Bovine coccidiosis: causes and symptoms, treatment and prevention

Coccidiosis is a group of infectious diseases of animals and birds that cause protozoa - coccidia. They parasitize on the intestinal mucosa, which leads to the development of a severe, often fatal disease. Young animals especially die. Consider the causes of coccidiosis in cattle, the symptoms of the disease, methods of diagnosis, therapy and prevention.

Causes of disease

Coccidiosis in cows is the most common intestinal disease in young animals. 3-12-week-old calves are sick, less often older individuals. Adult individuals are usually carriers of coccidia, they rarely get sick. Up to 10 types of protozoa can cause the disease.

Coccidiosis occurs everywhere, mainly in farms with unsatisfactory living or feeding conditions. Cases of coccidiosis are most frequent during rainy seasons and where damp pastures are used for grazing. Stress after food changes, veterinary procedures and transportation can also be a factor that triggered the development of coccidiosis.

Infection with protozoa occurs through food, drinking water, care items and feeders infected with protozoan oocysts.

Cattle become infected with coccidiosis by ingesting oocysts in feed or water. The protozoa enter the intestine, settle on the mucosal epithelium. The cells are exfoliated, the mucosa becomes inflamed, the villi increase, deform and collapse. Small vessels are destroyed, the intestinal walls swell, parietal digestion is disturbed, nutrients are poorly absorbed. In places affected by coccidia, pathogens multiply intensively, further increasing intestinal inflammation.The result is diarrhea.

With a mild form of coccidiosis, recovery can occur in 3-4 days from the onset of the disease. The disease in a protracted form can last several months. Death in this case comes from anemia. Even after recovery, recovered individuals remain carriers of coccidia.

Coccidiosis can be combined with helminthic invasions, for example, infection with clostridium and salmonella occurs.

Symptoms of the disease

The incubation period for coccidiosis lasts 2-3 weeks. The initial symptoms are indigestion. Feces in calves become liquid and fetid, with blood streaks, in severe cases there is bloody diarrhea, increased temperature. Animals are oppressed, appetite is greatly weakened, in severe cases it is absent, chewing gum stops. They can hardly walk, their gait is unsteady and uncertain. The death of calves can occur at 5-21 days.With a large number of infected young animals, the mortality rate can be high.

Sick calves reduce feed intake, growth retardation, dehydration occurs. Animals are exhausted, the mucous membranes of the mouth and eyes turn pale. The anus and tail are stained with feces, the lymph nodes of the mesentery are enlarged. If dairy cows get sick, milk yields decrease.

In dead animals, the contents of the intestines are dirty-brown, the mucous membrane of the large intestine is hyperemic, with numerous hemorrhages, specific whitish coccidiosis accumulations are clearly visible on it. There is an increase in the heart, dystrophy of the liver and kidneys, hyperemia and pulmonary edema.

Diagnosis of pathology

In addition to clinical signs, tests are needed to diagnose the disease. To do this, take the feces of sick cows, the disease is confirmed if coccidia oocysts are found in it. Repeated sampling is also carried out if it is necessary to clarify the diagnosis.

Coccidiosis is differentiated from colibacillosis, clostridiosis, salmonellosis.

Treatment and prevention of coccidiosis

Treatment of the disease is aimed at the destruction of coccidia and stopping their reproduction. Therapy is carried out with the use of special anticoccidiosis drugs. During the period of therapy, sick calves are isolated from a he althy herd. The stalls where they were are disinfected with hot liquor. Anti-coccidiosis drugs are mixed with milk and the solution is fed to the calves. For young animals, a solution is prepared by mixing medicines, for example, Baycox with water.

Change the bedding every day so that there are no traces of manure. Feeders, drinkers and equipment are scalded with boiling water. Exposure to high temperature is necessary, since almost all disinfectants are powerless against coccidia due to their dense shell. The walking area is sprinkled with fresh sand to minimize contact of he althy animals with manure left by sick individuals.Calves graze on separate pastures. They feed dry food, give clean water.

Malware

Coccidiosis, like other dangerous cattle infections, causes economic damage to farms. The loss of income occurs due to a slowdown in the growth of young animals or their death, the incidence of other infectious diseases in calves against the background of coccidiosis, due to the cost of complex treatment.

Prevention measures

Sick calves are kept apart from he althy young animals for the duration of treatment. You need to clean the manure every day and change the bedding. Every week you need to pour boiling water over the floors with a solution of caustic soda. Buckets and feeders also need to be disinfected with boiling water (coccidia die from high temperatures). The yard where animals walk should be covered with clean sand. Graze calves and young animals in areas where there are no damp, wetlands where sick individuals did not graze. If possible, change pastures every week.

Coccidiosis is dangerous for calves up to six months of age. Infected, mainly, those animals that live in insufficient sanitary conditions, with a weakened immune system. Without treatment, few recover, a significant part of sick animals die. Timely treatment gives animals a chance to recover.

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