DISEASES OF CATTLE 141 



Common Diseases of Cattle 



ABORTION This is one of the most serious dangers the stockman 

 has to guard against the cause of his heaviest losses. "Slink- 

 ing of calves" usually spreads to the whole herd, unless properly treated. 

 The stockman must be prepared for this danger and save this loss (1) of 

 calves, (2) of time and expense for resultless breeding, (3) milk flow, for 

 there is always a set-back, (4) danger to the cow and loss of her immediate 

 value as a breeder, (5) danger to the whole herd through infection. 



There are two causes of cattle abortion, accidents and contagion. Acci- 

 dents are such as come from slippery or sloping floors, gutters too deep, 

 fright, chasing by dogs, railway journeys, smutty or rusty fodder, causing 

 poisoning from ergot; wrong feed, causing indigestion. Contagious abor- 

 tion is a germ disease and spreads from cow to cow in the herd, or the 

 bull may carry the infection. The tendency is for the aborted cows to 

 become immune but they still spread contagion to other animals. 



Symptoms If in the first three months of gestation, there is a bloody or 

 mucous discharge. If in later months, straining, uneasiness, 

 swelling, hot and sore udders, milk in udders, etc. 



Treatment Separate the affected cow from the others. Burn the 

 offspring and afterbirth. Be on the safe side and treat 

 all cases as if they were contagious.'' Disinfect thoroughly with a strong 

 solution cf Conkey's Nox-i-cide Dip and Disinfectant, ^ pint to a gallon 

 of water, to kill all germs on the premises, and repeat this thorough 

 disinfecting 10 days later. Wash the external parts of the affected cow with 

 soap and water, then rinse off with the Nox-i-cide solution, 1 part Nox-i-cide 

 Dip and Disinfectant to 50 parts water (that is, 5 tablespoonfuls to 2 gallons 

 of water). Use from 3 to 4 pints of the same strength solution as an injec- 

 tion and keep this treatment up every day until the vaginal discharge stops 

 and the appearance of the lining membrane is normal. Give a hypo- 

 dermic injection, under the skin in the neck every 10 days, using 2 drams 

 of a 3 per cent, carbolic solution (made up by a druggist with glycerine 

 and distilled water). All authorities agree that this is both a^ preventive 

 and a cure for abortion. This is not a serum and note this fact: as yet there 

 is no true "serum" treatment in America, although experiments are being 

 tried with serum in Denmark. 



Exercise care in giving the hypodermic.* Make sure that the hands 

 are thoroughly clean and that the skin where the needle is inserted is 

 thoroughly clean and free from germs, by washing with Nox-i-cide Dip 

 and Disinfectant solution, 2 tablespoonfuls to a pint of water. The syringe 

 must be sterilized also, or an abscess may result from germ infection. 



Prevention Frequently this trouble cap be avoided by the following pre- 

 ventive measures: 



Disinfect thoroughly with strong Nox-i-cide solution ( l /2 part Nox-i- 

 cide Dip and Disinfectant to 1 gallon of water). With Nox-i-cide solution 

 (4 tablespoonfuls to 2 gallons of water) wash the external parts of all cows 

 in the herd whether known to be infected or not; and every ten days give 

 the carbolic injection, or mix carbolic acid with the soft feed, using 2 

 drams of acid well diluted with water. This should be given each pregnant 

 cow every other night during every other fortnight, from the beginning of 

 the third month to the end of the sixth or seventh month. Also flush out 

 the sheath of the bull with the Nox-i-cide solution, half the strength of 



