This is the second instalment of a two-part series highlighting take-aways from the 2018 Beef Summit held this summer in Calgary. This year’s conference combined the International Symposium on Beef Cattle Welfare and the UCVM Beef Cattle Conference. Topics included applied research findings and emerging animal welfare issues facing the beef cattle industry. Dr. Dan […] Read more
Take-aways from the 2018 beef summit, Part 2
Second instalment of a two-part series highlighting “take-aways” from the 2018 Beef Summit in Calgary that combined the International Symposium on Beef Cattle Welfare and the UCVM Beef Cattle Conference
What we know about Fatigued Cattle Syndrome
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
Fatigued Cattle Syndrome (FCS) appeared as a clinical syndrome during the summer of 2013. Scientists described it as a novel syndrome affecting highly finished cattle following transport. FCS became a welfare issue when first described and remains a potential welfare problem if not managed properly. Prevention of FCS appears on many conference agendas covering beef […] Read more
Take-aways from the 2018 beef summit, Part 1
This is the first of a two-part series highlighting “take-aways” from the 2018 Beef Summit in Calgary that combined the International Symposium on Beef Cattle Welfare and the UCVM Beef Cattle Conference
Pain mitigation Andrew Fisher, University of Melbourne A number of presentations at this year’s summit dealt with pain in livestock and the responsibility of producers, veterinarians and everyone in contact with livestock to lessen discomfort whenever possible. It’s universally accepted that day-to-day husbandry practices include things that cause pain; procedures such as hot-iron branding, dehorning […] Read more
C. jejuni – an ever-present and often forgotten bacteria
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
Campylobacter jejuni (CAMP-EE-LO-BACK-TER JE-JUNE-EYE) is the most common cause of bacterial diarrhea in the North America, causing an estimated 1.5 million human diarrheal illnesses annually. Infections are common in young children, and young adults between the ages of 18 to 29. Asymptomatic human carriers are rare. Most human cases are caused through contact with animals […] Read more
Does preg-checking cows pay?
Perfection is not possible in the cattle business, but excellence can be achieved
It’s a “forever” debate. On one side of the scrum are the naysayers who claim preg-checking is sacrilege foisted on the industry by unscrupulous, profiteering veterinarians. They maintain that open cows in the spring are worth more, can be wintered profitably, they manage what calf crop is on the ground just fine, and that veterinary […] Read more
Sometimes there are no answers to troubling questions
Animal Health with Dr. Ron Clarke
Life is unpredictable. The hinterland between known and unknown is often blurred. Despite our techno-ability to scrutinize things at a molecular level, the ability to provide answers to troubling questions is sometimes beyond reach. Take, for example, the year-long investigation into TB discovered in an Alberta cow shipped to the U.S. for slaughter. The discovery […] Read more
Know the signs of fog fever
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
Fog fever is not an uncommon condition in adult beef cattle this time of year. It is often sudden in onset and can be a cause of sudden death affecting a significant number of mature cows. It has nothing to do with “fog,” it is linked to nutrition not infection, and body temperature in affected […] Read more
Tularemia, a potentially serious and life-threatening disease
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
Tularemia, sometimes called rabbit fever, is an uncommon but debilitating disease spread from animals to man caused by the bacteria Francicella tularensis. It can be found in a variety of animal hosts, notably lagomorphs (rabbits and hares), aquatic rodents (muskrats, beavers, and water voles), other rodents (water and wood rats and mice), squirrels, and cats. […] Read more
Change is upon us
Animal Health with Dr. Ron Clarke
Regardless of a person’s perspective on changes coming on antibiotic use in the livestock industry, one thing clear: change is not just on the way — it’s arrived on the doorstep. If not ready, it’s time to get ready. Gaps identified in the use and sale of antimicrobials in animals are nearly two decades old […] Read more
High-risk calves a welfare concern
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) accounts for 65 to 80 per cent of the morbidity (sickness) and 45 to 75 per cent of the mortality (deaths) in feedlots. Dr. Dan Thompson of Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine, speaking at the University of Calgary Veterinary Medicine 2018 Beef Cattle Conference on managing high-risk calves, highlighted the […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
