Anaplasmosis

 Throughout the summer we had several cows die in seemingly unrelated ways. Two died in late July in two separate pastures.  One was 9 years old, and another was 10.  The life span of a cow can be 15 years old.  I've heard of steers getting into their 20s if they were treated like a pet. Though My dad has typically sold them as cull (to slaughter for hamburger) around the age of 11 or 12.  The first of the July deaths we simply found a cow dead in the pasture with no obvious reason.  A week later cow #649 had gotten foot rot, so was lame.  She seemed really weak and immediately pretty irritable. Covered in flies as well.  Pitifully she would get easily into fight mode and try to charge but then her legs would give out and she'd crumple beneath whoever she was charging at.  After getting her sprayed for flies and bringing in a tractor and a lot of patience we got her up into a small pen.  Fed and watered her, gave her an antibiotic shot, but yet sadly she died two days later.  

Then in August another in the North pasture this time died. #728  who was 8 years old. I had first received a call from the semi-retired neighbors who lived across the road from this pasture. He kindly noticed a cow who was starting to isolate from the rest of the herd and wanted to let me know. When I went to check her to bring her home she was really weak and standing in the water hole. I chased her out, but I could tell she wanted to run back in, so I was keeping to that side of her trying to get her up to the pen so I could get her in the trailer. She would walk a ways, then lay down for several minutes. I'd have to wait for her to recover, then she'd walk a little more after flopping down again.  I decided to surround her with the pickup and trailer and panels, then try to load her up.  But once I got the pickup beside her and I started to unload panels out she, surprisingly took off running.  She wasn't doing more than a slow walk before that.  She took off straight for the water hole and went toward the middle where a couple other cows had gathered. I ran back to the truck to try to get it closer and maybe try to chase her out again. But by the time I got back she was gone.  I walked through the whole herd and couldn't find her.  My eyes then scanned back to the water and immediately I knew what happened.  She had drowned herself and was beneath the waterline.  Super discouraging.  I got a video the next day of pulling her floating carcass out of the water hole in my waders, but I'll spare you from that video.  It wasn't pleasant.   

Later in August another died at the West pasture, an 8 year old.  Then here in September another two died mysteriously at the home pasture, both 9 years old.  

This wasn't a good trend.  

I asked dad if this was normal and he said, "Maybe one or two a summer, but not like this, not this many. You can get an autopsy but you have to get the vet there the day they die or else the decay process makes it too inconclusive."  

There wasn't obvious exposure from one cow to another as it was just one over here, or two over there.  Didn't seem to be a particular pasture or water source.  No obvious wounds or lesions.  They all seemed to be odd, disconnected deaths. 

Then last Saturday we were moving cows from one pasture to another and I saw a cow, #646 start to show signs similar to that first one mentioned above. She was isolating from the herd, weak, fever-ish, irritable, disoriented.  I decided to let her hold back to point her out to my dad.  He wisely switched to the 4-wheeler with the best metal frame to try to push her up. He has managed to damage the more plastic-y ATVs when working with cows who decide to push back.  I tried to help my dad on foot and that cow came right for me.  I ducked behind an old pickup trailer to avoid getting run over. I decided I wasn't much use of foot so I ran back for the antibiotic dart gun and either the small Allis tractor or the skid loader to help push her.  Allis didn't start, so skid loader it is. As I got back to where my dad was trying to push her I swung in front of her to try to cut her off.  She saw a irritant thought she could take it. I got the bucket up just high enough so I didn't have an angry sick cow jumping in my lap. As expected she lowered her head and charged right at the bucket, knocked it pretty hard and promptly laid down.  Welp.  Guess we aren't going to get her back with the herd. We had a couple high school boys helping and they thought that was the wildest thing. From about that spot we tried taking her food and water over the next couple days. Unfortunately she too succumbed to this mysterious infirmity. I started recording some of trying to take care of her.  So I'll let the video tell the rest of it.  

After this one my dad and I decided it was time to talk to the vet.  Later that afternoon the vet drove out and got a blood sample.  As he was drawing the blood out with a needle I could see the blood was not normal.  It looked like it was a dark red water.  He held it up and said, "See this, I'll run it in the lab, but this looks like Anaplasmosis.  It's spread by blood, usually flies, and ticks, but also needles if giving shots. This blood looks like this because it has nearly no red blood cells in it, there's a protozoan that is carried by ticks and flies that latches onto the red blood cell, it tricks the body into thinking its foreign and attacking it. Most young cows can fight it off okay, but once a cow is 5-6 years old they are more susceptible". Welp there was our answer. We then talked next steps: daily checking the herd, especially the older cows, and the antibiotic dose needs to be 5ml per 100 weight.  Which is nearly 7 or 8 times the dose I had been giving, so I if I don't want to load up 7 darts we'll need to catch her or walk up and administer it.  There is also a mineral additive we had add herd wide that helps the cows fight it.  He told me this protozoan has recently come to our area in the last 2-3 years and has been affecting herds. 

Losing a cow is really hard, there's certainly a financially element to it as every cow matters with the current prices.  But even more so its the weight of stewardship, a sense of fail this animal. But trying to learn from each time to take the best care I can of the rest. 

Last couple days Baron and I are keeping a closer eye and driving through them at least once a day.  Especially watching the older cows.  It's good to have an answer for the mysterious deaths as well as knowing the signs to look for.  Here's a good article on the disease if you're interested in going deeper.

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/circulatory-system/blood-parasites/anaplasmosis-in-ruminants