Over the last few years several herds have been affected with grass tetany in our area. These herds will often have multiple cases in short order. Once clinical signs occur and cattle go down, chances of recovery are very poor so treatment-wise they are a true emergency. Early in the course of the disease, treatment
Beef 911: A lack of macrominerals can be a true emergency
Grass tetany can be successfully treated if caught early, but you need to contact your vet immediately
Beef 911: Ways to reduce incidence of navel ill
You need to pay close attention to this costly problem and take steps to reduce it
Much has been written about omphalophlebitis — inflammation of the umbilical veins also known as navel ill — in calves. The bovine species appears to be fairly susceptible to developing infection, with the incidence increasing when calves are born into wet or damp conditions and in close confinement. With more producers calving later — many
Beef 911: When the need arises, fetotomy is the best solution
The goal is always to protect the cow from further trauma and hopefully give her many more productive years
Fetotomy — a veterinarian’s fancy word for cutting up a dead calf within the cow during the birthing process — still has a valuable place in a competent veterinarian’s bag of tricks. The whole object with a fetotomy is to minimize trauma or damage to the cow. The calf at this point is a lost
Beef 911: Calving problems are decreasing, but stay vigilant
Vets aren't called out during calving as often as they used to be, but producers need to know when to call for backup
With genetic selection of lower birth weights and easy calving bulls, calving problems due to fetal oversize are becoming rarer and rarer. But there are still common problems, which are worth reviewing to help producers recognize and assist these deliveries to save more calves as calving season is upon us. Fetal malpresentations today are the
Beef 911: Crypto presents a number of challenges
Protozoa are difficult to detect so vigilance is needed to spot and deal with outbreaks
The incidence of ‘crypto’ diarrhea is most definitely higher on dairy farms where calves are raised in close confinement and the wet or moist environment is conducive to the transmission of these protozoa. But large-animal veterinarians are also detecting it more often in our beef herds out west. Crypto is a protozoa with a very
Beef 911: Factors which can contribute to bullers in feedlots
Close observation and working with your vet on a customized plan are key to dealing with this problem
Bullers are, fortunately, a rare, sporadic occurrence in western Canadian feedlots and backgrounding operations. When dealing with cases of steers mounting other steers, one must bear in mind the economic loss to the entire pen when frequent riding occurs. Because the incidence is so sporadic (one to six per cent in U.S. feedlots), no hard
Beef 911: Watch for newer respiratory pathogens
Corona virus and B. trehalosi bacteria aren’t always easy to spot
We have all heard of corona virus being one of the main causes of viral scours in our newborn calves. It and a couple of strains of rotavirus are the two main viruses we see in our scours vaccines. (It also causes a winter dysentery bloody diarrhea in mature cattle, especially housed dairy cattle in
Beef 911: What you need to know about anthrax
There are outbreaks every few years, especially during drought, but there are ways to deal with this scary killer
Anthrax puts fear into cattle producers and with good reason. Cattle are very susceptible along with a long list of other species, including bison and horses. It is also considered a zoonosis which means humans can contract it. Fortunately, it is generally the cutaneous (skin) form in humans and responds well to antibiotics. Unfortunately, terrorist
Beef 911: Rectal palpation versus ultrasound for pregnant cows
Both methods have advantages, but the key is having reproductive exams at least once a year
Both rectal palpation and ultrasounding for pregnancy have advantages depending on their intended application, and both require a skilled veterinarian performing the pregnancy exam to get accurate results. I will outline the pros and cons of each method so you can see how to best fit them into your farming operation, and dispel some myths
Beef 911: Preventing negative side-effects of cattle vaccinations
It is good practice to take a walk through any recently vaccinated cattle to check for reactions
There are now a multitude of vaccines on the market for all facets of the beef and dairy industry. Vaccinating has become part of the biosecurity program on your farm, ranch or dairy. It is good for our industry as it controls disease, minimizes antibiotic use, improves production, and decreases death or losses from abortion.
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
