How to prevent and treat necrobacillosis in deer? A detailed guide to practical methods

Necrobacillosis in deer is a chronic infectious disease caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum. It is generally infected through skin and mucous membrane wounds. It mainly affects the hooves, followed by the skin of the oral mucosa, causing necrotic lesions; in some cases it spreads to the liver, lungs and other organs to form lesions, and if not treated in time it causes mass deaths. This disease currently causes great harm to the @#@253@#@ industry and often leads to economic losses, so prevention and treatment work must be done well.

1. Epidemiological characteristics

Necrobacillosis in deer mostly occurs in deer herds in autumn and winter. During the autumn breeding period, male deer suffer hoof injuries from head-butting, and during the suckling period and at grouping, the hooves of fawns are stepped on and injured, leading to infection and disease. In addition, when the exercise yard is uneven, contains foreign objects, has standing water, or is muddy, infection and disease are likely to occur.

2. Clinical symptoms

Affected deer show lameness, with visible redness and swelling of the hoof cleft, followed by redness, swelling and sensitivity of the coronary band, and local necrosis occurs. The necrotic tissue continues to expand, and soon ruptures and discharges foul-smelling pus and necrotic tissue. If not treated in time, the swelling continues to spread to the pastern, and ulcerative necrosis forms on the lip mucosa and gingival mucosa, which does not heal for a long time. As the necrosis progresses, the deer shows listlessness, reduced appetite, a tendency to lie down, emaciation, and death.

3. Prevention

1. Strengthen regular and irregular disinfection work, keep pens clean and hygienic, and limit bacterial reproduction.

2. Keep the ground level and keep the skin and mucous membranes intact to prevent bacteria from entering.

3. Do not feed feed with awns or spines; when grouping or moving deer herds, proceed steadily to prevent deer from stepping on and colliding with each other.

4. Control and protect the deer herd to prevent head-butting.

5. Once this disease is found, isolate and treat promptly, and do isolation and disinfection work well.

4. Treatment

A combination of local and systemic treatment should be adopted. Specific methods: shear the hair at the affected area, clean and disinfect it, remove local necrotic tissue, pus and foreign objects, wash the wound surface with a mixture of 3% hydrogen peroxide and 5% iodine tincture in a 1:20 ratio or with 3% potassium permanganate solution, then sprinkle on iodine tincture or an equal amount of boric acid powder (or Tidu San or Shengji San). Potassium permanganate powder can also be used, followed by bandaging. Change the dressing once every 2-3 days. For severe cases, 20 ml of 0.25% procaine, 20 ml of sulfadiazine injection and 100 units of streptomycin can be used for hoof nerve block, with remarkable efficacy.

Systemic therapy: 500 ml of 10% glucose injection, 10 ml of caffeine sodium benzoate, 20 ml of urotropine injection and 20 ml of sulfadiazine injection can be given as a single intravenous injection, with good results. Antibiotics can also be used. When reduced appetite is found, ginger tincture can be administered orally.