Veterinary Notes for the Farmer

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 60, Issue 2, 15 February 1940, Page 133

Veterinary Notes for the Farmer

Discussions on First-Aid Measures

Contributed by the. Livestock Division

Problems in Breeding of Livestock

AMONG the many irregularities encountered in the breeding of livestock a not uncommon problem is the case of the dairy cow which fails to come in season after breeding normally the previous year. In this case there is a failure on the part of the ovaries to function normally and regularly. The failure may be due to what is known as a persistent corpus luteum, or yellow body. This is a body which normally 1 forms in the • ovary, of a pregnant animal and persists throughout the period of pregnancy. As a consequence, there are no heat periods during pregnancy. If a similar body forms in the ovary of a non-pregniant , animal there is also an absence of heat periods. The treatment of cows affected in this way consists of the forcible enucleation of the yellow body from an affected ovary. Sometimes this is very difficult, and in nearly all cases requires the services of . an expert. The ovary is examined and massaged through the wall of the rectum, and if the yellow body is expressed the animal appears in heat in the course of a few days after treatment. ■ There are many other causes of the non-appearance of heat in animals, and each case requires to be dealt with according to the diagnosis of the underlying cause. Many of the cases require prolonged and special treatment, which is practicable only in the case of very valuable stud animals. As an example of another breeding problem of a different type, one might take the case of the cow or mare which appears in heat at irregular and too frequent periods. In these

cases the ovaries appear to be overactive, but in reality many of the heat periods are false, and are due to disease of the ovaries themselves. The affected animals are frequently in a nervous, highly excitable state, and many mares thus affected exhibit vicious and intractable characters. In mares it is frequently necessary to spay or remove the diseased ovaries before the animal can be considered suitable for work again. Even in the dairy herd an affected cow proves a disturbing factor, as the heat periods may appear every few. days. Affected animals are referred to as nympho-maniacs, and, if neglected for some time, exhibit certain well-known characteristic tendencies. Old-stand-ing cases frequently require surgical treatment by spaying before the animals will settle down and fatten. If the animal has been recently affected it is possible that the formation of cysts in the ovary may be the cause of the , trouble. In such a case manipulation and massage of the ovaries may reveal the presence >of cysts in the organ. Gentle pressure may rupture one or more of the cysts, and, if by repetition of treatment the cysts can be destroyed in the ovary, the animal frequently returns to normal heat periods and becomes a normal breeder once again. Many breeding problems present themselves to all those associated with the handling and breeding of livestock. When one considers the extent of interference brought about by man in the development of animals for greater and greater production it is surprising that reproduction is not more irregular and more involved. Production and reproduction are so

closely related that a true perspective must be maintained if sound progress is to be made.

Breeding Practices 1 In farming practice there are certain recognised methods of procedure which are adopted with a view/ to ensuring successful and, satisfactory breeding results. In sheep breeding one of the recognised practices is what is known as “flushing” of the ewe flock before mating. The idea behind the practice is to supply a more stimulating diet for a period with a view to increasing the general vigour and health of the flock. If the general health is improved there is a tendency to greater ovarian activity, so that when the rams are put out the ewes .settle readily and a better percentage of lambs will result. The practice also tends to cut down the lambing period and prevent a . prolonged, lambing in the following spring? . Flushing cannot be practised in all cases, and there is a marked result in the lambing precentages in some districts. ' So much depends upon the nature of the season and the amount of feed available at or about tupping time. It is generally accepted that in a dry autumn when the flock . is on a burnt-up pasture a lower lambing percentage may be expected the following spring. Under such conditions when flushing is impossible, • it is most difficult to influence or increase the lamb crop. While such attention is being paid to the ewe flock, it is advisable to consider the other side of the problem. The ram should be in good health and well fed before being put out with the ewes. If there appears any tendency ■ to foot-rot or lameness, .= this should be treated before the season is

due. Any lameness causing either disability or fever in the ram will result in a number of ewes' being missed . and remaining empty. A sufficient number of rams should be put out, depending upon the type of . country to be covered. A periodic mustering of the ewes may save the rams considerably in rough country.

Trial of New Drug In Treatment of Pig Diseases

Some experiments are being conducted under field conditions in the treatment of some of the more common (Siseases of pigs by means of a new drug of the sulphonamide class. Although a rather expensive drug for the treatment of animals, the reports of results obtained overseas in the treatment of lung diseases, arthritis and enteric diseases of the pig would suggest that the preparation may prove of some value in controlling mortality of pigs on otherwise well-managed pig farms. The dosage is being tested, as careless use of the preparation would cause toxic symptoms, and controlled experiments are to be conducted in several districts on a few of the more common outbreaks of diseases in pigs. It is intended particularly to test the value of the preparation in the treatment of necrotic enteritis and acute paratyphoid cases. If opportunity offers the preparation will also be tested in cases of acute arthritis of an epidemic nature, or even in the case of, pneumonia in the pig. If results warrant it the reports will be made known to pig farmers throughout the country. It will be obvious that the drug is an unknown quantity so far as the treatment of pig diseases in this country is concerned, and some time must elapse before any definite opinion can be formed. In the meantime, there should be no relaxation of effort in endeavouring to control diseases of pigs by the provision of hygienic, sanitary surroundings and feeding places, by attention to housing and diet, and by isolation in cases of a heavy mortality. '

Strangulation Of The Bowel In A Horse

Answers to Correspondents

W.M.C. (WAITOTARA) : ■' I . have recently had a hack mare die under, to me, mysterious circumstances, and I am taking advantage of your veterinary notes column in the

Journal of Agriculture” to place before you as well as 1 can the points of the case in the hope that you may be able to give me a solution of the problem. ' This mare, quite a young beast in good condition, was running with other hacks in paddocks always used as a horse paddock, and at 4 p.m. on one day was to all appearances in normal health, feeding and moving about as usual. It came out after her death that at about 6.30 p.m. on the same day she seemed restless, and was even showing signs of sweating, as, if she had been worked. This report was given by the cowboy, who did not, however, mention it at the time. At 6 a.m. the following day the mare was found dead in the sheepyards, and had not apparently struggled exceptionally, but had certainly struggled a little. . '

The- mare was quite stiff and cold, so had probably been dead some hours. The mare had not been working except for an hour in the morning of the day before she : died. She was not overheated,’ and as the weather was very mild the question of a chill would not, I consider, arise. , , * When we started to move her urine began to run from her at once, and when she was opened there appeared to be urine among her entrails. Her bladder was empty; in fact was quite flat, and though I could not make certain, it appeared to have been burst in some way. Her first stomach was to all appearances quite . normal, but in some of the stomach tubes there appeared a dark blood coloured fluid. There appeared to be nothing abnormal elsewhere, and no - signs of kicks from other horses, and no signs, so far as I could see, of blood poison-

ing. -.ln fact, we could not find a scratch on the mare. - In the paddock where the mare was running there is no rangiora, no ngaio, and nothing else which to common knowledge is poison. . There was no sprayed ragwort, no foot-rot mixture, nor had any sheep been through the foot-rot trough for some months previously. In any case, the sheep are left in the woolshed until their feet are dry after going through the trough. The sheep dip was emptied last March, say, nine, months previously. The dip is drained out in a shallow ditch. The other horses have been grazing all round the dip and yards, and I consider if any poison was left in the shallow ditch, the horses grazing through the winter when feed is fairly short would have been more liable to get into trouble than horses grazing now when feed is plentiful. I am afraid I have written at some length, but did not wish to omit anything which might enable you to get a clue. I will appreciate it very much if you will publish in the “Journal” your opinion of the cause of the death of the mare.

LIVESTOCK DIVISION: Your very full description of the case considerably assists in the matter of, forming an opinion as to the cause of death, but you will realise it is difficult to dogmatise without actually being present at the postmortem. examination. It is not likely that the animal was poisoned, as the reasons given by you appear to rule out any possibility of this. The general opinion to be formed is that the animal was affected with colic in the evening.; In all probability the colic was caused by a strangulated piece of bowel, commonly spoken of as twist of the bowel, and referred to by you as a tube with dark bloodcoloured fluid. In strangulation of the bowel the blood supply is cut off, the affected portion of bowel quickly dies, and decomposition or gangrene sets in. Before this stage the animal becomes affected with acute peritonitis, with the formation of a large quntity of fluid in the abdominal cavity, described by you as urine among the entrails.

If this was the sequence of events before death, the animal would not struggle much during the last few hours, being gradually poisoned from toxins formed in the strangulated •or gangrenous bowel. It is not likely that the bladder was ruptured or that there was any interference with the normal passage of urine. ’ it is most difficult to account. for cases of strangulation of the bowel, and very little , can be done in the treatment of an animal thus affected. The rolling of the animal in the early acute stage may undo the twist andprevent gangrene of the bowel setting in; otherwise the main treatment would consist of medicine to allay the acute pain. . Deaths take place rapidly because of the onset of acute peritonitis. Such cases arise without any apparent cause, such as a fall, or , a kick from another horse. Strangulation of the bowel may result in an animal in .healthy condition following a roll in the paddock.

/ . ■ • ■ Time of Mares Cows Ewes Sows Bitches Service. Mares 340 Days. Cows ’ 283 Days. Ewes 150 Days. ■ Sows 112 Days. Bitches ' 63 Days. '' .January . 1 December 6 October . . 10 May .... 30 April .... 22 March .... 4 8 13 17 June .... . 6 29 11 15 20 24 13 May . 6 18 22 27 31 20 13 25 29 January . e November ' 7 27 20 April 1 February 5 10 14 July .... . 4 27 8 12 17 21 11 June .... p 15 19 24 28 ' IS 10 22 26 31 December 5 25 17 29 z March ... 5 February . 7 12 August. . . . 1 24 May 6 12 14 19 8 July .... . 1 13 19 21 26 15 8 20 26 28 January . 2 22 15 ' 27 ' April . . . . 2 March . ... 7 ■ 9 29 22 June 3 9 14 16 September . 5 29 10 16 21 23 12 August . . 17 23 28 30 19 12 24 30 April .... 4 February . 6 26 19 July 1 z 26 19 July 1 May .... 7 11 13 October . . 3 26 26 8 8 14 18 20 10 September . 2 15 21 25 27 17 9 22 28 May 2 March ... € 24 16 . 29 June .... 4 9 13 31 23 August ... 5 11 16 20 November . 7 30 12 18 .' - // 23 23 27 27 14 October . . r ■ , 19 25 30 April .... r 21 14 26 July .... 2 June . . . 6 10 28 21 September’ . 2 9 13 17 December r 28 28 9 9 16 20 24 12 November A 16 16 23 27 May . 1 19 11 23 ■■ ■ —- 30 30 July July . . . . 4 4 8 * 26 8 18 26 30 18 30 August . . 6 11 15 January . 9 25 October’ ... 7 13 18 22 p December 9 .■J* 14 13 18 22 ■ O December p , 14 20 25 29 16 9 21 27 August . . 1 June .... 23 16 28 September 3 8 12 30 23 November . 4 10 15 19 February . 0 30 11 17 22 26 13 January . , r 18 18 24 29 July ...... o 20 20 13 13 25 25 October . . .. 1 September 5 10 27 20 December- . 2 8 12 17 March . . . . 6 27 9 15 19 24 13 February V 16 22 26 31 20 io 23 29 October . . 3 August . . G 27 17 ' 30 November April . ' . . 27 17 30 November 5 5 10 10 14 14 April . . 9 24 January . . 6 * z ’ \ ' ... 12 12 17 17 21 21 10 10 March . . March . : . 13 13 19 24 28 17 10 20 26 31 September . J 24 17 27 December 3 November 7 11 May .... . .1 24 February . 3 A 24 February . 3 1 . 10 10 14 14 18 18 8 .... -. . ■ .1". i.„ 31 ■ 8 10 31 10 .17 .... U. ,-r - 21 21 25 25. 15 •si ■ .*■• April . . . 15 Y April . . . . 17 . 7 17 24 28 October . . . 2 22 14 24 31 December 5 . 9 ■ f. 29 21 March ... 3 •• • ' ■ • >c; ’• i- ■ F F -

Breeding Table