It can be alarming when you notice your cow is losing hair. This can be anywhere from a small patch of skin to an entire portion of the body. It is extremely important to spot the bald spot quickly, as bald spots can exponentially increase in size in a short period of time if not treated fast enough. In today’s article, we are going to discuss the three main reasons why cows lose hair.
Why are my cows losing hair?
The three main reasons your cat is losing hair is because of parasites, fungus infection, and warts. All 3 of these causes are extremely contagious and will likely spread if not treated.
Parasites
Parasites are the number one cause of hair loss in cows. The most common parasites that cause hair laws in cows are lice or mange. The two main ways your cow gets infested with parasites is by grazing in the field, and by physical contact with another cow that has already been infested. There are two types of cattle lice. Sucking lice which suck blood from your cattle, and then biting lice, which bite your cattle to eat their dead skin cells. Lice are particularly hard to treat because the female lice frequently lay eggs when they are attached to the cattle’s skin. The eggs then hatch inside your cat’s skin. This causes a very painful and itching irritation. To sooth the irritation, you cattle will try to scratch the itch by scratching it or rubbing their skin up against rough objects. This causes the irritation to become more inflamed and causes your cattle to lose hair. If you notice your cattle rubbing up against your fence, you should immediately check them for parasites.
The best way to treat parasites in cows is with either Safe-Guard Dewormer or Chemtech Prozap Insectrin.
Fungus Infection
A fungus infection will also cause your cattle to lose hair. The difficult part about diagnosing fungal infections is that the initial stage is hard to catch because the infected area is quite small. The skin is usually a little inflamed and a bump might rise the skin up. Fungal infections are usually spread by ringworms that are transferred from direct contact with cattle that are already infected. The fungus attaches to the hair follicles under your cattle’s skin. This will eventually case the hair of the infected area to fall out. There is usually a rash or lesion left in the spot of the infection. If you suspect one of your cattle has been infected, you should isolate them from the other cattle as soon as possible.
Warts
Warts can also cause hair loss in cattle. Warts are formed when your cattle’s skin comes in contact with the papilloma virus. This is also usually transmitted from physical contact with other infected cows. Warts usually form near your cattle’s head and shoulders. Warts usually form in a cauliflower shape and can last from weeks to even months. If the wart bursts, it can become infected, which can expose your cattle to a long list of other infections. It is important that you treat and then cover the wart as soon as you discover it.
The best way to treat warts in cows is with this wart removerwart remover.
