The treatment of bovine dermatophilosis and its effect on some haematological and blood chemical parameters

Abstract

In this study, the authors evaluated parenteral treatment of zebu cattle, with naturally and experimentally induced bovine dermatophilosis, in western Sudan, using four different antibiotic treatments. In terms of recovery rate, weight gain, avoiding relapse and preventing death, gentamycin was found to be the most effective treatment, followed by a combination of penicillin and streptomycin and, finally, long-acting oxytetracycline. However, enrofloxacin was not successful. A significant improvement in the red blood cell count was noticed among cattle treated with penicillin-streptomycin (p = 0.021) and gentamycin (p = 0.029). All treated cattle, except those treated with enrofloxacin, showed a significant improvement in mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (p = 0.021); mean corpuscular volume (p = 0.021), and white blood cell count (p < 0.021). Significant improvements were observed among treated cattle in their total levels of protein, calcium (p = 0.021) and cholesterol (p < 0.05), when compared to untreated cattle infected with Dermatophilus congolensis. This study recommends gentamycin as a drug of choice for the parenteral treatment of dermatophilosis. Treatment was not only effective in early, mild cases but also useful among moderately and heavily affected cattle. According to the observations of the authors, when no intervention took place, the condition of moderately and heavily affected cattle deteriorated and/or resulted in death.