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What all are the essential vaccinations required for my cattle?


There are many cattle diseases in our country that cause severe economic losses due to drastic reduction in the production capacity. Some of the diseases are even highly fatal. It causes serious adverse effects like abortion, diarrhoea, and respiratory disease.


Vaccinating your cattle with proper record management helps ensure the desirable growth of the cattle. Vaccination on time makes sure the cattle are healthy and ready to fight against deadly infections and diseases.


At a commercial dairy farm not vaccinating the cattle may result in lower productivity of milk due to regular health issues faced by the cattle.


Vaccination on time addresses major diseases. Some of the common diseases and their symptoms are as follows:


1. Anthrax (Splenic Fever)

Mode:

By ingestion of contaminated feed and fodder with spores of the bacteria.

Symptoms:

  • Bloody discharge from mouth and nostril

  • Blood-stained diarrhoea

  • Sudden rise in temperature and death

2. Black Quarter (BQ)

Mode:

By ingestion of contaminated food and water.

Symptoms:

  • Painful swelling in muscles of hindquarters or forelimbs

  • High temperature

3. Brucellosis (Bang’s Disease)

Mode:

By ingestion of contaminated food and water and by contact with diseased animals

Symptoms:

  • Abortion during the last stage of pregnancy.


4. Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (HS)

Mode:

By ingestion of contaminated food and water and by contact with diseased animals

Symptoms:

  • High fever

  • Swollen head, throat, dewlap, and neck.

  • The tongue is swollen and protruded outside and salivation

5. Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)

Mode:

By ingestion of infected feed and water.

Symptoms:

  • Rise in temperature

  • Vesicles on mouth, feet, udder, and teats.

  • Foot le


6. Theileria

Mode:

By the bite of infected ticks

Symptoms:

  • Fever, anaemia, pale or yellow whites of eyes (Jaundice)


7. Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR)

Mode:

From respiratory secretions of infected cattle, semen of infected bulls.

Symptoms:

  • Fever, coughing and nasal discharge

  • Acute inflammation of the upper respiratory tract.


8. Mastitis

Mode:

By microorganisms gaining access into the udder through the teat canal

Symptoms:

  • Swelling of udder

  • Production of clotted milk

  • High fever


9. Ketosis

Mode:

Due to disturbance in carbohydrate metabolism (Results in accumulation of ketone bodies)

Symptoms:

  • Loss of appetite

  • Reduced rumen activity

  • Discharges from eyes and nostrils

  • Sudden loss of body weight


10. Milk Fever

Mode:

(Hypocalcaemia) Due to acute fall in blood calcium and magnesium levels

Symptoms:

  • Loss of appetite

  • Constipation, restlessness

  • Unsteadiness in movement


11. Bloat

Mode:

Due to the accumulation of gas and foam in the rumen (due to feeding of excess leguminous fodders)

Symptoms:

  • Distension of the left side in front of the hip bone.

  • Followed by distension of right side, protrusion of anus, respiratory distress



Fortunately, vaccines are available for most of these diseases in our country and can be easily controlled if timely and regular vaccination is carried out. It is usually less expensive to prevent than treat a disease.


Also, it is very important to maintain a record related to vaccination upcoming schedule and held date. In major cases, farmers tend to forget the date of their cattle to be vaccinated and face losses either as cattle death or lower productivity due to health-related problems.


It is advisable to use dairy farm management apps that will help to maintain the vaccination record of the cattle, also the platform will notify through notification and message alert about the upcoming vaccination date of the cattle.


This way cattle management will be easier for the farmer and cattle’s health as it will be timely vaccinated to curb fatal diseases.


These applications have an easy and localized user interface for the farmers to enter and keep the track of their farm-related data and upcoming activities.


When it comes to Vaccination proper planning and schedule is a must. Successful dairy farmers plan them before the cattle’s birth as they know the importance of not missing the vaccination date of their cattle.


Thus, dairy farm management apps also have a provision for the Vets, Para Vets or Vaccination Workers to record the vaccination-related record of the cattle and receive notifications about their upcoming dates.


This way the chances of missing the cattle’s vaccination date will be minimized and there fewer chances of the cattle catching a disease or getting infected.



Here is the list of respective diseases and their Vaccination schedule for your reference:



Sl. No

Name of Disease

Age of first dose vaccination

Booster dose

Frequency of Subsequent dose

01

Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)

4 months and above

1 month after first dose

Every 6 months

​02

Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (HS)

6 months and above

-

Annually in endemic areas

03

Black Quarter (BQ)

6 months and above

-

Annually in endemic areas

04

Brucellosis

4-8 months of age (Only female calves)

-

Once in a lifetime

05

Theileriosis

3 months of age and above

-

​Once in a lifetime. Only required for crossbred and exotic cattle.

06

Anthrax

4 months and above

-

Annually in endemic areas

07

IBR

​3 months and above

1 month after first dose

​Every 6 months (vaccine presently not produced in India)

08

Rabies (Post bite therapy only)

Immediately after suspected bite

4th day

7,14,28 and 90 (optional) days after first dose




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