Roy Lewis

Reading Time: 3 minutes All food animal veterinary clinics across Canada recently received a set of guidelines on antimicrobial prudent use. The list includes beef and dairy cattle as well as swine and poultry veterinarians. The guide was published after extensive research and collaboration with veterinary and industry stakeholders. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), which developed and distributed […] Read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes Both rectal palpation and ultra-sounding for pregnancy have certain advantages, depending on their intended application. To be accurate, both must have a skilled veterinarian performing the pregnancy exam. I will try and outline the pros and cons of each method for your farming operation. I hope I can also dispel the many myths and fallacies […] Read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes Any good purebred producer will tell you that in order to win at shows cattle need lots of condition. It goes against their better judgment, but their show cattle are definitely fed differently. While we all know cattle in good condition (body condition 2.5-3.5 on a five-point system) for calving and rebreeding are ideal, show […] Read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes If castrating cattle with a knife and covering with penicillin, we always observe the pen for two things – excessive bleeding and any telltale signs of an allergic reaction. Since allergic reactions in cattle are rare, they are not mentioned much in the literature. But today’s producers are giving more vaccines and antimicrobials, and with […] Read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes I never like the statement “we can do that later” because often “later” never seems to come, or a person is too busy with other things and the details get lost. Some pre-planning by the cattle producer and consultation with the herd veterinarian ahead of a major processing will accomplish many things including herd improvement. […] Read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes Many producers and auction markets are realizing the many benefits of palpating heifers prebreeding. I will try and highlight some of these and explain how this may economically benefit your operation. With the advent of very early-maturing breeds it is not unusual for unwanted pregnancies to occur if breeding bulls are left out late. Some […] Read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes Ioften hear producers complaining about twins. If twins are both born alive, are the same sex and you have a cow to foster one of the calves, life is great. We all know the opposite picture – twins coming malpresented (mixed up). You finally get them out (with or without veterinary assistance) and both are […] Read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes If you are in Alberta please note these very recent changes to the program and take advantage of them as we need the case numbers. Beef 911 As of Jan. 1 Alberta has introduced significant improvements to the BSE program which will benefit farmers, especially in the spring calving time. Hopefully other provinces may follow […] Read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes With the keeping of older cows, mainly as a result of BSE, conditions such as wooden tongue and lumpy jaw are increasing in frequency. Contrary to popular belief, the success rate in treating these conditions is very high if caught early enough. Most can be cured and go on to productive lives. True lumpy jaw […] Read more