Tetanus, ‘blood poisoning' and sudden death syndrome in beef cattle
These fatal clostridial diseases are bacterial infections entering the body by ingestion, or through wound contamination.
Disease is often triggered by a sudden change in diet (often from low to high-quality feed), or following an injury. Certain husbandry procedures e.g. docking, poor hygiene or compromised animal handling can also be predisposing factors.
In the case of clostridial diseases, prevention through vaccine is better than cure, as the latter is rarely successful. Death is usually certain, and often sudden (except tetanus).
Over the years, the standard clostridial 5-in-1 vaccines have given, and still give excellent cost-effective protection against tetanus and ‘blood poisoning' (blackleg, black disease, pulpy kidney and malignant oedema).
However, sudden death syndrome (Clostridium sordellii), although rare, is not covered by the use of the standard 5-in-1 vaccines. Vaccines such as Ultravac 6-in-1 and Covexin 10 provide protection against all of the above diseases. Covexin 10 also covers another four clostridial species.
The vaccines are very cost-effective. Which vaccine you use can be likened to an insurance policy. The decision on which policy (or vaccine) to choose comes down to the level of the premium (vaccine cost), the value of the animal and the level of risk. Generally, rapidly-growing cattle on a high level of nutrition are most at risk. On the other hand, beef cows on stalky pasture would be least at risk.
If there is no history of previous vaccination, two vaccinations should be administered 4-6 weeks apart. The booster should be given two weeks prior to the risk period e.g. before grazing a crop, docking, or calving. Vaccinating the cows pre-calving will give maximum clostridial protection to their calves for up to 12 weeks of age. After this, calves require two vaccinations 4-6 weeks apart.
An annual booster should be given to all cattle thereafter to provide ongoing protection.
Please feel free to consult a Totally Vets veterinarian if you have any questions.
