CONTAGIOUS ABORTION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 598, 30 August 1913, Page 2

CONTAGIOUS ABORTION.

The term abortion ia applied to the premature birth of ths offspring before full term. It is sometimes known as "slinking," "casting," or "losing" the calf. Abortion may ba caused by exposure to rain storms, or injuries to ths abdomen (as being crushed by a gate, kicked, or Jasing hooked), foods that are easily" fermented also insufficient or very innutritious foods; too close housing, heavy milking, early breeding, in-breeding, stagnant drinking water, ergoted grasses and smuts in various grains, irritant vegetables, impaction of the rumen and constipation, severe constitutional diseases, direct irritation of the womb (as in the removal of ovaries or death of the offspring), and irritation of the kidneya. Whenever abortion of cows cannot be traced to any of the above causes the contagious form cf abortion is to be suspected. Contagious abortion frequently causen considerable loss, not only from losing the young, but also from the fact that many of the cows that have aborted fail to breed again. Contagious abortion ia probably caused by several different germs, and is transmitted from one animal to another by contact, by means of the discharge from the cow that has aborted, the after birth, dead calf, and from buils that have served cows affected with the disease.

Cowa may abort any time, says a Kansas Station bulletin, but it usually occurs from the third to tfce seventh month. Occasionally the early symptoms pass unnoticed, but in most cases there la some heat and enlargement of the udder, the vulva is somewhat swollen, and there ia a discharge of white or yellowish mucous, which is not like the normal transparent material which discharges during heat. After abortion the afterbirth is usually retained, giving rise to a very disagreeable discharge which continues for some time.

All suspected cows should be isolated from pregnant ones, and should any cowa abort the offspring and afterbirth should be burned or buried deeply and the stable thoroughly disinfected by the use of lime on the floor after all the litter has been removed and burned. Than the woodwork should be disinfected with corrosive sublimate solution, using it in the proportion of one to one thousand. The tablets of corrosive sublimate may be secured at any drug store with directions for use. Ten days after the first disinfection with corrosive sublimate all woodwork should be disinfected a second time. A week after the second disinfection the entire cowhouse mould be whitewashed.

Cows that have aborted should be washed out with a cna per cent, solution of creolin or lysol, continuing this daily until all discharge has stopped. Pregnant cows should be given sodium bydpoulphite once daily, in tablespoonful doses, as a drench. When cows abort in pasture, great care should be taken to burn the offspring on the spot where it is dropped, and the immediate vicinity should be thoroughly limed. As a precaution to prevent the spread of the disease in an aborting herd, it is well to disinfect the tail and also the vulva and immediate parts with a five per cent, creolin solution, to make sure of preventing the entrance of the germ irto the womb. Bulls that have been with csn aborted herd should not be allowed with healthy cattle; and to prevent tijeir spreading the diser.ss tu?y snould receive the. ssma diaiiri'eeSson udviseil for cows. Cleanliness 2nd ine pi-osi* isolation and disinfection or catvle should bs stsricuy ciiiiared <.'o ni orucr to eradicate the dissasc.