Beef cattle production and management
Practical Action
Sweating sickness
It is an acute tick borne toxicosis characterised by a profuse moist eczema and reddening of the
skin and visible mucous membranes. Young cattle are more susceptible but older cattle can
also be affected.
Clinical Signs
The first signs to be noticed are: fever, listlessness, wateri ng of eyes and nose, reddening of
visible mucous membranes, salivation and necrosis of oral mucosa and extreme pain.
The eyelids stick together.
The skin feels hot and a moist inflammation of the skin develop, that starts at the base of
the ears, the groin and the perineum and later extends to cover the entire body.
The hairs become matted and beads of moisture can be seen on it.
The skin emits a sour odour.
Later the hairs and upper most layer of the skin can be easily pulled off exposing red raw
wounds.
Tips of ears and tail can slough off.
Eventually the skin becomes hard and cracked making it prone to secondary bacterial
infection.
Prevention and Treatment
Tick control is the only effective preventative measure. Antibiotics are used to control secondary
bacterial infection. Anti-inflammatory drugs are also indicated to control inflammation.
Traditional Veterinary Methods
Activated charcoal (chin’ai) – used in cases of poisoning
Indigenous fruit (damba) – the sap can be used to treat eye infections
Muvengahonye/Muremberembe/Murunjurunju – wound treatment
Aloe (gavakava) – used to treat coccidial infections
Mubvamaropa – used to treat eye cataracts
Powdered snail shells (Hozhwa) – used to reat cataracts
Kusunga mhopo
Mutyora – used to treat bloat
Bloat also teated by cooking oil, opaque beer, vinegar
Summary
It is crucial for cattle producers to be able to easily identify common diseases that afflict their
herds. The issue of maintaining healthy animal presents another important challenge in beef
cattle production. This chapter has covered diseases that affect beef cattle leading to losses if
not managed effectively. The focus is on ensuring that the producer is able to identify the
disease, know the treatment options available and prevent future occurrence.
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