On-Call / Vet

Show season is upon us again. Remember show animals are exposed to more diseases as they are co-mingled with others. Vaccinations of these show animals are a must. Consult your veterinarian as to which vaccines are recommended.

How do we keep from leaving money on the table?

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.

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.

Spring is the traditional time of year for breeding on most horse ranches. Horses are long-day breeders meaning that natural reproductive activity peaks during the longer days of the year. Generally, from mid-spring through the summer mares regularly cycle every 21 days.

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.

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is arguably the most economically significant health concern for the beef cattle industry. Shipping Fever, respiratory disease complex and pneumonia are all common synonyms used to describe BRD. Given its significance, there is a wealth of information available regarding the condition. The purpose of this article will be to provide a general overview and a basic understanding of BRD and the diagnostic and treatment tools available to cattle producers as well as currently recommended prevention strategies.

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.