Stock photo of Corriente cattle. Whether buying roping steers or breeding stock, basic biosecurity is a must. Photo: flariv/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Cheap steers bring more than bargained for

Veterinary Case Study: An effective biosecurity plan is essential to prevent infectious diseases from entering your herd

Jim visited the office one morning and asked if we could talk. He looked worried, a bit like a child that had gotten into the Halloween candy early. Two years ago, Jim had started team roping with a local club. Good crops and strong cattle prices allowed Jim to build his own small arena. His […] Read more

If you suspect a cow in your herd has Johne’s disease, have your veterinarian collect fecal samples for testing as soon as possible.

Johne’s disease — not gone but often forgotten

Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen

Johne’s disease is sometimes compared to an iceberg — the visible cases are only a tiny fraction of the problem. The biggest part is hidden beneath the surface, particularly in the early stages of disease. In the silent stage, cattle that were infected as calves by a manure-contaminated udder, water or feed show no clinical […] Read more


calf on pasture

New calculator to help analyze Johne’s testing options

The online tool provides producers with a range of possible management scenarios for their herds

With no treatment or vaccine available, the impact of Johne’s disease on beef herds can be a nightmare. “Johne’s disease is particularly challenging to manage because we have so few options,” says Dr. Cheryl Waldner, professor at the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine. To help beef producers make better management decisions about […] Read more

Johne’s disease is tricky to diagnose, because while symptoms include weight loss and lower milk production, no fever or loss of appetite is present.

Developing a vaccine to combat Johne’s disease

Canadian researchers are trialling vaccine candidates, and plan to have results in the fall

Just as researchers around the world are racing to find a vaccine for the COVID-19 virus, Canadian scientists have been diligently working to discover a vaccine that works on Johne’s disease in cattle. “We have successfully established and validated our research model using a commercial MAP vaccine currently licensed for use in Australia and Spain,” […] Read more


a cow with Johne's disease

Narrowing in on Johne’s Disease

Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen

Johne’s disease is caused by a bacterium (Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis, or MAP) that was discovered in 1895 by a heavily bearded, bespectacled bacteriologist from Dresden named Heinrich Albert Johne. When a cow develops persistent, watery, smelly hosepipe diarrhea, and progressively loses weight and body condition, even though her appetite is normal and she isn’t running […] Read more

Cow with Johne's disease.

Saskatchewan’s Johne’s Surveillance Program renewed

Animal Health: News Roundup from the October 2018 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Saskatchewan’s Johne’s Disease Surveillance Program, administered by the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA), has been renewed for another five years with funding from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) program. The Ministry of Agriculture developed the surveillance and control program for Saskatchewan cattle in the fall of 2013 but funding ran out under Growing Forward 2 […] Read more


a cow with Johne's disease

Johne’s found in three per cent of cows in Sask. surveillance program

Health: News Roundup from the September 2017 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Saskatchewan’s Johne’s Disease Surveillance Program has been very successful in that voluntary participation by cow-calf producers has increased every year to the point where there has been a waiting list the last two years. On the flip side, it has confirmed many participants’ fears of finding positive animals. From November 2013 to March 2017, there […] Read more

Intestinal lesions caused by Johne's disease.

When Johne’s hits home

Dr. Meaghan Crawford’s empathy for the family that discovered Johne’s disease in their young beef herd was evident as she spoke about her involvement with the case during her time as a veterinary student at Calgary. A cow and two heifers showing severe weight loss and diarrhea were brought into the rural clinic where she […] Read more


VIDO-InterVac awarded funding for new cattle vaccines

VIDO-InterVac awarded funding for new cattle vaccines

Bovine tuberculosis and Johne's disease targeted for vaccine development

Work to develop vaccines against two diseases that attack the lungs and intestinal tracts of cattle has received a $2.9 million boost from Genome Canada to co-fund research at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-InterVac) at the University of Saskatchewan. Bovine tuberculosis affects the lungs of cattle and bison, and wild species […] Read more