Calf Diarrhea Giving You the Runaround? – Dr. Emily Schier, Lena Veterinary Clinic

Posted on August 24, 2014 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Dr. Emily Schier, Lena Veterinary Clinic When you look out into your calf pens, do you feel like you are just running into problems? Does it feel like everything is jetting out of control?  Can you just see the money hemorrhaging out of your pockets? Well, it could be that your scouring problems are

Regional Calf Report: Southwest Wisconsin – Brittany Stewart, Vita Plus

Posted on August 22, 2014 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Brittany Stewart, Vita Plus Dodgeville dairy specialist Here in southwest Wisconsin, the hot summer weather finally showed up, but the cooler summer months have brought on a few challenges. Although spring came late this year, fly control was still a high priority. Fly control is key to keeping  calves comfortable and reducing the incidence

Dr. Richard Wallace, Zoetis – The Beef Side of Milk

Posted on July 2, 2014 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
Article written by Peggy Coffeen, Progressive Dairyman Dairy producers are beef producers too, which is why it is important to ensure meat quality by preventing injection site lesions and drug residues. According to Dr. Richard Wallace, DVM, MS, with Zoetis, dairy producers can capture more value for their cull cows by focusing on Beef Quality

Dr. Frank Garry, Colorado State University – Improving Newborn Calf Survival

Posted on July 2, 2014 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
Click to download the PowerPoint presentation Article written by Peggy Coffeen, Progressive Dairyman We often associate the stress of giving birth with how it affects the cow and underestimate the dramatic physiological changes that the calf undergoes, according to Colorado State University’s Dr. Franklyn Garry, DVM, MS. “At birth, the calf faces the biggest challenges

Ask the Expert: What Can I Learn From a Diagnostic Report? – Dr. Edie Brandt, De Pere Veterinary Service

Posted on April 29, 2014 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Dr. Edie Brandt, De Pere Veterinary Service Question:  Once in a while, we will take in samples collected from a deceased calf for analysis.  Can you please help me to better understand the findings and how to use this information? A:  First of all, the best person to help answer your questions is your

The Crypto Challenge For Calves – Dr. Max Thornsberry, Milk Specialties Global Animal Nutrition

Posted on April 28, 2014 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Dr. Max Thornsberry, Milk Specialties Global Animal Nutrition Cryptosporidiosis (or crypto) is caused by the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum. Crypto and coccidiosis are caused by similar parasites; both disease organisms utilize the cells lining the digestive tract to reproduce.  Many different species of Coccidia affect different portions of the digestive tract.  Typically, the most

Exploring the Origins of Scours in Dairy Calves – Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus

Posted on February 28, 2014 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Dr. Noah Litherland, Vita Plus dairy youngstock technical specialist Determining the cause of scours in calves is often difficult.  Unlike the majority of monogastric animals, ruminants cannot vomit to expel stomach contents before reaching the small intestine.  Newborn calves also make low amount of stomach acid (to protect colostral antibodies), which is a natural

Regional Calf Report: Southwest Minnesota – Kevin Caspersen, Vita Plus

Posted on February 28, 2014 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
By Kevin Caspersen, Vita Plus dairy specialist As we all know, this winter has been a tough one on people, calves and heifers in the I-29 corridor.  The memorable winter continues with the mercury dipping to zero or below 44 times this winter so far - the most since the winter of 1981-82, according to

Prevent Infections With Colostrum and Navel Dipping

Posted on October 27, 2013 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
With Dr. Mark Sosalla, Country Hills Animal Health Calves are born with virtually no immune system, making them extremely susceptible to infections and illness. According to Dr. Mark Sosalla, two key factors can help keep calves healthy:  colostrum and navel dipping. Sosalla is a veterinarian with Country Hills Animal Health in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. 

Coccidiosis in Calves and Heifers – Dr. David Carlson, Elanco Animal Health

Posted on August 29, 2013 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
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

Regional Calf Report – Northwest Illinois – Richard Mensendike

Posted on June 26, 2013 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
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

Guarding Calves Against Respiratory Disease – Ann Hoskins

Posted on December 26, 2012 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
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

Ask the Expert: Preventing Infections

Posted on November 13, 2012 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
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

Johne’s Control Starts With Good Management

Posted on November 13, 2012 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
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

Aflatoxin Delivers Knock-out Punch to Calves

Posted on November 13, 2012 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
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

How to Keep Ahead of Heifer Mastitis

Posted on November 9, 2012 in Starting Strong - Calf Care
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