SATYRIASIS IN CAMEL Submitted By: Dr. Jigar K Patel M.V.

Sc Medicine

SATYRIASIS
Synonyms: Love Sickness, Chronic Rutting Love sickness in camel is an excessive sexual desire in males. The condition very markedly affects the body condition of males making them considerably emaciated. Satyriasis is the term generally applied to the presence of rut for whole of the year round in male camels. It is mostly seen in male camels. The male camels generally start to have their sexual instinct at the age 3 years but they do not become fully active for sexual congress until they attain the age of 6 years. The period of sexual activity of camels in india ranges from December to March when breeding takes place. The sexual activity in male camels is known as rut. The duration of rut depends upon the condition of browsing and grazing. The male camels in sound body condition that are kept on good grazing and nutritious diet remain in rut for longer periods. The rut in them starts earlier and lasts later than others, i.e., they remain in rut from November to April. The rut may be seen in some camels throughout the year. If the male camels are kept on ration less than usual or when there is scarcity of fodder they remain in rut only for two months instead of 4-6 months, i.e., only in January and February. It is a managemental condition that can be controlled by reducing the diet of adult male camels before the start of rutting season. Symptoms:

Constant teeth grinding with often froth at mouth Go on hunger-strike They go on swallowing the air through nostrils & mouth & suddenly belch it out with head down with backward movement & with squint eye downward, which result in protrusion of soft palate bulging out from mouth Pooled gland: Dark reddish, foul smelling and always dibbles in nose Soiling of neck Hind quarter of camel is soiled with urine & faeces. Camel passes a small quantity of urine and spash urine along with the tails direction

The secretion of poll gland as a dark reddish foul smelling fluid that often dribbles on the neck The camel stands with hind quarters apart flapping its tail up and down, frequently passing urine in small quantities and splashing it about by the tail movement Many a times semen is also ejaculated. The male camel in rut often fight with one another inflicting wounds through bites on scrotum, head, neck and withers. There are examples that such camels also bite persons and even their owners and thus a camels in rut must never be trusted. There is loss of appetite as well as the body condition

Prevention:

The diet of affected animal should be reduced/maintained before the start of rutting season. It is potentially dangerous in both man and other animals, they should Castration or Destroyed Do not feed full ration If they are to be kept, a rope should always be tied round their muzzle to prevent them from biting.

Such patients of love sickness always be kept separate from other camels Tie their one fore leg and one hind leg so that they may not strike out in front. They must be handled with a strong stick in hand and their tushes must be rasped down as blunt as possible. A string may be tied from their nose peg to the saddle to control their movements of the head when they are put to a cart-work. Castration is best remedy in severely affected camels. Do not feed full ration to adult camels before the rut season starts so as not allowing them to develop love sickness or satyriasis, leading to emaciation and biting-vice

The feeding schedule of camel in Gujarat:

Feed-stuff Green fodder Guar straw Amul dan Total Quantity(Kg) 20-25 5 4 29-34 DM(Kg) 5-6.5 4.5 3.6 13.1-14.35

Feeds & Fodder:

Legume straws: Moth chara, Groundnut straw, Guar phalgati Cereal Straw: Bajra Straw Grasses: Bakari, Lampa, Gokhru, Dub, Bui, Karad Shrub & Trees: Babool, phog, people, Khejri, Kher

Reference: 1. Book: Camel Diseases of India

2. Peculiarities of nutrition and Physiology of Camel, S.Parnerkar, H. Thube, S. Shankhpal