PNEUMONIA IN CATTLE

1.  Causes of pneumonia in buffaloes and cattle
Pneumonia in livestock can occur at any time of the year. The primary causes of this condition include the following factors:
a. Bacterial
In reality, pneumonia often occurs in dairy cattle, particularly in calves under one year old. The condition becomes more severe as the animals reach maturity. Some of the main bacterial causes of pneumonia include:
- Haemophilus: This Gram-negative bacterium typically causes illness in the lower respiratory tract of buffaloes and cattle.
- Mycoplasma: This is the smallest extracellular microorganism, lacking a cell wall, which makes it resistant to many antibiotics and a significant cause of pneumonia.
- Staphylococcus: These are non-motile, non-spore-forming Gram-positive cocci that often cluster together like grapes. This bacterium can cause various severe diseases.
- Streptococcus: This type of Gram-positive cocci can lead to pneumonia when it infects buffaloes and cattle.
- Pasteurella: This is a Gram-negative, non-motile bacterium with a polymorphic shape.
b. Seasonal changes
Additionally, pneumonia in buffalo and cattle can arise from changes in weather. For instance, in the North, the transition from autumn to winter and in the South, from the dry season to the rainy season, can lead to sudden temperature fluctuations that make livestock more susceptible to respiratory diseases.
Cattle can develop pneumonia due to abrupt weather changes or bacterial infections.
2. Symptoms
Pneumonia in buffaloes and cattle has an incubation period lasting from 3 to 7 days. After this period, the livestock begin to exhibit typical clinical symptoms of pneumonia, including:
- Buffalo and cattle appear fatigued, lethargic, refuse to eat, drool excessively, and have a high fever ranging from 40 to 42°C.
- Nasal discharge mixed with pus can be observed, along with coughing and difficulty breathing, characterized by rapid but shallow breaths.
- Infected buffaloes and cattle experience a reduction in milk production, while calves may lie still with their necks extended and breathing heavily.
- The animals breathe rapidly but with difficulty, and cough in fits, especially noticeable at night and early morning.
- For calves and young animals, the disease often leads to diarrhea and rapid death, with a mortality rate of 60 to 70% among infected cases.
3. Prevention method
It is evident that pneumonia in buffalo and cattle is quite dangerous, progresses quickly, and has a high mortality rate. Therefore, farmers need a specific prevention plan to minimize losses from this pneumonia in livestock. This includes:
- Regularly cleaning and disinfecting barns to ensure a dry and cool environment during the summer. Additionally, farmers should provide adequate shelter to protect livestock from the cold during winter.
- Periodically spraying disinfectants once or twice a month using one of the following products: Five-Iodine, Five-BGF, Five-B.K.G, Five-Perkon 3S, etc.
- Providing livestock with sufficient, hygienic food and water, along with essential vitamins and minerals. This helps improve their immune resistance and reduce the incidence of pneumonia in buffalo and cattle. Recommended products include: Five-Mix, Five-Prozyme 5way, etc. 4. Treatment
- Regularly disinfect and sanitize barns, and eliminate pathogens by spraying disinfectants twice a week around the outside of the barns.
- Ensure that the barns are cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
+ Conduct thorough quarantine checks for imported cattle.
+ Provide adequate minerals and vitamins to balance nutrition and boost immunity in the herd. To help cattle recover quickly, farmers can use products such as Beta-Glucan.C, Five-Vitamin B1, etc. following the dosage instructions provided on the products.
* Treating pneumonia in cattle
To treat pneumonia in cattle, a comprehensive treatment approach should be applied, which includes the following groups of medications::
- Antibiotics: To eliminate the bacteria causing the disease.
- Antipyretics: To reduce body temperature and alleviate fever.
- Supportive medications: To enhance the immune system and aid in health recovery.
- Anti-inflammatory medications: To reduce inflammation and pain.
By combining these treatments, cattle can recover quickly and regain their health.
* Antibiotic Group:
The primary cause of pneumonia in cattle is bacterial infection, so antibiotics are essential for treatment. Farmers can use one of the following antibiotics::
Five-Gentoxcin: 1ml/10-12kgBw.
Five-Gentatylo inj: 1ml/25-30kgBw.
Five-Tylan@LA: 1ml/15-20kgBw, with a single injection lasting 60 hours 
Five-Cefketo: 1ml/50kgBw, injected intramuscularly, with a repeat injection after 48 hours. * Antipyretics, supportive and anti-inflammatory medications:
+ Antipyretics, pain relievers, and anti-inflammatory drugs: Five-Anagin.C, Five-MetaMax.50, Five-Ketofen, Five-Tofen@LA, etc.
+ Expectorant medication: Five-Chymosin…
+ Supplements: Five-Butasal, Five-Acemin B12, Five-ADE Inj, administered as a course of treatment for 3-5 days.
Ensuring adequate nutrition is essential to help buffaloes and cattle recover quickly, strengthen their immune system after the infection, and allow them sufficient rest.
Because long-term use of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, it is important to treat pneumonia promptly to prevent the spread of infection from sick animals to healthy ones, especially in concentrated herds.