Beef 911

Beef 911 An infection previously mostly found in dairy 
cattle is showing up in some western feedlots

Reading Time: 3 minutes It has come to my attention that “strawberry foot rot” or “hairy heel wart” or “Montellaros disease,” which was once considered a dairy disease is now making its way into feedlots in Eastern Canada. The disease is potentially caused by a treponema bacteria. The infection starts at the back of the hoof on or near […] Read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes It has been proven time and again that sickness and death are reduced by pre-immunizing calves, and that vaccination is cheaper than treatment later. If you have not immunized at spring turnout for the common diseases such as blackleg (seven- or eight-way), IBR, PI3, BVD, BRSV, do it now. The most prevalent respiratory pathogens Mannheimia […] Read more

beef 911 It has long been recognized that transport coupled with commingling of cattle 
greatly increases stress, shrinkage, and the incidence of the respiratory disease complex.

Reading Time: 4 minutes For many years, auction markets have used satellite or Internet sales to market larger groups of cattle without having to move them off the farm. This is pretty much all upside for both seller and purchaser. Selling and shipping directly to the purchaser’s place eliminates one transport, saves time, and there is no comingling unless […] Read more

beff 911 As water levels in dugouts get shallower, 
the water temperature and evaporation increase

Reading Time: 3 minutes Water is the most essential nutrient of life and even though most areas have more than enough this year, it’s still a good time to talk about water deprivation. We need to focus on the preventive and what to watch for should water deprivation become a problem. Many articles have been written about water quality […] Read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s well known that buffalo, especially young or stressed individuals, are susceptible to internal parasites. This is exacerbated by the fact we now intensively graze large concentrations in smaller areas. Bison grazing in the wild or on huge tracts of land are constantly on the move, and so seldom re-expose themselves to parasitic larvae. But […] Read more

beEf 911 The outcome is usually successful, but producers should be careful not to stop treatment too early

Reading Time: 3 minutes Over the years, most producers have had a sporadic throat infection in their calves. These are the ones with an extremely loud inspiratory and expiratory sound, which can be heard across the pen. They generally have extended-neck breathing and are in various forms of respiratory distress. The cause is generally an infection of the throat […] Read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes The preliminary results are in from a bison research project examining the post-mortem findings and pathogenic agents causing bison deaths in Alberta herds. Four veterinarians have examined the causes of 100 bison deaths in herds across the province. The research group is composed of four veterinarians — Drs. Burrage, Clark, Lewis, and Tremblay. Although only […] Read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes A comprehensive survey was completed by Dr. Cheryl Waldner at the Western Veterinary College in Saskatoon looking at the incidence of early calfhood diseases across Western Canada. Surveys were distributed to veterinary clinics across this region and randomly distributed to their clients. Thanks to the participating veterinarians and their clients who responded and answered the […] Read more

Beef 911 Knowing the type will give you a head start on treatment 
for next calving season

Reading Time: 3 minutes Every calving season veterinarians are called on to examine calves with a multitude of problems. Some are herd related but many are individual problems of no concern to the rest of the herd. Most cases fall into a few broad categories. Each category has a much different treatment regime. This article will break out these […] Read more

beff 911 Vaccines are expensive, so make sure you store 
and administer them for maximum effectiveness

Reading Time: 4 minutes In order to achieve the maximum benefit out of vaccines or antibiotics this fall they must be handled properly right up to the time they are administered. You as producers pay good money for these products and the pharmaceutical companies want to ensure you get the maximum benefit. Vaccine failures are not desirable in anyone’s […] Read more