Understanding and preventing diseases that can effect your livestock is essential for identifying potential threats. Listed below is an overview of common diseases organized by species.
Poultry
INFECTIOUS |
POULTRY |
CAUSE | SYMPTOMS | TREATMENT | PREVENTION |
Brooder pneumonia | Young chicken and turkeys especially | Fungus: Aspergillus fumigatus | Rapid breathing, labored, depression | None | Strict sanitation in brooder equipment |
Blackhead or histommoniasis | Turkeys especially | Protozoa: Histoma meleagridis | Listless, ruffled feathers, dark blue head | Carbasone, nitarsone, dimetridazole, ipronidazole, acidified copper sulfate, plus others | Strict sanitation; rotate ground; keep other birds away |
Botulism Lembunich | Ducks | Bacteria: Clostridium botulinum (toxin) | Sudden death | None | Sanitation |
Coccidiosis | All species | Coccidia, one or more variety for each species of bird | Bloody droppings in chickens |
Amprolium, sulfonamides; get the current recommendations |
Sanitation |
Duck plague | All species | Herpes virus | Sudden death | Keep wild fowl away from flock, and vaccination | |
Fowl cholera | All | Bacteria: Pasteurella multocida | Rapid death | Sulfaquinoxaline, tetracycline | Vaccination |
Fowl pox | Chickens, turkeys | Virus | Poxlike sores on unfeathered areas of body | None | Vaccination, in areas where disease is a problem |
Viral hepatitis of ducks (DVH) | Ducks under 7 weeks | Picornavirus | Sudden death | None | Rat and wild duck control; strict iso- lation of young ducks; vaccination of adult breeder stock from older birds |
Hemorrhagic enteritis of turkeys | Ducks under 7 weeks | Group II adenovirus | Sudden onset, bloody diarrhea | None | Vaccination (given in drinking water) enteritis of turkeys |
Infectious bronchitis | Chickens | Coronavirus | Coughing, tearing | None | Good nursing, vaccination |
Infectious coryza | Chickens | Bacterium: Hemophilus gallinarum | Facial swelling may close eyes, discharge | Erythromycin | Buy replacement from clean flock; a bacterin is available |
Infectious laryngotracheitis | Chickens | Virus | Gasping, coughing with hock extended | None | Vaccination |
Influenza | All | Virus | Signs are those of a cold | None | Reportable disease |
(Note: Avian flu–especially the H5N1 strain, which has become such a concern lately–falls into this category, but so far is limited to Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.) | |||||
Infectious serositis, “new duck disease” | All | Bacteria: Pasteurella antipestifer | Eye and nose discharge | Sulfaquinoxaline, penicillin, steratomycin | Bacterin available |
Newcastle disease | Primarily ducks | Virus | Coughing, sneezing, with nervous system involved in severe cases | None | Vaccination |
Pullorum disease | Chickens, turkeys, ducks | Bacteria: Salmonella pullorum | Symptoms inyoung poultry: listless, whitish diarrhea, do noteat | None | Control by testing of breeding flocks; eradication program; vaccination |
Pullorum disease | Chickens | Virus. One of the first cancers proven to be caused by a virus | Paralysis, some- times only depression | None | Vaccination |
Rabbits
INFECTIOUS |
CAUSE | SYMPTOMS | TREATMENT | PREVENTION |
VIRAL DISEASES | ||||
Infectious myxomatosis | Virus; poxvirus | Milky eye discharge; ear edema; nasal discharge | None | None |
BACTERIAL DISEASES | ||||
Pasteurellosis, “Snuffles” | Pasteurella multocida | Thin, purulent nose and eye discharge | None | Recovered animals may become carriers |
Abscesses | Abscess on any part of body | None | ||
Mastitis (Bluebreasts) | Staphylococci, Streptococci | Hot, swollen mammary glands | Penicillin variants | Good sanitation |
Treponematosis, vent disease | Spirochete: Treponema cuniculi | Scabs and/or loss of fur in genital region | Penicillin var., entire herd | Do not use affected ani- mals for breeders |
Hutch burn, urine burn | Wide range of possible organisms | Similar parts affected as vent disease | Antibiotic ointment; apply to affected parts | Keep hutches clean and dry |
Enterotoxemia | Clostridium spiroforme | Sudden death | Onset usually too rapid to treat | Avoid diets too low in fiber |
Mucoid enteropathy | Unknown | Constipation | None | Oral fluids to overcome dehydration |
Tyzzer’s disease | Bacillus piliformis | Severe diarrhea | None | None |
PARASITIC DISEASES | ||||
Coccidiosis: hepatic and intestinal | Coccidia | Young rabbits may be off feed, dull | Sulfaquinoxoline in feed or water | Good sanitation; avoid fecal contamination |
Ear mites | Infestation | Scratching at ear | Clean ear withperox- ide, then use ear mite medicine | Good sanitary practices |
MISCELLANEOUS CONDITIONS | ||||
Wet dewlap (moist dermatitis) | Various | Inflammation of the dewlap | Clip affected area-use antiseptic powder | Useautomaticdewdrop valves; elevatedrinking dishes |
Hair chewing | Perhaps low-fiber diet | Chewing of fur | Change to higher fiber diet | High-fiber diet, e.g., good quality hay |
Hairballs | Swallowing fur | Indigestion, gagging | None | High fiber diet–mineral oil, etc. of no value |
Heat Exhaustion | Overexposure to bright sunlight | Heavy panting, elevated body temperature, and extreme lassitude | Immerse severely affected rabbits in cold water | Construct hutches to allow for good ventila- tion. Provide cold water and sprinkle hutches in hot weather. |
Sore hocks (ulcerative pododermatitis) | Direct contact with wire mesh, especially in heavy breeds where there is an accumulation of urine-soaked feces. | Raw, weeping sores on hind legs | Difficult to treat. Affected animals should be culled. | Keep hutches clean |
Malocclusion | An inherited characteristic | Failure of teeth to grind against each other, especially the incisors or front teeth. | Affected teeth should be clipped off. | Affected animals should not be used as breeders. |
Sheep
INFECTIOUS |
CAUSE | SYMPTOMS | TREATMENT | PREVENTION |
METABOLIC DISEASES Those caused by feed intake or stresses affecting all the body systems due to conditions such as lambing | ||||
Grass staggers, grass tetany, hypomagne- semic tetany | Low intake of magnesium; suddenly placing animals on lush pasture in the spring | Erratic behavior after being put on lush pasture | None | Magnesium supplements to fertilize pastures; feed dry hay before turning out |
Parturient paresis | Unknown | Sudden onset 6-10 weeks prior to lambing, especially in heavy ewes: muscle tremors; stilted gait; down; death | Calcium solution I.V. or under skin | Good dietary management |
Photosensitization | Light colored skin that has a hyperactive reaction to sunlight | Reddening and fluid (edema) in the skin. | Graze at night; steroids | Affected animals should not be used as breeders |
Somebreedsofsheep(SouthdownsandCorriedales)haveadefectexistinginlivermetabolismthatpreventssubstancesthatpredis- posetheanimaltophotosensitizationfrombeingeliminatedintheusualway.Sheepofthesebreedsshowingthistraitshouldnotbe used asbreeders. | ||||
White muscle disease | Selenium deficiency | Stiff gait, arched back unable to rise | Selenium injections | Selenium supplement in feed |
Pregnancy toxemia, ovine ketosis | Any factor that disrupts feed intake in fat ewes carrying twins late in pregnancy | Nervous signs, inability to get on their feet; coma | Propylene glycol, steroids induce abortions, glucose | Induce exercise; feed away from shelter; avoid stressful situations wherepossible |
INFECTIOUS BACTERIAL DISEASES | ||||
Tetanus | Bacteria: Clostridium tetani | Often follows surgical procedures in early life; “saw-horse” appearance. | None | Administer tetanus antitoxin; later give toxoid |
Overeating disease | Clostridium types C, D | Sudden death, especially in weaned lambs on full feed | No effective treatment | Bacterin to those on full feed |
VIRAL DISEASES | ||||
Bluetongue | Bluetongue virus spread by biting flies | Difficult breathing; reddening of muzzle, lips, ears; ulcer, erosions of mouth | None | Vaccine in affected areas only |
OPP (ovine progressive pneumonia) | Retrovirus | Very slowly progressing disease in mature animals; slow, wasting disease | None | Test and slaughter program; isolate lambs at birth, and feed milk from known-negative ewes |
Sore mouth, contagious ecthyma | Poxvirus | Lesions on lips, sometimes feet. | None | Recovered sheep highly resistant; vaccine available |
Scrapie (Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy) | Prion (structure smaller than a virus) | Loss of wool, intense itching, altered gait; loss of condition in sheep usually over 2 years | None | Test and slaughter |
“Black disease” (infectious necrotic hepatitis) | Clostridium novyi | Sudden death; toxin produced by organism, together with liver flukes, which have already damaged the liver. | None | Toxoid (vaccine) in fluke region |
Mastitis | Often Streptococcus or Staphylococcus species | Hot, swollen udder; Abnormal secretion | None | Antibiotics; hot packs; frequent stripping |
Strawberry foot rot | Fungus (actinomycete): Dermatophilus congalensis | Sores in lower leg | Penicillin variants | Self-limiting |
Scours | Escherichia coli | Profuse diarrhea in newborn | Fluids to combat dehydration; antitoxemia drugs, antibiotics | Dip navels in iodine; strict sanitation in lambing pens |
Joint ill | Erysipelothis rhusiopathiae | Swollen joints and some- times navel | Penicillin variants | Dip navels, strict clean- liness when castrating or docking |
PARASITIC DISEASES There are a wide range of parasites that affect sheep. Some invade various parts of the digestive tract while lungworms settle in the lungs. |
Goats
INFECTIOUS |
CAUSE | SYMPTOMS | TREATMENT | PREVENTION |
CAE (caprine arthri- tis and encephalitis) | Lentivirus | Encephalitis in young goats, arthritis in adults | None | Butazolidin in arthritic form; remove kids from doe immediately after birth and feed pasteurized colostrum |
Abscesses | Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosi | Abscess formation around head and neck. | None | |
Urinary calculi (esp. in petwethers) | Metabolic imbalance | Urinate with difficulty or not at all | Surgery to create artificial opening | Feed diet with calcium-phosphorus ratio of2:1;addammonium chloride to diets;keep magnesium levellow |
Mastitis | Several different bacteria | Abnormal milk ranging from watery to bloody | Variety of antibiotic preparations infused into udder; may need to run antibiotic sensitivity test to determine the best choice | Strict sanitation during the milking process; clean bedding and in general clean environment |
Goatsaresubjecttomuchthesamerangeofdiseasesasaresheep.Themanagementofthevariousconditionsfollowsthelinesfol- lowed insheep. |
Pigs
INFECTIOUS |
CAUSE | SYMPTOMS | TREATMENT | PREVENTION |
Metabolic and nutritional iron deficiency | Milk naturally deficient in iron | Symptoms of anemia | None | Administer iron to newborn by injection; keep sod in pen |
Hypoglycemia | Any factor that limits piglets’ milk intake, especially during first week of life | Low body temperature; listless; unresponsive | Give glucose intraperitoneally | Be sure sow has enough milk; that all piglets are getting their share; keep warm and dry |
MMA or Mastitis- metritusagalactia syndrome (lactation failure in sows) | Not understood at this time, a complex interaction of many factors | Piglets show signs of starvation; piglets depressed; increased temperatures; sows listless; refuse to let piglets nurse | Corticosteroids and broadspectrum antibiotics | Good management practices; place piglets on foster sow if available |
BACTERIA, SPIROCHETES, AND VIRUSES | ||||
Bacterial brucellosis (a disease transmis- sible to man, especially when handling infected carcasses at slaughter) | Brucella suis | Abortion: temporary or permanent sterility: lameness | None | Test and slaughter |
Atrophic rhinitis | A complex disease with many contributing factors | Twisted snout may be end result | Several drugs effective including trimethoprim, tylocin, and tetracycline | Keeping a closed herd; good sanitation |
Enteric colibacillosis | Escherichia coli | Profuse watery diarrhea in young pigs | Restore fluid level; antibiotics as determined by sensitivity, previous experience | Avoid chilling and dampness; vaccinations of sows to increase level of necessary antibodies |
Enteritis | Clostridium perfringens, Type C | Bloody diarrhea in piglets, 1-5 days | None |
Vaccination of pregnant sows is of some value to increase value of colostrum in affording protection |
Edema | Escherichia coli | Disease of young pigs 5-14 days after weaning; rapid death; wobbly; paddling of legs; head twist | Antibiotics may help | Gradual change of feedfromcreepfeedto weaningration |
Erysipelas | Erysipelothrix rhusipathiae | Several different forms of this disease: (1) sudden death; high temperature, walking stiffly or remain lying down; (2) may show skin discolorations as “diamond skin disease”; (3) arthritis; (4) heart valve involvement | Penicillin variants | Vaccination |
Leptospirosis (may act as reservoir to cause infection in man) | Leptospira pomona | Abortions; being off feed; listlessness | None | Vaccinations |
Mycoplasma pneumonia |
Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae | Coughing, mild pneumonia; greatest problems: poor feed utilization and growth rate | Tylocin, Tetracycline | Establishment of disease-free herds |
Pleuropneumonia | Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae | May be very severe with sudden deaths, especially in young pigs; extremely difficult breathing; high fatality rate | Several antibiotics have been suggested, including Tylocin and Trimethoprim |
All-in, all-out management (all pigs in a group introduced simultaneously into area where they will be raised and later removed simultaneously) |
Salmonellosis | Salmonella cholerasuis | Nursing pigs have diarrhea but die from septicemia;olderpigshavebloody diarrhea | Some antibiotics may be of value, but no drastic changes may be seen | Intensive clean-up after outbreaks |
Swine dysentery | Treponema hyodysenteriae (a spirochete) | A mucous, bloody diarrhea is the most common symptom | Do antibiotic sensitivity test and determine best antibiotic, which might include bacitracin, lincomycin, and others | Good sanitation; treatment of carrier pigs |
Tuberculosis (a disease transmissable from animal to man) | Mycobacterium species. Pigs are susceptible to three types: cattle, bird, and man | Lymph gland involvement: a wasting disease | None | Good management (e.g. cleanliness, good ventilation) |
VIRUSES | ||||
Hog cholera (no longer present in USA), now more properly called “classical swine fever” (CSF) | DNA virus | Lethargy; off feed; high temperature | Hyperimmune serum | Vaccinations not always effective; worldwide test-and-slaughter policy in effect for any animals that test positive |
Pseudorabies, “mad itch” | Herpes virus. The pig acts as a reservoir for the virus, which is highly fatal in other species such as cattle and sheep | In piglets, may see fever, trembling, convulsions; symptoms become progressively less severe as pig grows older | None | Bring in replacements from disease-free herds; segregation; isolation |
Swine influenza, hog flu | Type A influenza virus | Rapidly spread throughout entire herd; high temperature; off feed; coughing; prostration | None | Good management with a stress-free environment |
TGE (transmissible gastroenteritis) | Coronavirus | Vomiting followed by profuse, watery diarrhea; highly fatal in very young pigs, much less so in older pigs | None | Vaccinations |
PARASITESThosewormsaffectingthestomachandintestinaltractofpigscanbecontrolledbythesametypesofmedicationsusedin otherspecies.Therearesomewormspeculiartoswinethatshouldbementioned. | ||||
Kidney worm infestation | Stephanurus dentatus | Pigs tend to be “poor doers”; economic loss from contamination of affected organs and tissues | None | Maintain clean environtment; rotate stock to keep herd young through “gilts-only” breeding program. |
Trichinosis | Trichanella spiralis | Primarily a public health problem where insufficiently cooked, infected meat is eaten |
None | Garbage containing pork should be cooked at 212° F for 30 min- utes before being fed to swine, or not feed at all |
Calves
INFECTIOUS |
CAUSE | SYMPTOMS | TREATMENT | PREVENTION |
Colibacillosis | Escherichia coli | Diarrhea; dehydration; weakness; death | Electrolytes, fluids, antibiotics | Buy calves from reputable sources; avoid stress; keep isolated; draft-free, well ventilated housing (calf hutch excellent) |
Pneumonia | Various bacteria and viruses | Cough; difficulty breathing; off feed; fever | Fluids, antibiotics |
More from Backyard Livestock
This excerpt is reprinted with permission from Backyard Livestock by Steven Thomas and George P. Looby, published by The Countryman Press, 2017.