Common Diseases of Dairy Cows

Maintaining control over your herd requires an attention to detail and accurate record-keeping of illness in animals. Numerous diseases can attack your herd at various times throughout the year. Some diseases come into fruition due to seasonal changes such as extensive heat. Others should be considered year-round threats and monitored accordingly. If you suspect an animal is infected, isolate it from the herd until you can determine which ailment is present.

  1. Reproductive Issues

    • Diseases, ailments and general issues that enable reproductive diseases to infiltrate a cow's system are considered to be a grave issue for many reasons. These diseases are extremely hard to treat and cost a significant amount of money due to the required care time and antibiotics. Vibriosis occurs during breeding and completely destroys the embryo at its earliest stage of inception. Leptospirosis is a contaminant acquired through dirty urine or other bodily fluids that spreads until it causes reproductive losses.

    Respiratory Problems

    • Problems that erupt due to respiratory diseases can range from bothersome to moderately challenging to catastrophic. If caught early, these illnesses can be treated and the cow will fully recover. She may experience a period of low milk production but she will eventually return to her normal producing state. In grave cases, wherein the cow is not treated early enough or properly, the result can be death. These ailments can be either bacterial or viral in nature. Some names of this type of disease are Parainfluenza Type 3 or Haemophilus somnus.

    External Parasites

    • You may be able to see external parasites with your naked eye when conducting a thorough examination. External parasites include typical flying insects and bugs that are simply generally bothersome to cattle, biting them at leisure and opening up their skin to the possibility of infection. Some of these flies are bloodsuckers and reside on their prey for extended periods of time further enabling disease to set in through the open wound. Eggs from these pests are also problematic if not found and disposed of in appropriate time.

    Internal Parasites

    • Various factors and circumstances play into determining the severity of an internal parasite disease in cattle. One factor is herd size; whether or not your land is overrun with cattle or only houses enough to comfortably graze can affect the stress of each member of the herd. Age and sex also determine the likelihood of internal parasites; as calves age and their bodies mature, an immunity to internal parasitic disease also grows. Internal parasite conditions affect weight, milk production and reproductive abilities. Roundworms, tapeworms and flukes are all specific types of internal parasitic culprits.