Deer Vet
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Australia
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1 |
I have a
7 month old Rusa female. I have raised her from day one, she's my
mate, she frets when I'm not near |
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never leaves my side. In the last week she has gone blind, blue smoky
look in the eyes, her eyes have a bad odour to them. Dolly (the deer)
has a dry discharge coming from her nose hindering her breathing. I
have tried to keep her nose and eyes clean but to no avail. Dolly has
lost her appetite, drinks very little - maybe due to her not being able to
breathe properly.
Approximately 2 months ago Dolly jumped out of a moving float, hitting the
bitumen road. She damaged her hip and pelvis, giving her cuts and
grazes but no head injuries. Dolly was taken to the chiropractor three
times to put her back in alignment. She was back to normal, running,
eating, drinking well after 5 weeks. It has been 3 weeks since her
last appointment and she has developed the above symptoms in the last week.
Could the accident be a contributing factor to her condition or is it
something she has eaten, or is it symptomatic of deer? Dolly is my
baby, can you HELP . . . PLEASE. |
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I am very
much afraid that Dolly has malignant catarrhal fever (MCF), which is caused
by a virus which is carried by sheep. Are there any sheep in the
vicinity, or has someone who handles sheep been in contact with Dolly?
Rusa deer are particularly susceptible to MCF, and the blindness is a
classical sign. There is no easy way to tell you that MCG is
invariably fatal, which is rotten luck for you and for Dolly. The
accident is not likely to be a direct cause but MCF can be precipitated by
stress so maybe there is a connection. I wish I had better news for
you. |
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2a
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Re: Fusobacterium Necrophorum: Now that CSL no longer makes the FRA
vaccine for this bacteria, could you recommend a suitable replacement? |
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Fusobacterium infections have been something of a problem for fallow deer
farmers in some areas. The old FRA vaccine was quite widely used, with
anecdotal stories about its positive protective effects. I am not sure that
any proper trial was ever conducted though. Since FRA went off the market I
have heard about Volar being used with similar alleged benefits, but again I
am not aware of any work being done to prove that this is so. In the
meantime I am sure that it will continue to be used, and if anyone knows of
a study that supports its use I am sure they will tell us about it.
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2b |
I contacted Bayer Australia and received the following reply:
“Volar was manufactured by Bayer in the USA and |
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sold there and in some other
countries. It was evaluated for Australia some years ago and it was found
that the product could not be imported due to quarantine regulations. In
the meantime manufacture has been discontinued by Bayer in the USA.“. I
heard about Volar from fellows in New Zealand and as per your reports, they
were using it with excellent results. However it looks as if we miss out. "Fusogard"
is made by RXV Products in the U.S. and appears to be exactly what the Vet
ordered, but trying to get it shipped over here would be next to
impossible. What do sheep farmers do, to vaccinate against these bacteria?
This is the 1st year I have knowingly suffered any losses from
Fuso. I have only lost 2 fawns so far due to the fact that I picked it up
early on & treated with Penicillin and Terramycin. I have had at least 12
with it and symptoms range from drooling saliva from mouth with foul
smelling breath, swollen and enlarged umbilical cord, lethargic &
uncoordinated walk, followed shortly after (12hrs) by death. I have on 3
occasions yarded all does and fawns and done blanket treatments of the above
on all fawns. However, it is very risky yarding young fawns, and have
probably been lucky to get away with it. Speaking to others that have had
severe losses (up to 50% mortality) it’s a wonder that something has not
been done or that something is not readily available? |
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From the information you have obtained it seems that there is currently no
Fuso vaccine available in Australia – nor, I suspect, is there likely to be
in the foreseeable future, given the small demand. It is not a problem for
the sheep industry. It is certainly a dilemma for fallow deer farmers who
get hit with this problem. Early antibiotic treatment can save lives, but
as you say, yarding small fawns is really not a good option. I have to be
honest and say that there is really no preventive measure that you can take
that will make a great deal of difference at the moment.
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3
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We have about 1,800 head, every other day 1 or 2 animals die. Earlier we
had some trypnosoma problem. We have solved that problem. Now our deer die
due to pasteurella multocida. What suggestions do you have to overcome this
problem? We would appreciate it if you could please help us.
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This organism is very quick to take advantage of stressed animals -
parasites, rough weather, social stresses (overcrowding etc), poor
nutrition. You may be able to use antibiotics and an autogenous vaccine to
get out of trouble, but reducing the husbandry and other stresses imposed
upon the herd is the best long term approach.
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4 |
Can you explain a bit more about necrabacilosis (lumpy jaw, foot rot, etc)?
Other than overcrowding can one |
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generally say it is caused by herd
mismanagement? Does a foot lesion have to be present for it to take hold as
foot rot? Why do newly weaned fawns seem so susceptible to this problem?
Can necrabacilosis actually be treated and cured, or does it lay dormant in
the animal until a new stress comes along such as fawning, farm to farm
movement, etc? What is the recommended best treatment for animals that show
these symptoms in the foot or neck or face? |
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Necrobacillosis has been a disease of some concern to fallow deer farmers,
causing significant losses in young deer on some farms. The organism
Fusobacterium necrophorum is a great opportunist, and can be a problem for
many species of animals, including free-living wildlife. Certainly many
severe outbreaks are linked directly to poor husbandry and poor hygiene -
this is often so with hand reared cattle calves in poor conditions. With
farmed fallow deer this is not usually such an obvious contributing factor,
although it could be in some cases where young deer are overstocked and
underfed. It may often be that there are high levels of contamination in
the environment and the bacteria enter through small wounds in the mouth or
feet. Many young fawns die quite quickly from septicaemia, without showing
lameness or any other specific signs of infection. Some die with brain
infection - easily detected by a necropsy. Newly weaned fawns are under
stress and so would tend to be more susceptible at that time - especially in
the face of heavy environmental contamination. Early cases can be treated
successfully with antibiotics, but many die too quickly to be able to treat
them. Any broad-spectrum antibiotic is usually OK - eg trimethoprin
complex. There was a vaccine available for a time, and there was work to
develop a new one - it may be available where you are. Ask a local
veterinarian.
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International |
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1
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How is the current outbreak(s) of chronic wasting disease (the prion TSE) in
the US and Canadian elk herds playing out in Australia? Is there concern?
Should the disease be OIE Listed? Have you developed import policy for
animals and semen/embryos? |
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Chronic Wasting Disease of Elk is not present in Australia and very strict
protocols are in place to import genetic material from North America to
Australia to prevent its entry. With these protocols in place the chance of
transmission to Australia is very low. (Without full reference - I believe
live animals are banned from importation). If not already on the OIE list
it should be listed ASAP. |
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2 |
I have some questions regarding Actinomycosis, as we have found it in our
herd. Let me give you some |
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background before my questions. 3 weeks ago we
noticed that one of our does (3 years old) had a bit of swelling on her jaw
and that she was also drooling quite steadily. We called our local vet, who
came to examine her. He observed that the infection was in her jawbone and
was able to take a sample of the infection and a tooth that was in the
infected area. He needed no tools to take out the tooth, it just came out
in his hand. The sample was sent to the university lab and the results came
back that it was Actinomycosis. While we had the doe in the squeeze, we
treated her with an I.V. drip of Sodium Iodine and Nuflor under the skin in
the neck. We have since had the vet back to treat another doe with
swelling of the jaw (same treatment as first) but she did not have any open
lesions so we were unable to take a sample from her. Now we are observing a
doe that seems to have to breathe only through her mouth and another who has
a small swollen area on her jaw. These last two we where able to get a
sample on are in the same pasture as the first.
Now for my questions: |
2a
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In the case of our first deer we were able to take the sample on, for the
jaw to be in such poor shape (in the bone) how long would this doe had to
have had this bacteria in her system? |
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By the time the bone is as damaged as you describe the infection would have
been present for many weeks and possibly months. This is certainly the case
with cattle and I have no reason to think that deer will differ very much.
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2b
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Would it be beneficial to do the treatment mentioned above on all our
adult deer as a preventative measure and if so should our fawns also be
treated? |
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I do not believe that preventative treatment along the lines you ask about
has ever been used in this condition, nor do I think that it would be
worthwhile. The organism is present in the environment, and so will always
pose a risk of infection. |
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2c |
What is the current data on how often this re-occurs in the same animal
after it has be treated for this problem? |
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It would be very common for the condition to recur in treated animals, given
the way that it lurks in bones. |
2d
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What is your opinion on whether or not an animal found with this problem
should be put down, as in the case of our first case mentioned? |
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Severe cases with extensive damage to, bones, loose teeth etc should be put
down on welfare grounds. Prompt early treatment stands the best chance of
success, while the infection is still largely in soft tissues. |
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2e |
How contagious are these bacteria? |
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As I said above the organism lives in the environment and so animals are
exposed all the time. Just why certain individuals develop a problem is not
truly understood. It is certainly far more common in cattle than in deer in
this country, so just why you are having this problem is a little hard for
me to understand. |
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Thank you for your time on the matter. I hope to hear from you soon as
time is of the essence. We are trying to get a handle on this as fast as
possible. |
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You are certainly having a difficult time with this problem, and I can
understand how worried you are. I can only answer your questions in
relation to what I see here, and conditions may be different in Canada. I
have copied this to my colleague Jerry Haigh in Saskatoon for his insights.
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3a |
Do the deer in Indiana have deer fever this year?
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I am not sure what you mean by "deer fever"- it is not a term we use down
here. Why not ask the local USDA people? |
3b
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It is suppose to be some kind of fever that the deer is getting and when
you kill them you are not suppose to eat them . This is all I know about it.
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I think you are referring to Lyme disease, which is transmitted to deer by
ticks. I am not able to tell you from down here what your local situation
is, but you should be able to ask your USDA office. |
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4 |
I am from Hookstown Pennsylvania, a small country town. We are having a
problem with many deer dying to the |
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blue tongue disease. I spoke to a game commissioner today and
the count is up to 90+ deer found dead. They are saying nothing can be done,
we have to wait to the first frost. They are addressing the wild deer, but
what about our penned deer? Is there anything I can put on my deer to repel
the midge that is causing this disease? If she contracts this disease, can
anything be done for her? |
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The disease EHD is caused by a virus closely related to bluetongue and there
really is no specific treatment. Neither is it possible to prevent all
access by biting insects. It is a bit of a lottery. |
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5 |
I am a whitetail deer farmer. I have approximately 140 whitetail in
a 250acre high fence area (80% in hard |
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woods and the other in food plots). I feed free choice
17%protein pellets. Two weeks ago I found a 2 day old buck fawn weak
and dying. I took the fawn to my vet and the fawn's condition improved
after being administered IV's. The next day he developed severe
diarrhoea and died 6 hrs later. An autopsy showed the fawn's stomach
was lined with tumours. There was no evidence that the fawn had had
his mother's colostrum. Later, after a more in depth examination and
testing, the fawn was found to have had SALMONELLA. Can you please
give me any information that could have caused this to show up in the fawn? |
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Salmonellosis is a disease that occurs from time to time in all livestock,
including farmed deer. In some outbreaks there can be quite high
mortalities. It is usually associated with some type of stress, but in
sporadic cases this may not always be easy to pin down. It would be useful
to know what type of salmonella organism was isolated, to sort out where it
might have come from. Some strains are carried by waterfowl and other
wildlife. Your reference to tumours in the stomach is intriguing - this is
not something linked to salmonellosis.
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6 |
I have had several adult deer with what appears to be a lump of hard bone,
on the jaw. 2 does that died were |
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taken to the state lab where they
isolated actinomyces bovis. MI State Diagnostic Lab has referred to these
growths as osteomas. I had one mature buck with this last fall which the
vet treated with long acting penicillin - but I see no change. He is still
healthy, but now with growths on both sides of the jaw. I also have a few
other does that appear to be starting some growth. Any idea as to what this
may be, and how to treat it? I have a squeeze that I can use to apply any
medication needed.
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Ray, your animals are suffering from actinomycosis, which is called "lumpy
jaw" by Australian cattlemen. I am not sure if this term is used in the
States. It is a fairly common condition in cattle, and is much less
commonly reported in deer. However, when it does occur in deer it is
identical to the cattle disease. The most common lesions are found in the
bones of the face and jaw, with eventual destruction of the bones. In some
animals there may be soft tissue lesions in the throat or stomachs, which
can cause various gastrointestina symptoms - recurrent bloat, indigestion
etc. This is not an easy condition to treat because the bones are so badly
damaged, and advanced cases usually require euthanasia on animal welfare
grounds. Early cases can be treated by a veterinarian, with some degree of
success. However, the condition can flare up again after an apparently
successful treatment. It seems that parts of your farm may have a high
level of contamination with the A. bovis. Animals with discharging sinuses
are the main source of environmental contamination with the organism, and
this can lead to problems if they share feed troughs etc with healthy deer.
It is my strong suggestion that you cull all affected deer now, rather than
waiting for the problem to advance to the stage where you will be forced to
cull them anyway. It would make sense to find a local veterinarian who is
familiar with the condition in cattle. Talk to him/her about early
treatment of any new cases, which you might have.
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