TB?

[Walker570]

Skinned and was butchering a nice muntie this afternoon and went to take out the back straps to find what looked like the absesses I have found in animals with TB. They were down between the spinal column and the back straps and full of white/cream puss. The animal looked in good health and I estimate 4yrs old, no other signs around the body and no damage/scars, not even a torn ear, which is rare on a muntie buck. I have other ground where the dairy farmer wants every muntie/deer shot because of TB fears. This is just a heads up for everyone to be vigilant.

The body has been incinerated. 70s and early 80s never saw a sign of TB in deer and now it is rife. I wonder what is causing that ?

[CharlieT]

The cause?..................badgers.

 

Exactly the same as here, with the increase of bTB being hosted and transmitted by badgers there is an increase of it being found in deer and whilst the evidence suggests deer do not pass it on to cattle like badgers do, it is worrying that, with the large numbers of deer we have, they may, in the future, contribute to the incidence in our cattle. I think though that I'd rather give up the cattle than see all the deer shot.

[Redgum]

Well its hard to say without inspecting a carcass but if the lungs looked clear then I doubt that's TB, I have found absesses all over deer usually a sign of injury or infection, you would be horrified to see what gets cut out of livestock at the abattoir yet the carcass is passed. You would have been ok eating it yourself but you did the right thing to incinerate rather than the venison going into the food chain if you were unsure of cause.