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Tag Archives animal health

'It is important for producers to encourage and work with female vets… I have met many that can definitely do anything that I did in practice.' – Roy Lewis.
Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Creative ideas on accessing veterinary care

Animal Health: A few thoughts on how producers can perhaps help fewer veterinarians reach more animals

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With a lot of talk about the shortage of veterinarians, especially large-animal practitioners but also small-animal and emergency veterinarians, steps are being taken to increase veterinary school graduates. It was recently announced that the University of Calgary vet school will expand from the current 50 students as of two years ago to 100 students within […] Read more
Understanding bull EPDs is important when making selection decisions, and Roy Lewis asks if there should be some adjustments made to scrotal circumference measurements.
Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

A few key points on producing livestock

Animal Health with Roy Lewis: A mixed bag of things to consider, and important topics to discuss with your local vet

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With my training and experience as a veterinary practice owner, later in the pharmaceutical industry and also as a beef producer myself, I question things from several different angles. If there is a more practical, safe or cost-effective way of doing things, that’s the road I take. When veterinarians give advice. it’s also important that […] Read more
Once a calf gets weak and gets down or has no suckle reflex, it needs IV fluid.
Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf, Livestock

Important scour-prevention tips for calves

Keep calving facilities clean, and focus on good herd health status

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Scours is the number-one killer of calves under two months of age. It takes many different management strategies to prevent scours and it is important to know that it is caused by many different things. The following points will offer some ideas to reduce the buildup of organisms and increase resistance in your calves. Disease […] Read more
bulls in pen
Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Managing the stifled cow or bull

Animal Health with Roy Lewis: A condition that can be treated, but culling may also be best option

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A stifle condition is more commonly seen in older cows and in bulls that suffer breeding injuries. Many of these lamenesses are probably diagnosed incorrectly and in many cases treated inappropriately, often resulting in an animals being kept too long. When we talk about a stifled cow or bull, we refer to injury to ligaments […] Read more
If you haven’t implemented an implant program into your operation, think of doing it now.
Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf, Livestock

Important to follow proper implanting technique for calves

Growth implants can generate at least a 15:1 return on investment

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After all these years, implanting is still one of the most underutilized management tools in beef production. The feedlot sector has pretty much adopted implanting routinely, but the cow-calf sector lags far behind. It is one thing if “natural, hormone-free, or organic” beef is being raised and implants must be avoided as part of these […] Read more
Cattle oilers are effective for controlling parasites, but only use insecticide for a limited time during the season — long enough to control the pest, but short enough to reduce risk of insecticide resistance.
Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Timing is key for effective use of cattle oilers

Animal Health with Roy Lewis: There is a recommended window for when control products should be used

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In light of the ever-increasing issues with lice and flies affecting production in our beef herds on summer pasture, it’s a good time to review cattle oiler pros and cons and suggest a bit on maintenance and a few tips for better utilization of oilers in the battle against these two underestimated parasites. Cattle oilers […] Read more
During a necropsy on a calf, some of the material in its gut included this fairly large piece of tan-coloured plastic.
Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

Be alert to bovines consuming ‘software’

Animal Health with Roy Lewis: Twine, plastic, rope — there is a good chance it could end up in an animal’s gut

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I just completed an autopsy on an older well-doing calf that got suddenly sick dehydrated and toxic-looking. My daughter, also a veterinarian, did an autopsy on a mature cow that was losing weight and going downhill, becoming emaciated and weak. Even though both these clinical signs seem different, as well as the age difference between […] Read more
Elanco Animal Health CEO Jeff Simmons speaks during an interview at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Sept. 20, 2018. (Photo: Reuters/Brendan McDermid)
Livestock, Reuters

Second activist investor buys into Elanco

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Reuters — Hedge fund Starboard Value LP has taken a stake in Elanco Animal Health and nominated three directors to the animal healthcare company’s board, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The WSJ report did not mention the size of Starboard’s stake in Elanco, which makes treatments for pets […] Read more
The bacteria that causes leptospirosis may be spread by being excreted in an animal’s urine and can spread in water sources from wildlife.
Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf, Livestock

Leptospirosis in cattle is difficult to study

Animal Health: Often affects beef reproduction and can reduce milk production

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We struggle in veterinary practice in Western Canada to make sense of the leptospirosis disease complex, as it can be hard to substantially diagnose. Leptospirosis is caused by spirochete bacteria that infect lots of different animal species but only certain serovars (variations within bacteria) are really pathogenic to cattle. Pomona and Hardjo are two variations […] Read more
Zoonosis risks can be reduced or prevented through common biosecurity strategies.
Beef Cattle, Livestock

Keeping animal diseases away from humans

Animal Health: Veterinarians are part of the team of essential workers during COVID-19

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Every year the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) has a theme for Animal Health Week in October. This year’s theme was “Understanding Zoonosis” — diseases that humans can get from animals. Not one animal-borne disease in recent memory has affected our lives more than COVID-19. There are lots of other diseases ranging from more minor […] Read more

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