The younger, the better when it comes to cattle castration, and proficient techniques will reduce stress and losses in the herd. Band application at birth or at a young age, or knife castration at or before turnout, are the two most desirable ways. The beef code of practice requires pain control for any animal older […] Read more
Stories by Roy Lewis, DVM
It takes a team to protect livestock and producers’ health
Animal Health Week comes around once a year in October (Oct. 1-7 this year), sponsored by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. The week has a theme and this year it is It Takes a Team. This refers to the entire team at your veterinary clinic, and I would like to explain the benefits of the […] Read more
External parasites become increasingly complicated issue
Clinical practices are reporting a resurgence of older external parasite issues, such as lice mites or flies. There are also more external parasite issues with ticks as tick species ranges move north. In the past, it seemed when ivermectin came into use we treated yearly and all external parasite problems were eliminated, such as lice […] Read more
Revisiting modern day lumpy jaw and wooden tongue
The bacteria that causes lumpy jaw causes changes to the jaw bone. You can get rid of the infection, but not the changes. However, as long as it doesn’t worsen and the cattle can eat properly, it should have little effect and the swelling can remain until the animals go to the packing plant.
Watch cows for pneumonia during wildfire smoke season
Our goal is to help keep your cows alive, or at least salvageable for slaughter, yet statistics show that pneumonia is the second highest cause of death next to digestive disorders in mature cows. It’s a condition worth paying attention to.
There is much to know when vaccinating cattle for IBR
Producers must know when to vaccinate for IBR, whether to use killed or live vaccines, and whether to use parenteral (injectable) or intranasal vaccines.
Salmonella: deadly, reportable and can spread to humans
Salmonella cases are infrequent, but can be devastating and hit without warning. Depending on the type of salmonellosis, it can mimic other diseases and can be hard to diagnose.
Fertility suffers when bull’s penis does not protrude fully
Bulls with non-protruding penises must be checked immediately. It is commonly noted at semen evaluation time when a bull is unresponsive to the probe. Occasionally, producers observe a bull trying to mount a cow and breed, yet the bull is unable to do so. When examining a bull with a protrusion problem, look for everything […] Read more
Low body condition scores can put cows’ health at risk
Feed has been short in a lot of places over the last two years. Producers who have doubts about their feed’s nutrition or availability should work with nutritionists to explore feed alternatives and feed sources and supplements. Sometimes we get lucky with a mild winter like this one, which allows us to save on feed […] Read more
Birth of twin calves can bring management challenges
When talking to producers on the Prairies about calf twins, most agree it can be a blessing if they get two live twins. However, it is a curse if the two calves are born dead. There are also many management challenges that must be considered when dealing with twins, such as the health of the […] Read more
