Animal health

By Dr. David Carlson, Elanco Animal Health Coccidiosis is an infection of the large and small intestines caused by protozoan parasites.  Coccidiosis is a costly disease with an estimated worldwide economic impact of $400 million annually due to death loss and veterinary costs associated with clinical infection.  This estimate of economic impact does not include

By Richard Mensendike, Vita Plus Lanark dairy specialist Now that summer has finally arrived here in northwest Illinois, we’re focusing on a lot of the basic management protocols we need to follow to keep calves healthy in hot weather. Fly control seems to be the top issue on most calf raisers’ minds.  This trend started

By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus calf products coordinator Respiratory disease is the second leading cause of mortality in calves under six months of age. In addition to death loss, respiratory disease negatively impacts other economic factors, including high treatment costs, reduced growth rate, delayed calving and increased culling. Symptoms often include a temperature higher than

Dr. Owen Mickley, DVM, works as a dairy specialist in eastern Ohio. Prior to joining Vita Plus, Mickley served as a practicing veterinarian in New York and Ohio for three years. Q: Lately I have noticed an increase of navel infections, ear tag infections and joint swelling on our farm and this seems to happen

By Augusta Hagen, dairy nutrition and management fellow "Johne's disease has gone from a disease nonexistent in the USA (prior to 1908) to one that affects well over half of U.S. dairy herds," says Dr. Mike Collins with the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. Johne's is caused by Mycobacterium paratuberculosis and is a

Molds – more specifically the mycotoxins they produce – can have a significant impact on dairy cattle performance, especially in young calves. That’s because rumen microorganisms in adult dairy cattle act to break down certain mycotoxins, making them less harmful to the animal. Young calves with undeveloped rumens don’t have that line of protection. This

We all know replacement heifer health is important. When we think of this topic, we often think of respiratory health, foot and leg health, and other more common, physical health issues. But we also need to watch for heifer mastitis. You may be asking, “How does a heifer get mastitis before her first calving and

University of Wisconsin-Madison veterinarian Sheila McGuirk has several helpful hints when handling calves, particularly in stressful situations for youngstock, such as dehorning and vaccinations. She kicked off her wet lab presentation at Vita Plus Calf Summit by evaluating an animal for respiratory disease. She advised growers to look for the following symptoms, and if they

Dr. Max Thornsberry, veterinarian with Milk Specialties Global Animal Nutrition, has many years of experience in working with calves. Reiterating a few of Dr. Sheila McGuirk’s points, Thorsberry reminded calf raisers of the importance of proper handling during his Vita Plus Calf Summit wet lab presentation. Like McGuirk, Thornsberry urged producers to take their time

Download a printable PDF Presentation Bovine viral diarrhea viruses, also known as BVDV, affect all kinds of animals, including cattle, swine, llamas and more, according to Dr. Julia Ridpath with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service’s National Animal Disease Center. Even though the word “diarrhea” is included in the name, the primary target of the virus is

Dr. Al Martens joins us from Waupun Veterinary Service, which "stives to provide innovative and compassionate veterinary medical care and consulting services for progressive livestock producres which improve animal health and produce profitability." Q: Why is Mycoplasma so difficult to manage and what can I do to control it? A: Mycoplasma bovis is a common

When it comes to raising healthy heifers in a humane fashion, preventing infectious disease is only part of the battle. Internal and external parasites also can take a toll on heifers' wellbeing and limit their production potential as well. Parasite control comprises a significant portion of the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association's Gold Standards III,

Once you have successfully helped deliver a newborn calf, the most important thing is to identify if the calf is breathing and behaving normally. Initially, you may be concerned about an unresponsive calf, but it can be resuscitated through several different methods according to Dr. Sheila McGuirk from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary

Vaccinations can play a valuable role in ensuring calf health in any season. That said, they should never be used as a way to overcome poor management. That’s according to Dr. Chris Chase with the South Dakota State Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Department. “In general, vaccination is used too much and too often,” Chase said.

By Dr. Steve Hayes, DVM, Day 1 Technology Q: I am starting to have some high fevers and signs of pneumonia in my younger calves that are still on milk. I am not used to seeing this in such young animals. Is this a Salmonella issue or something else? A: Respiratory disease or pneumonia is

By Ann Hoskins, Vita Plus Calf Products Coordinator Recognizing and treating dehydration is key to raising healthy calves. Calves will become dehydrated for many reasons, including summer heat and scours. If you can catch dehydration early, supplemental fluids can get the calf on the road to a quicker recovery. A calf’s body contains 75 to