Cattle Abnormalities - UW-Extension Learning Store

A78861 CA

Cattle Abnormalities

Visually examining cattle helps identify problems and mizes the risk that carcasses will be condemned and
helps determine whether affected animals should be also saves space and feed.
treated or culled. Also, examining replacement cattle
will help avoid introducing problems into a herd. In- This outline is a supplement to the film “Cattle
specting herds frequently helps detect problems in Abnormalities.” The brief descriptions include alter-
their early stages when treatment may be most effec- native names for an abnormality, visual signs,
tive. If cattle must be culled, they should be marketed causes, treatment, incidence, economic impact on an
early before their conditions deteriorate. This mini- individual producer’s total herd, culling recommenda-
tions and carcass acceptability for food.

Visual Causes Treatment Incidence Economic Culling Recommendations Carcass
Abnormality Signs Impact Purebred Commercial Disposition
on Herd

SKIN AND HAIR

*Warts Small, horny Virus Surgery, Common Slight Keep Keep Passed
(papilloma- elevations or medication if Common
tosis) large cauli- severe
flower-like
benign tumors
(usually on
head and neck)

*Grubs Small lumps Larvae of heel Medication Moderate Keep Keep Hide devalu-
ated, fat and
(OX warbles) on back flies musculature
over back may
be condemned

*Ringworm Round, thick, Fungus Medication if Common Slight Keep Keep Passed
(dermatomy- asbestos-like (contagious) severe, nutri-
coses) plaques on tion, sunshine
head and neck
Medication Rare
C h o r i o p t i c Scaly, crusted Mites Slight Keep Keep Passed
Mange & Pso- lesions on
roptic Scabies thickened, (Scabies must be reported to your State Department of
Agriculture)
wrinkled skin,
itching

SKELETAL STRUCTURE

*Stifled Stiffness of Injury Surgery Occasional Small Depends on Depends on Passed after
(usually not Common Slight
(patellar hind limb, practical), severity severity recovery
rest
luxation) jerky
None
movement

*Weak Pasterns Too much Heredity Depends on Keep if not Passed
slope
severity severe

*Indicates an abnormality shown in the film.

Visual Causes Treatment Incidence Economic Culling Recommendations
Abnormality Signs None Common Impact Carcass
on Herd
Slight Purebred Commercial Disposition

*Cow-hocked Hocks close Heredity Slight Depends on Keep Passed
together severity
Heredity Slight to Keep Passed
*Splayfooted Toes turned None Common small Depends on
out Heredity Large severity Depends on Passed
severity
*Sickle- Angle of leg Injury, None Occasional Depends on Depends on Legs may be
hocked too narrow disease severity treatment condemned
(arthritis),
*Swollen Joints Enlarged nutrition Medication Common Depends on
knees and Injury, (depending on treatment
hocks disease, cause), rest
nutrition
*Lameness Impaired Medication or Common Large Depends on Depends on Affected part
mobility surgery, None
depending treatment treatment condemned
on cause

*Bobtail Short or Heredity, None Occasional Depends on Keep Passed
cause Passed
*Mule Foot missing tail injury Passed
(syndactyly) Cull individual Cull**
Uncloven hoof Heredity None Rare Slight and parents
Polydactyly
(polymelia) Extra toes on Heredity None Rare None Cull Keep
Pigeon-toed fore limbs
None Occasional Slight Depends on Depends on Passed
Toes turned in Heredity

severity severity

Flexed Toes turned Heredity, None Rare Slight Cull Depends on Passed
Pasterns severity
under nutrition

Steep-shoul- Rear and front Heredity None Occasional Slight Cull Depends on Passed
severity
dered, post- pasterns, legs

legged & and shoulders

steep pasterns too straight

(vertically)

*Buck-kneed Knees bent Heredity, None Rare Slight Cull Cull Passed
Slight
forward nutrition Depends on Rare
cause, diet if None
Bowed Legs Knees bowed Heredity, not advanced Depends on Depends on Passed
out nutrition None Rare treatment and treatment and
severity severity
Wry Tail & Crooked tail Heredity,
Screw Tail setting, fusion (possibly Depends on Keep Passed
of vertebrae injury) cause

REPRODUCTIVE

*Injured Penis Bleeding, Injury Surgery, Occasional Small to large Depends on Depends on Depends on
medication,
swelling rest treatment treatment severity

around sheath,

prolapsed pre-

puce (rose)

** Cull means to cull only affected animal.

2

Visual Causes Treatment Incidence Economic Culling Recommendations
Abnormality Signs Impact Carcass
on Herd
Purebred Commercial Disposition
Slight
*Freemartin Masculine Sterile heifer None Rare Self Self Passed
head and born twin with eliminating eliminating
neck, en- a bull
Iarged clitoris

*Double Bulging mus- Heredity None Rare Small Cull individual Cull individual Passed
Muscling cles, inter- and parents and parents
(muscular muscular
hypertrophy) grooves, small
head, tapering
rump, shallow
middle, lean

*Vaginal Vagina (and Heredity, Surgery, Occasional Small Depends on Depends on Passed
Prolapse sometimes
cervix) nutrition, medication cause cause
pushed out
advanced age

Uterine Uterus pushed Heredity, Surgery, Occasional Small Depends on Depends on Passed
Prolapse Large cause and cause and
out, usually calving trau- medication treatment treatment

after parturi- ma, advanced

tion age

Mastitis Enlarged, Bacteria, Medication Common Depends on Depends on Udder
(mammitis, Iumpy (chron- injury cause and cause and condemned
garget) ic) udder, treatment treatment
abnormal
secretions

*Weak Udder Loose, pen- Advanced None Common Small Depends on Depends on Passed
Attachments dulous udder age, injury, Occasional severity severity (udder may be
condemned)
heredity Depends on
treatment Depends on
Milk Fever Usually after Unknown, de- Intravenous Small to large Depends on treatment
(parturient treatment
paresis) parturition; creased serum administra-

Listless, lying calcium, tion of

on sternum heredity calcium

with head (Jersey) gluconate

turned toward

flank

Hermaphro- Sex organs of Heredity None Rare Slight Self Self Passed
ditism both male Small eliminating eliminating
and female Slight
Slight
Enlarged Swollen Injury, Medication, Occasional Depends on Depends on Suspect
Testes scrotum disease hot compress,
(orchitis) castration treatment and treatment and

fertility fertility

Small Testes Testes small Heredity None Occasional Depends on Depends on Passed
relative to relative size fertility
body size and fertility

Cryptorchidism One or two Heredity Surgery Occasional Cull Cull Passed
undescended (usually not
testes practical)

3

Visual Causes Treatment incidence Economic Culling Recommendations
Abnormality Signs Impact Carcass
on Herd
Purebred Commercial Disposition

DIGESTIVE Rectum Heredity, Surgery, diet Occasional Small Cull Cull Passed
pushed out nutrition Small to large Cull Cull Passed
*Rectal
Prolapse

*Chronic Bloat Distended left Heredity, Diet, surgery Common

(hoven) side of paunch nutrition

in front of

hip bone,

struggling

*Hardware Decreased Iac- Ingestion of Surgery, Common Large Depends on Depends on Depends on
Disease tation and feed sharp metal medication,
(traumatic intake, uneasy objects use magnet treatment treatment severity
gastritis) gait, groaning,
pronounced
jugular pulse

*Founder Elongation and Overeating, Diet, medica- Common Large Cull Cull Passed
(Iaminitis) tion, soak feet
curling of hoof, overdrinking, in cold water

lameness, inflammation

gaunt of uterus or

condition intestines

*Obesity Very fat Heredity, Diet Common Large Cull individual Cull individual Passed
Large
management and usually and usually
Large
parents parents

Grass Tetany Frequent uri- Abnormal Intravenous Occasional Depends on Depends on Passed
nation, stiff magnesium administration severity and severity and
gait, restless, metabolism, of treatment treatment
tetanic muscle low serum magnesium
contractions magnesium salts

Ketosis Depression, Nutrition Intravenous Occasional Depends on Depends on Passed
reduced lacta- administration severity and severity and
tion, acetone of calcium treatment treatment
odor on breath gluconate

OTHER Watery dis- Bacteria or Medication (if Common Large Depends on Depends on Passed
charge from virus, injury bacterial infec-
*Pinkeye eye, swelling, tion), surgery, treatment treatment
(keratocon- opacity over install eye flap
juctivitis) eyeball,
temporary
*Blindness blindness

*Cancer Eye Awkward Heredity, None Occasional Slight Cull Cull Passed
(ocular
carcinoma) mobility (runs injury, Cull Cull Condemned if
advanced
into objects) disease condition

Malignant Heredity, Surgery, Common Large
growth on environment medication
eyes of (especially in
mature cattle
Herefords)

4

Visual Causes Treatment Incidence Economic Culling Recommendations Carcass
Abnormality Signs Impact Purebred Commercial Disposition
on Herd
*Abscess Swelling or Bacteria, Medication, Common Large Depends on Depends on Partial or total
open sore injury surgery Common Small treatment treatment condemnation
Occasional
*Lump Jaw Swelling of Bacteria, Surgery, Large Depends on Depends on Head
(actinomyco- jaw, occasional injury medication Common treatment treatment condemned
sis, Iumpy jaw) drainage Occasional Large
Common
*Water Belly Distended Nutrition, Surgery, diet Small Depends on Depends on Depends on
(urinary
calculi) abdomen, list- infection, Large treatment treatment treatment

Iess, unable to early

urinate, castration

usually

affects males

*Johne’s Diarrhea, Bacteria None Cull Cull Depends on
severity
Disease (para- wasted mus- Depends on Cull
treatment Condemned
tuberculosis) cles, cachexia Cull Cull
Usually
*Cachexia Very thin Disease, Medication, condemned

sickness, diet

poor nutrition

*Downer Cow Lying down, Injury, Depends on
cause
(skeletal unable to rise mastitis,

paresis) milk fever

*Dwarfism Small frame, Heredity None Rare Slight Cull individual Cull individual Passed
(achondro- pot belly, and parents and parents
plasia) short head, Slight
labored Small
breathing Slight
Large
Lack of Flat, concave Heredity, None Common Large Depends on Depends on Passed
Muscling musculature, nutrition,
Iow muscle to disease cause cause
bone ratio

Abdominal Distended Injury, Surgery pos- Occasional Cull Cull Passed
Hernia abdomen on heredity sible but not
one side practical

Scrotal Hernia Soft, enlarged Heredity(?) Surgery, Rare Cull Cull Passed

scrotum castration

Foot Rot Lameness, Injury, Medication Common Depends on Depends on Passed
(foul-foot)
infection of bacteria, treatment treatment

hoof, bad odor wet conditions

Circling Solitary, Bacteria None Occasional Self Self Condemned
Disease walks in cir- eliminating eliminating
(Iisteriosis) cles, blind-
ness, facial
paralysis

5

Visual Causes Treatment Incidence Economic Culling RecommendationsC a r c a s s
Abnormality Signs None Occasional impact Purebred Commercial Disposition
on Herd
Rabies Lactation Virus Cull Cull Condemned
(hydrophobia) ceases, Small
bellowing,
excitable,
dangerous,
choking

White Muscle Stiff move- Selenium, Supplementa- Rare if diet None if diet Depends on Depends on Condemned if
tion of corrected corrected treatment treatment treatment not
Disease ment, arched vitamin E selenium and effective
vitamin E
(nutritional back, recum- deficiency

myopathy) bent, diarrhea

Red Nose Quits eating, Virus None (antibi- Occasional Small Keep Keep Passed if
(infectious coughs, slob- otics will pre-
bovine rhino- bers, nasal vent infection) recovered
tracheitis-lBR) discharge

Coccidiosis Bloody Parasite Medication Common Small Keep Keep Passed
diarrhea

Authors The Merck Veterinary Manual. 1979. (O.H. Siegmund,
Ed.) (5th Ed.) Merck and Co., Inc. Rahway, N. J..
R.G. Kauffman, J.V. Lochner, E.R. Hauser, E.H. Hoch,
D.M. Schaefer, R.J. Vatthauer, C.W. Hirschinger and Cattle Abnormalities Film
D.R. Buege, Department of Meat and Animal Science;
J.R. Andersen and R.H. Stauffacher, Department of 26 min., 16 mm, color, sound
Veterinary Science and B. Wolfgang Hoffmann,
Department of Agricultural Journalism. Rental copies of this film are available from:

References Ž Bureau of Audio-Visual Instruction
University of Wisconsin-Extension
Bovine Medicine and Surgery. 1980. Vols. 1 and 2. (H.E. Box 2093, Madison, WI 53701
Amstutz, Ed.) American Veterinary Publications, Santa (Order by title and catalog number 8861)
Clara, Calif. Telephone, 608-262-1644

Ensminger, M.E. 1976. Beef Cattle Science. The inter- For information about purchasing this film contact:
state Printers and Publishers, Inc. Danville, Ill.
Ž Films
Greenough, P. R., F.J. Maccallum and A.D. Weaver. Department of Agricultural Journalism
1972. Lameness in Cattle. Oliver and Boyd Publishing University of Wisconsin-Madison
Co., Edinburgh, Scotland. 440 Henry Mall, Madison, WI 53706
Telephone, 608-262-1463
Leipold, H.W. 1980. “Congenital Defects Affecting
Bovine Reproduction,” in Current Therapy in Therio- Contributors
genology, (D.A. Morrow, Ed.) p. 410-441. American Breeders Service; Dubuque Packing Co.;
lowa State University; Oscar Mayer Foods Corp.;
Leipold, H.W. 1981. “Bovine Congenital Defects,” in Trelay Farms, Livingston, Wis. and Wisconsin Beef
Current Veterinary Therapy, Food Animal Practice. Council
p. 92-101, W.B. Saunders, Co., Philadelphia, Pa.

University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Wisconsin counties,
publishes this information to further the purpose of the May 8 and June 30, 1914 Acts of Congress; and provides equal opportunities in employment and program-
ming including Title IX requirements,

Produced by the Department of Agricultural Journalism, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

This publication is available from your Wisconsin county Extension office or from: Agricultural Bulletin, Rm. 245, 30 N. Murray St., Madison, Wisconsin 53715;
Phone 608-262-3346

Editors, before publicizing, contact Agricultural Bulletin to determine availability.

A78861CA Cattle Abnormalities 1989 R-01-89-2M-30-S