How to Diagnose Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy or Mad Cow Disease in Cattle
Analyze your herd and present and past feeding program., Watch your cows' behaviour for anything that may seem abnormal., Call your local large animal veterinarian if you suspect one of your cows have come down with BSE., Report your case (if the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Analyze your herd and present and past feeding program.
If you have cows that are at least 8 to 10 years of age in your herd and feed or have fed them high-protein feeds that have contained animal by-product in them, especially that which contains ground-up ruminants in the form of blood or bone meal, then you are at risk for having cows coming down with BSE.
Dairy cows tend to be at a higher risk for getting this disease than beef cows because of the diet they are fed, which means feeding high-protein, high-energy and high-calcium-phosphorus-magnesium ratio, which is easily obtained by mixing blood and bone meal with the feed they're fed.
A lot of dairy farms keep cows that are, unlike popular belief, older than 8 to 10 years of age.
Beef cows are just as likely to get this disease if the producer raises them in such a way that they are in need of grain to meet their reproductive demands according to when they are going to calve and their lactation period. -
Step 2: Watch your cows' behaviour for anything that may seem abnormal.
Cows that have the symptoms for BSE include:
Nervousness or aggressive behaviour Abnormal posture (i.e., holding head in an awkward position) Lack of coordination and inability to rise again when fallen down Uncontrollable shaking of the body No sign of habituation to a stimulus that is designed to startle her Decrease in milk production Decrease in weight despite continued appetite , You will have to, if you have access to a gun (preferably a rifle), put the cow down yourself.
Since there is no cure for this disease, euthanasia is the only option to put the animal out of her misery.
The vet will arrive and take a brain tissue sample to a lab to have analyzed to see if the cow did have BSE. , For Canadian cattle producers, you need to call the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) hotline to report your case, at 1-800-442-2342.
For American cattle producers, you will need to report to your local Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) according to what state you live in if you have a suspected case of BSE in your cow-herd. , You will have to present officials with records of everything from where you bought the animals from, where you sold your animals, and the health, breeding and calving records.Only expect this if the animal that you had to put down has been tested positive for BSE. -
Step 3: Call your local large animal veterinarian if you suspect one of your cows have come down with BSE.
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Step 4: Report your case (if the vet hasn't done it for you) your the federal food safety and health department.
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Step 5: Expect to have your farm undergo inspections to see if your other cattle have the same disease or at risk for such a disease.
Detailed Guide
If you have cows that are at least 8 to 10 years of age in your herd and feed or have fed them high-protein feeds that have contained animal by-product in them, especially that which contains ground-up ruminants in the form of blood or bone meal, then you are at risk for having cows coming down with BSE.
Dairy cows tend to be at a higher risk for getting this disease than beef cows because of the diet they are fed, which means feeding high-protein, high-energy and high-calcium-phosphorus-magnesium ratio, which is easily obtained by mixing blood and bone meal with the feed they're fed.
A lot of dairy farms keep cows that are, unlike popular belief, older than 8 to 10 years of age.
Beef cows are just as likely to get this disease if the producer raises them in such a way that they are in need of grain to meet their reproductive demands according to when they are going to calve and their lactation period.
Cows that have the symptoms for BSE include:
Nervousness or aggressive behaviour Abnormal posture (i.e., holding head in an awkward position) Lack of coordination and inability to rise again when fallen down Uncontrollable shaking of the body No sign of habituation to a stimulus that is designed to startle her Decrease in milk production Decrease in weight despite continued appetite , You will have to, if you have access to a gun (preferably a rifle), put the cow down yourself.
Since there is no cure for this disease, euthanasia is the only option to put the animal out of her misery.
The vet will arrive and take a brain tissue sample to a lab to have analyzed to see if the cow did have BSE. , For Canadian cattle producers, you need to call the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) hotline to report your case, at 1-800-442-2342.
For American cattle producers, you will need to report to your local Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) according to what state you live in if you have a suspected case of BSE in your cow-herd. , You will have to present officials with records of everything from where you bought the animals from, where you sold your animals, and the health, breeding and calving records.Only expect this if the animal that you had to put down has been tested positive for BSE.
About the Author
Dorothy Wallace
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow lifestyle tutorials.
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