DISEASES IN CATTLE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4436, 5 July 1922, Page 2

DISEASES IN CATTLE.

A FEW PREVALENT INTERESTING LECTURE. The causes and cures jf a few of the prevalent diseases among Cne stock of the Hauraki Plains were outlined at Waitakaruru on Monday and at Ngatea yesterday by Mr. J. Costello, who lectured to small but greatly interested gatherings of settlers. At Waitakaruru Mr. W. Stretton was elected to the cha'r and at Ngatea Mr. A. J. Andrews presided. . MILK FEVER. The first thing of importance, (thought Mr. Costello, was when the cow was calving. In milk fever it was a circulation which took away all sense from the brain, causing parturition fever or apoplexy. Some of the symptoms of. the disease were so close in resemblance that they were often confused. In milk fever the cow lost consciousness. During 'he fever was the wrong time to drench a cow. for when it could not drink, being unconscious, the liquid was just as liable to get. into the lupgs as into the stomach. Air treatment was the best, but for sceptis it was not as effective. Milk fever was not a quick death, and no farmer should hurry to jump to conclusions in diagnosing the case. For parturition fever the cow should be put in a sitting posture and air treatment applied ; then let the cow be perfectly quiet. Properly treated ther ( e should be ro doubt of the cow’s recovery within 24 hours. After six hours were up, if the recovery was not satisfactory repeat the air treatment. After 12 hours the cow should be sufficiently recovered to join the herd, and then bring her in to milk. The cow’s kidney must be kept warm after fever. The parturition fever was caused mostly by stagnation of circulation, due to various causes. He advised that the calf should not be taken away or the cow milked right out for Che first few days, as a protection against the fever. Np excitement should ne caused, as excitement was one of the causes of the fever. GARGOT. Gargot was one of. the greatest diseases in dairy herds. It was often confused with mammitis. The (mammary glands cogulated and swelled, causing ropey milk and gadget. A. properly dispensed gargot drencih was essential. A cow may have a swelled quarter, and a bucket of cold water washed over it relieved the swelling somewhat, but he advised the farmers not to depend solely on the bucket of cold water, but to get a standard remedy, milk out the udder, pull awav tlhe putrid condition and leave room for the milk. He advised the farmer to treat the cow as soon as he saw the swelling and no.t leave it till the next milking.He warned those present that wih.en they were treating gargot not to confuse it with mammitis. With mammitis the cow should be attended to with a strong solution.

ABORTION AND STERILITY. Abortion was a matter which affected them all. The only precaution to take was when the cattle were mating to send them away as clean as possible. Some farmers may interfere too much, and under, wrong condition;:. He had known of a man tc wash a coy put. with sheep dip. He advised a good standard disinfectant. With sterilising the animals, abortion could be brought down to a minimum. Regarding sterility and sceptis there was not a great deal of difference in symptoms. In the dictionary there was a difference, but in the treatment there was none.. In a case of sceptics a cow may die quickly. Some die in an hour or an hour and a half. A cow could be milked and turned out. and die in 10 minutes.. A heavy convulsion was caused, shaking the whole anatomy, and shaking the brain to pieces. If there were any symptoms of any sort there was a standard remedy whicih should be used after calving. Sceptis was one of the most virulent forms of diseases which a cow could contract, and it was highly putrid and dangerous to human life to be inocculated with, ns it was very rapid. MAMMITIS. Mammitis, said Mr. Costello, was destructive, more destructive than gargot and parturition fever. It might be well to treat it as gargot, though he did not know of any specific remedy. With that disease, which was a contagious one, the affected cow should be isolated. QUESTION TIME. Mr. Costello invited at the same time extending to the committee of the veterinary club and tihe organiser his gratification in the way they had worked the club up. He wished the organisation every success, and it was an organisation which would help any district. Milk Fever. Mr. Andrews (at Waitakaruru), with reference to milk fever, asked if it was a wise precaution tp take any action previous to palving, and if an over supply of luxurious food would have any bearing on toils fever. Mr. Costello : Yes, With a cow in a high condition it. would be better to take her off the luxuriant pastures. It would be wise to take the cows, off the good pastures a few days before calving, as they calved better on empty stomachs. Mr.. Parfitt: What is the longest term a. cow could get milk fever after calving ? Mr. Costello said it was not necessary for a cow to calve before it got milk fever, but it had to calve before it could get sceptis. Milk fever came on up to 10 or 12 days after calving, or just before. There was no grave danger after 10 days after calving, but it was known up to 21 days. Once contraction took place after calving there was not muclh danger of sceptis. Gargot. Mr. C. W. Parfitt, with regard to gargot, said there appeared to be two forms, one where the ropey milk retained its natural colour and the other where it was a yellowish tinge. Mr. Costello said that when a cow’s constitution was strong the disease was not in such a bad forjn. In another with a weaker constitution the disease would attack more severely,

hence the discolouration. Alwrtion and Washing. Mr. French: Which would you recommend as the best remedy for, abortion, and what time would be the best tp wash the cows out? Mr. Costello: The wisest plan would be to wash., the animals with a standard remedy before mating. Washing at five and seven months required a stronger washing solution. Mr. French said he had asked the advice of a Government official as to whether washing before calving would be essential and had been told it was waste of time. However, he had washed them out, and been successful. - Mr. F. Wallis, asked if it was always the germ that caused abortion, or could it be the upsetting of the system. Mr. Costello said fihat over-feeding of hay may cause a tendency to slip. Pig Diseases. Mr. R T. Williams said that he had found that some pigs had lost control of their hind legs, and tihe hams were found to be wasting away. Mr. Costello said i't was due to cogulation, or a congested state tf the kidneys, due to acidities in'the pasture and in sour milk. A lot ot" little threads paralysed the kidney. Tf stagnation of the kidney took place the acidity and tihe weakness of the kidney p; evented the purifying of the substances, hence the malady spoken of by Mr. Williams. The speaker believed that he could prescribe tp cure a great percentage of tihose cases. He advised that the milk be cut away from the pigs and their diet changed, and also put them into fresh pasture. Mr. Wallis said he lhad several'pigs with that disease, and he had always let them loose. He had never lost any pigs from that cause. Argument for Chib. Mr. French said he had two valuable heavy milking cows die during the last three months. ’ Mr. Costello said it/would be a difficult matter to diagnose those cases, as he had never viewed the carcases, but lhe could give a lot of causes. If a veterinarian had been in the district those cows m,ay have been saved. Mr. French: That is a good argument in favour of the club. The report of the address at Ngatea will appear in Friday's issue.