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The heat wave currently battering Nicaragua is also affecting cattle. Animals are moving around dizzy and trembling, and some appear to be “drunk,” producers from the central and northern regions of the country told CONFIDENCIAL, requesting anonymity.
Alfredo raises cattle in a municipality in Boaco. Looking at the conditions around him, he concludes that the weather situation affecting the country — extreme heat, drought, lack of water, and food shortages — is severely weakening the animals’ immune systems. That is when symptoms of these illnesses begin to appear. “A well-fed, healthy, properly cared-for animal, with an adequate health program, shouldn’t have these problems,” he says.
Francisco also believes the issue is tied to the high temperatures. He describes how “the sun is beating down brutally on the cattle, especially those crossbred with European breeds such as Brown Swiss or Holstein.” As a result, the animals become dehydrated, their central nervous systems are affected, and some nerves become inflamed.
To counter the problem, some ranchers are hydrating their animals with saline solution and vitamin B12 injections. That has led Francisco to conclude that the cause “is not infectious, nor is it a virus. It’s probably caused by the extreme heat and the amount of time the animals spend exposed to the sun, putting them under intense stress.” Hydrating and administering vitamins helps the cattle recover because it counteracts the effects caused by the high temperatures.
Cattle ranching is the country’s second most important export sector. In 2025, the industry generated at least $ 1.215 billion in foreign currency earnings, including all of its byproducts, according to the Fourth Quarter 2025 Foreign Trade Report prepared by the Central Bank. In fact, there are more head of cattle than people in the country, illustrating both the importance and the scale of this economic activity.
Raúl is not entirely convinced that the condition causing his cows to become “dizzy, as if they were drunk” is related to the heat. He explains that his animals “start trembling uncontrollably… and if they are not treated, they die.”
Believing the problem affecting his herd is an infection-related fever, he injects his animals with Dipyrone. An hour later, he administers an antibiotic to fight the infection. He also supplements the treatment with a vitamin complex.
Heat Wave Affecting the Entire Country
CONFIDENCIAL consulted two veterinarians, describing to them the symptoms reported by the three ranchers. Although neither has examined the affected animals, both acknowledge that the sun and extreme heat could be responsible for the symptoms, though they do not rule out other infectious causes.
“In recent days, temperatures in Nicaragua have reached extraordinary levels,” explains Ezequiel.
He notes that while daytime temperatures in Managua typically range between 34 and 36 degrees Celsius, “in the northern part of the country, in some cattle-ranching areas, temperatures are staying between 36 and 38 degrees. Those are extremely high temperatures.”
He explains that rain should already be falling by now, considering the calendar is already in the second half of May. Producers are prepared for the rainy season, but both they and their animals are enduring an extended dry spell compounded by intense heat. That can lead to “the improper use of pesticides and different types of chemicals. Sometimes they use excessive amounts of fertilizer, and that creates serious metabolic imbalances.”
Another possible cause of those imbalances, he says, are “nutritional disorders” that can occur when cattle are fed old grass. It can also happen if the grass contains too much fertilizer or pesticides, or if it has been contaminated in any way. It could even be caused by weeds mixed in with the grass when ranchers allow free grazing.
In cases where grazing is controlled, he recommends checking for any type of contamination in both the silage and the hay brought to the cattle enclosures.
Finally, Ezequiel acknowledges that another form of metabolic imbalance could stem from dehydration. “That’s why when they give the cows IV fluids, they stabilize. Dehydration can cause muscle tremors due to hypovolemia, and even hallucinations,” he adds.
Andrés, also a veterinarian, leans toward the heatstroke theory, arguing that extreme heat weakens the animals, compounded by the fact that the soil is not absorbing nutrients properly. “The drought prevents good grass production. As a result, the animals are not properly fed. That keeps their immune systems from strengthening the way they should,” he says.
In any case, the hope is that the arrival of the rains will bring relief for everyone — cattle included.
