Chronic suppurative pneumonia (cattle)

CHRONIC SUPPURATIVE PULMONARY DISEASE

This is a common condition affecting cattle of all ages but particularly housed calves and adults. The main clinical signs are weight loss and coughing which may be present for a period of weeks or months and may have developed following one or more acute pneumonic episodes.

INCIDENCE

This was found to be one of the most common single respiratory conditions of adult cattle in a six year survey. Considerable losses also occur as a result of chronic suppurative pulmonary disease in intensively reared, housed calves; probably up to 50% of the losses are due to this disease.

AETIOLOGY

Chronic suppurative pulmonary disease is bacterial in origin but probably develops following either incomplete recovery from an acute pneumonia which may be viral or bacterial in origin or as a complication of a chronic pneumonia and bronchitis caused by mycoplasmas.

EPIDEMIOLOGY

This disease is particularly common in housed intensively reared calves and in adults but it occurs in cattle of all ages, both housed and at grass kept under beef and dairying systems. Animals with chronic suppurative pulmonary disease frequently develop an acute exacerbation following stress e.g. calving.

CLINICAL SIGNS

Typical cases are dull, thin and only intermittently fevered. Frequent, sometimes productive, coughing is present. Chest pain may be obvious at rest or occasionally detectable and sometimes even localised on percussion; during this procedure it is quite common to precipitate coughing although areas of dullness are rarely detectable. Affected calves sometimes have a mucoid nasal discharge, lose weight, have a variable appetite and frequently become pot-bellied.

DIAGNOSIS

Clinical signs - weight loss and coughing over several weeks with variable appetite, pyrexia and dullness. The post-mortem findings are characterisitic.

TREATMENT

In the main, these cases will show very little if any clinical response to antibiotic therapy although this may be required following an acute exacerbation in order to prolong the animal*s life. As chronic weight loss occurs it is best to cull affected individuals as soon as possible.

Return to cattle page