On-Call / Vet

There have been many recent reports of deer found dead throughout Missouri; many of these deer have been reported to have died from bluetongue, but in all likelihood, most of these animals were infected with a disease known as epizootic hemorrhagic disease, or EHD. This viral disease is potentially devastating to the white tail deer population both wild and captive, and can affect domestic ruminants.

Pinkeye is a costly disease to cattle owners and at this time of year, cattlemen seem to see the largest amount of affected animals.

As spring approaches, many goat producers are preparing for the beginning of kidding season. One condition that producers may encounter as does enter their last trimester of pregnancy and near parturition (birthing) is ‘pregnancy toxemia’. This can be a life-threatening condition for some does and early recognition of this disease is paramount to providing successful treatment. This very same condition is also seen in sheep with similar clinical signs and treatment options.

How do we keep from leaving money on the table?

Many times horse owners think that only old horses have teeth issues and eating problems are the only signs telling them that their horse has a problem. Over several years of looking at horse’s mouth I can only think of a hand full that did not need some type of dental maintenance.

Recent weather conditions have raised several health problems for cattle producers. One of the most dramatic changes has been an increase in mastitis cases on dairy farms. Mastitis can be devastating to the economic well-being of a dairy operation, and successful treatment and control measures are needed to ensure financial stability, especially in the current economic environment.

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.

The harsh conditions of winter can present a challenge to some horses in maintaining an adequate body condition. Colder temperatures require increased calorie intake to maintain body warmth. Loss of body condition is often a very gradual process, occurring over several weeks to months, the problem can "sneak up" on horse owners if they are not proactively observing and maintaining their horse’s body condition.