Bovine Respiratory Disease

When Stress Tips the Scale: A Look at Calf Immunity and BRD Prevention

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:13:53 GMT

The first months of a calf’s life are a critical window for respiratory disease risk. Its immune system is still developing, making them especially vulnerable during periods of stress. Management decisions can shape how well they respond to vaccination and how resilient they remain during disease challenges.

Building Immunity Is Not as Simple as Giving a Vaccine

Preventing disease is always better than waiting for calves to show signs of illness. While proper animal husbandry and care are key to supporting calf health, vaccination remains central to managing bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and preventing permanent damage. To get the most out of any vaccination program, it’s important to understand how immunity develops.

“Just because we administer a vaccine doesn’t mean that equals 100% immunity,” says Matt Washburn, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim.

Vaccination is a powerful disease prevention tool, but it does not override biology. The immune response depends on timing, energy and availability, and the overall stress load on the calf at the time of administration.

“I like to think of stress as a seesaw effect,” Washburn explains. “You’ve got immunity on one side and layers of stress on the other. Every time we add a layer of stress, that scale is going to start to tip. Things like transport, handling, commingling, nutrition and hydration are all going to affect how that calf responds to vaccination.”

While some stressors — like weather — can’t be controlled, other events, including processing, transportation and commingling, can be planned for. When multiple stressors are stacked together, even well-designed vaccination protocols can underperform if immune demand exceeds the calf’s ability to respond.

“Stressors are likely to decrease the immune response to any challenge that might be going on,” says Curt Vlietstra, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim. “Just because it’s convenient to vaccinate when you have your hands on a calf doesn’t mean it’s ideal timing for building immunity.”

To build immunity against a challenge like BRD, a calf’s immune system needs to have time to respond to a given vaccine. When possible, vaccination should be scheduled far enough ahead of a stress event to allow immunity to develop.

“In an ideal world, we’re administering vaccines several weeks before a stressful event,” Washburn says. “From a stocker standpoint, that’s not a luxury always available. But it’s still important to understand that those few weeks are what’s going to offer the biggest bang for your buck out of a vaccine.”

While timing plays a critical role, it’s only one piece of an effective prevention strategy.

Understanding the Vaccine You’re Using is Important

The foundational details for vaccination, like timing, are relevant to all calves, but building a protocol that’s unique to your business and herd starts with a conversation with your veterinarian.

“It’s important to ask questions like, What’s the risk of adding another vaccine or the risk of pulling one out? Do we have gaps in protection?” Vlietstra emphasizes. “Having these important discussions with a herd veterinarian, or a professional services veterinarian like Dr. Washburn and me, sets up an understanding of what can realistically be expected from different vaccines in different groups of calves.”

Those conversations ultimately come down to immune capacity and product choice. Every additional antigen introduced into a high-risk calf increases immune system demand, which may already be managing stress, nutrition changes and pathogen exposure.

“Each vaccine you administer places its own demand on the immune system,” Washburn says. “When you’re talking about high-risk calves that already have a lot of stress on them, stacking a lot of vaccines on top of one another means they may not respond as well as you’d like.”

Vlietstra adds that immune demand isn’t just about the number of administrations.

“Sometimes, we look at one bottle and one syringe, but it’s important to think about what’s in that bottle,” he says. “Is it a three-way, a five-way, a seven-way? It’s not just how many shots you’re giving, it’s what’s in them.”

That’s where vaccine formulation becomes important. Differences in design — including the adjuvant type — affect immune stimulation, particularly in young calves that may still carry maternal antibodies.

“Historically, it was accepted as a fact that maternal antibodies would block an injectable vaccine,” Vlietstra says. “Now we know that the vaccine adjuvant MetaStim works alongside the preexisting antibodies, not against them.”

For operations evaluating vaccine options, vaccine formulation can influence how effectively calves respond, especially when maternal antibodies are still present. Washburn and Vlietstra explain products formulated with the MetaStim adjuvant, like Pyramid vaccines , are designed to stimulate a balanced, robust immune response in calves as young as 30 days of age.

Vaccination Results Can Vary Based on Management

The best prevention against BRD doesn’t begin at vaccination — it begins long before that. Early-life management decisions influence how resilient calves remain as stress comes and goes.

Vlietstra notes those first couple hours and days matter in terms of colostrum, bedding, hygiene and feed.

In stocker and feedlot systems, groups of calves will arrive with varying health backgrounds. That history plays a significant role in how well a vaccination program performs.

“Many feedlots or stockers tend to have one protocol, and give it no matter what kind of cattle are coming in,” Washburn shares. “The history of those calves matters — preconditioning, travel history, weather, where they came from. The same vaccination protocol can perform very differently, depending on those factors.”

Disease risk is dynamic, regardless of cattle type or age group. Because stress load, immune demand and pathogen exposure are constantly shifting, prevention programs can’t remain static.

Both Washburn and Vlietstra recommend regularly reevaluating prevention strategies to keep protocols aligned with real-world conditions. Your herd veterinarian can help evaluate calf history, stress load and vaccination timing to ensure respiratory disease prevention programs evolve with the realities calves face.

The Role of Timing in BRD Retreatment Decisions

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 15:28:21 GMT

Retreatment decisions for bovine respiratory disease (BRD) are often made when animals fail to rebound as quickly as expected. A calf still looks depressed, a temperature remains elevated, or animal handlers question whether the initial therapy worked. In those moments, retreatment can feel like the safest option, but evidence suggests when cattle are eligible for retreatment can be just as important as what antimicrobials are used.

Post-treatment interval (PTI) refers to the amount of time that should pass after antimicrobial administration before an animal is eligible for another treatment. It’s not about delaying care arbitrarily, but about allowing drugs time to do what they are designed to do before concluding that further intervention is required.

“We have very high-quality medications and sometimes we need to let those drugs have enough time to work,” explains Dr. D.L. Step, senior professional services veterinarian at Boehringer Ingelheim. “By allowing that period of time, we don’t have to stress the animals by getting them up into a chute to be further evaluated for more treatment.”

PTI is a Clinical Decision

PTI is a question of timing. Once an animal meets a BRD case definition and receives antimicrobial therapy, clinicians must decide how long to wait before reassessing and potentially retreating. That decision is often influenced by clinical appearance and management pressure rather than pharmacologic behavior.

This raises the question: If retreatment happens too soon, are cattle actually failing therapy, or are they still in the expected window of recovery?

To examine that question, a 2020 field study evaluated PTIs following treatment with gamithromycin in cattle with naturally occurring BRD. Animals were assigned to retreatment eligibility at three, six, nine or 12 days.

The results revealed a clear pattern. Cattle eligible for retreatment at three days had higher retreatment rates. At the opposite extreme, cattle held to a 12-day PTI experienced poorer final outcomes, including higher case fatalities. The most favorable outcomes in this study occurred when retreatment eligibility fell between six and nine days.

These results suggest there is both a lower and an upper boundary for effective PTI, at least for gamithromycin.

These results are grounded in how gamithromycin behaves in the animal.

“Gamithromycin can stay in alveolar macrophages that fight infection down in the lung,” Step says. “We know the drug can stay there for up to 10 days.”

This persistence provides a biologic explanation for the observed outcomes. Retreatment at three days may occur before the drug has completed its therapeutic effect. Extending PTI too long, however, may delay intervention in animals that need further evaluation, which may explain the different outcomes at 12 days.

Handling stress may also be a contributing factor. Earlier retreatment requires pulling recovering cattle back through the chute, which may further compromise recovery.

When PTI did not change outcomes

Not all antimicrobials behave the same way. A more recent multisite study from Kansas State University evaluated PTIs following pradofloxacin treatment for BRD in stocker cattle. In that work, cattle were assigned to retreatment eligibility at three, six or nine days and followed for 45 days.

Within this range, no statistically significant differences were detected in the first treatment success, case fatality or days to death among PTI groups. Unlike the gamithromycin study, PTIs beyond nine days were not evaluated, so the effect of extended intervals could not be assessed.

The pradofloxacin findings reinforce an important point: PTI effects are drug-specific. These results do not mean that PTI timing is irrelevant, rather that no effect was detected under the conditions of this study.

PTI and Antimicrobial Stewardship

PTI is a stewardship issue grounded in outcomes, not restriction. In the gamithromycin study, shorter PTIs resulted in more antimicrobial use without improved performance. Allowing appropriate time between treatments reduced retreatment frequency and improved outcomes.

“If you wait a little bit longer, the outcomes are better and you don’t use as many drugs,” Step says.

This approach aligns stewardship with clinical effectiveness rather than limiting access to therapy.

What this Means for BRD Protocols

The practical takeaway is not a single retreatment day, but rather the opportunity for a retreatment window that reflects drug characteristics, cattle type and management conditions.

“A veterinarian can prescribe and say, ‘Maybe we wait seven or eight or nine days,’” Step says.

PTI should be considered alongside antimicrobial selection and case definition rigor.

By evaluating each case in context and adjusting protocols based on observed outcomes, PTI deserves the same level of attention as any other component of BRD treatment decision-making.

Harness the Full Potential of Your BRD Vaccine with the Right Adjuvant

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 10:38:32 GMT

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is one of the greatest threats to young calves, and gaining protection through vaccines isn’t always straightforward. Maternal antibodies, passed through colostrum, can block some vaccines from boosting immunity. The key to overcoming that hurdle? Choosing a vaccine with the right adjuvant.

Maternal Antibodies Can Interfere with Vaccines

“Years ago, vaccine response was so variable in young calves,” says Curt Vlietstra, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim. “At the time, we didn’t know if their immune system simply wasn’t ready, or if there was a problem with the vaccines. With the research we have now, we understand that the majority of interference comes from maternal antibodies that are still present in the calf at the time of vaccination.”

Passed down from the cow via colostrum, maternal antibodies are not only a calf’s first line of defense against disease, but they also have the tendency to neutralize vaccines.

Those maternal antibodies naturally wane when the calf is between 2 and 6 months of age. As this maternal immunity dwindles, vaccination becomes critical in boosting and building calf immunity. The largest challenge in bridging these two forms of immunity is timing. Chris Chase, DVM, Professor, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, South Dakota State University, says finding a vaccine with the right adjuvant can eliminate this guessing game.

Adjuvants Are Critical to Capturing Immunity in Young Calves

Adjuvants — although often overlooked — can determine whether a calf successfully develops a robust, lasting immune response, or remains vulnerable to BRD pressure. They work by drawing immune cells to the injection site, and helping the calf’s body recognize and remember the vaccine. Some adjuvants also slow the release of the vaccine, giving the immune system more time to respond.

“With the types of adjuvants we have now, we can get strong, long-lasting immune responses, even in calves with maternal antibodies,” Chase shares. “Although, just because a vaccine label says ‘adjuvanted’ doesn’t mean it offers the protection we need. It’s important that we ask what kind of adjuvant it is and what it’s proven to do.”

Over the last few decades, peer-reviewed studies and fieldwork have shown that Pyramid ^® vaccines can succeed, even in the face of maternal immunity, thanks to its unique adjuvant, Metasim^®. Specifically designed to address the challenges of early calfhood vaccination, the dual-phase technology of the Metasim adjuvant can stimulate a balanced, robust immune response in calves as young as 30 days of age.

(Boehringer Ingelheim)

“Historically, it was accepted as fact that maternal antibodies would block the injectable vaccine,” Vlietstra says. “Now we know Metasim works alongside the preexisting antibodies, not against them.”

Systemic Immunity Builds Long-Lasting Protection

Another key factor in vaccine selection is delivery method. For a time, intranasal vaccines were thought to be the only effective option to protect young calves against BRD. While intranasal vaccines can offer local immunity for calves at risk of BRD exposure soon after birth, some may miss the opportunity to stimulate robust, systemic immunity.

While local immunity helps block infection right where it starts (which is usually in the respiratory tract with BRD), systemic immunity is what builds broad, long-lasting protection, by training the calf’s entire immune system to respond.

When calves encounter BRD pathogens weeks or even months after vaccination, a strong systemic immune response helps them recognize and fight off infection more effectively, reducing severity of disease and its long-term impact on health and performance.

“In some ways, we’ve become very reliant on intranasals,” Vlietstra notes . “I’ve seen protocols that say, ‘This calf may not respond to an injectable, so let’s give another intranasal.’ That choice ends up potentially delaying systemic protection.”

Injectable vaccines with the right adjuvant have been proven to stimulate both local immunity in the respiratory tract, and systemic immunity that circulates in the bloodstream.

Even the Best Vaccine Needs Correct Timing and Care

“There are plenty of producers and veterinarians who have firsthand experience of vaccines not working,” Vlietstra says. “If we’re not seeing results, it’s time to evaluate how we’re using the product and when.”

It’s common to schedule vaccination alongside other times calves are being worked, like weaning or transportation. While this may save labor and time up front, vaccinating calves during other stressful events can limit immune response.

“If cattle have had a long truck ride, ideally, we’d let them unload and rest for 24 to 48 hours before we vaccinate,” Chase explains. “I know not all operations have the resources to do this due to labor constraints, but water and rest time after a stressful event will set cattle up for a better immune response.”

To get the most of any vaccination program, good animal handling, husbandry and biosecurity protocols play a role in preventing and controlling BRD. By staying on top of health management and using products according to label, vaccines are more likely to capture desired results.

“The world’s best vaccine is not going to overcome overwhelming challenges,” Chase stresses.

The needs of every herd are different. Working closely with a veterinarian is key to finding success tailored to your cattle and operation.

First Generic Bovine Respiratory Disease Treatment Approved by the FDA

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 16:02:47 GMT

Updated October 8, 2025

Bimedia US has now launched Gamrozyne, an FDA approved antibiotic (gamithromycin) injectable solution for the treatment of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) caused by Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus somni and Mycoplasma bovis in beef and non-lactating dairy cattle. Additionally, Gamrozyne has been approved to help control respiratory disease in beef and non-lactating dairy cattle at high risk of developing BRD associated with M. haemolytica and P. multocida.

This marks the first FDA-approved generic version of Zactran (gamithromycin; Boehringer Ingelheim) injectable solution and has been determined to be bioequivalent.

Gamithromycin has been shown to reach target lung tissue within 30 minutes and delivers 10 days of treatment with a single subcutaneous injection.

How To Recognize BRD

BRD is the most common and costly respiratory disease affecting the North American beef cattle industry. Delayed diagnosis and treatment increases the risk of secondary bacterial infections and can lead to severe illness and death. Clinical signs of BRD in cattle depend on the age of the animal, the causative organism(s) and the stage of the disease. However, the general clinical signs are:

Fever (over 40°C/104°F)
Labored breathing
Nasal and/or ocular discharge
Depression and/or dullness
Lack of appetite
Rapid, shallow breathing
Coughing
Salivation

Of these symptoms, fever in cattle is most commonly attributed to BRD and can be one of the earliest signs of disease. Further, the type of coughing can be indicative of the severity of the infection. In early cases, the lungs and airways are painful, so the animal will try to clear the airway with tentative, soft coughing. Later stage infection is characterized by more prominent coughing, and at this point, treatment is difficult.

BRD Prevention

To prevent BRD in cow-calf operations, close collaboration between the veterinarian and the producer is key. Developing a prevention-based herd-health program can improve the reproductive performance of the cow herd and help prevent illness in pre-weaned calves. This program should include:

A vaccination program tailored to the risk factors of your herd
Adequate herd nutrition (including assuring passive transfer with colostrum intake)
Consistent cattle handling to reduce stress
Testing for and removing cattle persistently infected with BRD

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Protect Your Herd: The Signs to Watch for Calf Pneumonia

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 10:52:01 GMT

Pneumonia in young calves is an important contributor to death loss before weaning. Many veterinarians and cattle producers think of post-weaning respiratory disease, also known as Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD), when they think about pneumonia in cattle; but calves can get pneumonia while they are still suckling their dams.

Bob Larson, K-State veterinarian, says because the risk factors associated with pre-weaning respiratory disease differ from BRD in stocker and feedlot cattle, which is usually associated with commingling and transportation.

“Our understanding of how to prevent and control BRD in post-weaned calves is not sufficient to address pneumonia in suckling calves,” he says. “Several studies investigating calf pneumonia have reported that an average of 3% to 11% of calves are expected to suffer from the disease each year. In addition, nearly 1.5% of calves will die from pneumonia before they reach the age of weaning; which makes it the second leading cause of pre-weaning death with only scours causing more losses.”

The most likely age for calves to be diagnosed with pneumonia is between 70 and 150 days of age.

Larson says cases of pneumonia are most likely to appear in:

Herds that have more cases of calf scours
Herds that bring in nursing calves from outside herds to graft onto cows that lost their calves
Creep-fed calves
Herds that synchronize cows

“Calves born after a difficult birth and calves that failed to consume enough colostrum have been shown to be at higher risk of getting sick and dying before reaching weaning age,” Larson explains.

Veterinarians indicated in a survey that weather, calving in confinement, failing to adequately vaccinate the herd, and nutritional deficiencies were also suspected for contributing to the risk of calf pneumonia.

Signs of Pneumonia

“Many times, the first sign that a herd has a problem is when a calf is found dead,” Larson warns. “Because death in young calves can also be caused by other diseases such as blackleg, digestive tract disease, or trauma, a veterinarian will probably need to examine the dead calf and may need to submit samples to a diagnostic laboratory to identify the cause of death.”

If you find calves that show signs of pneumonia such as rapid breathing, laying down and being reluctant to rise, and having a high temperature should be treated with an appropriate antibiotic after consulting with your veterinarian.

Tips for Prevention

Larson says vaccinating calves against viruses such as bovine viral diarrhea (BVD), infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), and bacteria such as Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida may help prevent outbreaks of calf pneumonia or reduce the severity of disease, but we know that a young calf’s immune system is not able to respond as well to vaccinations as an older calf’s.

“Because even a calf with a good immune response can be overwhelmed by a large exposure to germs, a successful plan to prevent disease in young calves needs to involve more than just vaccinations,” Larson adds.

He says the herds that have the best calf health have a short calving season and few heifers and cows experiencing calving difficulty. In addition, try to keep young calves away from mud and other calves as much as possible.

“Cows that calve in good body condition and that are on a good plane of nutrition are more likely to have healthy calves,” Larson says. “The best disease-control strategy is to focus on having good overall health of the cows and calves by meeting the herd’s nutritional needs, providing a good environment and timely use of vaccinations in the cows and calves.”

In summary Larson says, if calves are affected with pneumonia while suckling their dams on summer range, you should be prepared to recognize and treat cases as early as possible with appropriate antibiotics in order to minimize death losses.

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7 Management Practices for BRD Mitigation

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 15:42:53 GMT

The threat of disease-causing bacteria, Mycoplasma bovis, has risen with the increase of comingling in confinement cow-calf operations, according to Vickie Cooper, DVM, a Zoetis beef technical services from Iowa.

M. bovis causes bovine respiratory disease (BRD), targeting beef calves, and leads to irreversible lung damage, mortality, and higher production costs, she adds.

The bacteria are present in the respiratory system of perfectly normal calves but become a bigger problem when calves face stressors such as transportation, commingling, entry into the feedlot, and weather changes, Cooper explains.

Although disease symptoms are similar, the nature of M. bovis makes this pathogen more challenging to detect and treat than other BRD-causing pathogens, she adds.

“Mycoplasma bovis operates a bit like a chameleon,” Cooper says. “The organism lacks a cell wall, and has variable surface proteins, so mycoplasmas can assume many forms and are very good at evading the calf’s immune system.”

The lack of a cell wall also makes treatment more difficult.

“Symptoms must be caught very early for treatment to be effective,” Cooper says. “Mycoplasmas will begin forming communities within the lung, and once those communities are formed, it becomes very difficult for an antibiotic to penetrate the lesion and control the mycoplasmas.”

Management practices for BRD mitigation include:

Minimize commingling where possible and segregate groups based on age, sex and arrival date.
Provide good ventilation and avoid overcrowding.
Maintain proper sanitation of equipment and pens.
Provide adequate nutrition with fresh feed and clean water.
Use low-stress cattle handling techniques.
Provide adequate shelter and avoid dusty environments.
Consult your herd veterinarian for operation-specific strategies.

“We need to focus on doing all of the small things well,” Cooper says.

She encourages producers to work with their herd veterinarian to identify opportunities for improving calf management to limit the risk of M. bovis and other disease-causing pathogens.

Preventing BRD caused by M. bovis through vaccination

Helping to prevent M. bovis infection includes focusing on a calf’s environment and a vaccination program.

“Depending on your management practices and disease prevalence, Protivity may be a great fit for your herd,” Cooper says. “But a solid vaccination program only works if other preventive practices that prioritize calf well-being are also in place.”

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Unlocking Success with Cow Herd Health Metrics: A Scorecard Approach

Fri, 23 May 2025 15:12:10 GMT

Tracking performance and evaluating herd success is a year-round process. Similar to tracking athletes, consider developing a scorecard to monitor your herd. Understanding how your herd is performing throughout the year is important when considering management, nutrition and culling decisions.

The first scorecard suggested was post-calving ; the next one to consider is herd health metrics. Illness and death loss in a cow herd are situations cattle producers must routinely address.

To help producers know where their herd health metrics should be, experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute offered some guidelines during a recent “Cattle Chat” podcast .

“The first metric in cow-calf operations that I look at is the first treatment response percentage,” says Brian Lubbers, K-State veterinarian.

He recommended producers aim for an 85% to 90% treatment success rate when treating one of the most common illnesses: Bovine Respiratory Disease, also referred to as BRD. He says that metric can be deceiving.

“Producers who aggressively treat BRD cases are likely treating some animals that didn’t have BRD, and that leads to a high spontaneous recovery rate,” Lubbers says. “If you are seeing a 100% first treatment success rate, you may be treating some animals who didn’t need the treatment. Very high treatment response rates should at least trigger a conversation with your veterinarian about case definitions.”

K-State veterinarian Bob Larson says another metric that producers should be aware of is the percentage of death loss in the calves. During the first year of life, there are three key times when calves are more susceptible to death: at birth, between birth and three weeks of age, and from about one month to weaning, he says.

For each of these periods, producers can expect a 1% to 2% loss, Larson explains, however, that percentage will vary from year to year.

“In the first year of life, difficult births, scours and pneumonia are some of the reasons that calves get seriously ill and sometimes die,” Larson says.

K-State beef nutritionist Phillip Lancaster says what he monitors in the herd is the body condition of the cows.

“If the cows are receiving good nutrition and maintaining their body condition, that is an indicator of the overall health of the herd,” Lancaster says.

Along with those metrics, Logan Thompson, K-State beef cattle extension sustainable grazing specialist, recommends producers treat the herd against parasites as part of an overall wellness program.

“Treating the herd against parasites is an easy win from a production efficiency and cattle longevity standpoint, and it increases the rate of passage of grass through the rumen,” Thompson says. “It is a hard metric to measure, but in some herds, cattle that are treated for parasites have an increased efficiency between 20[%] to 30%.”

In summary, the key takeaways from the podcast are:

Health metrics are multifaceted and require careful tracking.
Different perspectives (veterinary, nutritional, sustainability) offer comprehensive insights.
Metrics should be specific, measurable and contextualized.
Collaboration with veterinarians is crucial for effective health management.

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Management Tips for Receiving New Calves Into Feedlot

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 12:34:00 GMT

One of the most critical times for cattle coming into the feedyard is within the first two weeks. Feedlot owners and cow-calf producers can use best practices for helping those cattle get off to a good start when entering the yard.

“The biggest thing we’re trying to do is reduce stress the whole time,” says John Hepton, a cattle nutritionist and feedlot owner in Idaho. “We want them to come in and be handled quietly and correctly. We want them to come to a clean pen with plenty of space and dry conditions.”

Hepton says typically they let cattle sit one day and process them the next day, which is something he’s learned from experience.

“For example, let’s say they were long-haul calves; we might let them go two days before we process them. Basically we’re wanting them to rest and be comfortable. And we’re always looking for early signs of pneumonia or BRD.”

Hepton says they typically we’ll feed them hay a day or two before introducing a ration.

“We’ll then introduce a palatable starter ration and avoid feeding too much starch early,” he adds.

Jessica L. Sperber, Nebraska Extension Feedlot Specialist says it’s important to offer familiar feedstuffs in the first seven days to “bunk break” cattle. She offers these suggestions:

Offer long-stem grass hay
High quality forages are essential to get adequate energy into the animal while their intakes are depressed.
Feed a natural protein source that is adequate in rumen undegradable protein (RUP) content to support calf protein requirements.

“The most likely source (and presumably cheapest) is distillers’ grains, which are approximately 30% protein, with 65% of that protein as RUP,” Sperber says. “RUP is required most in rapidly gaining, young animals.”

Additional feed consumption considerations:

Provide bunk space of 16-18” per head as a target
Low intakes on newly received calves are common and generally improve in the weeks following receiving.
In week one, cattle will generally consume 1.0 to 1.5% of body weight (BW) on a DM basis
Stressed calves may consume lower than 1.0% of BW, exhibiting signs of anorexia.
Target intake to reach 1.5% of BW (DM basis) by day 14 to reduce morbidity/mortality.
By week three, calves should be consuming 2 to 2.5% of BW (DM basis).
A 21- to 28-day transition or “step-up” period is often required to get cattle to consume greater than 1.5% BW (DM basis) and to transition calves from a high-forage to a high-grain diet.
A low energy density diet (high-forage diet) improves rumen health early in the feeding period.

Water intake

Access to plenty of water is important, Hepton says.

“It’s nice to have overflow tanks to where they can hear water running if you can,” he adds.

Sperber points out water intake drives feed dry matter intake.

“Newly received cattle will walk the perimeter of their pen, so a common thought is that cattle will find the water tank if placed around perimeter,” she says.

She also says to ensure water tanks remain free from algal growth and feed residue.

Initial processing

Processing depends on if the cattle have been preconditioned yet.

“If we don’t know the background, then we assume they haven’t had anything,” Hepton says. “I think there is value in working with ranchers to know what their vaccination program has been, if calves were vaccinated and with what products.”

Hepton says pre-weaning protocols do matter.

“Everybody wants a pre vaccinated, weaned calf,” he explains. “That’s the very easiest thing to bring to the feed lot. Even a good vaccination program, but right off the cow, certainly works. If we know the producers and we know the program, then we may not have to re-vac, or we may do things a little bit different.”

Sperger says processing may include vaccination, parasite control, identification (feedyard tag), implantation, weighing (to determine initial BW), and initial sort.

“Vaccination protocols are critical and should be discussed with your veterinarian, who will consider what is appropriate to each operation and will determine whether and when to administer 5-way viral, 7-way clostridial, and a de-wormer.

Furthermore, Sperber advises that while sorting cattle may improve uniformity in the pen, keeping cattle from similar origins together for the first few weeks on feed may reduce disruption of hierarchy in the pen and reduce health challenges from commingling.

For the yards Hepton consults for and puts cattle in he wants to have very high grading cattle.

“Our target is 90% or better to be choice or prime, which involves both genetics and nutrition,” he says. “It’s also health and management as well, which means less sick events.”

When it comes to receiving those cattle, Hepton reminds buyers and ranchers to use good transportation sources.

“Whether you’re buying them through the sale yard or picking them up off the ranch, it’s important to get them on a truck right away and getting them to the yard,” he says. “We want to have good drivers that are not tossing the cattle around and don’t stop for unnecessary causes. We want to get the cattle to where they need to be so we can get them off the truck and into a comfortable environment.”

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With Chronic Diseases Like BRD, Producers and Veterinarians are Asking ‘Why?’ to Find Better Solutions

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 16:05:13 GMT

For nearly 30 years, Dr. John Groves has worked with beef producers across the Midwest to address bovine respiratory disease (BRD).

“This is very much a personal issue to me, as I practice in the town I grew up in, and my clients are my friends and my neighbors,” says Groves, owner of Livestock Veterinary Services, based in Eldon, Mo.

Groves says farmers and ranchers develop a natural affinity for what he refers to as “systems thinking” to address disease.

Producers understand that agricultural production is a complex system, involving interactions between plants, animals, sunlight, soil, water, microbes and many other factors influencing outcomes, Groves explains. Systems thinking, as a means of problem solving, involves big-picture consideration of all those factors, instead of linear cause-and-effect thinking.

“I believe systems thinking is a good way to address complex problems, to think deeply about them,” says Groves, a founding member of Veterinary Advancement of Systems Thinking, a group of veterinarians interested in how the systems approach can be applied to animal health and production strategies.

Going Beyond Intuition

In a systems approach, the veterinarian works with producers to treat BRD or other sickness for a short-term solution, but also looks further to identify trends, patterns and the forces involved in the disease event.

Groves offers an example of how a systems approach can work: a stocker operator experiences a high morbidity rate in calves, which the veterinarian attributes to poor preconditioning and weaning practices on the operations supplying the calves. Linear thinking might suggest paying lower prices for those calves in the future, but that approach does not truly solve the problem. Systems thinking would involve going back to the cow-calf herds, identifying weaknesses and instituting changes to improve calf health and immunity.

In essence, systems thinking is not a linear way of thinking, from point A to point B. It’s a fundamentally circular way of studying an issue, explains Dr. Daniel Cummings, Heritage Vet Partners, Madisonville, Tenn.

“We’re examining below the tip of the iceberg to better understand root causes of a problem in our cattle populations,” Cummings says “I’m trying to dive deeper into the whys and consider all variables or risk factors that might be associated with a certain challenge.”

Cummings likes to reference the Sandhills Calving System, used to mitigate the risk of calf scours, as a practice many beef producers are familiar with and that was developed thanks to systems thinking. The concept was developed by veterinarians at the University of Nebraska, led by Drs. Dale Grotelueschen and David Smith.

Consider Decision Outcomes

As Cummings identifies a meaningful practice or treatment he believes will help a set of cattle, he works through the potential outcomes before making recommendations to producers.

“Perhaps I’m going to recommend a change in the diet, because I think it’ll benefit the health of the cattle,” Cummings says. “So, I’ll consider what could be the potential unintended consequences of that decision, both the positives and negatives. How does this decision impact other stakeholders? Such as the nutritionist or feed deliverer? What are the costs and ROI? Does feeding the diet require other management changes?”

Groves often looks for leverage points in his clients’ operations to identify where a solution or tool can be applied. It is a low leverage point if a small amount of change causes a small change in system behavior. It’s a high leverage point if a small amount of change causes a large change in system behavior.

Reverse quarantining cattle upon arrival is a leverage point Groves often uses to minimize the opportunity for BRD infections. The idea is to protect incoming cattle from the existing population.

“In high-risk yards, instead of protecting the population from the incoming cattle, you protect the incoming cattle from the population already there,” Groves explains.

“Commingling is a major contributor to BRD outbreaks in high-risk stocker calves,” adds Cummings, who calls it “the daycare effect.”

Develop A Penning Plan

Groves encourages veterinarians and producers to work cooperatively to create a penning plan to accomplish reverse quarantining. The plan should outline where new cattle will go, pen sizes and how long it will take to populate each pen.

Groves’ data, which he shared during an Elanco Animal Health webinar last fall, shows that keeping new cattle away from cattle pens that have been on-site the longest can result in fewer respiratory outbreaks. Additionally, smaller pen sizes reduce the probability of exposure, in turn, reducing the risk of disease transmission, making this a high-leverage tactic for cattle health management.

“I think this explains why stocker operations often will empty out and restart,” Groves says. “We have worked with some stocker operations to actually build in an empty pen to rotate through the planning strategy so we can take advantage of this benefit.”

To illustrate this to cattle feeders, Groves developed and runs a disease model that simulates how disease can occur. The simulation shows disease dynamics and the likelihood and rate of disease transmission among newly introduced cattle.

He shared the model with ag media during the Elanco webinar last fall. In addition, he demonstrated the model during a University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension webinar, which can be viewed here:
Systems Approach to Maintaining Health in High-Risk Calves

Shifting The Burden

“Today, I have a better understanding of the importance of addressing fundamental issues like pen size and management,” Groves says. “When there is a fundamental issue, there is not a quick fix. It takes a lot of time, effort and resources to understand the issue and identify interventions.”

He says veterinarians can benefit from “shifting the burden,” employing longer-term strategies to fix or improve fundamental issues.

To illustrate this, Groves refers to a sinking boat.

“We often find ourselves in a situation where our boat is leaking, and all we can do is bail water; we don’t have the time or resources to patch the hole,” Groves explains. “But, long term, to properly use the boat again, the leaky hole will need to be patched.”

The same principle goes for mitigating respiratory disease in cattle, he adds.

“When I approach an issue like respiratory disease in cattle and the tools I use, I’ll think to myself: Does this need me to bail water? Or does it need a patching-the-hole in my boat strategy?” he says.

Staying A Step Ahead

Dr. Brett Terhaar, DVM, beef technical consultant for Elanco, says the battle against BRD requires a multifaceted approach.

“When it comes to BRD risk, one crucial factor is understanding the unique challenges posed by cattle’s physiology,” says Terhaar in a company news release. “Calves have relatively small lung capacities compared to their oxygen requirements. Due to their small lung capacities, when pathogens colonize, disease progression can be rapid. These calves can get what we call ‘knockout lung lesions’ in as little as 36 hours.”

Knowing this, Terhaar emphasizes the importance of identifying sick calves at the earliest stage of disease.

“It can be extremely beneficial to walk the pens of freshly weaned calves twice a day to make sure calves are coming up to the bunk, getting feed and acting normal,” he says. “Key symptoms to watch for include runny nose, watery eyes, coughing, drooping ears and anorexia, causing a lack of rumen fill.” He adds that early detection and intervention offer a higher recovery rate.

To effectively manage respiratory risks, a well-designed and executed plan is essential. Terhaar recommends addressing the following five elements:

Animal husbandry and management: Use low-stress handling techniques and provide comfortable living conditions with adequate bedding and stocking density.
Solid nutrition: Ensure cattle receive the necessary nutrients, protein in particular, to support their immune system throughout the weaning and transition process.
Strong vaccination protocols: Implement a well-planned vaccination program to mitigate the effects of BRD and other illnesses.
Strategic treatment: Keep two antibiotics of different classes on hand and treat cattle at the earliest signs of disease.
Accelerated gain: Utilize efficient growth strategies, like the use of implants, to maximize returns on investment.

Terhaar recommends categorizing calves into risk groups, particularly for purchased calves.

“High-risk calves are likely not vaccinated, haven’t been preconditioned and are commingled, whereas low-risk calves have been preconditioned and vaccinated. This differentiation is crucial, given the dynamics of disease spread and recovery,” he says.

More news from Drovers:
K-State is Now On a Mission to Estimate the Potential Economic Losses From Possible Foreign Animal Diseases
Is It Time To Wean?
Video Royale Annual Sale
Adapting to Virtual Fencing

Systems Thinking Helps Bovine Veterinarians Address Complex Health Issues Like BRD

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 18:10:09 GMT

Dr. John Groves has spent the better part of 30 years addressing bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in beef cattle, with particular emphasis on high-risk stocker calves.

“This is very much a personal issue to me, as I practice in the town I grew up in, and my clients are my friends and my neighbors,” says Groves, owner of Livestock Veterinary Services, based in Eldon, Mo.

About 75% of his business is made up of what he describes as complex stocker operations, whose owners tend to be opportunity buyers.

“They buy on all days except Sunday, and they buy in all weight classes,” Groves says. “Their overall business plan is to add value to cattle by increasing their health status and assembling them into lots that are attractive to feedyards.”

With his stocker clients’ practices in mind, Groves realized early in his career that he needed to determine how to address populations of cattle over time instead of treating individual calves as they became sick. Eventually, he learned about and adopted the use of systems thinking to address BRD and other long-term, fundamental health issues in cattle that often defy short-term fixes.

Going Beyond Intuition

Systems thinking, in general, involves taking a holistic approach to addressing a chronic and challenging problem. Proponents consider the elements that make up the issue as well as how the elements interrelate, focusing on the goal of synthesis. The concept was pioneered in the mid-1950s, by Jay W. Forrester, a Nebraska farm boy who became a computer engineer and spent his career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“I believe systems thinking is a good way to address complex problems, to think deeply about them,” says Groves, a founding member of Veterinary Advancement of Systems Thinking, a group of veterinarians interested in how the systems approach can be applied to animal health and production strategies.

Many bovine veterinarians already use some level of systems thinking intuitively and can benefit from taking it to the next level by looking at disease dynamics and their causes more comprehensively, adds Daniel Cummings, DVM, DABVP, Heritage Vet Partners, Madisonville, Tenn. Cummings has integrated systems thinking into his work, thanks to the introduction by Groves.

“We’re examining below the tip of the iceberg to better understand root causes of a problem in our cattle populations,” Cummings says. “I’m trying to dive deeper into the whys and consider all variables or risk factors that might be associated with a certain challenge. It’s not a linear way of thinking, from point A to point B. It’s a fundamentally circular way of studying an issue.”

Cummings references the Sandhills Calving System, used to mitigate the risk of calf scours, as a practice many bovine veterinarians are familiar with and that was developed thanks to systems thinking. The concept was developed by veterinarians at the University of Nebraska, led by Drs. Dale Grotelueschen and David Smith. (You can listen to an AABP “Have You Herd” podcast episode on the system at bit.ly/3qebKAE)

Consider Decision Outcomes

As Cummings identifies a meaningful practice or treatment he believes will help a set of cattle, he works through the potential outcomes before making recommendations to producers.

“Perhaps I’m going to recommend a change in the diet, because I think it’ll benefit the health of the cattle,” Cummings says. “So, I’ll consider what could be the potential unintended consequences of that decision, both the positives and negatives. How does this decision impact other stakeholders? Such as the nutritionist or feed deliverer? What are the costs and ROI? Does feeding the diet require other management changes?”

Groves often looks for leverage points in his clients’ operations to identify where a solution or tool can be applied. It is a low leverage point if a small amount of change causes a small change in system behavior. It’s a high leverage point if a small amount of change causes a large change in system behavior.

Reverse quarantining cattle upon arrival is a leverage point Groves often uses to minimize the opportunity for BRD infections. The idea is to protect incoming cattle from the existing population.

“In high-risk yards, instead of protecting the population from the incoming cattle, you protect the incoming cattle from the population already there,” Groves explains.

“Commingling is a major contributor to BRD outbreaks in high-risk stocker calves,” adds Cummings, who calls it “the daycare effect.”

Develop A Penning Plan

Groves encourages veterinarians to help clients create a penning plan to accomplish reverse quarantining. The plan should outline where new cattle will go, pen sizes and how long it will take to populate each pen.

Groves’ data, which he shared during an Elanco Animal Health webinar last fall, shows that keeping new cattle away from cattle pens that have been on-site the longest can result in fewer respiratory outbreaks. Additionally, smaller pen sizes reduce the probability of exposure, in turn, reducing the risk of disease transmission, making this a high-leverage tactic for cattle health management.

“I think this explains why stocker operations often will empty out and restart,” Groves says. “We have worked with some stocker operations to actually build in an empty pen to rotate through the planning strategy so we can take advantage of this benefit.”

To illustrate this to cattle feeders, Groves developed and runs a disease model that simulates how disease can occur. The simulation shows disease dynamics and the likelihood and rate of disease transmission among newly introduced cattle.

He shared the model with ag media during the Elanco webinar last fall. In addition, he demonstrated the model during a University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension webinar:
Systems Approach to Maintaining Health in High-Risk Calves

Shifting The Burden

“Today, I have a better understanding of the importance of addressing fundamental issues like pen size and management,” Groves says. “When there is a fundamental issue, there is not a quick fix. It takes a lot of time, effort and resources to understand the issue and identify interventions.”

He says veterinarians can benefit from “shifting the burden,” employing longer-term strategies to fix or improve fundamental issues.

To illustrate this, Groves refers to a sinking boat.

“We often find ourselves in a situation where our boat is leaking, and all we can do is bail water; we don’t have the time or resources to patch the hole,” Groves explains. “But, long term, to properly use the boat again, the leaky hole will need to be patched.”

The same principle goes for mitigating respiratory disease in cattle, he adds.

“When I approach an issue like respiratory disease in cattle and the tools I use, I’ll think to myself: Does this need me to bail water? Or does it need a patching-the-hole in my boat strategy?” he says.

Staying A Step Ahead

Dr. Brett Terhaar, DVM, beef technical consultant for Elanco, says the battle against BRD requires a multifaceted approach.

“When it comes to BRD risk, one crucial factor is understanding the unique challenges posed by cattle’s physiology,” says Terhaar in a company news release. “Calves have relatively small lung capacities compared to their oxygen requirements. Due to their small lung capacities, when pathogens colonize, disease progression can be rapid. These calves can get what we call ‘knockout lung lesions’ in as little as 36 hours.”

Knowing this, Terhaar emphasizes the importance of identifying sick calves at the earliest stage of disease.

“It can be extremely beneficial to walk the pens of freshly weaned calves twice a day to make sure calves are coming up to the bunk, getting feed and acting normal,” he says. “Key symptoms to watch for include runny nose, watery eyes, coughing, drooping ears and anorexia, causing a lack of rumen fill.” He adds that early detection and intervention offer a higher recovery rate.

To effectively manage respiratory risks, a well-designed and executed plan is essential. Terhaar recommends addressing the following five elements:

Animal husbandry and management: Use low-stress handling techniques and provide comfortable living conditions with adequate bedding and stocking density.
Solid nutrition: Ensure cattle receive the necessary nutrients, protein in particular, to support their immune system throughout the weaning and transition process.
Strong vaccination protocols: Implement a well-planned vaccination program to mitigate the effects of BRD and other illnesses.
Strategic treatment: Keep two antibiotics of different classes on hand and treat cattle at the earliest signs of disease.
Accelerated gain: Utilize efficient growth strategies, like the use of implants, to maximize returns on investment.

Terhaar recommends categorizing calves into risk groups, particularly for purchased calves.

“High-risk calves are likely not vaccinated, haven’t been preconditioned and are commingled, whereas low-risk calves have been preconditioned and vaccinated. This differentiation is crucial, given the dynamics of disease spread and recovery,” he says.

For more news, check out:
Longevity in the Cowherd
Survey: Beef-Cross Calves Need Better Implant, Breeding Strategies
Health Traits Have Genetic Heritability in Calves
Failing to (Biosecurity) Plan is Planning to Fail

ICASA Grant Awarded to K-State Veterinarian to Address Antimicrobial Stewardship for BRD

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 13:12:16 GMT

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a multifactorial respiratory disease with multiple causes including viruses, bacteria and environmental stressors. Cattle affected by bovine respiratory disease generally die from late-day pulmonary disease triggered by secondary bacterial diseases, like acute interstitial pneumonia.

To prevent late-day pulmonary disease from developing in cattle with bovine respiratory disease, and to promote antimicrobial stewardship, the International Consortium for Antimicrobial Stewardship in Agriculture (ICASA) awarded Dr. Brad White, Kansas State University (K-State) production medicine professor and director of the Beef Cattle Institute, a $1,223,474 research grant.

An additional $1,223,474 in matching funds were provided by Colorado State University, Innovative Livestock Services, Five Rivers Cattle Feeding K-State, Mississippi State University, Nanostring, Texas A&M University and Veterinary Research & Consulting Services for a $2,446,948 total research investment.

Bovine respiratory disease costs ranchers in the United States about $900 million annually due to animal death, reduced feed efficiency and treatment costs. The disease is commonly treated with antibiotics to reduce these losses.

“Antibiotic resistance is a major global public health threat. Use of antibiotics over time results in bacteria becoming drug resistant, and infections become difficult or impossible to treat,” said Dr. Jasmine Bruno, Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) scientific program director. “Dr. White’s research can lead to the mitigation of a prevalent secondary infection problem in feedlot cattle, which would reduce the need for antibiotics and help the beef industry use antibiotics more judiciously and reduce losses.”

To address these concerns, White is building a multi-disciplinary team to research how the secondary diseases form in cattle infected with bovine respiratory disease. The team is sampling over 2,400 cattle in Kansas and Texas to assess mortalities in feedlots, where many deaths from late day pulmonary disease occur. The research aims to provide veterinarians and producers with the necessary information to make informed prevention and treatment decisions

Specifically, the team is creating a set of late day pulmonary disease uniform criteria, or surveillance case definitions, to enable stakeholders across geographies to classify and count cases consistently, which is a priority for the cattle industry. The team is also employing late day pulmonary disease predictive analytics, or historical data, to forecast potential scenarios, to identify high-risk cattle pens. Additionally, economic data collected as part of this grant will help determine optimal diagnostic intervention plans.

The research represents the most comprehensive assessment of risk factors and pathological characteristics of late day pulmonary disease ever reported, generating valuable results that will help ranchers and veterinarians improve animal welfare, mitigate the negative impacts of this disease while promoting antimicrobial stewardship.

Find out more about ICASA at https://foundationfar.org

Training Labor to Detect BRD Early is Critical, and a Challenge

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 21:03:06 GMT

“We know that the earlier we detect bovine respiratory disease (BRD), the better the prognosis will be,” said Nathan Meyer, DVM, PhD, Boehringer Ingelheim. “Getting the right treatment into that animal early and quickly will increase your chance of a successful outcome.”

One reason for that is because by the time the animal shows clinical signs, the disease has already been incubating for several days.1 “If we detect clinical signs in the afternoon and think ‘I’ll treat her tomorrow,’ there could be a lot more damage to the lung by the time tomorrow arrives,” agreed Bob Smith, DVM, Veterinary Research & Consulting Services, LLC, which serves customers in California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and Washington. “The progression of the disease is rapid, and antibiotics cannot reverse the damage that’s been done. Early detection and treatment will help stop the infection so it doesn’t spread further.”

From spreadsheets that show herd data year over year, to software that tracks historical disease incidence on the farm, there are some systems and tools that allow for better identification of high-risk groups of cattle, but they don’t offer detection help for individual animals.

Detecting disease

New technology to help diagnose BRD is in the early stages of development including remote detection systems, temperature-detecting ear tags and time management monitors. However, most are cumbersome or expensive, and in their infancy stages.

For now, it still comes down to a trained human eye. And that poses challenges, too.

“Trained labor who can spot BRD early is the key, but it’s tough,” Dr. Meyer explained. “Early signs are very subtle, but not always linked to BRD. How can a rider see a cough or sneeze and know it’s BRD, versus pulling and overtreating an animal that doesn’t need it?”

“Detecting sickness is as much an art as it is a science,” Dr. Smith offered. “We have scientific observation cues like the D.A.R.T. scoring guide, but it is also subjective.”

He provided a few pointers.

• Look back at a pen of cattle after you’ve ridden through, after they all settle down and are likely to show you how they really feel.

• Don’t get in too big of a hurry, because you’ll be more likely to miss a sick calf.

• View the cattle from your truck to get a different perspective.

• Focus is critical. If a pen of cattle generally looks good, a rider may be lulled into complacency. If a rider’s mind starts to drift, it’s time to back up and look at that pen again.

Dr. Smith reminds riders that if they think they’re losing focus, get off the horse, stretch a bit, remount and pick up where they left off.

He then advised gaining as much information as possible about the calf to help make treatment decisions.

• What is the calf’s age? The younger the calf, the more susceptible it is to respiratory disease.

• How long ago was the calf weaned? A weaned calf that has not had sufficient time to recover from the stress is more susceptible to disease.

Dr. Meyer added that once a calf has been diagnosed, using the appropriate treatment is crucial. “To optimize treatment success, look for a fast-acting, broad-spectrum antibiotic that provides coverage against all the major BRD-causing bacteria.”

Training pen riders

The quantity and quality of labor can vary, depending on geography and size of the operation. Smaller, family-run operations raise their family members in the business. Larger operations may have to train people who haven’t had a lot of experience with cattle.

“Something as basic as good horsemanship skills — making sure the pen rider is comfortable in the saddle — may need to be taught, and allows him or her to focus on looking at the cattle,” Dr. Smith said.

The answer to “How can a rider spot BRD early on?” lies in purposeful training. Drs. Meyer and Smith offered up several ideas:

• Match up a new employee with an experienced one to shadow.

• Well-trained employees should review all they are seeing as they ride or walk pens together.

• As new employees start making their own observations, continue to check animals together so their trainers can provide in-the-moment coaching.

• Adjust how long the training period is to how much experience an employee has.

• Schedule follow-up trainings after a newly trained employee has been on their own for a bit.

• Set up learning time with a veterinarian or consultant, riding pens but also classroom training with videos and images.

Part of Dr. Smith’s role is to help train feedlot staff in southwest Kansas, the upper portion of the Texas panhandle and western Oklahoma. In addition to identification training, they also analyze data by pen rider, checking temperatures and illness status of the calves they pulled.

“Detection is tricky; it takes a very astute individual with good training to be able to see the early signs of BRD,” Dr Meyer said. “It’s always a good idea to work with a veterinarian on training and treatment protocols.”

“They all want to do a good job,” Dr. Smith added. “It’s important to look for ways we can help them improve their skill set, and stay positive and encouraging when they do succeed.”

K-State is Now On a Mission to Estimate the Potential Economic Losses From Possible Foreign Animal Diseases

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 17:32:07 GMT

Nestled in the Flint Hills of Kansas is the town of Manhattan, home to Kansas State University. Take a drive across Kansas State University today, and signs of a major focus on biodefense, and animal agriculture specifically, are everywhere.

“We have NBAF here, which is the National Bio Agro-Defense Facility , that’s on the edge of campus. So, K-State really is right in the middle of the animal health industry,” says Dustin Pendell, director of the collaborating center for the economics of animal health Americas region, K-State University.

Pendell received some exciting news this summer: K-State had been chosen to lead a five-year global animal health effort, by opening a new center. Called the Collaborating Center for the Economics of Animal Health, Americas Region , the K-State University professor and economist already had some ambitious goals.

“In a decade from now, I hope that anywhere across the world, if anybody needs anything done related to economics for animal health, animal burdens or animal welfare, they immediately turn to K-State,” he says.

Starting to Assemble the Building Blocks

Pendell and team are just starting on the building blocks, ones that will develop decision-making tools and improve communication on the economic impacts of animal diseases

“When we think about this center, it’s veterinary data, it’s the disease data, including disease prevalence and disease incidents, in addition to economic data, like prices and quantities,” says Pendell. “But it takes a whole team of people and including data from a whole bunch of different sources and different disciplines to come together to study these animal health economic issues.”

K-State was selected by the World Organisation for Animal Health , which represents countries within North and South America.

“There are 33 countries in the Americas region that are members of the World Organisation for Animal Health. You’ve got Canada, Mexico, the United States. You also have all of Central America, and then South America and the Caribbean Islands,” he explains.

Pendell says here at home, livestock producers across the country are on high alert about the potential threat of animal diseases.

“Upfront, some of the current diseases that are here are high-path avian influenza, which was introduced recently, and you have ASF (African Swine Fever) knocking at the door. That’s another one that’s important,” says Pendell. “We’re working on some other diseases, endemic diseases, like bovine respiratory disease, etc., with folks over in the College of Veterinary Medicine. So, there’s going to be more than one disease (studied), per se. It’s going to probably be more of a portfolio approach.”

Sorting Out Priorities By Country

But he points out every country is different, so the focus for the U.S. is not always the same as the concerns for a country like Brazil.

“I spent some time in Brazil last month where they’re talking about TB, they’re talking about brucellosis issues that are a little different than maybe here in the United States,” he says. “And so there’ll be a lot of different issues, a lot of different diseases that we will focus on.”

The team is currently carving out the answer to what the priority diseases are by country, to then uncover the potential impact of the animal diseases that pose the biggest threat.

“Right now, we’re trying to visit with the various governments, and the animal health officials in these countries, to figure out what are the issues that that are most relevant, timely for them,” says Pendell. “Eventually, as we get up and running, it’s going to be anywhere from the producer to the consumer, and everybody in between, including the governments.”

National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility Located Next to K-State

Conveniently located down the road from Pendell is the new NBAF facility, a joint effort between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to protect agriculture against possible foreign animal diseases. While the research is not new, the location is.

“NBAF needed to replace Plum Island because Plum Island is more than 65 years old, and it doesn’t have the capability to meet growing research and diagnostic needs when it comes to emerging diseases, which are those that are new or not well known, as well as zoonotic diseases, which are those that transfer between animals and humans,” says Christian Young, biological scientist with the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. “So, NBAF will be able to continue as well as expand upon Plum Islands’ mission to protect U.S. agriculture and our food supply against terrorist attacks, major disasters and other emergencies.”

Pendell says having NBAF in Manhattan, Kan., was also a selling point to why the center he’s leading made sense, as he will explore the possible economic impacts of those potential diseases.

“The biggest opportunity being here in Manhattan, Kan., at Kansas State University, is I think the animal health industry here is only going to grow because of NBAF,” says Pendell. “I think there’s going to be so many opportunities in this space to add an economic component to the research that’s going on in this animal health space.”

An Important Tool for Livestock Producers, Livestock Industry

Pendell knows it’s a big undertaking, but it’s one that could change the game for livestock producers not just in Kansas, but around the globe.

“It’s important for livestock producers, because this is their livelihood. So our goal is to produce tools in which they can evaluate various biosecurity measures that can reduce the likelihood of a disease outbreak on their individual operation and protect their livelihood,” says Pendell.

Novel Technology to Treat BRD in Calves Reenters Marketplace

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 15:50:12 GMT

Supply constraints have been a common issue for producers and veterinarians the past few years. That’s why Elanco’s Zelnate DNA Immunostimulant has been unavailable since mid-2022.

Now, Elanco says the novel technology, used to address bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in calves, is back on the market and readily available, according to Ronald Tessman, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, DACVPM and Elanco Beef Technical Consultant.

Zelnate – a first-of-its-kind product approved by the USDA – aids in the treatment of BRD due to Mannheimia haemolytica when administered at the time of, or within 24 hours after, a perceived stressful event in cattle 4 months of age and older.

The product contains a unique DNA liposome complex that works by stimulating the innate immune system in calves.

“We see a consistent decrease in overall mortality and BRD-specific mortality in those calves treated with Zelnate,” Tessman says. “And, very importantly, we see a decrease in lung consolidation.”

Tessman adds that veterinarians and producers find Zelnate particularly efficacious in high-risk calves or those that are at a higher risk for mortality.

“In either of those scenarios, I’m going to recommend this product be used in conjunction with an antibiotic either as a metaphylaxitic or treatment therapy to try and reduce that risk,” he says.

Another good fit for the product is with what Tessman calls respiratory observe cattle. “These are animals that have been pulled for evaluation but they don’t have a temperature or qualify for antibiotic therapy. Zelnate can be an effective tool for use in that scenario,” he says. “We’re able to provide that animal with some therapy, some relief, and minimize antibiotic use as well.”

Because the product contains no antibiotics or preservatives, it can be used in natural programs.

“It provides a positive clinical effect without producers being required to pull those animals out of their program and lose the financial opportunities in that value chain,” Tessman says.

For administration, Zelnate can be used via an intramuscular injection or intranasally.

Reference
More information on the research used to develop Zelnate is available here:
https://bovine-ojs-tamu.tdl.org/bovine/article/view/2884
https://bovine-ojs-tamu.tdl.org/bovine/article/view/378

Could BRD Cases Decline In High-Risk Cattle With Delayed Vaccination?

Trace Mineral Needs In The Beef Herd

7 Things to Know or Do about BRD

7 Things to Know or Do about BRD

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 14:00:39 GMT

Bovine respiratory disease, BRD, reigns as the costliest disease in the U.S. cattle industry. Despite millions of dollars of investment in research and years of work to address it, the cattle industry continues to grapple with how to effectively address the disease.

Here are seven factors – from the farm to the feedlot – that contribute to BRD as well as some recommendations from veterinarians, Drs. Grant Dewell and Mike Apley, respectively, and Extension nutritionist Paul Beck.

1. Be aware of the knowledge and experience level of farm and feedlot employees.

Observation typically helps identify an animal affected by BRD, and that ability is a learned skill increasingly uncommon today, says Dr. Grant Dewell, DVM, MS, PhD, Iowa State University.

“That depth of experience we had 20 years ago in the feedlot simply isn’t there anymore,” Dewell says.

Fewer experienced eyes in the pen or pasture have potential ramifications on animal health, including incidences of BRD.

“It’s hard to address a problem you don’t know how to identify,” says Dewell, pictured at the left.

(Farm Journal)

“We’re more tuned in to the fact that we need to do more training, especially in the smaller feedlots and backgrounding operations,” he adds. “We spend more time talking about what to look for, what kind of health plan we need to implement and who is going to implement it.”

Paul Beck, PhD, Oklahoma State University Extension nutritionist, says he sometimes sees a BRD break in feedlot cattle occur at roughly the mid-finishing period and offers this observation.

“I think part of the problem with death loss on those cattle is, after you have them 30 days on feed, a lot of our pen riders kind of relax on that set of cattle and then you have a break, and it’s really hard to catch up,” he says.

2. Know the origin of the cattle, their genetics and how they were managed prior to your client taking possession of them.

Veterinarians often anticipate needing to provide more attention to mismanaged cattle or those that come out of certain parts of the country, once they arrive at the feedlot.

But even calves from top genetic lines are often brought down by BRD, a fact that is puzzling for many producers and practitioners alike.

Beck believes part of the issue could be those bigger animals coming into lots look like yearlings but, for all practical purpose, they’re still calves.

“Their systems just aren’t prepared for the rigors of the feedyard, and I think that could be a contributing factor. They have the tools to gain rapidly but I’m not sure they’re set up to not get sick and die,” Beck says.

“Genetics have shifted toward growth and away from disease resistance, so we may need to provide slightly higher protein levels and mineral levels for these high-performing animals,” he adds.

3. Educate cow/calf producers on the value of a preconditioning program.

(Farm Journal)

“If we can precondition those animals on the farm – lower the stress of weaning, bull calves castrated, get them trained to eating at the bunk and vaccinated appropriately – I think we could make a lot of progress in reducing BRD,” says Beck, pictured here.

He also believes going with a longer preconditioning period – 60 to 75 days rather than the more common 45 days – and slowing the growth rate slightly on the farm of origin would improve health and productivity once those animals reach the feedyard.

“I think that extra time can make a big difference in the resilience and ability of cattle to withstand the feedlot environment more successfully,” he says.

4. Consider the nutritional needs of calves arriving at the feedlot.

Calves coming off a truck after a day or two of travel need plenty of water and a combination of high-quality hay and a feed ration that can address their energy needs, Dewell says.

“We need to get some concentrates of some sort into those calves so that they can get their energy levels back up and their immune system can get recovered. That’s going to help them transition to the feedlot better,” he says.

5. Develop a set of written criteria to determine when to pull an animal out of the pasture or pen for closer assessment.

Mike Apley, DVM, PhD, DACVCP, Kansas State University, encourages veterinarians to have a written protocol they can follow as well as use to train producers and their employees.

“A written protocol provides a baseline to discuss treatment eligibility criteria and drug regimens. Discussing results and potential changes in relation to a written protocol is a different scenario than a loose set of treatment strategies.”

Along with the benefit of the discussions leading up to the final protocol, there also needs to be training in implementation, especially for deciding whether an animal is treated for BRD or not.

Apley says a scoring system for the initial identification of animals for treatment can be helpful for training. A zero to 4 system where zero is normal and 4 is unable to rise is a common system.

“If the trainer and trainee are debating between a 1 and a 2, or a 2 and a 3, no problem. If the debate is between a 1 and a 3, that is where the discussion will be especially valuable,” he says. “The scoring system

(Farm Journal)

is primarily based on depression with additional inputs such as rumen fill, dehydration (sunken eyes), and discharge from the eyes or nose.

“If you talk yourself out of pulling an animal once and they catch your attention again, they should come out of the pen,” says Apley, pictured here.

Along with the scoring system, Apley suggests using a set of secondary criteria for the evaluation process which are applied in the treatment chute, noting that the time for a visual score has passed.

The long-time standard for chute-side evaluation has been the thermometer.

“I don’t know the perfect cutoff temperature, but it probably varies with environmental temperature,” he says. “A minimum of 103.5°F with a common cutoff of 104.0°F are standards.”

Some chute-side technologies are available to help diagnose animals with BRD. They include the Whisper On Arrival stethoscope, and the automated white blood cell differential test, QScout BLD. Purdue University researchers are also working on a pen-side test for BRD that is still in development.

6. While antibiotic selection is a matter of veterinary preference, give thought to your treatment strategy.

“The introduction of long-acting oxytetracycline dates back to around 1980, followed by tilmicosin in 1992 which started the change to where we are today, largely using single-injection antimicrobials in cattle with BRD,” Apley says.

There is now a wide selection of single-injection antimicrobial options for BRD. Strategies are developed for order of antimicrobials to be used in the treatment protocol, both with and without administering an antimicrobial for control of BRD at arrival.

“The interesting thing about all of the strategies is that we talk about the antimicrobials as if that is all of the picture,” Apley says. “The equal part of the success/failure equation is the nature of the resistance genes in the BRD pathogens circulating in the cattle; we don’t know this status at the start for a group of cattle. If the resistance genes aren’t there, then the rotations don’t really matter other than for comparative efficacy.

“If the resistance genes are present, the diagnostic lab data suggest that the pathogens are often multiple drug resistant (MDR), for example due to the Integrative Conjugative Element (ICE) that encodes for resistance to most of the antimicrobials we use for BRD,” he adds. “In this case, the order of antimicrobial use doesn’t matter much either.”

Apley suggests starting with an antimicrobial based on efficacy and how it fits in your program. He says it then makes sense to switch to a different class for subsequent therapy, in case a lack of initial treatment response was due to resistance to the first product. Lack of treatment response can be due to many other factors besides antimicrobial resistance.

In addition, Apley says he does not recommend the use of any other products, such as vitamins, in conjunction with the antibiotic. “The published evidence that any other drug combined with an antimicrobial changes the outcome of BRD remains nonexistent. If a drug such as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory can make them more comfortable without decreasing treatment response, that is fine. Just don’t think you are changing your success/failure proportions for treatment outcome.”

7. Determine what you believe is an adequate post-treatment interval and decide next steps.

Apley says an often neglected part of a treatment protocol is consciously deciding upon a period for determining if the animal has recovered or needs additional therapy. This is the post-treatment interval (PTI).

“Looking at the data across the different antimicrobials, I think a starting point of a seven-day PTI is reasonable for most of the single-injection products.” he says. “There also needs to be a method for indicating the date for which each animal is to be evaluated at the end of the PTI. Some have used lists of ear tag numbers or use chalk to mark dates on the cattle.”

An animal that is making progress may need no further treatment, but veterinarians need to have a process by which they make a judgment call, Dewell says.

“If the animal needs additional treatment, you might put it into a convalescent pen. You also need to decide if the animal is going to recover. If it’s not, we need to euthanize it humanely sooner rather than later,” he says. “These are not always easy decisions to make, but they are things we all need to be working toward and thinking about. We have to manage the individual as well as the herd.”

Could BRD Cases Decline In High-Risk Cattle With Delayed Vaccination?

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 15:29:46 GMT

While vaccination is widely considered a critical component of cattle health management, could the timing of vaccination impact the efficiency of the product?

A study by the West Texas A&M University Department of Agricultural Sciences and the USDA Agriculture Research Service Livestock Issues Unit in Lubbock, Texas shows there may be more effective vaccination protocols for stressed, high-risk calves arriving to a backgrounding or feedlot operation.

While bovine respiratory disease (BRD) remains the costliest disease in the U.S. cattle industry , modified-live virus (MLV) vaccination against respiratory pathogens in cattle on feedlot arrival has been unanimously recommended by consulting veterinarians. However, there is surprisingly limited, but emerging literature, describing the efficiency and safety of vaccination in different cattle production environments, including delayed administration of MLV vaccines in stressed, high-risk cattle, says the study report published online in the National Library of Medicine.

According to the USDA Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), the USDA approval process does not require examining the safety of vaccination in highly-stressed, immunosuppressed cattle. Additionally, products are labeled to “be effective for the vaccination of healthy cattle” and not necessarily proven to “work” on cattle under physiologic stress.

Cattle during different times of their life experience stress: birth, branding, weaning, marketing and relocation. However, it’s important to understand how acute or short-term stress differs from chronic or long-term stress.

At the cow-calf phase, calves experience acute stress at birth, branding and weaning, which may actually result in priming of the immune system and contribute to an enhanced vaccine response—allowing sufficient time for vaccinates to develop immunologic protection before natural challenges with BRD-causative agents occur, the report explains.

Similarly, the pre-conditioning phase, when calves are vaccinated and retained on the operation after weaning, the report explains how these calves exhibit less morbidity and health costs at the feedlot while typically generating greater net return to the cow-calf producers as calf value increases. However, only 39% of all beef operations vaccinate calves against respiratory disease before sale, the report states.

When calves reach the stocker phase, many beef calves are immunologically naïve and stressed. Producers should consider vaccine safety and the potential for inadvertent antigenic enhancement of MLV vaccines when administered to newly received stocker calves.

“Because subsequent disease challenge in the feedlot phase is probable, stocker calves should be administered vaccines with adequate time for immunization to occur before feedlot shipment. However, stocker producers should consider delaying MLV vaccination for 14 to 30 days after arrival, as improved health and performance outcomes have been reported in high-risk stocker calves using this strategy,” the report explains.

While the adoption rate of respiratory vaccination in the feedlot phase is nearly 100%, the report suggests further research is needed to understand the efficiency of vaccination and if a delayed MLV vaccination may improve health outcomes in auction-derived feedlot cattle.

In a study with 528 high-risk stocker calves, a delayed (Day 14) MLV administration procedure was evaluated against the traditional on-arrival (Day 0). Results showed calves receiving delayed vaccination had improved performance and numerically less BRD-associated morbidity, relapse and mortality.

Another study of 5,179 auction-derived heifers observed a decrease in the number of heifers treated twice for BRD and numerically less morbidity, mortality and case fatality rate for those receiving their initial MLV at 30 days after the feedlot arrival compared with on-arrival, the results explain.

While delayed vaccination shows promising results in initial studies, the report explains the challenge remains in accessing current literature explaining the benefits, or lack thereof, of vaccinating cattle immediately on feedlot arrival.

As cattle vary in immune status, age, breed, and marketing channels used, as well as addressing the complex nature of BRD, the “best” vaccination protocols likely remain a challenge to define.

While it’s widely accepted that vaccines provide immunologic protection against economically important cattle diseases, the report cautions that vaccine efficiency may not be realized if the timing of vaccination is inappropriate, cattle are immunosuppressed at the time of vaccination, and/or if the infectious challenge is greater than the immunologic protection by the vaccination. Emerging research studies and literature may help provide more insight for producers in the coming years.

Bimeda® US Launches SpectoGard® Sterile Solution

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 19:14:58 GMT

Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois (July 19, 2023) – Bimeda Inc. is pleased to announce that SpectoGard (spectinomycin sulfate) sterile solution—which received FDA approval in September of 2022—is now available for veterinarians and cattle producers in the United States. SpectoGard Sterile Solution is the first bioequivalent, generic spectinomycin sulfate injectable solution that is approved for use in cattle for the treatment of bovine respiratory disease (pneumonia) associated with Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida and Histophilus somni.

SpectoGard Sterile Solution contains the same active ingredient in the same concentration and dosage form as the approved brand name drug product, Adspec® (Zoetis, Inc., Kalamazoo, MI), which was first approved on January 28, 1998 but has been unavailable due to discontinued manufacturing for over 5 years.

“We are excited to provide veterinarians and producers an effective treatment option for the most common bacterial causes of BRD from a class of antimicrobials that hasn’t been used in many years. SpectoGard Sterile Solution is an aminocyclitol, which is closely related to the aminoglycosides except it doesn’t have the same potential side effects (such as nephrotoxicity) as the aminoglycosides do.” said Dr. Chris Thomsen, Senior Technical Services Veterinarian, Bimeda US.

SpectoGard Sterile Solution should be administered to cattle at a daily dose of 10 to 15 mg spectinomycin per kg of body weight (4.5 to 6.8 mL per 100 lbs. of body weight). Treatment should be administered at 24-hour intervals for 3 to 5 consecutive days. The meat withdrawal time for this product is 11 days.

SpectoGard Sterile Solution is available in 500 mL vials and requires a veterinary prescription for use.

To learn more, contact your veterinarian or go to www.BimedaUS.com/SpectoGardInj

Summer Pneumonia in Calves a Concern: What You Need to Know

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 18:44:12 GMT

Dead or sick calves are a scenario that is reported every year in a number of beef herds..

“A list of all possible causes for this case can be very confusing to producers,” says Gerald Stokka, North Dakota State University Extension veterinarian and livestock stewardship specialist. “However, depressed, feverish calves with an increased respiratory rate most likely will fit the diagnosis of ‘summer pneumonia.’”

The common question generated by this diagnosis is: Why would nursing beef calves in the pasture with little stress in their lives come down with respiratory disease or pneumonia?

What is Summer Pneumonia?

Summer pneumonia is respiratory disease/pneumonia that occurs in beef calves nursing their dams. The age range of calves affected can be as early as 3 to 4 weeks and from 3 to 5 months of age.

Calves are born with little to no immunity and are dependent on receiving a passive transfer of immunity from their dam through colostrum. This passively acquired immunity declines through time, and unless the calf develops active immunity through vaccination or exposure to infectious agents, they eventually will become susceptible to pathogens that can cause respiratory disease.

“This is why some calves are susceptible at a very young age (3 to 4 weeks) and other calves become susceptible later,” Stokka says.

Conditions Leading to Summer Pneumonia

Stressful conditions that may precipitate an outbreak of summer pneumonia in nursing calves:

Certain weather events can increase the risk of developing summer pneumonia. For example, mid to late spring blizzards or rain can deprive the calf of normal nursing patterns and produce hypothermia/chilling in calves. Late spring or summer high temperatures can produce heat stress in cows and calves, resulting in greater susceptibility to infectious agents. Also, dry, dusty conditions can increase susceptibility because the calves’ normal innate, clearing defense mechanisms can be overwhelmed, which allows for pathogens to proliferate and gain access to the lungs of young calves.
Mixing groups together after calving, such as moving cow-calf pairs to pasture or mixing groups together for heat synchronization and artificial insemination procedures, can result in cattle re-establishing their social order and allowing the transmission of infectious agents.
When calves are sorted for moving or synchronization programs, they can have separation anxiety and nurse infrequently, which increases stress.

Viruses and Bacteria Leading to Summer Pneurmonia

These organisms are commonly found in summer pneumonia cases:

Bacterial organisms, which include Mannheimia hemolytica, Pasteurella multocida and Histophilus somni
Viral agents including BRSV (bovine respiratory syncytial virus), BRCV (bovine respiratory coronavirus), IBR (infectious bovine rhinotracheitis) and BVDV (bovine viral diarrhea virus)
“Vaccination can be effective in reducing the risk of summer pneumonia when caused by agents for which a vaccine is available,” Stokka says. “However, vaccination in young calves does not equate with a 100% response rate. Nor does it reduce the stress associated with weather, dry, dusty conditions, sorting and mixing. In addition, while some pathogens may have commercially available vaccines, information to evaluate effectiveness is limited.”

Label Update Addresses Pyrexia In Beef And Dairy Cattle

Tue, 03 Aug 2021 16:54:45 GMT

Zoetis announces it expects to market new Draxxin KP as early as this month to control bovine respiratory disease and specifically pyrexia (fever) in cattle.

“It’s an exciting addition to our antimicrobial line and a very nice upgrade to our flagship product, Draxxin,” says Jess Hinrichs, DVM.

“It’s indicated for the treatment of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) with the same pathogens that were already on the Draxxin label, and that portion of the drug has not changed,” he adds.

The additional label claim to address pyrexia is accomplished through the addition of the KP portion of the product which stands for ketoprofen, the active ingredient in ketofen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

“It’s been used primarily in horses in this country up until this point,” Hinrichs says.

There are two key differences between the KP product and the original Draxxin:

1. Draxxin KP does not have “the metaphylaxis or control label for BRD” that can be used in a mass treatment scenario typically on incoming cattle, Hinrichs says.
It also does not carry label claims for pinkeye or foot rot while the original Draxxin does.

“We looked at this product from the standpoint of fever reduction, and it did an excellent job at decreasing temperatures over Draxxin at the six-hour post treatment mark,” he adds. “We saw no difference in treatment success rates between the two products at 14 days post treatment.”

Hinrichs say all the major BRD bacterial pathogens were represented in the study he conducted.

“So we feel confident in the ability of this product to perform as well as Draxxin and for BRD treatment, and to have the added advantage of fever reduction very early in the treatment process,” he says.

He adds that injection site reactions are very mild with Draxxin KP.

Zoetis anticipates having Draxxin KP available for purchase and use sometime in August.

Sound Prevention Strategies Help Minimize the Risk of BRD

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:52:23 GMT

You can’t control everything on your operation. But you can take preventive steps to protect calves from bovine respiratory disease (BRD), long before you ever reach for antibiotics.

“Work with your veterinarian to develop a preventive health program that best maximizes or improves cattle health and prepares animals for the next phase of production,” advised DL Step, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim.

A good preventive program, which can reduce the number of calves that succumb to BRD, lessen the severity of clinical signs and decrease the number of animals that develop complications, often includes the following steps.

Ensure colostrum delivery for passive transfer of immunity

A newborn calf has no antibodies circulating in its system to fight off infection. That’s why it’s critical for the calf to ingest adequate amounts of high-quality colostrum, or the antibody-rich first milk from the dam soon following birth, preferably within the first eight hours of the calf’s life.

What happens in those first hours can have short- and long-term impact on calf health. Compared with calves that received adequate colostrum, “a beef calf that didn’t is over three times more likely to experience an illness such as respiratory disease in the feed yard,”1 reported Dr. Step. “We can also see more enteric problems, especially in the first few weeks of life, as well as respiratory disease during the cow/calf phase of production.”

Extend immunity with vaccination

For calves, respiratory vaccines are important to stimulate the adaptive or acquired immune system and help the calf develop a memory response. “If or when the animal comes in contact with those respiratory pathogens (disease-causing agents) in the future, the memory response is activated, so the immune system can respond more rapidly,” said Dr. Step. While this doesn’t necessarily prevent infection, it can reduce the severity of clinical signs.

Minimize stress

A number of factors can lead to stress in cattle, such as transport or shipping, fluctuations in temperature and nutritional changes. Stress can suppress an animal’s immune system and open the door for viruses and bacteria to invade the respiratory tract.

“Viruses can destroy normal respiratory tract mechanisms, such as the cilia that help move dust, debris and mucus out of the lower airway,” explained Dr. Step. “Many bacteria are normal inhabitants of the upper respiratory tract, but damage to these respiratory tract mechanisms and stress can allow those organisms to enter the lower respiratory tract, which can lead to pneumonia.”

Commingling, or mixing animals from different sources with unknown health histories, can also cause stress and expose animals to disease-causing agents (respiratory pathogens). “It’s like putting a bunch of school children together after vacation,” suggested Dr. Step, “shortly after the group is back together in school, illnesses often develop.”

Use antibiotics thoughtfully

Despite all your best efforts to prepare calves, there are still times when the metaphylactic use of antibiotics makes sense. “Metaphylaxis can help minimize the number of calves that get sick, and therefore, the number that die,” reported Dr. Step.

“Can we make an animal healthier by the time it leaves the cow-calf operation?” asked Dr. Step. “Yes we can.” It’s just a matter of working with your veterinarian to create a BRD prevention program that works for your operation.

Can Diagnostics Improve Metaphylaxis?

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:51:55 GMT

When loads of stressed, high-risk calves arrive at the feedlot, it often makes economic sense to treat them all with antibiotics to prevent an almost-inevitable outbreak of bovine respiratory disease (BRD). It might also make sense from a biological standpoint.

But as pressures mount for livestock producers to reduce their use of antibiotics, using diagnostic tools to implement more limited and targeted arrival treatments potentially could reduce costs and improve outcomes. Maybe.

During the recent AABP Conference, several presentations outlined various aspects of metaphylaxis in cattle feedyards. In a previous article, we summarized a discussion of the epidemiological justification for metaphylaxis from Brian Vander Ley, DVM, PhD, an epidemiologist at the Great Plains Veterinary Education Center. In a follow-up presentation, Vander Ley discusses some of the potential benefits and challenges in incorporating diagnostics into on-arrival treatment decisions.

In theory, chute-side diagnostic tools such as blood tests or electronic auscultation can predict individual BRD risk, guide treatment decisions and possibly classify pathogens and even their sensitivity to specific antibiotics. On the downside, Vander Ley says diagnostics could slow processing speeds, add new costs and complexity and not necessarily improve clinical outcomes.

A targeted metaphylaxis program ideally would treat stressed, immune-challenged calves that are most susceptible to or infected with BRD pathogens, while not treating those already recovered from BRD, under little stressed and/or with robust immunity and little stress. In reality though, evaluating all the risk factors on individual animals presents a significant challenge.

Vander Ley notes that leaving any infected calves untreated can favor reproduction and shedding of BRD pathogens and lead to outbreaks. On the other hand, treating non-infected calves could extend the risk period by leaving those animals susceptible and exposed to pathogens after the post-metaphylactic interval (PMI).

Diagnostic tools have good potential for improving receiving programs, metaphylaxis and antibiotic stewardship, but Vander Ley stresses that in the meantime, the industry can best address BRD risk with calf management and procurement practices designed to maximize immunity, rather than fixing earlier management deficiencies with treatments on arrival.

For more on aspects of metaphylaxis decisions, see these articles from BovineVet Online:

How Metaphylaxis Controls Disease

The Evolution of Metaphylaxis

Mass Treatment, Big Impact

Whisper Makes Noise

The Evolution of Metaphylaxis

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:51:51 GMT

Cattle feeders first began using mass treatments for newly arrived calves back in the 1970s, as a means of controlling outbreaks of respiratory disease or “shipping fever.” Since then, procedures have evolved with the availability of more effective antibiotics, more regulation of veterinary medications and greater emphasis on food safety, antibiotic residues and prevention of antibiotic resistance.

During the recent AABP Conference, Tom Latta, DVM, a feedyard consultant based in Spearman, Texas, outlined the history and current trends in metaphylaxis for feedyard cattle.

Beginning in the early 1970s, cattle feeders used intravenous injections of tetracycline for mass treatments. The method seemed to reduce BRD morbidity, but was time consuming. Some shifted to longer-acting penicillin, mostly in groups of calves breaking with BRD.

Also in the 1970s, producers began administering sulfathiazole through drinking water, and somewhat later combined the antimicrobial sulfa compound with chlortetracycline (CTC) for mass treatments.

Some veterinarians around the same time used erythromycin injections, which tended to cause tissue reactions at injection sites.

By the late 1970s, veterinarians and clinics began marketing and administering proprietary compounds including two or more antibiotics along with a blend of vitamins and minerals for mass treatments.

Aminoglycosides, such as gentamicin, and also chloramphenicol, saw use in the late 1970s. The Academy of Veterinary Consultants (AVC) released a position statement in 1993 discouraging use of aminoglycosides in food animals due to residues, and use of chloramphenicol for this purpose was discontinued due to human-health concerns.

The 1980s and 1990s brought the introduction of ceftiofur (1980s) and tilmicosin (1990s), which allowed lower dosages, easier use and better efficacy for mass treatments. These were followed by products such as florfenicol and tuluthramycin, which are widely used today.

Addressing the economics of metaphylaxis, Latta says animal health remains on the forefront of cattle-feeding profitability. However, many feedlot managers do not have adequate data to make mass-treatment decisions based on economics. Most make some risk assessments before cattle arrive, based on their source, travel distance and other factors, then they observe cattle off the truck to make a final decision on mass treatment.

In evaluating metaphylaxis programs, Latta stresses the importance of observing the post-metaphylaxis interval (PMI) or post-treatment interval (PTI), especially with today’s longer-acting antibiotics. Delaying additional treatments through a pre-determined PMI allows the program to work and provides objective data with which to measure success.

In addition to economics, BRD is an animal-welfare issue, and Latta encourages veterinarians to advocate for the animals and communicate to managers the need to consider animal well-being in mass-treatment decisions. Latta also discussed a case in which a feedlot operator decided to cut production costs by using metaphylaxis less frequently and using lower-priced antibiotics. The system worked for a while, but with the arrival of changeable fall weather and the run of higher-risk calves, costly outbreaks occurred. This suggests that with planning and adequate records, feedyards can adjust mass-treatment protocols somewhat based on risk levels, but too much cost cutting in this area could lead to much greater expenses down the road.

Latta recommends these five guiding principles for veterinarians using metaphylaxis in cattle:

The veterinarian is the patient’s advocate, maybe the only one.
Typical cattle-procurement processes are not health friendly.
Don’t mess up adrenal gland health by stacking stressors.
Don’t neglect the gut.
In newly arrived cattle, antibiotics are just one factor influencing animal health. Consultants also should consider the history of cattle, their condition on arrival, their number and weight and owner preferences.

“Use metaphylaxis as a tool, not a crutch,” Latta concludes.

For more on metaphylaxis strategies, see these articles from BovineVetOnline:

How Metaphylaxis Controls Disease

Mass Treatment, Big Impact

Target your Feedlot Treatments

Texas A&M Study Examines Management Factors Affecting BRD Risk

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:51:39 GMT

Animal welfare, sustainability and economics are affected when beef cattle suffer from bovine respiratory disease, or BRD.

“BRD is hard to simplify as there are multiple risk factors and pathogens involved, but it is one of the biggest health issues facing the beef and dairy industries,” said Sarah Capik, D.V.M., Ph.D., assistant professor of ruminant animal health with Texas A&M AgriLife Research , Amarillo.

Along with her work with AgriLife Research, Capik holds a joint appointment with the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences ’ Department of Veterinary Pathobiology , College Station and is involved in the new Veterinary, Education, Research & Outreach Center in Canyon, a partnership between TAMU CVM and West Texas A&M University, Canyon.

New study

How cattle are managed has the potential to impact BRD risk, but further research is needed to quantify those impacts, Capik said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture is providing $465,000 in funding for a four-year study: “Impact of Management Decisions During the Cow-Calf, Backgrounding, and Feedlot Phases of Beef Production on BRD Morbidity and Mortality Risks.”

Capik will lead the group of scientists in research to determine what effect certain management practices used at different phases of beef production can have on BRD. The project is a collaboration between three institutions that takes advantage of their respective strengths.

Joining her on the team are Brad White, D.V.M., Robert Larson, D.V.M./Ph.D., and David Amrine, D.V.M./Ph.D., with Kansas State University, and Amelia Woolums, D.V.M./Ph.D.; Jane Parish, Ph.D.; and Brandi Karisch, Ph.D., with Mississippi State University.

Measuring management impacts

The team has three objectives:

– Quantifying vaccination impact during preweaning on BRD risk during backgrounding and performance during preweaning.
– Comparing the impact of marketing strategy on BRD risk and performance during backgrounding.
– Exploring whether pen- and yard-level management factors are related to health outcomes at the feedlot.

They also will take samples at key time points to evaluate whether inflammatory mediators can be used to predict health or performance.

“Our project will study whether vaccinations prior to weaning, as well as whether how the calf is marketed after weaning, have an effect on the risk of a calf becoming sick or dying from BRD,” she said. “We expect calves sent directly to a backgrounding facility will experience fewer BRD-related events than those going through marketing avenues where they are commingled with other cattle and their arrival at the next facility is delayed.”

Mississippi State and Texas A&M will be primarily responsible for the first two objectives, coordinating to use calves born at the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station’s Prairie Research Unit and then, once weaned, sending them to the Texas A&M AgriLife Research feedlot in Bushland for the remainder of the project.

The Kansas State team will lend their expertise to the work done in the first two objectives and also explore how various management practices in the feedlot – animal density, flow and exposure – affect BRD risk while cattle are in the feed yard using a database of feedlot records to evaluate relevant associations.

Reducing BRD

“Ultimately, the goal is to identify ways to decrease the incidence of BRD,” Capik said. “Less BRD and healthier cattle mean less need for antimicrobials to treat sick cattle and more sustainable beef production.”

This project is supported by Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grant No. 2019-67015-29845 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

For more on BRD from the recent BRD Conference in Denver, see these articles on BovineVetOnline:

Genomic Tools for Understanding BRD

BRD in Dairy: Costs and Risk Factors

BRD: Treatment Failures Add Up

BRD Risk: Look at the Big Picture

BRD Costs Persist

Whisper Makes Noise

Poster Session Highlights BRD Research

FDA Plans Next Moves on Antimicrobials

Researchers Dissect Genetic Factors in BRD

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:51:19 GMT

Research and practical experience have shown a genetic component to the ability of individual cattle, or sire lines, to resist BRD pathogens. Identifying the genes involved and developing genomic-assisted selection tools for health, however, takes hard work and lots of data.

During the recent BRD Symposium in Denver, several presenters outlined research efforts to identify and quantify those genetic influences.

Washington State University animal scientist Holly Neibergs, PhD., presented on genomics and the relevance of genotype to BRD resistance or susceptibility. She conducts research in this field as part of the BRD Consortium, ( BRDComplex.org ). This group of researchers from multiple universities are conducting large-population studies to identify DNA loci associated with BRD, analyze interactions between host genomes and pathogens, establish heritability estimates and ultimately, develop selection panels for BRD resistance. Consortium researchers have collected phenotypic data on thousands of cattle from beef and dairy herds in different U.S. regions, using the University of Wisconsin calf-health scoring system, diagnostic testing and lung scores at slaughter. Then they’ve used genome-wide association analysis (GWAA) to analyze differences in and genotype frequency between BRD and healthy animals.

Neibergs notes that previous research has shown differences in morbidity and mortality between cattle breeds and between sire or family lines, supporting the idea of a genetic component to BRD. Heritability estimates for BRD susceptibility range from 0.02 to 0.29, depending on the population and the definition of the disease.

Commercial genotyping currently is available to predict BRD susceptibility in dairy cattle, and can be used in selection of replacement females, she adds. Wider variation in breed types and populations within breeds complicate the process in beef cattle. Consortium researchers have identified loci associated with BRD susceptibility across several populations of cattle.

“The identification of loci and genes associated with BRD provides the possibility to use genomic selection to reduce disease incidence and to better understand the host mechanisms associated with disease susceptibility,” Neibergs concludes.

Kristen Parker Gaddis, PhD, a geneticist with the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding, also discussed the challenges and opportunities in genomic selection for BRD resistance in dairy cattle.

Parker Gaddis explained that an animal’s phenotype represents the sum of its genetic makeup and environmental influences. Producers traditionally have selected dairy replacements for milk yield, a phenotype that is relatively easy to measure and compare. Selecting for health traits becomes much more difficult, largely because the multi-factorial nature of BRD, ambiguity in case definitions and the large influence of environmental effects on BRD risk. Also, she notes that selection for one trait can have negative effects on others, such as increased milk yield corresponding with lower daughter pregnancy rates.

Relatively low heritability also complicates selection for health traits, she says. Take for example protein yield, where genetic differences explain about 30% of variation while environment affects 70%. In contrast, genetic differences account for only about 3% of the variation in mastitis susceptibility, while environment accounts for 97%. On the bright side, heritability estimates for BRD risk run somewhat higher than those for other health traits such as ketosis, mastitis, metritis and retained placenta.

While the effort will take time, Parker Gaddis says with enough genotypic and phenotypic data, researchers can develop genomic selection tools for cattle health. “Availability of genomic data dies not negate the necessity of quality phenotypes, in this case, records of BRD incidence,” she says. “Additional data also could be collected through the expansion of currently utilized termination codes and used in conjunction with records of direct health events. Selection for animals with improved BRD resistance is possible at the national level; however, collection of additional phenotypes remains a significant hurdle.”

For more summaries from the BRD Symposium and Academy of Veterinary Consultants Conference, see these articles from BovineVetOnline:

Genomic Tools for Understanding BRD

BRD in Dairy: Costs and Risk Factors

BRD: Treatment Failures Add Up

BRD Risk: Look at the Big Picture

BRD: Are We Fighting the Wrong Battle?

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:50:58 GMT

The beef-production system in the United States has evolved to capture efficiencies and capitalize on the ruminant’s ability to turn forage into high-quality protein. At the same time, the high cost of grazing land and segmentation of production sectors prevents the levels of integration dominating the pork and poultry industries.

These and other factors have created a system in which calves weaned on a small farm in the East or Midwest are marketed through a sale barn, co-mingled at an order-buyer’s facility, shipped to a stocker or backgrounder facility on the Southern Plains, co-mingled again and grown for a few months before shipping to a feedlot in another state for finishing. Or, in many cases, the weaned calves skip the transition phase and ship directly to a feedlot halfway across the country. At each stage, owners work to add weight and value, hoping to earn a profit selling the cattle into the next production stage.

In spite of its complexity, the system works well in most respects, with one major weakness: It favors establishment of infectious diseases, particularly bovine respiratory disease (BRD). That weakness presents most visibly when calf buyers see profit opportunities in lightweight, freshly weaned calves of unknown health background. Buyers know that if the price is right, they can “straighten them out” by investing in health care, while accepting higher levels of morbidity and mortality and capitalizing on compensatory gains.

Cow-calf producers, in many cases, do not believe the market will reward them sufficiently to pay for proven preconditioning programs and extended weaning of 45 days or more. So they take what they can get for the “high-risk” calves.

During the recent 2019 BRD Symposium in Denver, several presenters made reference to the epidemiologic triad or triangle model for infectious disease. In this model, according to the World Health Organization, disease results from the interaction between the agent (pathogen) and the susceptible host, in an environment that supports transmission of the agent from a source to that host. Presenters repeated a suggestion that the industry, in its continuous battle with BRD, has focused too much on the pathogens. At the stocker/backgrounder/feedlot level, mass medication and individual treatments remain the primary focus in managing against respiratory disease.

We could be more successful if we shifted more focus to the animals, and the environments where they are raised. Mississippi State University veterinarian David Smith, DVM, PhD, promoted adoption of a systems approach, considering all the factors involved in BRD prevalence, such as cow nutrition, cow vaccinations and calf vaccinations back at the ranch, while building in better economic signals to reward practices that minimize risk to the buyer.

Referring to the disease triad, Smith stressed that a systems approach would consider issues associated with controlling BRD pathogens, while also dedicating at least equal attention to the animal – its nutrition, microbiome, stress levels and overall immune system and – and the environment in which it is raised, marketed and finished. The pathogens will always be present, and we should continue developing better ways to reduce exposure and effectively treat sick animals. However, management practices beginning at the cow-calf level and throughout an animal’s life could minimize the ability of those BRD pathogens to cause disease.

The concepts of emphasizing disease prevention and linking herd-health practices with cattle values are not new, but the need to demonstrate progress in antibiotic stewardship while also reducing cattle morbidity ramps up the urgency for action. This shift would require a broad-based industry effort to fundamentally change our current beef production and marketing structure, with birth-to-slaughter traceability a key component. Traceability could, over time, facilitate an evolution of market signals to provide greater incentives for cow-calf producers to ship healthy calves with immune systems prepared for the challenges ahead.

BRD Risk: Look at the Big Picture

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:50:54 GMT

Editor’s note: We’ll have a series of articles summarizing highlights from the recent Bovine Respiratory Disease Symposium and Academy of Veterinary Consultants Conference on this site over the rest of this month. Check back often.

Assessing the risk of cattle needing treatment for bovine respiratory disease (BRD) requires consideration of far more than exposure to patahogens.

During the recent BRD symposium in Denver, Mississippi State University professor David Smith, DVM, PhD, noted that pathogens represent a “causal agent” in respiratory disease. However, while a causal agent is “necessary” for disease, it might not be “sufficient” to cause disease on its own.

Mannheimia haemolytica for example, is one of the most common bacterial pathogens involved in BRD, but it often is present in bovine respiratory tracts in healthy animals, without any indication of disease. Disease occurs when exposure to the pathogen occurs along with other factors such as dust, stress, cold or concurrent infection with respiratory viral agents such as bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV). At some point – and that point varies depending on the animal’s genetics – those factors add up to become sufficient to cause disease.

When a set of calves are weaned on a truck, marketed through a sale barn, comingled at an order-buyer facility, shipped to a feedyard, processed and probably comingled again, they are at high risk for BRD. No single factor causes the outbreak of disease; it results from the additive effects of stress, fatigue, dehydration and exposure to pathogens. Complicating the issue further, those pathogens include a range of viruses such as BRSV, BHV1, BVDV and bovine coronavirus, and bacteria including Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus somni and Mycoplasma bovis, either alone or in combination.

Smith notes that the bovine lungs are inherently susceptible to infection, and have low capacity relative to the animal’s size. Even a small loss of lung capacity reduces oxygen transfer to vital organs and limits performance.

It is no coincidence that BRD tends to spike in calves at around 90 to 120 days of age, Smith says. Even if a calf receives adequate colostrum at birth, serum concentrations of maternal antibodies drops by one-half every 16 to 20 days after colostrum ingestion. By 96 to 120 days of age, the calf retains less than 2% of the antibodies it absorbed from colostrum. Most high-risk calves, he adds, have little to no immunity when marketed at weaning.

BRD commonly affects pre-weaned calves and recent arrivals in feedyards and stocker operations. Late-day BRD cases in heavy feedyard cattle, while less common, results in substantial economic losses due to the lost production costs invested in the animal at that stage.

Smith is involved with a group of veterinarians – Veterinary Advancement of Systems Thinking (VAST) – who explore how the systems approach can apply to animal health and production strategies. Dr Smith outlined the “systems-thinking” concept in more depth in a presentation during the subsequent Academy of Veterinary Consultants (AVC) conference.

The systems approach fits well with the BRD challenge, Smith says, by exploring causal relationships and decisions across the production chain. For example, he returns to the ongoing acceptance of high-risk cattle in the marketing system. Buyers count on mass treatment to mitigate BRD risk and compensatory gains to make up for treatment costs. A systems approach would consider all the factors involved, such as cow nutrition, cow vaccinations and calf vaccinations back at the ranch, and build in better economic signals to reward practices that minimize risk to the buyer.

Smith echoed a common theme from the conference, discussing the three pillars of animal disease: the animal, the pathogen and the environment. All three play a role in outbreaks, but perhaps too much of the industry’s focus has been on the pathogens. A systems approach dedicates equal attention to the animal – its nutrition, immune system and stress levels – and the environment in which it is raised, marketed and finished. The pathogens will always be present, but management practices beginning at the cow-calf level and throughout an animal’s life could leave them relatively impotent.

For more summaries from the BRD Symposium and Academy of Veterinary Consultants Conference, see these articles from BovineVetOnline:

Whisper Makes Noise

Poster Session Highlights BRD Research

FDA Plans Next Moves on Antimicrobials

BRD: Treatment Failures Add Up

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:50:54 GMT

Editor’s note: We’ll have a series of articles summarizing highlights from the recent Bovine Respiratory Disease Symposium and Academy of Veterinary Consultants Conference on this site over the rest of this month. Check back often.

While researchers and the industry work to develop systems to better prevent bovine respiratory disease (BRD), timely treatments with antibiotics will remain a critical tool for minimizing losses associated with morbidity. However, in spite of the best efforts of veterinarians and producers, some animals need two, three or more treatments and some never recover.

During the recent BRD symposium in Denver, several veterinarians outlined potential reasons for treatment failures and the long list of direct and indirect costs to cattle feeders when treatments fail.

Calvin Booker, DVM, a managing partner with Feedlot Health Management Services in Okotoks, Alberta, listed several indicators of treatment failure including relapse therapy or retreatment, chronic illness, sale for salvage and euthanasia or death. He notes that according to data from the USDA’s National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS), initial treatments for BRD fail between 10% and 20% of the time. Second treatments fail in 30% to 40% of cases. Those producer-reported figures probably fall short, as sub-clinical BRD can cause significant performance losses while remaining undetected.

Booker lists these direct impacts or costs of treatment failure:

Cost of treatments, including labor for pulling, treating and managing pulls, diagnostics and record keeping.
Managing chronic cattle, including facilities, labor and managing withdrawal times.
Losses from salvage, which usually pays only 25% to 50% of the animal’s original value.
Loss of accumulated expenses invested in cattle that die.
Carcass disposal.

Indirect costs include:

Animal welfare and consumer acceptance.
Necropsy for mortalities or euthanized cattle.
Employee morale – Crew members take pride in keeping cattle healthy, and become discouraged when protocols fail.
Antimicrobial exposure – public opinion will continue to pressure the industry to reduce antibiotic use on livestock operations.

Brian Lubbers, DVM, PhD, from the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostics Laboratory, discusses some of the biological reasons for treatment failures, and encouraged veterinarians and producers to investigate, rather than accept failures. Evaluation of efficacy is a key component in antibiotic stewardship, he says.

Treatment failures typically can be associated with interactions between the drug and the pathogen, the host and the drug, the pathogen and the host or the human and the drug, and could involve some of each. The most common problems he says, relate to the host/drug or the human/drug interactions.

Host/Drug interactions: The effects of BRD on the animal’s physiology can affect the pharmacokinetics of the antibiotic. Animal research on these effects remains sparse, but tests in humans have shown that pathogens, such as those involved in sepsis cases, can modify the host’s physiology to protect the infection from treatment.

Human/Drug interactions: This could involve choosing the wrong drug, the wrong timing, improper drug storage and handling, improper administration or dosing, prescription or transcription errors and other errors.

Lubbers encourages veterinarians to investigate clinical drug failures to identify causes and minimize future problems. Steps can include:

Report failures to the FDA or the pharmaceutical company. Lack of efficacy is an adverse drug event, and field experience can provide information beyond the results of clinical trials conducted for new-drug approval.
Develop and implement data systems to track failures.
Rule out producer mistakes in handling or administering the treatment.
Confirm the clinical diagnosis.
Submit samples for laboratory diagnosis.
Revise treatment protocols, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and possibly case definitions based on data.

For more summaries from the BRD Symposium and Academy of Veterinary Consultants Conference, see these articles from BovineVetOnline:

BRD Risk: Look at the Big Picture

BRD Costs Persist

Whisper Makes Noise

Poster Session Highlights BRD Research

FDA Plans Next Moves on Antimicrobials