This is the time of year when I prepare to teach the University of Calgary’s second year veterinary students about bone diseases. One could make all sorts of arguments about why bones are important for animal health and are an interesting system to study. But it really boils down to this: as Dr. Andy Allen […] Read more
Tag Archives Animal Health column
Vaccine shortage may require creative scours prevention
I’ve recently heard rumours that there may be a shortage of scours vaccines this year. While I’m not sure if the shortage will be significant, you might want to check with your local veterinary practice to find out if they are going to be able to stock scours vaccines for cows for the upcoming calving […] Read more
Know the difference between free gas and frothy bloat
Bloat, the distension of the rumen, is probably seen less frequently in cattle production today with producers using total mixed rations, but cases can still occur and we must be ready. Frothy bloat can quickly turn from serious to death and yet timely treatment is very effective with no lingering consequences. Two incidences of bloat […] Read more
Seizures in horses often related to underlying disease
Seizures are defined as changes in behaviour and consciousness that result from random, uncontrolled and abnormal electrical brain activity. This atypical electrical brain activity can be restricted to a specific area of the brain causing a focal seizure. If it affects most of the brain tissue, it causes a generalized seizure. Most familiar are the […] Read more
Risk factors identified for respiratory disease
Calf health is a major focus for beef cow-calf producers and their veterinarians for good reason. A recent paper in the journal, Translational Animal Science, highlights some of the findings from the western Canadian cow-calf surveillance network focusing on calf health issues. Dr. Cheryl Waldner and colleagues from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, the […] Read more
Animal health product shortage can be a learning experience
The pharmaceutical world has recently been fraught with shortages. This can be due to manufacturing problems, transportation issues or other factors. Key components necessary to manufacturing are in short supply in some cases, or in other cases, manufacturing has halted because of decreased demand. Sometimes relicensing of a product forces a company to look at […] Read more
Veterinarian shortage likely to be long-lived
Staff shortages and being overworked are common themes at veterinary clinics in Western Canada. At the last few conferences I’ve attended, it seems to be the most prevalent topic of conversation. Several factors are cited as causes for the shortage. We have at least anecdotally seen an increase in retirements of the baby-boomer generation of […] Read more
Vitaferst a newborn calf supplement with a twist
This year, an oral supplement called Vitaferst, designed for newborn ruminants (calves, lambs and goat kids) was launched. Apart from selenium and the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and E, which are normally injected at birth requiring two separate needles, it contains one other mineral and one other vitamin. The product is formulated to have similar […] Read more
Sexually transmitted infections can hurt bull performance
Bulls can be long-term carriers of various infectious bacteria and parasites that can potentially cause a loss of fertility in cow-calf herds. Some of these pathogens are transmitted through sexual activity and can lead to early embryonic loss or abortion, which results in a higher percentage of cows being open at pregnancy testing time. I […] Read more
Many improvements have been made on modern ranches
This article will focus on ideas I have seen demonstrated on progressive producers’ farms and ranches. The first is the biggest when it comes to handling. There are excellent hydraulic chutes on the market by many manufacturers, including ones in Alberta and Manitoba for cattle and Saskatchewan and Alberta for bison. I wish I could […] Read more
