Is this a parasite?

ZETOR_IS_BETTER

I had my doubts about some performance of some of my bullocks in terms of weight gain, so I was watching them today for coughing, loose dungs, and runny nose etc..

Anyway I watched one bullock go for a number 2 :eek: today and while the dung was solid I noticed this in the dung. Is it a stomach/intestine worm or nothing at all? What ever it was it wasn't moving when I found it.




And when I put water on it, this is what is looks like (not the green spike ). They got a dose for the usual stomach worms, lice, lung worm etc. They are not coughing and there is no discharge from the nose.

Capercaillie

Looks like lining of rectum/large intestines. Probably a dose of coccidiosis.

ZETOR_IS_BETTER

Capercaillie wrote: »

Looks like lining of rectum/large intestines. Probably a dose of coccidiosis.

Excuse my ignorance on the subject but is this something I need to treat for or is it one of these things that an animal will get through?

tanko

You need to treat it, coccidiosis can kill an animal. Your vet will tell you what to do.

greysides

http://www.fwi.co.uk/news/coccidiosis-in-calves.htm

White Clover

If they have cocci they are very sick.

pedigree 6

White Clover wrote: »

If they have cocci they are very sick.

Too much nitrogen in grass (excess protein in diet) can do the same thing.
But not likely in youngstock really only adult stock.
But at this time of the year i'd go with the coccidiosis.

ZETOR_IS_BETTER

pedigree 6 wrote: »

Too much nitrogen in grass (excess protein in diet) can do the same thing.
But not likely in youngstock really only adult stock.
But at this time of the year i'd go with the coccidiosis.

Interesting you should say that about excess protein. These lads are on high amount of crimp barley. I'm balancing the diet with mineral 20g/100kg live weight. The one I spotted has no diarrhea.

pedigree 6

ZETOR_IS_BETTER wrote: »

Interesting you should say that about excess protein. These lads are on high amount of crimp barley. I'm balancing the diet with mineral 20g/100kg live weight. The one I spotted has no diarrhea.

I said that because I had a problem with the cows in late august where I was spreading the nitrogen too close to grazing and I had a big problem of high milk urea (in the 40's). That's caused by their diet being too high in protein and I saw one cow put out the same thing you have in the picture. I thought it was a worm first until I had a look at it. Two different cows came bulling later on because of it too. Lesson learnt spread after grazing. You could see burnt patches of grass in the field where they were after urinating (like sprayed with roundup). You wouldn't know from the grass until the next round of grazing and then you would see burnt grass. It cuts the body out of them (cows anyway).

greysides

pedigree 6 wrote: »

...That's caused by their diet being too high in protein and I saw one cow put out the same thing you have in the picture. I thought it was a worm first until I had a look at it.

The association may not be a direct one. The metabolic stress may have predisposed your cow to losing some of its immunity to coccidiosis which may have been the reason for the mucus/intestinal cast.

The first picture looks like mucus to me, the second more like the lining of the rectum/intestine (cast). Either could be due to coccidiosis. Given the OP is concerned about the performance of his animals, coccidiosis fits that scenario too.

However, while we may discuss this here the obvious limitations of what we can determine remotely mean that it would be a subject best dealt with by discussion with his own vet.

tanko

Any animal I've had with coccidiosis had a watery scour with blood in it.
Is it possible for an animal to have solid dung and have coccidiosis?

greysides

tanko wrote: »

Any animal I've had with coccidiosis had a watery scour with blood in it.
Is it possible for an animal to have solid dung and have coccidiosis?

I think so, where a previously immune animal has a breakdown in its immunity.

pedigree 6

greysides wrote: »

The association may not be a direct one. The metabolic stress may have predisposed your cow to losing some of its immunity to coccidiosis which may have been the reason for the mucus/intestinal cast.

The first picture looks like mucus to me, the second more like the lining of the rectum/intestine (cast). Either could be due to coccidiosis. Given the OP is concerned about the performance of his animals, coccidiosis fits that scenario too.

However, while we may discuss this here the obvious limitations of what we can determine remotely mean that it would be a subject best dealt with by discussion with his own vet.

Yea but like tanko said the cow didn't have a scour. So I reduced the protein in their diet and got it under control. That cow is in calf and in good condition and dung is ok. Very/too high urea in their system must cut the lining in their guts (definitely weaken anyway). Only one way out.

Anyway all speculation here. Best deal with someone on the ground.