By Dr. Ken McMillan
Contributing Editor
QUESTION: I have a 6-year-old cow that is wasting away. My neighbor says the cow has Hardware disease, but my veterinarian thinks it could be Johne's. The blood test for Johne's was negative. What do you think?
ANSWER: Johne's disease is a chronic wasting disease. Cattle are most susceptible when they are young. Infected cows shed the bacteria in their stool and young cows ingest the manure. Infected cattle can take years to show clinical signs. The most common symptoms are diarrhea and weight loss. A positive on the blood test means the animal ...
