A lumpy jaw is not difficult to notice, it is not difficult to notice in humans as well as animals. A lumpy jaw isn't just any occurrence but is a bacterial disease. Actinomycosis is another name for a lumpy jaw and it is caused by bacteria in the genus, Actinomyces, which a gram-positive, anaerobic, and non-acid-fast rods, with many of them being filamentous or branching.
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Lumpy jaw often affects the body tissues of the head, the bacteria that causes the infection is part of the normal bacteria flora of the upper digestive tract. The bacteria get to invade the skin when there is an injury or a minor trauma.
The disease is no joke, it is a chronic one with slowly developing symptoms. When the jaw bone/bones swell, it is often painless with the animals showing just a few clinical symptoms. Clinical symptoms do not show until the disease advances, the lesions then affect the teeth and positions of the jaws, creating incompetence and emaciation.
At the advanced stage of infection, discharging sinuses with a yellowish pus is noticed. It is a chronic infection that affects dairy animals, causing swelling of the lower jaw or around the mandibular region.
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Generally, cattle between the ages of 2-5 years are affected, it is a sporadic disease that spreads amongst animals rarely. There is no vaccination against the disease, it is best to isolate infected animals and treat them. Get rid of contaminated materials and make sure to instantly check with a veterinarian for appropriate treatment.
Dogs could also get affected, appearing as localized subcutaneous abscesses. With the most common sites being the neck, thorax, head, and abdomen. Actinomyces hordeovulneris causes actinomycosis in dogs and even while it is a rare occurrence, it still happens. The primary route of infection is through inhalation of bacteria.
Treating Actinomycosis in cattle and other related animals is a great possibility, the treatment aims to kill the bacteria and then stop the spread of the lesion. The formed bony deformations will not show much regression.
Infections are more prevalent amongst cattle during winter or drought, it is during this period that high-quality foodstuffs are not available, making only low-quality stemmy feed available. In a situation of multiple infectious (outbreaks) cases, it is through herd exposure and not even through contagious mechanisms.
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In a case that is not so serious it is treated with penicillin, due to the invasive and chronic nature of the lesions, most treatment options will not pull through, and there would be a resurgence even after the supposed treatment has happened.
In ruminants, the treatment used is usually, sodium iodide solution, repeatedly administered s several times a day. There are times that the clinical signs of iodine toxicity would happen, in that case, it is that treatment intervals are increased not completely stopped. Clinical signs of iodine toxicity come in three forms diarrhea, dandruff, excessive lacrimation, and cough.
In a case where there is no response to treatment and there is a loss of excessive weight, farmers often go for the option of animal slaughter for economic purposes. A vet has to be involved for the perfect treatment to be gotten.
