Once diagnosed, it’s critical to treat the medical cause as well as the prolapse
This article will focus on only vaginal prolapses. The act of replacing these is the visible part but there are many other aspects veterinarians consider when working on these conditions. The cause, method of replacement, long-term care and expected force of straining afterwards must all be considered when vaginal prolapses are being corrected. As an […] Read more
Breeding: If you suspect degeneration, it’s wise to have a semen evaluation performed
One of the most frustrating conditions to hit our herd sires is testicular degeneration (testicles shrinking up). It often strikes without warning or reason. It causes headaches for both purebred breeders with bulls they have sold and for insurance companies with bulls they have insured. In this article I will go over some known causes […] Read more
Ensure good uterine health to help prepare cows for re-breeding
As herds get bigger and electronic ID tags get used more for record-keeping, more attention can be given to individual cow medicine. We can learn lots from our colleagues in dairy production about looking after individual cows. Health and fertility go hand in hand. If by paying attention and potentially treating cows with everything from […] Read more
The third edition of the Bull Breeding Soundness outlines a few changes
The Western Canadian Association of Bovine Practitioners (WCABP) has published a third edition of the Bull Breeding Soundness manual written by Dr. Albert D. Barth, which contains some changes to the accepted minimal scrotal circumference for the different breeds at different ages. The old standard was a few years old so this new version is […] Read more
Health: In acute cases, a post mortem is critical to help determine the cause
Peritonitis refers to the inflammation or infection around the peritoneum which is the inside lining of the abdomen. Any infection involving the abdomen receives the nondescript description of peritonitis. This could be an infection around the intestines, stomachs, liver or uterus in cows and heifers. What is most important here is there are many causes […] Read more
Health: A good vaccination strategy goes a long way toward minimizing preventable diseases
As veterinarians and cattle producers we need to constantly review our vaccination protocols to check for lapses in scheduled booster shots or missing antigens in our vaccines in response to new or emerging diseases. Cattle transported to new areas where different diseases are prevalent are often the cause of outbreaks such as redwater disease or […] Read more
Health: Know the signs and what actions you should take if you suspect the virus
I am sure most cattlemen have had the odd diagnosis of BRSV in their herds over the years, either individual animals or outbreaks, generally in cattle under one year of age. BRSV is suspected with pneumonias that do not respond to antibiotics or produce lots of fluids and frothing as well as runny eyes. Temperatures […] Read more
Animal Health: An animal’s suffering should be ended as soon as possible
All producers run into the need for emergency slaughter from time to time to preserve the value of an animal and prevent the waste of good meat protein. By its very nature these are emergency situations so it is important to pre-plan the chain of events that would happen in cases when it becomes necessary. […] Read more
While the industry is already doing a good job, there is ongoing room for improvement
There have been volumes written on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the last several years. And it is important to remember just how good the Canadian cattle industry is doing in managing AMR and look to future changes veterinarians may make in their recommendations. For those of you craving more detailed information, there have been several […] Read more
Developing and using good protocols will keep these valuable treatments working for you and your herd
We heard years ago about resistance with fly tags. I believe the first one was called Bovaid and with no other tags on the market, researchers noticed resistance developing after a few years. Soon other companies were making tags with a different family of chemicals in them, so producers could rotate them and not allow […] Read more
MEMBERSHIP
Register Using Your Social Account
