STRATHBOGIE VETERINARY CENTRE LTD
VETERINARY SURGEONS
39 Gordon Street, Huntly, Aberdeenshire,AB54 8EQ,
Telephone: 01466 792627 Fax: 01466 794962
“SERVING TOWN AND COUNTRY”
Newsletter January 2016
Pneumonia: the causes:
The pneumonia season is always a busy one and this year was (and is) no exception. We have had a series of pneumonia outbreaks this year. Of the cases that were severe enough to warrant laboratory testing, many yielded bacterial causes, not the typical viral causes that we commonly vaccinate for. This doesn’t necessarily mean the virus wasn’t there at all. What follows is a brief explanation of how the various pneumonia bugs work.
The 3 main bacterial causes of pneumonia are Mannheimiahaemolytica (serotype1), Pasteurellamultocida, andHistophilussomni. Thecommonly used pneumonia antibiotics should be able to treat all of these, howeverin a severe outbreak they take advantage of already damaged lungs, multiply fast and spread readily between cattle in close proximity. The important thing to remember is that theyare often found in the nose of normal cattle, where there aren’t any signs of pneumonia at all.
Viral infections which usually initiate an outbreak of pneumonia, can be severe, and may be fatal as well but can also (especially where vaccines are used) go completely unnoticed even when cattle are checked carefully every day. Milder versions can be likened to the common cold in people. Once a bacterial pneumonia sets in, however, clinical signs tend to increase in severity, due to toxins that cause severe damage to the lung tissues.
In the case of chronic pneumonia that has been ongoing for at least 3/4 weeks, there is then formation of bacterial abscesses, which the body will wall off, but will never really cure. Often one of the above bacteria can return in an already heavily abscessed lung, and finish an animal off fairly quickly. These may look like sudden cases of pneumonia but are not, and the initiating cause is usually long gone.
Prevention / management of a pneumonia outbreak:
The best way to reduce the impact of any pneumonia is, as always, to make sure the animals are housed in a shed that allows correct ventilation, without direct gusts of wind onto the cattle. In the face of an outbreak, where the sheds can’t be changed, it is still possible to make a big difference, particularly on those still muggy days, by opening doors and, where possible, creating a gated outdoor extension to the shed. This can help reduce the spread of an infection by allowing the cattle to space out more, and breath in as much fresh air as possible. Even consider taking parts of a roof off, or knocking down certain areas of wall (within reason). Where animals are dying, it is worth trying anything to help deal with the disease.
Finally, vaccines which increase the animals’ immune ability to respond to a bacterial infection may be useful. There are 3 that work against the toxins produced by MannheimiaHaemolytica, one against Histophilussomni and MannheimiaHaemolytica, but not yet any licensed against Pasteurellamultocidain the UK. Ask at the practice for more details.
Corny jokes for the new year:
What did the picture say to the wall? - I’ve got you covered!
What kind of jokes does a chiropodist like? - Cheesy jokes!
What is the most popular sentence at school? – I don’t know.
What cheese is made backwards? - Edam.
What do you get if you cross a kangaroo with a sheep? - A woolly jumper.
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