The CVMA (Canadian Veterinary Medical Association) has embarked on an exercise to script another chapter into the debate on prudent use of antibiotics in animals. Its plan: participation in an antimicrobial use (AMU) workshop of Canadian veterinarians, veterinary researchers and educators, government officials and species-group stakeholders working in the areas of swine, poultry, beef, dairy, […] Read more
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
No story about ranching would be complete without mention of two elements, generically unrelated yet closely coupled to ranching’s origin beginning in the late 1800s and its dominating role into the 21st century. Old texts and oral history serve as background. One component is an ancient grass that provided year-round nutrition for millions of bison […] Read more
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
Every spring and summer, livestock producers incur losses as a result of poisonous plants. Acute deaths often go undiagnosed. The more than 200 poisonous species of plants on Canadian range cause chronic illness and debilitation, decreased weight gain, abortion, birth defects, poor reproductive performance, and photosensitization. Some poisonous plants are nutritious when eaten in small amounts, […] Read more
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
Over two decades, internal parasite control in cattle on western Canadian pastures moved from “not necessary” to “routine” for progressive cow-calf producers. While the presence of internal parasites in cattle is often inapparent, removing the economic burden they represent is now an integral component of health management in many herds. Reasons for the shift toward […] Read more
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
Q fever is a potential zoonosis every stock person should keep in mind through calving, lambing and kidding season. The disease, Q fever, and the organism, Coxiella burnetii, when present represent a serious threat to human health. Every gram of afterbirth or fluid from an infected animal contains millions of infectious particles and only a […] Read more
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
Calving season is the time when most calves die. Surveys show that mortality in beef herds from birth to weaning ranges from three to seven per cent. A realistic goal for calf survival from birth to weaning is 97 per cent (Dr. Kris Ringwall, beef extension specialist, North Dakota State University). The goal can only […] Read more
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
The TB investigation in southeastern Alberta continues to unfold. The riddle of where it came from and finding ways to deal with the relative “stranger at our door” is unnerving. When the views of an anxious livestock industry, a federal regulatory agency, and a probing public collide, the task of disease control approaches unmanageable. Add […] Read more
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
On November 3, 2016, individuals, academics, nonprofit organizations and the corporate world recognized “One Health Day.” This was an opportunity to address the inextricable interaction between animals, environment and humans, and how the veterinary and medical health professions should interact. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, MD speaking at the 2016 Hill’s Symposium, recognized that the human medical community […] Read more
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
Atypical Interstitial Pneumonia (AIP) continues to plague the beef industry in unpredictable ways. Also known as acute bovine pulmonary emphysema and edema, AIP is a common cause of sudden respiratory distress in cattle, particularly adult beef cattle grazing lush pastures through late summer and fall and in feedlot cattle through the finishing period. Sudden onset […] Read more
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
As of April 1, 2014, anaplasmosis in cattle was removed from the list of federally reportable diseases. The federal government is no longer involved in controlling the disease. Import controls were basically removed. Cows purchased from infected areas of North America are no longer tested before entering Canada despite the fact that testing reduces the […] Read more
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