Which bovine conditions might prevail if butchering the animal to salvage the meat would produce the most practical or successful outcome? We often think of this after the fact when products such as antimicrobials or painkillers have already been administered. That is where the dilemma begins. What is the slaughter withdrawal period if you plan […] Read more
To butcher or not to butcher that cow?
Animal Health: Have a proper diagnosis of a sick or downed animal before administering any treatments
How to avoid scours getting at your calves
Several factors to hopefully reduce the impact of disease development
In this day and age, when you have the first case of scours develop, most veterinarians would advise to give electrolytes to counter dehydration, other ancillary treatments such as NSAIDs (anti-inflammatory medications) and if necessary, antibiotics. If a second case arises it’s a good idea to get it diagnosed to know exactly what you’re dealing […] Read more
A great video that shows calving techniques
Animal Health: It helps to correct a malpresentation when you know what it looks like
Calving season is here and even though “hard pulls” — difficult deliveries or C-sections — are rare these days, they do happen. The calving cow needs our attention and help the most when there is some form of malpresentation. This is one time where we can make a big difference by recognizing something isn’t right, […] Read more
Miscellaneous health problems in calves
Animal Health: A little extra time spent checking newborn calves might help reduce losses
It has always been my premise that spending a bit more time on specific cases during the calving season may reap benefits for those calves with ailments. I know one must spend their time wisely at calving season, but even just keeping a cow-calf pair in isolation a bit longer may be all that is […] Read more
Monitoring the cow herd before winter
A thorough checkup can identify problems early and reduce losses
Now is the time to do a good inventory of feed sources and whether there is enough for a long, cold winter. I always recommend to be on the lookout for alternative feed sources, as one never knows when you could run short. Feeds ranging from distillers grains to cull potatoes are among alternative sources. […] Read more
It’s best to apply a ‘one health’ approach
If animals are healthy, then humans are healthy and it works vice versa
This year’s theme for Animal Health Week in October was a good one for the veterinary profession as it blended the idea of “one health.” If we protect the health of our animals and the environs in which they reside, it ultimately protects everyone’s health. This is especially true in farm animal production as our […] Read more
Proper management of cull cows
Several factors to consider, including animal welfare and economics, when deciding whether to ship
An important aspect of cattle production, often given low priority, is the care and marketing of our cull cows. It’s one of the areas in cattle production where producers need to be particularly aware of animal welfare issues that include decisions about not culling, shipping or putting down cull cows when it becomes necessary. We […] Read more
Be prepared for a natural disaster
Severe weather including lightning strikes, floods and fires appears to be becoming the norm
With the increased frequency of storms comes more lightning strikes and more cattle being struck, and usually killed. Even though there is little that can be done to prevent such losses, there are still several things to discuss. Questions to be answered include diagnosing the actual cause of death, determining whether there is insurance coverage […] Read more
An extensive list of information resources
Animal Health: It's important to assess the credibility of information you may find online
The answer is probably out there somewhere — you just need to ask. All of us in cattle production run into questions about things we haven’t seen before or don’t understand. There are always questions, whether they’re related to production, genetics, animal welfare or some other facet involving the whole animal production cycle. It is […] Read more
Put thought into whether to treat or salvage
There are several questions to be asked when considering culling, slaughter or disposal
As with your beef herds, in a veterinary practice many decisions need to be made regarding the treatment and welfare of our livestock. One must always ask if the problem requires treatment with antibiotics, and if so, is there still a possibility of shipping or on-farm butchering? There are many examples where the quick run […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
