Eczema In Stock; Vet’s Advice

Northern Advocate, 16 April 1938, Page 10

Eczema In Stock; Vet’s Advice

Valuable advice regarding the symptoms and treatment of stock suffering from eczema due to the ingestion of rapidly growing green grass was given by Mr T. H. Hankin, M.R.C.V.S., Government veterinary surgeon, speaking at the field day at Maungatapere. Eczema had made its appearance in Northland and farmers should be on the look out for the trouble, he said. Much had been heard of facial eczema among sheep in the Waikato ana other parts but. although a few sheep were affected in Northland, the principal concern of the farmer here was a similar disease appearing in dairy cattle. In cattle the chief symptom noticed was intense irritation of the teals, manifested by kicking and licking the udder. Liver Upsets. Owing to seasonal conditions, e.g., dry summer, followed by an autumn flush of feed, the animals wore unable to deal entirely with the large amount of green colouring matter — chlorophyl—in the herbage, leading to a liver upset which allowed certain products elaborated from chlorophyl to enter the blood circulation. This led to the exposed parts of the skin becoming sensitised to certain rays of light, which, in turn, gave rise to an eczematous condition. Mr Hankin emphasised that two factors were necessary to produce this condition: (1) Excessive green colouring matter in the grass, (2) exposure to rays of light. Recommendations. It was thus seen that the removal of either condition would prevent the disease. It was recommended that animals likely to develop eczema should be removed from green pasture, either into rough feed, or fed on hay and ensilage. In order to assist the liver a purgative drench of Epsom salts should bo used, and in the case of valuable animals, shutting in a dark shed during the day time and grazing at night, was effective in checking the, disease.

From this it was seen that the provision of shade in paddocks was of decided advantage to stock husbandry.