Dr Johan Naudé jr spoke to the Herald about what to do when your cow develops gall sickness as well as other sicknesses that affect both domestic and wild animals.
When the Herald arrived at the Randfontein Animal Hospital on Tuesday, 2 May the father and son duo (Dr Naudé jr and snr) were diagnosing a cow that died upon arrival at their animal hospital. The cow belonged to Willie Gonsalves, a well-known sportsman in Randfontein.
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Gonsalves carted the cow to the animal hospital after it became sick and was yellow in areas not covered by its fur.
Unfortunately the hospital visit was too late for the cow and Naudé jr took blood samples from it which revealed a blood parasite that causes gall sickness.
Naudé said the parasite is similar to tick fever. He said when a cow has it, it’s anus as well as around it’s ears and gums become yellow. He explained the ideal colour for these should be pink.
He said the parasite like tick fever is spread through a bite from a tick and cannot be spread from cow to cow unless both are bitten.
He said the condition can be treated with terramycin which is an animal antibiotic but during the early stages of the illness.
Read the full article in the Herald‘s Farmers Page edition at the end of the month.
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