Symptoms and treatment of white muscle disease in calves
White muscle disease of calves is a common disease that belongs to one of the most severe endemic diseases of young agricultural animals.
White muscle disease of calves
White mouse etiology
White muscle disease in young animals is poorly understood. It can affect the body not only of calves, but also of other representatives of cattle in agriculture: sheep, lambs, goats. Cases of the disease were recorded in piglets, white muscle disease was noted in poultry - chickens and ducklings.
It is associated primarily with profound forms of disturbance of various metabolic processes, including vitamin-mineral, protein-carbohydrate. This disease of cattle and poultry leads to disturbances in the activity of the heart muscle, deforms the skeletal muscles, and leads to morphological changes in internal organs and tissues.
In Russia, the so-called white mouse among farmers was recorded in Yakutia and Buryatia, in the Amur region. Cases of young cattle with this disease were noted in Arkhangelsk and Yaroslavl.
Among the reasons for the appearance of a white mouse in young cattle and poultry, as well as among adults, scientists are inclined to consider a lack of selenium, amino acids such as methionine and cystine, vitamins A and E. , manganese, cobalt element, iodine. In addition to these reasons, inadequate nutrition of cattle and poultry during pregnancy, as well as young animals during the suckling period, plays an important role in the etiology of white muscle disease. The white mouse can be promoted by inappropriate conditions for keeping animals.
Symptomatic signs
In the course of the disease of young cattle and poultry, there are:
- An acute course of the disease, in which the main clinical symptoms are noted unmistakably, manifesting themselves clearly. In this form, the disease is usually transmitted by animals at the earliest age.
- The subacute stage proceeds at a slow pace at the age of 1 week to 2 months.
- The chronic form usually appears when the calves reach the age of 2-3 months and older.
Signs of 3 forms of the disease
The acute form of white muscle disease in calves and other cattle and poultry is accompanied by a general weakening of the body of animals, their movements become constrained, tremors and convulsive states are often noted. After some time, other symptoms develop: paralysis of the limbs or individual parts, paresis. With such a course of the white mouse, the functioning of the cardiovascular system is clearly disrupted, manifesting itself in the form of a rapid pulse, reaching 140-180 beats per minute, accompanied by weak and dull heart sounds. Do not put anywhere a rapid heartbeat, leading to the development of arrhythmia.
The subacute form of the development of the white mouse shows as symptoms a change in the work of the heart muscle, which leads to difficulty in movement in animals. Livestock is raised with difficulties, is more often in a lying state, the gait of pets is shaky due to weakening of the muscles. In addition to these symptoms, convulsive states and paralysis are noted.
The chronic course of the white mouse is characterized by a clear depletion of the organisms of cattle and poultry and a slowdown in the growth of young animals. Heart failure and developed anemia are observed.
The last two forms of the course of the disease in calves can lead to complications - bronchopneumonia and gastroenteritis, if timely treatment is not carried out.
Diagnosis and treatment
Diagnostics of the white mouse in cattle and poultry is carried out on the basis of laboratory tests to identify pathological changes. In addition, the conditions of nutrition and maintenance of animals are studied, taking into account regional differences in soil and climatic conditions, in order to prescribe correct and timely treatment.
An autopsy of the corpses of sick individuals shows lesions of the heart, which outwardly resemble whitish or yellowish necrotic foci. In focal lesions of skeletal muscle tissues, the appearance of boiled chicken meat of diffuse origin, therefore, white muscle gave the name to the disease.
The initial measure in the treatment of sick young animals is to improve the quality of their maintenance, which certainly includes improving the composition of the diet and providing young animals with the necessary mineral and vitamin components.
As an effective remedy, which has proven itself among farmers and veterinarians, 0.1% sodium selenite is used, which is injected subcutaneously or intramuscularly, depending on the weight of the animal. For 1 kg of weight, you should take from 0.1 to 0.2 ml of solution. Sodium selenite is able to normalize metabolism.
Heart failure in calves and lambs can be treated with camphor and caffeine, extended outdoor exposure, and ultraviolet radiation in winter.
In addition to oral injections for white muscle disease in young animals, three times the use of tocopherol acetate is prescribed. It is necessary to give it to sick animals before feeding for a week at a dose of 10-12 mg.
Treatment of sick calves and lambs often uses hydrolysates, which are injected intramuscularly in 50 ml doses for a week. For intramuscular injections, solutions in water based on methionine or cystine can be used for 4-5 days, 0.1-0.2 g each.
Preventive measures
The disease of young cattle and poultry can be prevented by creating favorable and comfortable living conditions for animals. The diet should include feeds that provide the animals with all the necessary nutrients, especially during pregnancy and growth of newborns.
In areas unfavorable for white muscle disease in cattle, veterinary services recommend prophylaxis in the form of injections using preparations containing selenium and vitamin E.
The complex of measures for the prevention of the white mouse should include the mandatory regulation of biogenic processes, for which fertilizers are applied to the soil layers in regions with frequent cases of the occurrence of white muscle disease of animals, pasture meadows are sown with legumes containing protein.
Prevention for young animals includes the appointment of sodium selenite in the first days of life - once a month, 8-10 mg for calves. White muscle disease in lambs is prevented by giving 1-2 mg of selenite, piglets - 2 mg.
In winter, as a vitamin supplement for calves, piglets and lambs, a-tocopherol is fed or injected as a subcutaneous injection.