, in order to help sick animals, they often use a healing mixture consisting of the following components:
fish oil;
creolin;
lysol;
tar 5-10%;
crude carbolic acid.
Such a tool is a good answer to the question of how to treat lichen in a cow. However, if the animal has damaged lips, nostrils or eyes, softer formulations are still used externally. In most cases, this is a heated mixture of mineral and vegetable oil. The temperature of this “medicine” should be such that the animal does not feel too much discomfort when it lubricates the affected areas.
In private courtyards, owners can also use a mixture of a small amount of hydrochloric acid and serum to help sick cows. Such a medicine is given to cattle with food, 10-12 drops three times a day. Also successful can be the treatment of depriving a cow at home with a decoction or juice of dandelions, smokies, wheatgrass, chicory.
In addition to this, a mixture consisting of:
Also, treatment of lichen in cows can be carried out using a composition of 2 parts of lime and 1 part of sulfur.
Preparations
Alternative methods of treatment for lichen usually give good results. But of course, with such a disease, purchased drugs can also be used to treat the skin of animals. For example, pretty good against depriving cows helps:
spray "Zoomikol";
ointment "Yam Fungibak."
To treat the premises during an outbreak of the disease, you can use drugs such as:
"Ecocide C".
"Browadez 20".
Additional measures
Purchased medicines for deprivation from cows, as well as folk remedies, should be used on farms in conjunction with other measures aimed at eliminating the infection. Of course, cattle with characteristic spots on the skin on the farm must be separated from other animals and transferred to separate pens. To support the body of infected individuals and strengthen their immunity, it is very useful for them to give vitamins A and D. It was noted that the addition of such funds to food significantly accelerates the recovery of cows with ringworm.
Most often, as mentioned above, this disease affects cattle after transferring it to stall maintenance. To minimize the risk of an epidemic outbreak, depriving a cow of skin for treatment should be double-treated with sulfur dust in the fall, immediately after pasture cancellation. The premises themselves, equipped for keeping cattle, at this time, it is desirable to disinfect formalin-kerosene solution.
In disadvantaged areas in farms, in order to prevent the spread of this disease, vaccination of cattle can be carried out, among other things.
Important
One of the features of ringworm is that it can be easily transmitted from cows to humans. Therefore, in case of detection of sick animals in the herd, on the farm, among other things, measures should be taken to prevent infection of personnel. All work in such an economy, employees should carry out exclusively in overalls.
Treatment of ringworm in cows by treating the skin with drugs should, of course, be done exclusively with gloves. The same goes for procedures such as cleaning inventory and cleaning the premises.
Of course, in livestock complexes, in addition to everything else, showers should be equipped. Workers on infected farms should take water procedures after the end of each shift. When characteristic spots appear on the skin, a farm employee must consult a doctor. Before recovering, he should not be allowed to work with animals.