Case notes on veterinary investigations in sheep, cattle and other species
2011-12 Summer edition of case studies
Summer 2011-12 Sheep State Report
Written by: Bruce Watt, Tablelands LHPA
Sheep
Ovine mastitis outbreak caused by suspected bite wounds to the udder
Written by: Maria Sanchez, Marta Borobia, Luis M. Ferrer, Aurora Orton,
Jose M. Gonzalez and Delia Lacasta
Animal Pathology Department, Veterinary Faculty,
University of Zaragoza. Spain
In this paper it is described an outbreak of acute mastitis as a result of bite wounds in the udder in a pre-partum meat sheep ... Read More
Presumed lightning strike
Written by: Bruce Watt, Tablelands Livestock and Health Authority, Bathurst
The owner of a sheep property 45 km east of Bathurst presented a photograph of 15 of 70 sheep found dead under a tree ... Read More
Pyrrolizidine alkaloid poisoning of sheep
Written by: D Salmon
Riverina Livestock Health and Pest Authority
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are toxins contained in many plants of which two, heliotrope and Paterson?s curse, are common in southern NSW. The toxins cause liver damage ... Read More
Review of a prolonged Brucella ovis eradication
Written by: Michaela Woolford, CSU veterinary student and
Libby Read, District Veterinarian North West LHPA
Brucella ovis infection is a major cause of epididymitis and infertility in rams, resulting in reproductive failure and significant economic losses ... Read More
Suspect Sarcoptes infection in sheep and humans
Written by: Phillip Kemsley, District Veterinarian Casino
The owner reported hair loss around the eyes and ears in a 17 month old Damara x Dorper ewe ... Read More
Swayback in Western Division, NSW
Written by: Dermot McNerney, Veterinary Officer, Dareton,
Kaiser Dawood, Trainee Pathologist, EMAI
A visit was made to the property three days after viewing a video clip of a ewe and a lamb both with coordination difficulties.? The lamb had complete loss of function in the hind limbs ... Read More
Urolithiasis due to an unbalanced diet in a Spanish lamb feedlot
Written by: Carlos Alcay, Luis Miguel Ferrer, Juan Jos? Ramos,
Marta Ru?z de Arcaute, Marta Borobia and Delia Lacasta
Animal Pathology Department, Veterinary Faculty,
University of Zaragoza, Spain
In recent months (September-November, 2011) there have been sporadic deaths in feedlot lambs, a similar outbreak in 2010 caused a morbidity of 2% and mortality of 1% ... Read More
Cattle
Fascioliasis and severe worm burdens in young calves
Written by: Jack Neville-Towle, Sydney University Intern; Matthew Ball, DV North Coast LHPA
In early February 2012, a beef producer contacted the Lismore District Veterinarian about a severely pale calf, concerned that the calf had contracted a congenital disease ... Read More
Greying of Angus cattle
Written by: David Thomson - DV Grafton
A property owner reported generalized loss of hair coat and greying of hair coat colouring affecting several amongst a group of mature Angus cows grazing high-production, kikuyu-clover based floodplain pastures ... Read More
Hemlock poisoining suspected in the sudden death of two heifers
Written by: Katie Boulton, final year veterinary student, University of Sydney and
Bruce Watt, Tablelands Livestock Health and Pest Authority
When investigating sudden death, several aetiological categories need to be considered. These include toxicities (plant and otherwise), infectious diseases, nutritional accidents, misadventure and anaphylaxis. In the case presented, two heifers were found dead well after it was feasible to conduct an autopsy ... Read More
Histophilus in feeder cattle
Written by: Phillip Kemsley, District Veterinarian Casino
In the week prior to the first property visit, three calves presented with fever (>41oC), marked respiratory distress, an oral white stable frothy discharge and malaena ... Read More
Illthrift due to cardiac abscess
Written by: Andrew Biddle, District Veterinarian New England LHPA
A 3 year old cow with sudden onset of weight loss was presented for examination. Testing indicated that pestivirus was not the likely cause ... Read More
Oxalate poisoning in a beef herd grazing Setaria sphacelata - a case report
Written by: Will Hawker ? Sydney University Intern
The Lismore District Veterinarian was contacted in December 2011 following the sudden death of three steers that had been introduced six months ago as part of a larger herd of 200 and had been grazing low lying country ... Read More
Risk of diarrhoea in calves due to Cryptosporidium being transmitted to humans
Written by: Belinda Walker Technical specialist Animal Biosecurity, NSW DPI,
Bob McKinnon Senior District Veterinarian, Central North LHPA,
Ross Kemp District Veterinarian, Mid Coast LHPA
Keith Eastwood, Hunter New England Health,
David Durrheim, Hunter New England Health,
Peter Massey, Hunter New England Health,
Philippe Porigneaux, Hunter New England Health
Josephine Ng, Murdoch University,
Una Ryan, Murdoch University
Cryptosporidia are protozoan parasites capable of causing diarrhoea in a very wide range of animals. Usually different species or strains of Cryptosporidia affect different species of animals, but there is some overlap ... Read More
Sporadic bovine leucosis in a calf
Written by: Libby Read, District Veterinarian, North West LHPA
A 3-4 month old calf from a mob of 40 cows and calves developed a fever and enlarged submandibular lymph nodes and grazing lush native pasture with no introductions to the group ... Read More
Subacute nutritional muscular distrophy (white muscle disease) in angus calves
Written by: Bruce Watt, Tablelands LHPA, Bathurst and Tanya Rajkumar, 2011 final year veterinary student, University of Sydney
Subacute nutritional muscular dystrophy is a myodegenerative disease caused by selenium deficiency. It affects both calves and lambs, targeting the limb muscles, while the acute form of the disease affects the myocardial and respiratory muscles ... Read More