A Detailed Guide to Common Diseases of Yellow Cattle and Their Prevention and Treatment Methods

Yellow cattle are an indigenous ordinary cattle breed of China. Their number raised in China ranks first among all large livestock or among cattle, and the raising areas cover almost the whole country. In farming areas they are mainly used for draft, in semi-farming and semi-pastoral areas for both draft and milk, and in pastoral areas for both milk and meat. In body shape and performance they differ due to different natural environments and raising conditions and can be divided into 3 major types: northern yellow cattle, Central Plains yellow cattle and southern yellow cattle. The coat of yellow cattle is mostly yellow, which may be how the breed got its name, but there are also red-brown and black ones. The head is slightly heavy, the horn shape varies, and the horn base is round. The constitution is sturdy, the build compact, the muscles well developed, the limbs strong, and the hooves solid. There are about 25 breeds of yellow cattle in China, and the top five are: Nanyang cattle, Qinchuan cattle, Luxi cattle, Yanbian cattle and Jinnan cattle, collectively known as China's five fine breeds of yellow cattle.

Common disease 1 of yellow cattle:  bronchitis, pneumonia 

Symptoms: The affected cattle cough obviously in the morning and evening, have clear nasal discharge, difficulty breathing, and body temperature rising to 40°C. 

Prevention and treatment: Strengthen cold protection and warmth keeping, and provide careful feeding and management. Medicinally use penicillin 3 to 6 million units, streptomycin 1.5 to 2 million units, and aminopyrine 20 to 30 ml by intramuscular injection; perilla, schizonepeta, peucedanum, saposhnikovia, platycodon, phellodendron, ephedra and ginger 30 g each, codonopsis and astragalus 40 g each, and licorice 20 g, decocted in water and taken orally, for 2 to 3 doses. 

Common disease 2 of yellow cattle: hypothermia 

Symptoms: Caused by invasion of a cold wave. The affected cattle are poor in spirit and reduced in appetite, have difficulty standing up and lying down, and the ears, nose and even the whole body are icy cold, with body temperature below 36°C, and they often die of exhaustion. 

Prevention and treatment: Supply high-quality, easily digestible feed and strengthen cold protection and warmth keeping, while intravenously injecting 5‰ to 20‰ glucose solution 1500 to 2000 ml, intramuscularly injecting 10% camphor sulfonic acid 10 to 20 ml, and in combination with Chinese herbs prepared as follows: processed aconite 60 g, dried ginger and honey-fried licorice 40 g each, ground into powder, mixed with boiling water, taken orally once when slightly warm, for 2 to 3 days. 

Common disease 3 of yellow cattle:  omasum dryness 

Symptoms: The affected cattle are listless, the nasal mirror is dry and cracked, the feces are like millet, there is abdominal pain, and rumination stops. 

Prevention and treatment: Strengthen feeding and management, feed green fodder as a supplement, provide sufficient drinking water, and increase exercise. Medicinally use sodium sulfate 500 g, mixed with water 500 ml, taken orally once; or use white sugar and honey 250 g, mixed with water 500 ml, taken orally once, while injecting 30% sodium sulfate solution 400 ml into the omasum. 

Common disease 4 of yellow cattle:  rheumatism 

Symptoms: The affected cattle have a stiff hindquarters, difficulty standing up and lying down, and reduced appetite.

Treatment can use hot compress method: take black beans 15 kg, vinegar 0.5 kg, and 1 flour bag; stir-fry the beans until hot, add vinegar and mix well, put them into the flour bag while hot and lay it flat on the affected cattle's back for hot compress for 1 hour, apply 2 times a day, for 3 consecutive days. At the same time, taking fennel powder orally gives a better effect. 

Common disease 5 of yellow cattle:  forestomach atony 

Symptoms: The affected cattle's appetite is sometimes good and sometimes bad, and rumination weakens or stops.

During treatment, give the sick cattle intravenous injection of 10% sodium chloride 300 to 500 ml, vitamin B1 30 to 50 ml, and 10% caffeine sodium benzoate 10 to 20 ml, once a day; at the same time take codonopsis, atractylodes, tangerine peel, poria, costus 30 g each, malt, hawthorn, medicated leaven 60 g each, and areca 20 g, decocted in water and taken orally.   

Common disease 6 of yellow cattle: acute rumen bloating   

Symptoms: Caused by eating too much cabbage leaf and sweet potato vine, leading to rapid fermentation and gas production. The affected cattle's flank is enlarged, and percussion sounds like a drum.   

Treatment: Mash 10 garlic heads, add vinegar 500 ml, and take orally; sesame oil 250 to 500 ml, cut tobacco 50 g, and 7 garlic heads mashed and mixed for oral administration; 0.4% limewater 2000 ml taken orally once.   

Common disease 7 of yellow cattle: bovine influenza   

Symptoms: The affected cattle have fever, cough, runny nose, tearing, dry nasal mirror, unsteady limbs, and lameness.

For treatment use pyrazolone 20 to 40 ml and penicillin 2 to 4 million units by intramuscular injection; bupleurum, scutellaria, anemarrhena, platycodon, kudzu, mint, chrysanthemum, rehmannia, perilla root and scrophularia 40 g each, honeysuckle, forsythia, moutan bark and licorice 30 g each, decocted in water and taken orally.