On-Call / Vet

In the previous issue, we began a series on mastitis with a focus on contagious pathogens. In this issue, our focus will switch to the environmental pathogens and their identification, treatment and control.

The wet weather we have been dealing with for most of this year has brought with it several challenges for livestock producers throughout southwest Missouri. Wet and cold weather led to increased calf losses early this year, and wet fields have not allowed farmers to harvest hay crops that appear plentiful to the average person driving down the road. But I have observed another problem this year affecting horses and cattle. While I don’t have scientific proof or hard statistics to prove my theory, it is my opinion that I have had a number of cases where the problem seemed to stem from access to tall fescue, and I am concerned that fescue toxicosis could be a significant problem this year.

As I prepare this column, it would appear there is at least a small reprieve from some of the economic gloom and doom of the past 6 months.  Now I understand that this does not take away from the fact that everyone’s input costs have jumped drastically over the past couple of years.  But it should get you to thinking of ways to maximize your production and more efficiently use your resources.

Many types of squeeze chutes exist today, each with features that make cattle restraint easier.

This past week I was asked to necropsy a 1-week-old calf found dead. The owner had seen no evidence of sickness and the calf was with its mother all the time. The necropsy revealed an extremely emaciated body with no internal body fat present. The second client was a dairy client who was having trouble with calves dying between 1-2 weeks of age, with minimal clinical diarrhea or respiratory symptoms. While these cases are quite different, they got me to thinking about the reasons I see similar cases every year during this winter season.

This is the machinery issue of Ozarks Farm and Neighbor; in thinking of a topic for this column, I wanted to somehow tie into that theme. So why not discuss the care of the equipment we use around livestock everyday?

It is breeding season once again and we often get the question, “will heat synchronization work in heifers?” Heat synchronization will work, but before we say yes, I like to look at each individual case and see if the producer has the time and facilities to do so. Some producers want to do large numbers, other may only have a few cows, and so each case must be assessed differently.

While driving cross country in between calls I have noticed from the road a few cattle beginning to show evidence of lice infestation. Cattle, horses, sheep, goats and swine are all susceptible to parasitism from lice. Interestingly enough, lice are species specific meaning that there is a particular species of louse that prefers feeding on a specific species of livestock. Furthermore, in each species of livestock there are two types of lice that may be observed. Biting lice feed on dead skin cells and other debris from the surface of the skin. Sucking lice feed off of the blood. All species and types of lice cause skin irritation and in rare instances sucking lice may cause significant anemia.

Diarrhea is a common cause of disease and death loss in young calves whether on the cow-calf operation or the dairy. If you are a cattle producer and have not had the privilege of dealing with scours, then wait patiently, because your turn is coming. Given that the disease is so prevalent and that many producers have treated calves in different ways, there are many different opinions floating around regarding which treatment method is best. The purpose of this article is to provide some clarity on what treatments actually work and what treatments may be a detriment.

Implanting calves with growth promoting implants is one of the most profitable practices for cattle producers. Unfortunately, my experience suggests that many local producers are simply not taking advantage of growth promoting implants in their calves. This could be due in part to a lack of familiarity with implants and their appropriate use or potentially, a deficiency in management strategy necessary to realize benefits.