Ticks on Cattle

The column is brought to you again by Gussie, the Brown Swiss heifer. You met Gussie a few months ago as she demonstrated the success of using animals to decrease human stress levels and to help improve mental and physical health. This month she’s reminding everyone about the importance of tick control in cattle.

Generally speaking, we all know the importance of tick control for dogs and cats. Several tick-borne blood infections can be problematic for small animals, so flea and tick control is part of a standard health maintenance program for dogs and cats. When considering livestock, we are more likely to focus on vaccine-preventable diseases and deworming programs. Thankfully a solid deworming protocol for cattle will usually provide some tick control as well. However, when there are gaps in coverage or animals are in particularly problematic environments, we need to be sure to monitor tick loads and add additional therapies to prevent infection with some pretty nasty tick-borne diseases of cattle.

I purchased Gussie last November as a 14-month old heifer after her previous owner decided to focus on other breeds for his upcoming show season. She had been shown at various fairs around a few different states, and she fit the bill for what I had been looking for: A pretty pet bovine. But she also must contribute to our small farm and family, so she is going to raise calves for me.

Fast forward to March of this year. Gussie was visiting with our neighbor’s Angus bull in his pasture. While I was brushing on and further spoiling her, I found a tick on her neck. Thinking that was a bit odd, I removed and killed it, checked for any others on her neck, and then checked around her tail and head, generally the most common place to find ticks on cattle. No more ticks. Great! Until the following week when there were a few more, and then still more a few days later.

At the time, my only experience with ticks on cattle had been a clinical trip in veterinary school. We visited a large farm in eastern North Carolina where the herd had been diagnosed with anaplasmosis. Anaplasmosis is a disease of cattle that is caused by Anaplasma marginale (and sometimes A. centrale), a tick-borne parasite that attacks and eventually destroys red blood cells. This leads to anemia and can cause death. Of course, my mind went into worst-case scenario mode with regard to Gussie’s tick problem. My neighbor patiently “talked me down” a couple of times. After all, his beef herd was healthy and thriving, and Gussie appeared healthy and was growing as expected. Upon returning to a reasonable frame of mind, I did for my own cow what I have done for clients’ animals time and again–make a plan and fix the problem.

I started with a dose of dewormer, the functional class of which is also effective against ticks. While there was slight improvement initially, I didn’t see the reduction in tick numbers that I wanted long-term. I added a product of a different drug class and functionality which is effective against ticks and various species of flies. This helped quite a bit more. Finally, after Gussie was diagnosed pregnant and no longer required a visit with the bull, I moved her to a different pasture. This seemed to help dramatically. See, my neighbor’s pasture has a narrow hollow that is wooded and full of brushy undergrowth. This was Gussie’s favorite place to rest and relax. Unfortunately, it is also the kind of area where ticks tend to be very plentiful. Removing her from this area decreased her exposure and potential for infestation drastically.

Thankfully Gussie appears to have avoided contracting anaplasmosis, babesiosis, theileria, or any other bovine tick-borne disease from any of the hundreds of ticks that I removed from her over the course of several weeks. Be sure that your cows have the same good fortune by implementing a tick control program. Typically, a solid, consistent deworming protocol will be sufficient to achieve this. But be mindful of your cows’ environment and monitor for infestations that may occur in spite of good control measures. Additional medications or a temporary change in location can help your herd remain as healthy and productive as possible. With Gussie safely in-calf and her tick problem taken care of, she’s settling into life as a pasture pet. She hasn’t figured out yet why my sheep and Blossom all scatter when she lumbers through, but as long as they don’t interfere with her daily scratching schedule, she doesn’t worry too much. Stay tuned for an update, probably early next year, that should include the arrival of Gussie’s calf and the adventures of training a nurse cow.