It has been a relatively busy spring for our Disease Investigation Unit at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon. The cases we’ve seen include scenarios of lead toxicity, abortions and several cases of unusual disease syndromes in young calves including neurological disease and blindness. After years of being involved in various disease outbreaks […] Read more
Tag Archives animal health
Clostridial bacteria often behind horse intestinal ills
In my previous column, I discussed clostridial infections in the muscles of horses, most often following injections, that can lead to the disease known as malignant edema. In addition to serious muscle infections, clostridial bacteria can also be an important cause of intestinal disease in foals and adult horses. Two main species are involved, clostridium […] Read more
Move to early sales may force producers to recheck bulls
Purebred bull sales in all breeds appear to be getting earlier and earlier, some even happening in December. This is months before many cattle producers are going to use them in their breeding programs. It sometimes creates difficulty for veterinarians to get the bulls’ semen evaluated ahead of time. Sellers and buyers of these bulls […] Read more
Streptococcus suis is common and deadly on hog farms
Many health challenges come and go within pig populations. Recently we have had a lot of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus on Manitoba hog farms. Influenza virus and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus are also a frequent challenge on some farms. African swine fever gets a lot of attention around the world. One disease that […] Read more
Reduced weaning stress is important goal for producers
If you drive into many small towns on the Prairies with a livestock auction yard at this time of year, you might be greeted by the chorus of bawling calves. Most of these calves are headed to feedlots after being recently weaned at their home ranches. Weaning is a stressful event for calves and it […] Read more
Herd health monitoring can have beneficial results for producers
In beef cattle production, there are essential practices we must do to treat animals, and other practices that vary from region to region, pen to pen, or year to year. On some procedures, monitoring must be consistent to enable the producer and the herd veterinarian to set out specific points as to when to initiate […] Read more
Lung defences needed for respiratory disease prevention
The respiratory system in animals serves a vital function — without the ability to breath, animals will succumb within minutes. Clean air with oxygen is breathed in through the nostrils and transported down the trachea and through the tree-like branches, where it enters the lungs. Here, oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide, refreshing the blood […] Read more
Sask. producer charged after cattle seizure
One person faces several charges after more than 300 cattle were seized from his farm last winter. Warren Russell of the Stoughton, Sask., area has been charged under Section 4 of the province’s Animal Protection Act. That section prohibits anyone from causing an animal to be in distress or to continue to be in distress. […] Read more
Vet students learn about ecosystem influences on health
Veterinary students spend most of their final year in veterinary programs refining and practicing clinical skills. For cattle, this might entail working on pregnancy checking, perfecting bull testing, designing herd health programs and optimizing parasite control. In a variety of species, vet students practice surgical and anesthesia skills. But each year, a small group of […] Read more
Stress can open the door for Histophilus somni bacteria
The disease organism known as Histophilus somni can cause many illnesses in feedlot cattle. This bacteria has been linked to pneumonia, arthritis, ITEME (infectious thrombo-embolic-meningo-encephalitis), as well as septicemia and heart failure. Stress can bring on diseases caused by H. somni, which is why the stress of weaning and then commingling and transportation to auction […] Read more
