Clinical management protocol of an acute contagious bovine pleuropnuemonia in a 6- year-old Bunaji cow in Sakaru village of Soba local government area, Kaduna state, Nigeria

Abstract

The test and slaughter policy of the federal government of Nigeria on contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in cattle is no longer feasible because it lacked the political will as a result, farmers tend to treat their cattle of the disease most which has been ineffective. herefore, the quest for a supportive clinical management protocol for CBPP in cattle aimed at enabling the cow regain its body condition in order to allow the farmer sell the cow for slaughter at a profit was the aim of this case report. A 6-year-old Bunaji cow weighing 350kg with history of not feeding well, lagging behind during grazing, difficulty in breathing, intermittent cough and bloat was presented. Physical examination was carried out and differential diagnoses which included contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, mango choke, Pasteurellosis and tuberculosis were considered. After a careful scrutiny of the differentials, a tentative diagnosis of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia which was confirmed by the Latex agglutination test (LAT) was arrived at. A supportive clinical management protocol was instituted with the sole aim of enabling the cow regain its body condition in order to allow the farmer sell the cow for slaughter at a profit. The protocol involved isolation of the cow and administration of 20% tetracycline long acting through a combination of conventional (intra-muscular) and non-conventional (intra-venous) routes of administration along with an anti-inflammatory agent and an appetite stimulant. Six days after the commencement of therapy, the observed clinical signs subsided greatly and the cow became apparently healthy. The study showed that, the protocol of administering 20%
tetracycline long acting through a combination of conventional (intra-muscular) and nonconventional (intra-venous) routes along with an anti-inflammatory agent (dexamethasone) and an appetite stimulant (vit. B. complex) was effective and profitable to the farmer. The client was advised to sell the cow for slaughter after observing the 21- day withdrawal period of the drugs.