Animal health

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

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

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

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

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

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. 

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