On-Call / Vet

The abomasum is the fourth compartment of the stomach in the cow. This compartment is most like the simple stomach of humans or the horse in that it is the only glandular portion of the stomach of cows secreting hydrochloric acid and enzymes. The abomasum must function normally for cows to maintain their health and production. Dysfunction of the abomasum, namely displacement, is one of the most common causes of a need for abdominal surgery in the bovine.

May is just around the corner. Are you ready for spring bull turnout? Many of you are in the middle of calving and some may have just started. Don’t let the hustle and bustle of this calving season derail your next calf crop. The star(s) of your operation are the bulls, which are often ignored and forgotten most of the year. However, it is critical to have a plan prior to turnout as too how much bull power you will need versus how much you have. Simple questions to start the decision making process are: How many cows will need bred? How many groups are those cows divided into? How many heifers, and do you have a bull designated for your heifers? Are you going to synchronize the herd or heifers? Do you have a backup plan if your bull fails the Breeding Soundness Evaluation? What condition are your bulls in?

While dealing with the ice and cold weather I have noticed our nutrition gurus are looking more and moiré into balancing rations of essential amino acids instead of protein. I ask the question “Is their requirement of protein for animals in their diet?” Actually “NO.” Animals must have the 10 essential amino acids and cats require 11 amino acids.

Recently the West Nile virus has been in the news. This year has provided excellent conditions for the virus to be seen. Thirty-two states have reported human cases. Most of the cases are occurring through Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana. Missouri has had 2 cases occurring in horses.  

In this day and age significant concern has developed over the use of pharmaceuticals in animals intended for human consumption. Amongst consumers, there are many varying opinions regarding the use of drugs and chemicals in food animals ranging from those that prefer organically produced products to those that give little concern over the matter.

'Colic’ is a general term used to describe abdominal pain and is a clinical syndrome that is commonly recognized in horses. Colic can be caused by many different abnormalities occurring within the abdominal cavity of the horse. For horse owners it is advantageous to be familiar with the clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment options for colic as most horses will encounter this problem at some point in their lives.

There are several tools available for cow/calf producers that can lead to a decrease in one of the primary problems seen in neonatal calves – diarrhea. Diarrhea is a leading cause of mortality in baby calves and has many causes.

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.

Testing for persistent infected bovine viral diarrhea in cattle can be beneficial.

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.