Cows, calves and veterinary

Spring Eczema

Edit 23/12
This photo was taken about a week later. She is healing well, with clear pink skin showing under the peeling layer. The white colouring is the zinc cream.
At times during the healing process the thick outer layer interfered with milking, but after the first few days (during which she was on an anti-inflammatory prescribed by the vet) she wasn't in a great deal of pain at milking time and I was able to hand-milk her on the rare occasion that the milking machine couldn't milk out a quarter.


Just when it looked as if the healing process was going to be uncomplicated, a few small scabby patches appeared at the tips of her ears and around her tail-head. These appeared static, until over the course of a couple of days the leathery skin on her ears spread and ripped, leaving her with only half an ear on each side. She may have got them caught in a fence or hedge.
The previous Jersey heifer I knew with Spring Eczema also lost her ears in the progress of the disease. That one had to be dried off, and literally half of her skin peeled off. When she was culled several months later she had healed and the new skin had a velvety soft fuzz, where the hair was growing in again. (Other cases of Spring Eczema I've seen have either been much milder, or have not involved extensive skin damage)


This is what her udder looks like now. The sores on her front teats are where the last of the thickened skin rolled and peeled off - they are healing quickly.


Please ignore the bad editing on the following image :-/
I took this series of shots of 38 last spring. On the basis of her behaviour, I decided she was suffering from Spring Eczema - however, she showed no other sign of the disease after that morning, and within three or four hours she was recovered enough to walk down the race and join her herd.
This spring, she has twice spent a milking rolling about "throwing a sicky", but shows no other symptoms between those episodes, and milks well. At the time 150 was affected I was suspicious of another three cows, including 38 who had just spent another milking on "sick leave". None of those cows have developed further obvious symptoms.


Spring Eczema, the search for the cause(s) continues, M G Collet This is the html version including an abstract that discusses potential causes of Spring Eczema.

Vet's newsletter explaining SE diagnosis - again, the html version
It’s spring eczema and colic season again! When faced with an irritable, kicky cow in the shed that is trying to lie down all the time, it is often difficult to tell the two apart.
SPRING ECZEMA
The exact cause of spring eczema is uncertain, but it is thought to be due to the liver being unable to process the huge amounts of chlorophyllin rapidly growing spring pasture. Chlorophyll in the blood stream reacts with sunlight to produce the sunburn-like symptoms. Sometimes certain toxic plants may also be involved. Although called ‘spring eczema’ it can be seen at other times of the year. Unlike facial eczema the liver is not necessary affected but previous liver damage certainly doesn’t help.
Signs of spring eczema can develop very quickly.
· Usually starts with the cow being irritable, walking around a lot, lying down a lot, kicking and stomping.
· Twitching, flicking of ears and tail.
· Off-colour, lethargic.
· Puffy red swollen eyes, ears, udder, feet.
· Reddened, flaky or scabby skin on white areas. (the white coloured areas on the coat are affected more severely).
· Thick and leathery skin, which is eventually shed leaving red inflamed tissue underneath. It is very important to provide affected animals with SHADE. Treating with anti-inflammatories and anti-histamines can help. Zinc ointment i.e. Filtabac is ESSENTIAL to help block out the effects of the sun and to help keep the teats and udder soft.

An explanation of Facial Eczema from RD1 - not the same as Spring Eczema, but similar appearance

posted by nellta holdings @ 4:55 PM