On-Call / Vet

Creating a biosecurity plan is one of the most powerful means of preventing disease-related problems in beef cow-calf herds. The primary goal of a biosecurity plan is to prevent the introduction of disease into the herd.  This can be coupled with efforts to prevent transmission of disease within the herd and plans to eliminate disease carrying individuals. This is particularly applicable to purebred producers in that a disease-free status can add significant value to marketable seedstock. Similarly, however, smaller commercial producers can also benefit greatly from some basic biosecurity practices.

The news has been full of information regarding influenza virus in recent months whether discussing the shortage of flu vaccines available for people, the spread of H1N1 or the more recent discussion of canine influenza. In this article, we are diverting a bit from livestock medicine to more of a companion animal topic, but I suspect that this topic may be of interest to most of our readers. In response to the recent media coverage I have begun to get questions regarding canine influenza, the signs of infection and need for vaccination.

How do we keep from leaving money on the table?

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.

This year has been a hard one on the cow herd. The heat and drought this summer resulted in short pastures, minimal to no stockpiled forage and a scarce hay supply for most producers. Furthermore, I have noticed a trend of more open cows on recent pregnancy checks, likely in direct relation to the heat stress and lowered nutritional plane encountered during the breeding season. It is always a good idea for producers to consider implementing practices that improve cow productivity and efficiency. However, this year carries with it a potential for maximum returns.

Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK), more commonly known as pinkeye, is one of the most common diseases of cattle, especially during the summer months. It is a highly contagious disease that causes inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva of the eye.  It can lead to ulceration of the cornea, giving the classic appearance of the white depression or ulcer that many cattle producers describe. Pinkeye results in mild to severe disease, and can cause blindness in an affected eye.

With the weather cooling as I write this article, I have seen a noticeable increase in scheduling for calf processing.  So I thought this might be a good time to discuss pre-conditioning programs and what I believe is their value to the cow-calf producer.

Someone I know recently became very sick with diarrhea, and was diagnosed with cryptosporidiosis. Cryptosporidiosis is caused by a protozoal parasite similar to coccidia.  This parasite causes diarrhea in calves that leads to untold millions in lost production in both the dairy and beef industries. Since this disease has zoonotic potential, that is, it can be transmitted from animals to people, I think a discussion of the disease and control measures is needed.

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 time of the year it is common to see cows standing in the shade and wading in ponds in an effort to find relief from the heat. Unfortunately, the summer sun is not the only factor affecting heat stress on cattle grazing Southwest Missouri pastures.