R. L.
KAURA
123
The saying ' Prevention is better than cure ' holds good in the control of
congenital bacterial infections for which the following general measures of
prevention are recommended, and they may advantageously be combined,
in the event of actual outbreaks, with the curative measures to be described
later under various diseases :—
1. Attention should be paid to the proper feeding and exercise of the herd
and sanitation of the premises, as these factors have a great influence on the
disease resistance of the herd and the production of healthy normal progeny.
2. The mating of parents with diseased sex organs should be avoided.
Cows with an abnormal vaginal discharge or sires with infected genitals or
temporarily sterile cows should not be used for breeding.
3. Cows should be dried six to eight weeks before they are likely to calve,
in order to give them a chance to recover their health and vitality for the next
parturition. They should be fed liberally on a well-balanced ration contain-
ing adequate proportions of minerals and vitamins. For the supply of the
former, 3 to 4 ounces of bone-meal should be mixed daily with the concentrate
ration to provide calcium and phosphorus. Small quantities of potassium
iodide should also be added to provide iodine and rock salt to lick ad libitum.
For the supply of vitamins green fodder should be provided throughout the
year, if possible, and when required 2-4 ounces of cod-liver oil may be added
daily to the concentrate ration just before feeding.
4. Cows should be prepared for calving by clipping hair from the hind
quarters and legs and by daily washing and cleaning the external genitals, tail,
and hind quarters with an antiseptic lotion (e.g. 1 in 1,000 solution of
potassium permanganate) for a few days before calving. When about to
calve the cow should be moved to a clean stall which has been thoroughly
disinfected previously.
5. The calf should be received on fresh and unsoiled straw and its umbili-
cal cord should be immediately ligatured with carbolized twine about half
an inch from the abdominal wall, cut with a sterilized pair of scissors and the
stump dressed with a tincture of iodine followed in a few minutes by an
application of Stockholm tar.
6. Every calf should be allowed the colostrum of its dam for at least a
few days. Colostrum is the most natural food for the calf, and is endowed
with laxative property. It is also rich in minerals and contains certain sub-
stances (antibodies) which act as a preventive against various infections.
7. When calves are weaned they should be fed often, but with small quan-
tities of milk at body heat. If they are fed with a large quantity of milk at
one time it forms a big clot in the stomach which causes gastric irritation.
If a calf is to be fed on separated milk instead of whole milk, this should not
be done until the calf is four weeks old and the change should be brought
about gradually. The cream that has been removed by the separator may
be substituted by giving 1-2 ounces of cod-liver oil daily.
8. The dam's udder and feeding utensils should be kept clean in order
to prevent infection taking place after birth through feeding. It is a good
practice to scald the utensils thoroughly after cleaning.
9. Regular exercise out-of-doors is essential for calves in order to keep
them fit and to prevent them from catching cold and pneumonia.