On-Call / Vet

Blackleg is a disease that most cattle producers are relatively familiar with, if for no other reason than the ‘blackleg’ vaccine is probably the most commonly administered vaccination by cattle producers. And this for good reason, because for those producers that may have elected to forgo vaccination and unfortunately experienced the disease firsthand as a result, blackleg can be truly unforgettable. The disease frequently affects the biggest, fastest growing calves and renders them acutely dead in the majority of cases.

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.

Maybe, just maybe, spring is finally coming.  Most livestock owners are going to be very happy to leave this past winter behind.  With the...

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.

Last year producers experienced falling calf prices and input costs that went through the roof. This year calf prices are still expected to be low but for cow-calf operators these difficult times can be seen as an opportunity.

One of our readers had requested an article in regards to trichomoniasis. This happens to be a very timely topic as Missouri has seen a recent increase in the diagnosis of this disease and has implemented more rigorous testing requirements for bulls entering the state in an effort to limit its spread.

Once again this year we are seeing a rise in the number of cases of rabies in our state. This year according to the Missouri Department of Health, the state has had 23 cases compared to 17 cases at this same time last year. Currently, four counties are on alert those counties are Bollinger, Howell, Oregon and Wayne. Alerts are issued when the disease has been reported in domestic animals. The majority of cases this year has been in skunks, with 15 positive. The remainder of these cases have been in domestic animals including horses, dogs and cats.

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.

My practice has several small ruminant herds in it. We see a few cases each year of Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE) or Infectious Leukoencephalomyelitis. This disease is devastating to the animal it affects. CAE is usually seen in young goats. The most important thing to remember is there are no effective treatments for CAE. Prevention is the only way to control this syndrome.

Many times clients ask about treatment for Fescue foot, but after several questions and upon physical exams, they are asking for a treatment for the wrong problem. There are major differences between Fescue toxicosis and foot rot.