! !

Barnyard!Banter!!
Notes!from!your!veterinarian!
!
April&2018& Volume&1,&Number&2&

In!This!Issue! Happy"Spring"Time!"!
!
• West!Nile!Virus!is!in!the!air!!!
Its!time!for!another!Barnyard!Banter!!I!can’t!believe!its!already!April!!We!
• Watch!out!for!those! have!so!much!to!do!before!the!summer!heat!starts.!We!are!also!at!the!tail!
rattlesnakes!! end!of!our!birthing!season.!It!is!the!best!time!of!the!year!and!I!enjoy!seeing!
• Pinkeye!<!Maximizing!!your! all!those!baby!animals .!Additionally !MIguel Hidalgo and I!added!a!human!
chances!to!minimize!the! baby!to!our!family!!As!you!may!know!Anna!Maria!Hidalgo!Varga!was!born !
effects!of!this!frustrating! !on!the!14th of!March.!We!are!very!proud!and!happy!to!have!beautiful!and
disease!
!healthy!little!girl!that!will!keep!us!on!our!toes.!!Her!brother!
• BQA!certification! Daniel!is!excited!that!he!is!now!the!big!boy!and!
• What!is!caseous! is!helping!us!around!the!farm!and!in!the!house!
lymphadenitis?! tremendously.!What!a!great!helper!!!
• Upcoming!!events! Since! its! hard! for! me! to! I! sit! still! the!!
! veterinary!service!continues.!For!the!month!of!
! April,!I!will!offer!morning!appointments.!!Most!
likely! I! will! return! to! full! time! in! May.! If! you!
!
have! any! questions! regarding! booking! an!
! appointment! or! you! have! an! animal! related!
! question,!!please!don't!hesitate!to!contact!me.!!
! All!the!best!from!our!barn!to!yours!!!
! Dr.!Anita!Varga!& Miguel Hidalgo
Anna Maria Hidalgo Varga
! !
!
!
West%Nile%Virus!is#in#the#air!#!
!
!
West!Nile!Virus!is!then!leading!cause!of!encephalitis!in!horses!and!humans!
! in! the! US.! ! The! virus! is! transmitted! from! avian! reservoir! hosts! by!
mosquitoes! (and! infrequently! by! other! bloodsucking! insects)! to! horses,!
humans!and!a!number!of!other!mammals.!West!Nile!virus!is!transmitted!by!
many! different! mosquito! species! and! this! varies! geographically.! Horses!
and!humans!are!considered!to!be!dead<end!hosts!for!WNV;!the!virus!is!not!
directly! contagious! from! horse! to! horse! or! horse! to! human.! The! case!
fatality! rate! for! horses! exhibiting! clinical! signs! of! WNV! infection! is!
approximately!33%.!Data!have!supported!that!40%!of!horses!that!survive!
! the! acute! illness! caused! by! WNV! still! exhibit! residual! effects,! such! as! gait!
! and! behavioral! abnormalities,! 6! months! post<diagnosis.! Thus! vaccination!
for! West! Nile! virus! is! recommended! as! a! core! vaccine! and! is! an! essential!
!
standard!of!care!for!all!horses!in!North!America.!
!
Vaccines! for! the! prevention! of! West! Nile! Virus! are! available.Adult! horses!
! that!have!been!previously!vaccinated!should!be!vaccinated!annually!in!the!
! spring,! prior! to! the! onset! of! the! insect! vector! season.Young! ! horses! (<5!
! years! of! age)! appear! to! be! more! susceptible! than! adult! horses! that! have!
!
likely! been! vaccinated! and/or! had! subclinical! exposure.! Geriatric! horses!
(>15! years! of! age)! have! been! demonstrated! to! have! enhanced!
! susceptibility! to! WNV! disease.! Therefore,! more! frequent! vaccination! may!
! be!recommended!to!meet!the!vaccination!needs!of!these!horses.!
! The!recommendation!for!adult!horses!that!have!not!received!previously!a!
! vaccine!or!!have!an!unknown!vaccinal!history!should!be!vaccinated!twice!2!
! with!a!4!to!6!week!interval!between!the!two!doses!is!recommend.!
!
If!you!like!to!schedule!a!horse!health!check!and!have!them!vaccinated!
! please!schedule!an!appointment.!!
!
Source:(AAEP(
!
!
!
!
! Watch&out&for&those&rattlesnakes!&!
! !
! Apparently! its! not! only! spring! time,! its! also!
! rattlesnake! season.! They! seem! to! be!
everywhere! and! one! of! my! clients!
!
encountered! multiple! visits! of! these! reptiles!
! at!their!home.!Venomous!snakes!are!a!danger!
! to!our!dogs!and!can!be!harmful!to!horses!too.!
!
The! bite! of! one! of! those! snakes! can! cause!
serious!injury!and!even!death!of!an!animal.!!If!
!
you! live! in! an! area! that! has! rattlesnakes,! I!
! encourage! you! to! protect! your! pet! using! the!
! rattlesnake! vaccine.! ! Obviously! the! vaccine!
!
Photo courtesy Janin Campbell cannot!protect!your!animal!from!a!bite,!but!it!
stimulates! a! vaccinated! animal’s! immune!
! system! to! defend! against! the! harmful! effects!
! of!the!venom.!
If!you!are!interested!in!the!vaccine,!please!let!
me!know!and!I!can!give!you!more!information!
! about! the! vaccine! and! the! frequency! of!
administration.!!!
!Just! remember! <! snakebites! are! always! an!
emergency!!!
! !
!
! Pinkeye'–!Maximizing)your)chances)to)minimize)
!
the$effects!of#this#frustrating#disease?!
! By Dr. Varga and Dr. Angelos, originally pusblished in CCA magazine
!
! Pinkeye!season!is!coming!up!and!California!cattle!producers!still!suffer!
significant!economic!losses!due!to!this!disease!annually.!I!hope!this!short!
!
summary!of!this!very!frustrating!disease!will!answer!some!of!the!questions!
! I!hear!from!my!clients.!!
!
! What&causes&pinkeye?&&
Pinkeye,! also! called! infectious! bovine! keratoconjunctivitis,! is! an! infection!
!
and!inflammation!!of!the!eye!that!involves!the!cornea!and!surrounding!eye!
! tissue!which!can,!in!severe!cases,!cause!permanent!blindness!if!the!eyeball!
! ruptures.!The!cause!of!this!economically!important!eye!infection!in!cattle!is!
! a!bacterial!agent!called!Moraxella(bovis.!!
!
!
Does&Moraxella(bovoculi&cause&pinkeye?!Some!of!you!may!have!heard!of!
! Moraxella(bovoculi.!!This!organism!was!first!isolated!from!eyes!of!pinkeye!
! affected! calves! in! northern! California! in! 2002.! ! Researchers! at! UC! Davis!
! subsequently!discovered!that!this!organism!was!a!new!species!of!bacteria.!!
At! this! point! no! studies! have! proven! that! M.( bovoculi! can! actually! cause!
!
pinkeye! in! cattle,! however,! some! research! suggests! that! it! may! cause! eye!
! irritation! and! be! a! risk! factor! for! pinkeye! much! like! Mycoplasma! or!
! Infectious!Bovine!Rhinotracheitis!(IBR)!virus.!!
! !
What&effects&do&trace&mineral&deficiencies&have&on&pinkeye?&&
!
The! immune! system! can! only! function! appropriately! against! foreign!
! invaders! such! as! bacteria! when! the! body! has! an! adequate! supply! of!
! essential! minerals.! You! should! always! consider! your! trace! mineral!
!
supplementation! program! for! your! beef! herd! paying! special! attention! to!
selenium! and! copper,! 2! elements! that! are! vitally! important! in! the! overall!
!
immune! “health”! of! your! cattle.! ! Adult! cattle! and! calves! need! these! trace!
! elements! in! order! to! develop! adequate! immune! responses! to! Moraxella!
! antigens,! whether! they! arrive! in! the! form! of! a! vaccine! or! a! natural!
!
infection.!!
&
!
Can&vaccination&against&Moraxella&species&prevent&pinkeye?&
! Results! of! using! pinkeye! vaccines! by! producers! and! veterinarians! are!
! mixed! and! no! vaccine! has! been! shown! to! be! 100%! protective.! ! However,!
when!the!M.(bovis!in!your!herd!has!relatedness!to!the!vaccine!strains!of!M.(
bovis,! it! is! likely! that! you! can! improve! your! chances! of! seeing! a! benefit!
from!vaccination.!!!Because!pinkeye!is!a!multifactorial!disease,!you!should!
also! focus! attention! on! other! aspects! of! pinkeye! control! besides! just!
vaccination.! ! These! other! areas! include! weed! control! (see! below),! fly!
control!and!trace!minerals.!!
&
! &
! When&should&I&start&vaccinating&against&pinkeye?!!
We!recommend!that!you!begin!vaccinating!at!least!4<6!weeks!ahead!of!the!
!
time! when! you! typically! might! expect! to! see! your! first! pinkeye! cases.! By!
! vaccinating! before! you! see! the! first! pinkeye! case! in! your! herd! you! allow!
! the! calf’s! body! enough! time! to! develop! the! necessary! antibody! responses!
! against! Moraxella.( ( If! you! wait! until! you! have! your! first! pinkeye! cases!
before!you!vaccinate,!you!will!probably!not!see!the!best!responses!to!your!
!
vaccine!program.!
! !
! What&vaccines&are&currently&available&against&Moraxella&bovis?&
! Multiple! vaccines! are! commercially! available! for! controlling! pinkeye,!
however,! no! vaccine! has! been! shown! to! protect! against! all! strains! of! M.(
!
bovis.!!Because!of!strain!variability,!one!vaccine!may!work!well!for!you,!but!
! not!for!another!ranch!in!your!particular!area!(or!vice!versa)!if!the!strain!of!
! M.(bovis!in!the!two!herds!are!different.!Commercially!available!vaccines!are!
!
made! of! inactivated! cultures! of! M.( bovis! (bacterins);! in! some! vaccines!
Clostridial!antigens!are!also!included.!!!Some!of!the!commercially!available!
!
vaccines!require!a!single!dose!whereas!others!require!2!doses.!!
! !!
! What&other&prevention&strategies&can&I&use&against&pinkeye?&
!
Another!aid!in!the!prevention!of!pinkeye!is!to!clip!pastures!before!turning!
cattle! out! if! grass! is! too! long! and! already! headed! out.! This! will! decrease!
!
irritation!to!the!eyes!that!can!initiate!a!pinkeye!outbreak.!The!irritation!of!
! dust,! plant! pollen,! or! weed! seeds! can! promote! tearing! from! the! eyes! and!
! may! result! in! shedding! of! the! bacteria! (M.( bovis;( M.( bovoculi)! by! “carrier!
!
cows”.!These!carriers!may!harbor!M.(bovis!or!M.(bovoculi!without!actually!
showing!signs!of!disease!and!serve!as!sources!of!bacteria!that!can!then!be!
! spread!by!flies!to!susceptible!cattle,!especially!calves.!
! Eye! irritation! can! be! caused! by! tall! grasses! as! mentioned! above;!
! however,!another!common!plant!product!(foxtails)!can!cause!very!severe!
irritation.! Foxtails! (or! other! weed! seeds! or! awns! that! stick! in! the! eye)!
!
become! lodged! in! the! eyes! of! cattle! and! cause! significant! damage,!
! irritation,!and!watering!(tearing)!of!the!eye.!This!can!lead!to!further!spread!
! of!Moraxella!bacteria.!Face!flies!that!are!attracted!to!this!tearing!can!easily!
! spread! the! pinkeye! organisms! between! animals.! Cattle! examined! for!
pinkeye!should!also!be!examined!for!the!possible!presence!of!these!foxtails!
!
or! plant! awns,! and! if! found,! they! should! be! removed.! One! clue! to! the!
! presence! of! foxtails! is! the! location! of! the! damage! in! the! eye.! With!
! uncomplicated!pinkeye!the!damage!usually!begins!in!the!center!of!the!eye!
! and!spreads!outward.!With!a!foxtail!or!other!foreign!body!the!damage!will!
be!“off<center”,!starting!at!the!edge!of!the!cornea.!!
!
&
Which&antibiotics&are&the&most&effective&for&the&treatment&of&pinkeye?!!
Oxytetracycline! (BIO<MYCIN®! 200! or! Liquamycin®! LA<200®)! and!
tulathromycin! (Draxxin®)! are! labeled! for! the! treatment! of! pinkeye! in!
cattle.! Experimentally,! florfenicol! (Nuflor®)! has! also! been! shown! to! be!
effective! at! treating! cattle! pinkeye.! The! use! of! this! drug! would! be!
considered!“off!label”!and!requires!a!veterinarian’s!prescription.!
Another! very! common! pinkeye! treatment! is! the! injection! of! penicillin!
! under!the!bulbar!conjunctiva.!Whenever!giving!penicillin!injections!under!
! the!conjunctiva!of!the!eye,!you!should!wear!gloves!and!have!the!calf’s!head!
safely! restrained! with! a! halter.! These! injections! can! be! difficult! to! do!
!
correctly!and!potentially!dangerous!to!the!calf!if!the!needle!goes!into!the!
! eye!instead!of!the!conjunctiva.!!
! To!achieve!good!results,!give!1!ml!(1!cc)!of!penicillin!under!the!conjunctiva!
! covering!the!sclera!(white!part!of!the!eyeball)!once!a!day!in!both!eyes!for!
at! least! 3! days.! ! If! you! are! using! procaine! penicillin,! place! several! drops!
!
topically!on!the!eye!first,!wait!1<2!minutes!and!then!place!the!needle!under!
! the!conjunctiva.!!Procaine!is!a!local!anesthetic!that!can!help!numb!the!eye!
! before! placing! the! needle.! ! This! method! can! achieve! fair! to! good! results,!
!
but! is! more! difficult! and! potentially! more! dangerous! to! the! animal! than!
simply! giving! an! intramuscular! or! subcutaneous! dose! of! a! systemic!
!
antibiotic.!I!am!happy!to!show!you!how!to!do!this!and!examine!your!herd!if!
! this!is!the!best!treatment!option.!
! &
!
What&treatments&for&pinkeye&are&illegal?!!
For! many! years! Furox! sprays! or! powders! (Nitrofurazone,! Furox®,!
!
Topazone®,!NFZ!Puffer,!P.E.!7,!etc.)!placed!into!the!eye!were!used!for!the!
! treatment!of!pinkeye.!In!2002!this!treatment!became!illegal!in!cattle!and!is!
! illegal!whether!or!not!you!have!a!prescription!or!if!a!drug!supply!company!
!
sold! you! a! furacin<containing! product.! Never! use! furacin<type! drugs! in!
cattle.!!
! !
! Are&eye&patches&OK&to&use?&
! Eye!patches!can!help!keep!a!calf!with!pinkeye!more!comfortable!in!bright!
sunlight.!!It!is!important!when!using!an!eye!patch!to!leave!the!area!at!the!
!
bottom! open! for! drainage.! In! addition,! you! should! check! the! eye! under! a!
! patch!at!least!2<3!times!a!week.!Just!because!you!don’t!see!the!eye!under!a!
! patch!does!not!mean!that!the!eye!is!healed.!
! &
Can& I& become& a& M.( bovis& carrier& and& spread& the& disease& within& my&
!
herd?&
! Yes,! you! can! transmit! Moraxella! bacteria! from! one! animal! to! another!
! though!your!hands,!clothing!or!equipment!you!are!using!on!infected!cattle.!!
! Pinkeye! causing! bacteria! will! cover! your! hands! and! clothes! which! may!
help! spread! the! disease! within! your! herd! if! you! are! not! careful.! Always!
!
wear!disposable!gloves!when!treating!or!examining!infected!eyes.!Also,!use!
! of! a! new! disposable! needle! is! recommended! whenever! injecting! your!
! cattle.!!
! Because!pinkeye!agents!can!contaminate!your!clothing!it!is!recommended!
that!you!treat!pinkeye!or!potential!pinkeye!cases!after!you!have!done!all!
!
other! routine! animal! handling! chores! on! healthy! animals.! Alternatively,!
change! clothes! after! handling! pinkeye! cattle! and! before! handling! normal!
cattle,!or!wear!a!plastic!apron!that!you!disinfect!between!animals.!&
!
If! you! have! additional! questions,! an! outbreak! in! your! herd! or! you! need!
pinkeye! vaccine,! please! don't! hesitate! to! contact! me! and! I! will! be! gladly!
assist!you!to!make!the!right!choices!for!your!herd.!
!
!
!

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&

&
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!
Before! and! after! treatment! pictures! of! an! Angus! calf! that! I! treated! for!
pinkeye.! Treatment! included! systemic! and! topical! antibiotics,! pain!
& medication! and! tarsorraphy.! This! eye! was! severely! diseased! and! the!
animal! was! blind.! ! However! after! 2! weeks! of! treatment! the! eye! showed!
significant! improvement! and! the! calf! was! feeling! better,! she! was! more!
& active!and!had!an!increased!appetite.!!Treatment!continued!for!another!2!
weeks!after!the!last!picture!was!taken.!
& !
!
&
&
& Beef$Quality$Assurance$(BQA)$Certification!
& !
& Thank!you!to!everyone!who!attended!the!BQA!meeting!on!March!1!at!the!
& Cattlemens!in!Dixon.!We!had!a!great!attendance!and!I!am!very!thankful!for!
&
Boehringer!Ingelheim,!especially!Shane!Strickler!who!organized!the!event.!
&
&
!
& !!!
&
! Small%Ruminant%Corner:%!
!
! What%is%Caseous%Lymphadenitis%(CLA)?%!
! By(Dr.(Anita(Varga(
! !
In! the! last! 4! weeks,! I! saw! two! goat! herds! that! had! a! huge! problem! with!
!
CLA.!I!am!working!closely!with!the!dedicated!owners!to!improve!the!health!
of! the! animals! and! to! decrease! spread! of! this! disease.! If! you! notice! any!
abscesses!on!your!animals,!please!let!me!know!and!we!can!find!out!if!it!is!
CLA!and!we!can!work!on!the!protection!of!the!rest!of!the!herd.!!
This!chronic!disease!commonly!occurs!in!sheep!and!goats!and!can!lead!to!
substantial! economic! consequences.! It! is! also! called! “Cheese! Gland”! or!!
“CL”!or!“CLA”.!This!disease!is!associated!with!the!“Thin!Ewe!Syndrome”!
! Caseous!lymphadenitis!is!a!bacterial!infection!that!causes!abscessation!of!
! both! internal! and! external! lymphnodes! in! small! ruminants.! Most!
commonly! sheep! have! internal! lymph! nodes! affected,! while! goats! tend! to!
!
have! abscessation! of! the! external! nodes.! The! abscesses! formed! usually!
! have!a!thick!wall!and!contain!thick,!slightly!yellowish!purulent!material.!!!!!
! How&is&this&disease&transmitted?&
!
The!bacteria!can!enter!through!wounds!in!the!skin!or!through!the!mucous!
! membranes! of! the! mouth! and! respiratory! tract.! Especially! at! shearing! it!
! can!occur!that!the!bacteria!is!transferred!from!one!sheep!to!another.!Sheep!
! and! goats! that! have! a! draining! abscess! are! one! of! the! major! means! of!
contaminating! the! environment! and! spreading! the! disease! to! other!
!
animals!within!the!herd.!The!disease!is!often!introduced!to!a!herd!through!
! the! introduction! of! a! new! animal! to! the! herd.! In! very! rare! cases! the!
! bacteria!can!be!present!in!the!milk.!!!!
! How&can&I&test&my&sheep&or&goat&for&CLA?&
! Once! the! animal! has! developed! an! abscess! the! abscess! can! be! aspirated!
! and!a!bacterial!culture!can!be!performed.!If!the!abscess!is!lanced,!you!need!
! to! make! sure! that! the! environment! does! not! get! contaminated! and! other!
animals! become! infected.! Microbiological! culture! of! abscess! fluid! is! the!
!
most! direct! test! and! definitive! method! to! diagnose! CL! in! an! individual!
! animal.! It! is! possible! that! infective! animals! with! an! active! abscess! test!
! negative! on! the! blood! test,! due! to! a! delay! of! antibody! production.!
! Furthermore! remember! that! abscesses! can! have! also! a! different! origin!
therefore!culturing!the!pus!is!a!great!diagnostic!tool.!
!
!
However! internal! abscesses! are! difficult! to! diagnose! and! a! blood! test! is!
available!to!test!the!animal!for!CL!infection.!!This!blood!test!measures!the!
!
antibody! response! to! an! endotoxin! produced! by! the! bacteria.! No! CL!
! serological! test! is! sufficiently! reliable! to! confidently! detect! infection! in!
! individual!sheep!or!goats,!therefore!the!serology!results!for!an!individual!
!
animal!test!should!be!interpreted!with!caution.!!However,!the!prevalence!
of! positive! tests! within! a! herd! usually! reflects! the! herd! prevalence! of!
!
infection!reasonably!well.!
!
What&does&it&mean&if&my&goat/sheep&is&positive&on&the&blood&test?&
!
The! blood! test! is! best! used! as! a! screen! to! find! out! if! a! herd! or! flock! has!
!
been! infected.! If! the! test! was! used! for! an! individual! animal,! it! does! not!
! mean!that!the!animal!is!infected!with!CL,!if!the!animal!is!under!6!months!of!
! age! it! could! be! due! to! maternal! antibodies.! Also! the! test! cannot!
!
differentiate! between! natural! exposure! and! vaccination.! Therefore!
vaccinated!animals!will!test!positive.!Once!your!animal!has!been!tested!for!
!
CL,!we!will!discuss!the!titer!with!you.!!
What& does& it& mean& if& my& goat/sheep& is& tests& negative& on& the& blood&
test?&
A! negative! test! does! not! necessarily! exclude! a! CL! infection.! The! animal!
might!not!have!mounted!an!immune!response!and!retesting!in!30!days!is!
advised.!
&
!
! How&often&should&I&test&my&goat/sheep&for&CL?&
! When!you!get!new!additions!to!the!herd!it!is!advised!to!screen!them!with!
!
the!blood!test!for!CL.!The!new!animals!should!be!quarantined!and!tested!
twice! with! 30! days! apart! before! they! are! introduced! into! a! CL! negative!
! herd.!
!
Can&I&vaccinate&my&goat/sheep&against&CLA?&&
!
A!commercially!available!vaccine!is!on!the!market.!However!this!vaccine!is!
!
only! labeled! for! sheep! and! not! for! goats.! People! who! have! used! this!
! vaccine! extra<label! in! goats! have! observed! injections! site! reactions! and!
! lethargy! of! several! days! duration.! Therefore! we! do! not! recommend! this!
!
vaccine!to!be!used!in!goats.!!!
! How&can&I&prevent&spreading&of&CL&though&my&herd/flock?&&
! One! of! the! major! means! is! to! prevent! the! disease! from! spreading! trough!
! your! herd! or! flock! to! uninfected! animals.! Infected! animals! should! be!
identified,! through! palpation! of! external! abscesses,! bacterial! culture,! and!
!
blood!testing.!Animals!with!abscesses!should!be!culled!or!separated!from!
! the! others! until! the! abscesses! are! not! anymore! draining! and! have! fully!
! healed.! Animals! with! signs! of! respiratory! disease! or! chronic! weight! loss!
! should! also! be! quarantined! because! they! could! have! internal! abscesses!
(lungs,!abdominal!organs).!Animals!dying!with!these!clinical!signs!should!
!
be! necropsied! to! determine! if! the! cause! of! death! was! associated! with! CL.!
! Any!internal!abscesses!material!can!be!collected!and!cultured.!!
! Any! equipment! should! be! disinfected! when! used! on! different! animals.!
! Especially!the!shearer!should!be!disinfected!between!animals.!!!
! New!animals!should!be!tested!twice!(30!days!apart)!before!introduced!to!
! the!herd/flock.!
!
!
Contact&:&
Upcoming)events:)!
&
Dr.&Anita&Varga& May!19th!–!The!Goat!Basics!Workshops,!Crees!Brothers!Farm!
530P771P7150& http://www.creesbrothersfarm.com/education<<workshops.html!
anitavargadvm@gmail.com&
!
!
Please!also!check!my!webpage!and!facebook!page!for!any!upcoming!
!
events:!
!
www.goldcoastveterinaryservice.com!
!
https://www.facebook.com/GoldCoastVeterinary!
!
If!you!have!an!event!and!you!would!like!to!have!it!listed!in!the!next!
newsletter,!please!contact!me!with!the!information!!!
!
!
!
!