Clostridial Disease in Cattle Summary Points & Practice Tips

Dr. Roy Lewis, DVM

We need to vaccinate to prevent the multiple different ways cattle can get clostridial disease from scours to blackleg to tetanus. It is a relatively cheap vaccination and the need for routine vaccination is great and very cost effective. This article in point form explains much about clostridial disease in Canadian cattle both commercial and purebred. There are sill producers that let this vaccine lapse in their herds.

•Clostridial Vaccines offer good protection as long as one recognizes the need to booster vaccinate. Single vaccination with most clostridial vaccines does not provide adequate anti-toxin titres 2nd boost is definitely required. The protection is very high approaching 100%.

•Clostridium Hemolyticum (redwater) immunity only last 6 months but is much longer for the other clostridial diseases so is the limiting bacteria in clostridial vaccines.

•Clostridium Hemolyticum (redwater) is seen with much greater frequency in Alberta on the eastern slopes of the rockies and in areas of Manitoba where an increased incidence of liver flukes predispose to Redwater disease. Once see red urine 50% of blood cells destroyed so cattle are very anemic.

•Some producers now vaccinate just going onto pasture to insure immunity will last over the grazing season from clostridium hemoyticum. In highly endemic areas twice yearly vaccination is recommended.

•Tetanus is seen in outbreak form with banding of large calves when castrating such as yearling purebred bulls that don’t pass semen evaluations. In order to be fully protected calves must have a priming shot three to four weeks prior to banding of tetanus (available in some 8 way vaccines, Tasvax and Covexin plus). The booster shot is given at banding. I have seen several outbreaks from vaccinating calves right at castrating and them dying 3-4 weeks later from tetanus just as the scrotum is sloughing off.

•With clostridial vaccines I encourage producers to have proper handling maintaining the chain of refrigeration. Don’t use partially used containers or use expired product and agitiate the bacterin container before using it. Try and use clostridial vaccines that have a low dosage such as 2cc.

•Always have epinephrine available when processing in

Case Of Reactions

•Inside housed cattle are not protected from clostridial disease. Baled hay can have soil in it and any disturbed ground has the potential to expose cattle to clostridial spores.

•I see expensive bulls insured that die of clostridial disease so boostering them at semen evaluation time is a good idea. Bulls often are neglected in our vaccination protocols.

•The Clostridial Perfringens organisms are one of the groups of bacteria we see in neonatal scours. All of the scours vaccines have protection for Perfringens D. One has coverage for C& D. With C & D protection you get cross coverage for B. We are protecting for the toxins these organisms produce . Talk to your veterinarian about the specific scours vaccine you use. It will also be based on timing of when in your management scheme you vaccinate.

•Novyi Type B (Black Disease) Concurrent infection with fasciola (liver flukes). Control flukes if in the area and the same with hemolyticum.

•Clostridial organisms can vary across the country so keep in mind where your cattle are pasturing. IE vaccination with a clostridial vaccine absent of clos hemolyticum and then pastured on the eastern slopes of the Rockies you are asking for trouble.

•In my eyes that is why it is imperative to do postmortems on all sudden deaths in all species of production animals. Ruling in or out clostridial disease, anthrax, pneumonia toxins all determine course of preventative treatment for the herd.

•Similar to Anthrax with clostridial spores surviving many decades we as veterinarians should be more proactive in encouraging quick removal and disposal from the pasture or pen. If we don’t over time contamination becomes worse and in severe cases can overwhelm even vaccination protection.

•All prostaglandins (estrumate etc) have as a warning, injections may be prone to set up clostridial disease so any cows on any sort of synchronization program are susceptible if not vaccinated. Keep cows both up to date in their vaccinations yearly. Show cattle especially sometimes slip through the cracks on vaccinations because they are away at the time or the owner doesn’t want to risk vaccination swelling.

•As a final point lets all try and insure we all vaccinate our cattles for the appropriate clostridial diseases including scour vaccinations for the enteric clostridium perfringens organisms. Clostridial vaccines are still the cheapest vaccines on the market providing broad coverage are very effective and yet we still we all see outbreaks every year unfortunately.

•When clostridial disease hits the death toll can be high and if on pasture. difficult to round up for vaccination so preventative vaccination is a must. Your veterinarian is the best one to know what clostridial organisms you specifically need in your geographic area and which vaccination protocols are best and the best timing for the vaccinations.