In talking with other veterinarians it is amazing how variable the prevalence of a specific disease can be between geographic areas. We always think of the huge difference between warm climates and colder, more temperate climates. Sometimes these differences can be as close as a one-hour drive in the same province. This becomes critical when […] Read more
Cattle diseases vary even in short distances
Animal Health: Clostridium hemolyticum is a good example of how conditions change
Tackling coccidiosis on several fronts
There are effective treatments, but the best approach is prevention
Coccidiosis can be one of the most frustrating diseases to treat in your young beef calves. If not caught early, death losses can be as high as 20 per cent and many calves will have enough intestinal damage to make them poor doers for life. Coccidiois has a long life cycle and the oocyst (like […] Read more
Important tips for calf processing
Be properly prepared and do it right – good for cattle and business
As spring calves are ready to head out to grass soon with their mothers, it is a good time to review your protocols, methods and any issues you had this year and introduce ways to improve even more so for next year. There are two main ways ranchers process calves. The first is the traditional […] Read more
Beef cows get mastitis, too
Early treatment can save the udder, and plan to cull susceptible animals
Even though we think of mastitis as more of a dairy disease, beef producers still need to be vigilant for the condition in their herds. With higher milk production and cows being retained in herds longer, both these factors have a tendency to increase mastitis incidence. Mastitis cases can be smouldering during the long period […] Read more
Be patient, smart using a calf puller
Animal Health with Roy Lewis: It is a useful tool when needed, but it can also be misused
Although calf pullers are not used today nearly as much as past years they still have an important place in the calving barn if used properly. To me every cow-calf producer and some feedlot owners need one type of puller, especially if they are often alone when calving. By using common guidelines when pulling, a […] Read more
A few tricks to grafting calves
Animal Health: It makes good economics to find replacement calves for productive cows
Since the beginning of time, a common procedure in spring calving is cross-grafting calves onto surrogate mothers. It used to be calves were bought from dairies but you do run the risk of exposing your herd to infectious organisms such as scours. With many of the exotic breeds such as Maine Anjou, twinning can reach […] Read more
The importance of responsible use of drugs
Know the proper product for the proper treatment, if treatment is warranted
With today’s tightening controls on residues in meat and milk, we as members of the animal agriculture industry must have the utmost responsibility about how we treat our livestock in general. Proper production practices benefit our verified beef production system and with antibiotic resistance increasing producers must be prudent in the use of antibiotics and […] Read more
Learn the one-handed sub-Q injection method
Animal Health with Roy Lewis: Easier, safer and just as accurate
It is worth revisiting information from a research trial completed more than 10 years ago on subcutaneous administration of the drug Micotil from Elanco, which adds credence to using a one-handed subcutaneous administration technique. This technique is much safer for the producer to administer as well as a labour saver. This study also proves it […] Read more
A prolapse is not just a prolapse
There are many factors that can contribute to a vaginal prolapse
The act of replacing a vaginal prolapse is really just the visible part. There are many other aspects veterinarians consider when they are working on these. The cause, method of replacement, long-term care and expected force of straining afterwards must all be considered when they are corrected. As an experienced veterinarian, there are times when […] Read more
Risk of tetanus in cattle increasing
Animal Health: Your best approach is to prevent it through vaccination
In the last several years tetanus has most definitely been increasing in incidence across Canada so it is important that producers know what to look for and understand measures to prevent this deadly disease. Tetanus is caused by the bacterium Clostridium Tetani that is the same family of organisms which causes blackleg. This spore-producing bacteria […] Read more
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