CALF_News_February_March_2021

16 CALF News • February | March 2021 • www.calfnews.net CALF ANIMAL HEALTH Chuteside Manner EXPLORING THE FRONTIER OF ANIMAL HEALTH Septic Arthritis By Patti Wilson Contributing Editor W e have all seen hapless cattle of various ages with enlarged navels and painful, swollen joints. And, we know this problem arises from a condition typically called “navel ill.” The unfortunately named problem, along with the seemingly hopeless prog- nosis, has prevented me from using this topic in a Chuteside column. It seemed simplistic and downright boring. Recently, however, I have found information that sheds new light on the subject. Like most things, there is more to the disease than meets the untrained eye. Let’s call it by a more accurate name – septic arthritis. Where It Starts It comes as no surprise to any cowman that septic arthritis rears its ugly head at birth. The many species of bacteria that can creep up a newly hatched navel cord love damp, dirty conditions. Those of us calving cows in February and March can run into plenty of wet weather. Inevitably, a muddy lot or dark, warm barn come into play at some point. There seems no need to point out that pasture calving works best. Moving your pregnant cows out to a fresh paddock peri- odically is the best management practice for keeping the newest babies on clean ground. Leave the pairs behind, they are fine where they are. Nebraska Extension calls this the Sandhills Calving Method. This is a great management tool, but it can pose a particular problem to farmer- cowmen with limited grazing, who calve primarily in lots. Other common causes of septic arthri- tis are prolonged calving causing stress on newborns, inadequate intake of colostrum and ripped off navels. Roy Lewis wrote in a 2009 article for Alberta Farmer Express that a significant cause of navel infection for purebred breeders was the practice of weighing calves at birth. Most of these calves are weighed in a sling, which has maximum contact with the navel area. Slings should be cleaned between use or calves weighed when they are a day old LEFT: Pasture calving remains the cleanest and most dependable method of preventing destructive bacteria from entering your newborn’s umbilical cord. and the umbilical cord has begun to dry. Lewis went on to say that he knew of sev- eral breeders who cut holes in their slings to minimize contact with umbilical cords. Calves with cords ripped off close to the body need a prophylactic, long-acting antibiotic treatment right away. This problem occurs most frequently with calves pulled backwards. Every pulled or dystocia calf needs to be treated carefully; they are at risk. The long-time recommendation of treating newborns with an iodine solu- tion to clean the umbilical cord is now becoming controversial. “Navels are often over-handled by unclean hands, result- ing in further contamination,” according to Lewis. “The disinfectant itself may become contaminated when ‘wells’ such as a cup or dip containers are used. Harsh disinfectants may greatly inflame the area, doing more harm than good.” Calf pullers and straps need to be disin- fected on a regular basis. Finally, cows need their annual vaccinations, mineral supple- ment and plenty of vitamins A and E to provide their calves with passive immunity. Generally, the umbilical cord dries up within a week after calves are born, and there is no further risk of bacterial infection. The Bad News The initiative for this article was sparked when I read the Veterinary Column by Simon Peek, DVM, in the Oct. 25, 2020, issue of Hoard’s Dairyman Magazine . We can all sympathize with the special, intensive health management a dairy requires. It has come to light that the most difficult cases of septic arthritis are caused by mycoplasma bacteria. Just ask any beef cattle producer how taxing it is to contain. Having no cell wall, myco- plasma is especially hard to treat. Not only are joint infections common, but the respiratory system is often involved. In addition to causing pneumonia, ear infec- tions become common, with calves taking on a distinctive head tilt. Peek goes on to say that joints infected with mycoplasma are especially problem- atic to cure and the prognosis becomes poor as additional joints become inflamed.