F976
Wooden Tongue & Lumpy Jaw

Causative Agent: Wooden tongue is caused by Actinobacillus lignieresii, a gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium. It attacks the soft tissues of the mouth, especially the tongue, and can involve the surrounding lymph nodes. It is more common than lumpy jaw.

Clinical Signs: The problem usually comes on suddenly. An affected animal will drool and often have its tongue protruding from its mouth. The animal may appear to be chewing gently, and nodules and ulcers may be visible on the tongue. Over time, soft tissue in the tongue is replaced with fibrous tissue, causing it to become hard, shrunken, and immobile. The term "woody tongue" comes from these changes found in the tongue. Swollen tissue between the two bones of the lower jaw can cause the appearance of "bottle jaw."

The lymph nodes may swell as large as a football with abscesses which can break open, draining granulated pus either on the animal's surface or internally. Sometimes the abscesses can be found in the skin, udder, esophagus, lungs, and other internal organs. The internal abscesses are sometimes confused with tuberculosis.

Disease Transmission: The bacteria that cause woody tongue are normally found in the mouth. When the mucosa of the mouth is injured by plant awns, foxtails, rough or coarse feed, etc., these bacteria enter the body and begin causing problems. In general, woody tongue is not considered highly contagious, but the bacteria can be spread from one animal to the next through infected saliva that contaminates feed consumed by other animals. Reports indicate that Actinobacillus lignieresii can survive 4 to 5 days in feed. Although the disease can appear worldwide, it usually occurs in areas with copper deficiency or pastures with abrasive feeds.

Diagnosis: Cases of woody tongue are often identified based on clinical signs alone. Microscopic examination of smears made from pus, along with cultures are the best ways to identify this infection.

Treatment: Administering intravenous injections of sodium iodide (70 mg/kg) can be a very effective treatment. These injections are usually given at least twice, 7-10 days apart. Improvement can be noticed in as little as 2 days. Sometimes the abscesses must be opened and flushed with iodine. Antibiotics such as tetracycline, streptomycin, and tilmicosin are also helpful.

Prevention: Like lumpy jaw, there is no vaccine available. The best way to prevent this problem is to avoid feeding or grazing coarse feeds, plant awns, or thistles.

 

Causative Agent/Clinical Signs: Lumpy jaw is caused by the bacterium Actinomyces bovis. Infections usually settle in the bone structures of the mouth, such as the maxilla and mandible. Once the infection is established, bacterial by-products begin breaking down the bone. In response to the bone infection, the body tries to repair itself by creating new bone. This process creates honeycombed bone structures with tiny abscesses filled with pus. As the disease progresses, large cavities may open up, draining grainy pus. The animal often begins losing condition, and with time death may result.

The affected animal will experience difficulty chewing and the tissues of the mouth can become painfully swollen. Lesions in the mouth, tooth loss, and subsequent food impaction is common. Because the disease is often advanced before it is noticed, the first sign may be difficulty in breathing due to infection of the nasal bones. Occasionally, the soft tissues of the head can become involved and lesions in the digestive tract can appear, giving vague symptoms of indigestion or chronic bloat. Surrounding lymph nodes do not usually become involved.

Disease Transmission: The bacteria are usually found in the mouth and/or rumen of ungulates (cows, sheep, goats), and enter into the body through small wounds or breaks in the lining of the mouth caused by coarse feed or tooth eruption. Lumpy jaw is not usually transmitted from animal to animal, but may be transmitted from draining infection, which contaminates feeding or watering troughs. Lumpy jaw can not be contracted by humans from animals, but diseased parts of the affected carcass should be removed from the carcass before sale.

Treatment: Isolate the infected animal and treat with oral or intravenous administration of iodide compounds, such as sodium iodide (70 mg/kg every 7-10 days - injection) or isoniazid (10 mg/kg/day for 30 days - orally). The first dose is best given intravenously by a veterinarian. Follow-up treatments may be given subcutaneously at weekly intervals for several weeks. Tetracycline and penicillin are also commonly used in the treatment protocol. Administer them for 7-10 days. All feeding areas should be disinfected. Surgical drainage of the affected areas may be necessary. Opened pockets must be flushed and packed with iodine for several days. Relapses of lumpy jaw are common.

Prevention: There is no vaccine available for lumpy jaw. Not feeding coarse feed and then properly treating and isolating infected animals are the best preventions.