Diagnosis and treatment of bovine infertility problems in dairy and pet animals.

Andrological examination of breeding bulls and evaluation of semen.

Treatments of venereal tumors and pyometra in dogs with medicines.

Detection of estrus in bitch.

Ultrasonographic facilities for the scanning of reproductive tract of equines, bovines and canines for pregnancy diagnosis and infertility examination.

The major predisposing factors responsible for lameness in dairy animals are irrational feeding of concentrates and less amount of fodder, keeping animals on concrete floor, moist underfoot space and deficiencies of trace minerals like zinc, copper, manganese and cobalt. Moist underfoot conditions are responsible for causing infectious skin lesions.

The following foot care measures are recommended for undertaking control of lameness on a farm:

CLINICAL LAMENESS SHOULD BE TREATED UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF A VETERINARIAN

1. Trimming should be done in all the animals every six monthly.
2. Regular feeding of mineral mixture should be adopted.
3. Concentrates should be fed according to the milk production of the animals.
4. Roughages (fodders) should constitute at least one third of the total dry matter fed to the animals.
5. Footbaths should adopted as a regular feature especially on the organized farms.

Footbaths should be 3 m long, 1 m wide and 15 cm high.

Concrete footbaths are cheaper and best.

Formalin (39-40%) should be preferred for foot bathing as a 4 percent solution [120 liters water +5 liters of formalin (39-40%) in the footbath]

Animals should be given footbath on 1st, 2nd and 3rd day of every fortnight.

Feet of the animals should be washed using hosepipe before passing the animal through the footbath.

Indigestion is the most common disease affecting buffaloes and cattle. It occurs throughout the year. Affected animals lose appetite suddenly without any fever or other symptoms. Animals may show rumination however milk yield falls moderately. Diarrhoea may appear within 1-2 days of illness or while animal is recovering. The course of the disease never extends beyond 3 days. Usual cause of indigestion is sudden change in feed or spoiled feeds/fodders. Disease is self limiting and animal recovers within 3 days. To enhance restoration of appetizers like Digestovet (50g) Himalayan Batisa (50g) or yeast (3-4gm) should be given.

Acidic Indigestion

This is common problem in animals fed high concentrate diets or due to accidental access to grains or other starch feeds like potatoes, left over of community kitchen etc. Animals unaccustomed to grain feeding may also develop lactic acidosis if there is rapid addition of high amounts of concentrates in feed. Severely affected animals become depressed, recumbent, develop tympany and die within 2-3 hours. Less severely affected cows/buffaloes manifest appetite loss, depression, tympany, diarrhea, sunken eye balls. Mildly affected animals manifest decreased appetite and bouts of indigestion.

Severely affected animals require immediate evaluation of stomach contents and administration of alkalisers in blood. Less severely cases should be fed oral alkalisers like sodium bicarbonate (60-80g), corrected for dehydration and administered alkalisers in blood. Mild form of lactic acidosis is treated by reducing grain amount in feed, administration of 60g of sodium bicarbonate for 2-3 days and appetizers for indigestion.

Bloat

Bloat is a common problem in diary animals. Its cause may be some diets or diseases of reticulo-rumen or oesophagus. Dietary bloat appears with feeding berseem or luceme. Animals on high concentrate diet may also suffer from bouts of bloat. Chronic bloat (3 wks) with reduced appetite and reduced production is caused by diseases of forestomach. Bloat can be easily diagnosed by observing distended left flank.

Treatment of bloat depends on the cause and its severity. First aid measures involve removal of feed In severe cases, where animal has intense bloat and has open mouth breathing, immediately removal of gas from stomach is essential. Trocharization with large bore cannula (2.5 cm) should be performed in left flank. Altenately 10-20cm long incision with sharp knife should be made in left paralumber fossa for immediate release of gas. For less severe cases, any non-toxic vegetable oil (250-500ml) should be used in adult dairy animals. Turpentine oil (50-70mg) is also effective. In animals on grain feeding 100-200g of sodium bicarbonate in 1 liter of water may be drenched. Chronic bloat can be temporarily managed by above treatment but require expert advice for definitive diagnosis and treatment.

Gastrointestinal Impaction

Digestive system (gastrointestinal) disorders of cattle and buffaloes are a major concern to the veterinarians. Recent changes in the agricultural practices, animal production and feeding practice have led to increase in incidence of gastrointestinal disorders particularly, impaction syndrome in dairy animals. Impaction is accumulation of ingesta in gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and is one of the major causes of mechnical dysfunction of fore stomach leading to high economic loss to the farmers by way of reduced milk production, morbidity and mortality. The problem is wide spread and reported throughout the year from different parts of the country including Punjab. The major cause of impaction in dairy animals are ingestion of sharp foreign bodies and abomasoduodonal ulceration leading to peritonits.

The common pathologies encountered in GIT impaction disorders are rumen impaction, omasal impaction, peritonitis, traumatic reticulitis, reticular abscess, diaphragmatic hernia, abomasal ulceration, caecal dilation, indigestion of late pregnancy etc.

Clinical signs

Most of these disorders are manifested by similar clinical signs like anorexia, scanty faeces or absence of defecation, abdominal distension and recurrent or persistent tympany. However some clinical signs are more common to specific disorder, as described under.

Diaphragmatic hernia: More common in buffaloes than cows. Recurrent tympany during periparturient       period is common manifestation.

Peritonitis : Clinical manifestations are fever, scanty faeces, abdominal distension and pain are common clinical features

Abomasal ulceration: Malena, fever, abdominal pain, anaemia are common clinical signs.

Omasal impaction: It is associated with feeding of machine made wheat straw. Common in fodder scarcity periods. Loss of defection and initial abdominal pain are important features.

Late pregnancy indigestion:  Advanced pregnancy, loss of defecation or scanty faces, ruminal tympany are common features.

Reticular abscess : Fever, hypermotile rumen and persistent tympany are important clinical signs.

On the basis of above findings, veterinarians can diagnose the condition at early stage and help in prevention of economic losses to the farmers.

Diagnosis

Physical examination (per rectal examination and abdominocentesis), haematology, peritoneal fluid examination, ultrasonography and radiography help in diagnosis of more than 75% of the cases.

Treatment

Timely medical management with broad spectrum antibiotics along with supportive care can result in cure in more than 50 percent cases. However treatment for diaphragmatic hernia can only be treated with surgical intervention.

Prevention

Feeding of bar magnet is preventive in cattle & buffaloes. Each animal above 6 months of age should be fed magnet orally which can be taken from GADVASU. It remains in reticulorumen for 3-4 years & prevents these disorders.

• Start the dairy farm with high-yielding crossbred cows (peak yield of over 16 litres) or buffaloes (peak yield of over 12 litres) having records of regular calving.
• Crossbred cows should preferably be bred with the semen of crossbred bulls.
• Get your buffaloes or cows bred as early as possible, but not earlier than about 50 days after calving, as far as possible, the animal should conceive within 2-3 months after calving.
• Get the animals tested for pregnancy between 8 and 12 weeks after insemination and keep record.
• Stop milking the animal 60 days before calving. Feed 2-3 kg of concentrate per day as pregnancy ration during the last 60 days of pregnancy with good quality green fodder.
• Grow green fodder to ensure availability of atleast 40 kg. of high-quality fodder per adult animal daily Conserve the surplus fodders of maize, jowar, bajra and oat as silage and berseem, lucerne or cowpeas as hay.
• Add mineral mixture to the ration of dairy animal @ 2% of the concentrate and iodized salt @ 1% regularly.
• Contact the local veterinarian for vaccination against the common contagious diseases. viz. Foot & Mouth Disease after every six months and HS and BQ after every year and also for Brucella (Calfhood Vaccination).
• Sheds should be in East-West direction, airy and comfortable.