Rob Tremblay, bovine and equine specialist with Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd., 
lays out timing concerns when vaccinating cows to protect the unborn calf.

Pay attention to timing to boost immunity

That vaccination is wasted if applied at the wrong time, one expert says

Vaccination programs may look less like a road map and more like a maze to producers. There are questions on what illnesses they should target. Is a live or killed vaccine best? When should they be given? How long do they last? If it is a killed vaccine, how far apart should the doses be?



Some of the animals more commonly known to carry rabies are bats, skunks, raccoons, and foxes.

Beef 911: We all need to be ever vigilant when it comes to rabies

This fatal disease is very rare, but always be on the lookout for telltale signs

We don’t hear this disease mentioned very often, but when we do there is a very scary connotation attached to it. Rabies is virtually always a fatal disease to all mammals, and zoonotic to humans with no curative treatment once clinical signs develop. Only prevention through vaccination and strong surveillance programs have kept incidence of


Beef 911: The facts about the dangers of antibiotic resistance

The cattle industry is doing a good job to prevent resistance and we are improving those efforts

There has been volumes written on antibiotic/antimicrobial resistance in the last several years. This article will highlight some of the key points on how well the cattle industry is doing so far and predict what changes veterinarians may make in their recommendations going forward. For those of you who crave more detailed information, there are

Vaccines can have a major payback, as much as fivefold for the BVD vaccine, says beef economist Kathy Larson.

Spend a little now and make money later

Reduced death loss, fewer open cows, and reduced shedding 
are major benefits from a proper vaccination program

The adage goes, ‘It takes money to make money.’ It is no different in the beef industry. “Low-cost producers do not cut corners on pasture, bulls, and herd health,” said beef economist Kathy Larson of the Western Beef Development Centre. “Spending less on these items often leads to reduced herd productivity and thereby raises your


Top tips for vaccinating livestock

Storage, the injection route, and when you administer a vaccine 
are all key, says 
Dr. Nathan Erickson

Time it right A vaccine needs to match the immune response of the cattle to the vaccine and the period of greatest risk. “So for BVD, the risk period is the first three months of gestation, while IBR, lepto, and vibrio, they tend to be a little bit later in gestation — around four months,”

Even very young calves appear to benefit from immunization.


Beef 911: Vaccinating young calves

More vaccines are happening earlier and while performing other procedures

There has been lots of trial work over the years regarding vaccinations of calves and when is the most ideal time. Immunologists debate this but as situations on farms changed and herds got larger, trends changed. Herd owners no longer boostered vaccines at four to six weeks apart, as was often recommended. Summer pneumonias cropped


Beef 911: Assess the risk when bringing in calves

Mingling animals, transport times, light weights, and even weather can be factors that increase the risk of BRD

There are many factors to consider when bringing in calves to feed in order to minimize BRD (bovine respiratory disease), which is still the No. 1 cause of morbidity and often mortality in our feedlots. Knowing the history of the calves regarding weaning time, distance transported, vaccination, and health history — as well as upcoming

Antibodies from cattle, combined with engineered antigens, can trigger an immune response. A similar technique could work in humans.

Cow antibodies show a path to fighting human disease

Novel vaccines combine natural antibodies and engineer antigens 
to trigger immune response

Old Bessie may have shown researchers a new way to fight human diseases. A recent paper from University of Guelph scientists says a novel vaccine that protects cattle from a viral-driven respiratory disease may hold the secret to creating similar treatments for human diseases, ranging from gut infections to HIV and cancer. Azud Kaushik, a