When your animals are suffering a crisis, it’s always best to contact your veterinarian. But there are routine situations that come up on the farm, which the producer sometimes elects to handle on the spot.
Dr. Jeremy Powell, University of Arkansas Extension veterinarian, said one of those is calving difficulty issues. “I know many producers do pull calves themselves,” Powell told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor. “Gear to have in mind is some obstetrical chains, handles and a calf puller. It’s always important to keep some type of disinfectant; I like to use chlorhexidine solution to keep any of the equipment that you’re going to be using disinfected. Also, OB gloves or sleeves, so that when you do have to reach into the birth canal you can have that ready to go and you’re not inserting your arm in there without some sort of protection.”
It’s also good to have extra colostrum handy. “I always remind producers to warm that stuff up to about 100 degrees; a calf’s body temperature is 102 degrees, so you want to put something in that’s going to keep their core body temperature warm,” he said.
Producers also buy antibiotics over the counter at the farm store or feed coop that can be used to treat basic disease issues that they have problems with throughout the year in the beef cattle herd. Pinkeye is something that many producers can diagnose themselves and treat with an over the counter antibiotic; most commonly used is oxytetracycline. Sulfa or tetracycline boluses are typical for treating calf scour, and tylosin, can be used to treat foot rot or mild respiratory issues. Be aware of new limitations; in late 2013, the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine issued Guidelines for Industry (GFI) that would only allow the administration of antibiotics that are intended to improve performance under the care of a veterinarian; for beef cattle producers this would affect chlortetracycline, marketed under the trade name Aureomycin. It can still be used to treat or prevent disease, but the producer will need a prescription from a veterinarian to buy feed treated with the drug.
Producers also administer vaccines prophylactically, such as the 5-way viral vaccine commonly given to the entire herd for prevention of IBR, BVD, PI3 and BRSV. “Some of those can cause abortion in your mature cows, and all of those can cause respiratory disease in calves,” Powell said. “We recommend a 7-way clostridial, which is a ‘blackleg’ vaccination that producers give to all of the animals in the herd. We also recommend giving your cows and bulls vaccinations for leptospirosis, a disease that wildlife can carry and people can become infected by. You can purchase that in combination with vibriosis, another reproductive issue that you can protect against.”
Producers commonly perform minor surgeries like castration and dehorning, but they may also be called upon to treat wounds. “Injuries are going to occur, and applying medication topically and then bandaging is something you can do yourself,” Powell said.
Dr. Charlotte Clifford-Rathert, University of Missouri Extension state small ruminant specialist, says herdsmen should maintain a “tool box” for routine herd health and to tend occasional emergencies until professional help arrives if called. Some of the items in the basic kit are a thermometer, record book or note pad and pen, rubbing alcohol, a balling gun for bolus medications, electrolyte powder or gel, a drench gun, wound dressing, exam gloves, plastic bags, syringes, needles and a container for disposing of them, tape, and the various animal health products that would be applied. And last, but certainly not least – don’t forget the veterinarian’s phone number.
