bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pathogenesis and Clinical Management of Infectious Bovine Keratoconjunctivitis
Authors: George Lisle W. , Kagonyera George
Published: March 2023

Infectious bovine keratoconjuctivitis (IBK) is a widespread ocular disease of cattle which is caused by the bacterium Moraxella bovis (M. bovis).1,2 The annual losses in the United States are estimated to be approximately $200,000,000.3 Specific economic losses include decreased growth rates, lower purchase prices for cattle with scarred eyes, reductions of post-weaning weight gains and treatment associated costs.4,5 The case attack rate of IBK in yearling cattle may range between 20 and 100%.5,6,7 New cases occur over the entire summer, and epizootics may last for as long as 4 months.6,7 The economic significance of IBK and the commercial development of vaccines has stimulated recent studies into the pathogenesis and treatment of IBK.
Veterinarian's Role in Safe Beef Production
Authors: Griffin Dee
Published: March 2023

Beef, real food for real people. Some of the real people that we are talking about have real concerns. They are developing an attitude about their concerns for food safety. In the Senate Subcommittee meeting this past summer, a consumer activist was quoted, "Next to nuclear weapons, animal agriculture and its affiliates pose the greatest threat to life on this planet." I am a veterinarian, but I am also a cattleman, a real person, too. A producer that has real concerns. A veterinarian that has real concerns about my future in animal agriculture. Less than 2% of the population of the United States today is involved in agriculture. The 98% of the population, the consuming public, know very little about what we do to provide the food that sustains life on this planet. Their perception of what we do is a great concern to them. They are concerned that we are not responsible with the foodstuffs we influence and are concerned that lack of responsibility may relate to long-term problems in their lives and in the lives of their children. As a veterinarian, as a cattleman, I have real concerns, too. My life has been dedicated to beef production. The illness versus wellness issue of cattle is a real concern to all of us, veterinarians and producers.
Mastitis Therapy and Pharmacology of Drugs in the Bovine Mammary Gland
Authors: Anderson K. L.
Published: March 2023

Mastitis remains a major concern of the dairy industry, despite frequent use of therapy and application of mastitis control programs. Prevention and control are the most productive approaches to mastitis. However, therapy is important for clinical mastitis and is a component of mastitis control. Approximately 20-80% of cows are affected by clinical mastitis annually (Dohoo, 1987, Wilesmith et al., 1986). The annual US market for intramammary infusion products is approximately $30 million (Gingerich, 1987). Mastitis therapy should be efficacious, cost-effective, and antibiotic residues in meat and milk should be avoided. The purpose of this paper is to discuss mastitis therapy and the pharmacology of drugs in the bovine mammary gland.Specific areas considered include:1. Current status of mastitis.2. The pharmacology of drugs in the mammary gland.3. Therapeutic failures.4. Current developments in mastitis therapy.
For Whom Will You Be Working in the Year 2000
Authors: Siebert John
Published: March 2023

Our first speaker today is Dr. John Siebert. John is a Petaluma, California boy who got his Masters and Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkley. He was an extension economist at Purdue University from 1978 to 1981. He became the extension economist at U .C. Davis from 1981 to 1985, and presently is the economist with the California Cooperative Creamery in Petaluma. His special recognition according to John is that he has put his foot in his mouth in almost every county in Indiana and California and so now he wants to spread it to Arizona.
Health of Newborn Holstein Calves in Severe Cold
Authors: Rawson R. E. , Dziuk H. E. , Good A. L. , Anderson J. F. , Bates D. W. , Ruth G. R. , Serfass R. C.
Published: March 2023

Morbidity and mortality among calves is a major concern of livestock producers, veterinarians, and animal health researchers world-wide. Notwithstanding use of the newest antibiotics and vaccines, death among neonatal calves has continued virtually unabated.1 In an effort to combat these losses many producers raise calves individually in calf hutches2 which serve to isolate calves from each other and from older cattle which act as carriers of disease organisms.1
External Parasite
Authors: Clymer Bill C.
Published: March 2023

The livestock industry is an interesting and very complex system. Oftentimes we lose sight of how complicated it really is. We have come a long way from our initial involvement in the cattle industry. Our ranchers many years ago ran cattle out on the open range, and spent most of their time on horseback. Now we use cellular phones and may round up cattle with a helicopter.

Our industry has changed a lot. We've gone to more of a sohpisticated system. We now have beef factories, as we often call the feedlots. We have trucks that move these cattle around. This is one of the things that causes a great deal of concern in our parasite control program in the cattle industry. We seldom ever know the exact origin of the calf, where it came from nor how many places it has been before it becomes involved in our particular operation. We may have cattle come out of the southeast United States, come to the Texas panhandle on wheat, go to New Mexico or southern Oklahoma or the flint hills in Kansas for summer grass and end up in the feedlot from Texas to California.
MGA and PGF₂α for Estrus Synchronization
Authors: Odde K. G.
Published: March 2023

Our goal in studying estrous cycle control is to develop a low cost system that will elicit a highly fertile, tightly synchronized estrous response in a large percentage of the treated animals.

Melengestrol acetate (MGA), an inexpensive oral progestogen, is currently approved and used to suppress estrus and promote growth in feedlot heifers. Even though MGA effectively synchronizes estrus in cattle, the estrus following MGA treatment is subfertile while the fertility of subsequent estrus periods is normal (Zimbelman et al., 1966; DeBois et al., 1970). This decreased fertility has limited the use of MGA for estrous synchronization.

It is well known that prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) is only effective for estrous synchronization in cows between days 5 and 15 (the luteal phase) of their estrous cycle. Recent research has shown that stage of cycle within this luteal phase further affects both estrous response and the interval to estrus following PGF2a injection, with early cycle animals (days 5-9) having a lower percentage response and showing heat sooner (a shorter interval to estrus) than late cycle animals (King et al., I 982). Another study shows that PGF2α injected during the late stage of the cycle (days 10-15) may result in a more fertile estrus than if it were injected in the early stage of the cycle (Bearden and Fuquay, 1984). Thus, by manipulating a group of heifers to increase the percentage in the late stage of their estrous cycle when PGF2α is injected, estrous response and degree of synchrony, as well as fertility would theoretically be improved.
Evaluating Reproductive Efficiency in Beef Cattle Herds
Authors: Mickelsen W. Duane
Published: March 2023

Unlike the dairymen, beef cattle producers derive mostof their income from calves born into the herd, making fertility the most important trait of beef cattle. A recent economic study showed that fertility was 5 times more important than the next important disease condition in cattle (Table l). Another study also showed that fertility was 5 times more important than growth rate and 10 times more important than carcass quality.1
Use of an IV Catheter Device to Facilitate Frequent On-Farm IV Therapy
Authors: Atkins Gordon
Published: March 2023

I have two short practice tips which have worked well in our seven man large animal practice and hopefully will be useful in other similar types of practices. The first tip is the on-farm use of an indwelling I. V. catheter for repeat I. V. therapy. The second practice tip is the use of a milker vacuum pump to assist in deflation during bovine gastrointestinal surgery.
Embryo Transfer Tips
Authors: Robertson Edwin G.
Published: March 2023

While I tried to make this presentation a light-hearted one, borrowing an idea or two from the television shot Dragnet, l did present two ideas that have been helpful to me in my embryo transfer work. The first, and the one on which the presentation dealt entirely, was a simple idea designed to hold a cow's tail out of the way during embryo transfer or any other procedures in the perineal area of a cow. The second tip involves a homemade disposable embryo filter that can be made for under about 20 cents.
Approaches to Acquisition and Management of New Knowledge
Authors: Bushby Philip A.
Published: March 2023

The computer has become accepted as an informationmanagement tool in many fields. Yet veterinarians are very selective with the level to which we will rely oncomputerized information systems and with the types of information we will manage with computers. Traditionally we have accepted the computer as a means of managing numerical or financial information. More recently we have begun to accept the computer as an information tool for practice management, medical records, and herd health data. Now computer software is giving us the means to develop easy-to-use medical information systems. Two basic software concepts are presented in this paper, hypertext applications and the Problem Knowledge Coupler.™

The concept of "hypertext" was first introduced to the computer community by Ted Nelson in the 1960s. Put simply, hypertext is the means to link textual information to other textual information. Hypertext programs give one the ability to create large, cross-referenced documents with virtually unlimited search capabilities. Hypertext provides a means of navigating through large volumes of information. With the cross-referencing and search capabilities of hypertext documents it becomes possible to develop systems to successfully deal with information overload. With the geometrically increasing volume of information in veterinary medicine simple and effective means for navigation through information are essential.
Computerized Veterinary Practice
Authors: Glore Reilly
Published: March 2023

This paper will discuss four main aspects of computers in veterinary practice. First we will explore some common principles and myths about computers in general. Then we will cover the practical issues that relate to computerizing a mixed veterinary practice, and discuss some specific comments on implementing computers into dairy production medicine aspects of your practice. We will finish with some practice tips about using, buying, and educating ourselves about computers.
Preconditioning Programs In Canada
Authors: Church Terry L.
Published: March 2023

Preconditioning has been a controversial issue since it was conceived about 25 years ago. While most agree that adequate preparation of calves to withstand the stresses of marketing is desirable, many veterinarians, cow-calf producers and feedlot operators remain sceptical that preconditioning adequately addresses this need. Both industry participants and observers have been frustrated by the lack of documented evidence that the concept is or is not beneficial. Recently, preconditioning has been criticized by several authors, mainly in the public press in the United States.
Limit Fed Creep Feeds for Nursing Calves
Authors: Lusby Keith S.
Published: March 2023

Before discussing the relatively scarce data concerning the role of limit-fed creep feeds for preconditioning, it is necessary to review the practice of creep feeding and to explain why limit-fed creep feeding has received no much attention in recent years. If the practice of creep feeding itself does not pay, its potential in preconditioning is very limited.
Environmental Mastitis
Authors: Smith K. Larry , Hogan J. S. , Todhunter D. A. , Schoenberger P. S.
Published: March 2023

Bovine mastitis continues as a major disease problem of dairy cattle (1). Improved control is needed to maximize dairymen's profits and to improve the quality of milk to consumers. Development of a single uniform method of control has been difficult as mastitis is not caused by a single pathogen but is a disease involving multiple microorganisms (primarily bacteria) which can and do infect the mammary gland. In reality, mastitis is multiple different diseases occurring in the bovine mammary gland.

The primary bacteria associated with mastitis (Table 1) can be grouped according to their primary origin and means of spread within a dairy herd. These pathogen groups are contagious, environmental, and skin flora opportunists. The two major contagious pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae, exist primarily in infected quarters and are spread to uninfected quarters during the milking process. Progress for control of the contagious pathogens has been achieved (2,3). Implementation of post-milking teat end disinfection and total dry cow therapy can eliminate Str. agalactiae from a dairy herd and reduce the prevalance of S. aureus infection to less than 1 % of quarters.
Health and Productivity of Beef Breeding Herds in Southern Ontario
Authors: McDermott John J. , Alves David M. , Anderson Neil G. , Martin S. Wayne
Published: March 2023

In this paper we will focus on the results pertaining to the adult breeding herd from breeding season 1986 to calving season 1987. Unless otherwise stated, we will be referring to the randomly selected herds only. We will describe: how beef breeding herds are currently fed, housed, and otherwise managed; what happens to cows between breeding and the birth of a live calf; and what factors influence pregnancy and culling. Most of our work will focus on herd level information, since beef cows in Ontario and elsewhee are managed as herds rather than as individuals.
Residue Avoidance in Beef
Authors: MacNeil James D.
Published: March 2023

The Health of Animals Laboratory in Saskatoon provides a central testing facility for chemical residues in meats in support of Agriculture Canada's meat inspection programs. Samples are sent to this laboratory from federally inspected packing houses all across Canada to test for residues which may result from the deliberate or accidental exposure of an animal to a chemical. Additional samples are tested at Laboratory Services Division, Ottawa, and also by several private laboratories under contract to Agriculture Canada.
What Is Your Diagnosis?
Authors: Sammons Lynn
Published: March 2023

Lymphosarcoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of most conditions especially in herds with known BLV serologically positive cows as was this herd.
Use of Plastic Roof Cement to Identify Worked Cattle
Authors: Byers David I.
Published: March 2023

A system of marking beef cattle using plastic roof cement has proven very beneficial over the past fifteen years. The impetus for this idea comes from a large commercial operation in southwestern Virginia. The major benefit of this system is that it allows quick assessment of an animal's status at a glance. Plastic roof cement was chosen because it is easy to apply, highly visible, very durable, and relatively inexpensive. The bottom line is that this system allows for one hundred percent compliance to all herd-health procedures, an obvious benefit to both veterinarian and owner.
Practical Approach to Colostomy in the Calf
Authors: Lewis Roy
Published: March 2023

This is a presentation of an easy approach to assessing and performing surgery on calves with various forms of atresia ani and atresia coli.
Calculating Reproductive Indices
Authors: Fetrow John , Harman Robert , Weaver Leon , Etherington Wayne , Klingborg Donald , Williamson Norman , McClary David , Butcher Ken , Studer Erich , Ehrlich James , Guterbock Walt , Reneau Jeffrey
Published: March 2023

This paper presents the report of a committee of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners recommending methods for calculating several basic indices of reproductive performance on dairy farms. Indices for several major analytic areas are presented: overall reproductive performance, estrus detection intensity, conception efficiency, pregnancy losses, reproductive culling, and also reproductive efficiency in herds using a bull.
Vaccination for Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus
Authors: Syvrud Robert
Published: March 2023

The bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) belongs to the genus Pneumovirus within the family Paramyxoviridae. Although isolation of the virus from sick cattle has proven to be very difficult, serologic studies have shown that 60-80% of cattle in the United States have anitbodies to BRSV.1 Along with the increasing awareness of the presence of the virus, BRSV has recently been implicated as an important primary pathogen in the development of respiratory disease in dairy cattle, cow/calf herds, and in feedlot cattle.1-7
Summary of Activities of the FDNCVM Advisory Committee 1984-1988
Authors: Hoffsis Glen F.
Published: March 2023

It is an opportune time to reflect on the VM/AC activity inasmuch as four years have elapsed since the recreated committee convened. I was privileged to serve this first committee as chairman. My selection indicates in part the confidence CVM places in the AABP.

The committee was very active during the years I served as chairman. I think it acted in a manner which has been helpful to the agency as well as the regulated industries and the American public. The issues considered by the committee were primarily requested from CVM. The following is a recap of some of the issues discussed by the committee along with its recommendations.

The committee was asked to consider the efficacy and labeling requirement for antimicrobial agents used in veterinary medicine.

The committee discussed the extra-label use of drugs in food producing animals and made the following reommendations.

The committee was asked to consider ways to improve the credibility and respect for the prescription veterinary legend.

The committee was asked to critique a revision of the Rx/OTC labeling policies for Rx and OTC drugs. The committee recommended that products be approved only as Rx or OTC with none labeled as both, but if dual labeling was necessary, that CVM provide all label claims in the Rx product label for those products which are approved for both Rx and OTC designation.

The committee was asked to consider the criteria for determining Rx/OTC designation.
Surgery for Urolithiasis
Authors: Hull Bruce L.
Published: March 2023

Urolithiasis is an important disease of male ruminants of all species. It is an especially prevalent disease of castrated males, but is probably much more devastating in the breeding male. The immediate problem is the complete obstruction of the urethra and the inability to urinate, however, one must always remember the secondary sequallae such as skin sloughs, chemical peritonitis, abdominal adhesions and hydronephrosis or hydroureter. Although agents such as aminopromazine have been used to relax urethral spasm with some degree of success, the primary treatment for obstructive urolithiasis is surgical intervention. For any degree of success with medical therapy the animal must not be completely obstructed and must still be dripping some urine.
Hepatic Lipidosis
Authors: Rings D. Michael
Published: March 2023

Ketosis has been a recognized problem in dairy cattle since the late 1920's when the role of glucose and energy demands were first associated with this condition.1 Descriptions of a disease syndrome, now thought to be ketosis, characterized by anorexia, decreased milk production, and constipation appeared in veterinary texts 50 years prior to this.2,3 A more complex type of ketosis was recognized by Sollman4 and Alston5 which, unlike simple ketosis, was associated with high mortality and a variety of concurrent disease problems. Morrow6 called this disease "Fat Cow Syndrome" based on the physical condition of affected cattle. Like simple ketosis, the disease occurred at or around parturtion. The typical histologic lesion common to these affected cows was severe fatty infiltration of the liver (hepatic lipidosis).

This same finding (hepatic lipidosis) is not only found in overly conditioned cattle but also in poorly conditioned animals during the periparturient period. As with the Fat Cow Syndrome cows, these cattle also suffer from a variety of concurrent diseases.
Diseases of the Bovine Central Nervous System
Authors: Kersting Karl
Published: March 2023

Contains an overview of diseases of the spinal cord, brainstem, cerebrum and thalamus, and a diagnosis and tratment of selected bovine Central Nervous System diseases.
Pharyngeal Lacerations and Retropharyngeal Abscesses in Cattle
Authors: Rings D. Michael
Published: March 2023

Injuries of the oro-pharynx are most often associated with trauma due to balling guns, Frick speculums, drench syringes or the boluses themselves.1 Often the operator has no idea that an injury has occurred until several days later when the cow's inappetance/throat swelling has become apparent. Although many lacerations are small and heal spontaneously with minimal clinical signs, identifiable pharyngeal lacerations cause much distress to affected cattle resulting in significant weight loss and/or death. The following is a summary of 17 cases of pharyngeal laceration/retropharyngeal abscess seen at the Ohio State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital (table 1). Clinical signs seen in cattle found to have pharyngeal lacerations included dyspnea (11), excessive salivation (7), high cervical swelling (7), anorexia (7), bloat (1) and malodorous breath (1). The respiratory signs in these animals were primarily upper respiratory in nature although pneumonia was also detected in several animals. The degree of respiratory embarrassment in 2 cattle was severe enough to warrant tracheostomy.
Beef Quality Assurance
Authors: Griffin Dee
Published: March 2023

Eight years ago the fed beef industry started work on a quality assurance program that joined the efforts of the professional cattle feeder, professional beef cattle consulting veterinarian and the U.S.D.A-F.S.I.S.. Five states (Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas) and the National Cattlemen's Asso. were involved. The first "verified control program" for cattle production was certified in Oklahoma at Hitch Enterprises three years later. From these beginnings the back bone of what now seems to be a nationally accepted program for quality assurance has been developed. These guide lines have now been accepted by cattlemen in three states. These are voluntary guide lines that are business based, that means practices that are considered part of normal good business practice in accounting, inventory control, and efficient production.
California Studies on Diagnostic Procedures, Female Immune Responses and Epidemiology of Bovine Trichomoniasis
Authors: BonDurant R. H.
Published: March 2023

In spite of concerted efforts to develop a sensitive and specific immuno-diagnostic assay for bovine trichomoniasis, the most reliable method for establishing a diagnosis in an infected herd is the culture of preputial or vaginal secretions on Diamond's medium (or equivalent). Recent improvements in packaging of media have made it possible to expedite the culture procedure without significant loss of sensitivity. Studies on the immune responses of experimentally infected heifers have shown that a large number of antigens of T. foetus are recognized by immunoglobulins (especially IgA and IgG1) in local secretions of the reproductive tract, with little systemic response seen in the serum.

A survey of randomly selected cow-calf herds in California, in which bulls from each herd were cultured for T. foetus, showed that approximately 15 % of all herds, and 5% of all bulls, were infected. Without an effective legal treatment for either cows or bulls, the need for inexpensive accurate diagnostics and effective immunoprophylaxis is urgent.
Experience with an Established and on-going IRM Program in the Midwest
Authors: Hudson Don
Published: March 2023

A major effort in Integrated Reproductive Management (IRM) began at the University of Nebraska under the Cooperative Extension Service and the Agricultural Research Division in 1983. Research in cow/calf systems modeling and reproductive management was developed and continues. Extension developed a five year demonstration herd project. A steering committee composed of beef producers, University extension specialists and researchers, and researchers from USDA (MARC) assembled to help guide the project. In February of 1984, the steering committee selected 9 cow/calf producers to cooperate as demonstration herds from 80 nominated by agricultural agents and veterinarians across Nebraska. Selected herds had resources "typical" of their respective areas.

An IRM team was developed for each cooperator composed of the local agricultural extension agent, an extension beef specialist, the veterinarian used by the cooperator, other university and non-university personnel (producer, industry representative) and the technical coordinator. The IRM team analyzed the cow/calf enterprise and recommended alternative management practices for the producer to consider that would optimize use of the available resources and increase reproductive efficiency.

Production information on the cow/calf enterprise was collected beginning in 1984 and ended in 1988. Financial inputs and feed used by the cow/calf enterprise were collected in 1987 and 1988 for enterprise evaluation. This information was used to monitor changes in the cow/calf enterprise of cooperating herds. On average, percent calves weaned of females exposed increased 11.5 percentage points between 1984 and 1988. Actual and adjusted weaning weights increased 93 and 100 pounds, respectively, over the 5 years. Pounds of calf weaned per cow exposed increased 139 pounds between 1984 and 1988. Net cost per calf weaned in 1987 and 1988 was $.73 and $.74, respectively, for low cost producers and $.99 and $.92 for high cost producers.

Eight field days were held to discuss IRM concepts and profitable management practices. Numerous news articles, radio tapes, proceedings, extension publications, and educational meetings were developed using information collected in the IRM demonstration herd project. A cow/calf record-keeping program (PC-COWCARD) for microcomputer was develop~d and made available commercially to producers. Cooperators "integrated" recommendations made by agents, specialists, veterinarians, nutritionists, lenders, ..... into a working management practice for their resources.
Adapting Bovine Behavior to Improve Performance
Authors: Grandin Temple
Published: March 2023

The relationship between a stockman and his cattle will affect productivity. Quiet, gentle handling will reduce stress on animals and improve production. Dairy cattle and other livestock readily adapt to many handling procedures. This paper will review how livestock adapt to handling procedures and ways to reduce handling stress.

Reducing stress is important because stresses imposed during handling can have a detrimental effect on reproduction, milk production, immune function and rumen function. Restraint, electric prods and other handling stresses lowered conception rates.69,38,70 Transportation and restraint stress reduced the immune function in cattle and pigs.44,5,53 Rumen function was impaired by transit stress.19 In the studies conducted by Galyean,19 Kelley,44 and Blecha,5 the stress imposed by transit had a greater detrimental effect on the animal's physiology than the stress of feed and water derivation for the same length of time. Handling sheep with dogs and transport and sorting two to three weeks after mating caused early embryonic losses.11
Nutritional and Management Considerations Associated with Pen Deaths
Authors: Hansen Keith R.
Published: March 2023

Death of cattle in the feedlot has caused the loss of countless dollars of potential profits annually by cattle feeders. Managers spend large amounts of their time and energy in an effort to decrease these losses in order to save this revenue for the feedyard and their customers. When viewed from an economic standpoint, a feedyard which will annually feed 60,000 head might have an average death loss from various causes of approximately one percent or about 600 head. If these cattle are fed on the average from 725 to 1100 lbs. their median weight would be equal to 912.5 lbs. for a total annual loss of 547,500 lbs. At an average selling price of $72.00 per hundredweight, this would equal a loss in equity of $394,200.00 This is in terms of average value of the cattle. Associated reduction in revenue would be the loss of the potential value of finished beef, loss of interest and veterinary expense, loss of potential feed sales and finally the decrease in profit potential by the cattle owner.

Obviously the causes of death in feedlot cattle are numerous and difficult to predict. Realistically, every feedyard has or should have, some type of animal health program which it subscribes to for prevention and treatment, requiring considerable amounts of man-hours and drug expense annually. A large portion of morbidity and mortality in the feedyard is caused by shipping stress. Cattle, which are shipped long distances, have been subjected to excessive handling as well as environments rich in pathogenic organisms in the receiving and handling pens. Other stressors include withdrawal of feed and water, long periods without rest and finally subjection to diesel fumes while on the truck. Physiologically, these animals are tired, weakened and dehydrated, having lost substantial levels of vitamins and electrolytes while in transit. This produces an environment within the animal that is lower in immunological activity than that of nonstressed animals and is therefore perfect for the propagation of pathogens.

This lowered resistance is enhanced by the co-mingling of cattle from various origins and the resulting subjection to infectious agents to which they may not have developed a natural immunity. These cattle are excellent candidates for any of the host of feedlot diseases commonly observed which ultimately result in death losses. Many times the feedyard manager implicates the consulting veterinarian and his health program for all death losses in the yard. While the veterinarian does have a large responsibility concerning newly received cattle as well as the overall health program in the yard, there are areas affecting cattle mortality where he has only limited impact.
Five Minute Attitude Adjustment Hour
Authors: Lippart Al
Published: March 2023

If there is one practice tip I can share with you, one idea that has made more of a difference in my veterinary practice than any drug or procedure, it is this: Attitudes influence events in your life, and no one can alter your attitudes without your permission. Good attitudes can actually attract good events. Positive attitudes produce positive experiences. Attitudes come from a state of mind that you can learn to alter and control in just a few minutes.
Monthly Herd Report Card
Authors: Ferry John
Published: March 2023

Production medicine veterinarians endeavor to manage the whole picture. To ensure that we cover all the programs involved during our scheduled visits, it's best to have some flowchart method to work from. We continually tell the client he can't manage without records; I believe records are equally important in our efforts to assist his management. I use a two page report that takes me through each management area. In addition to this report's benefit as a checklist for me, there are several other valuable reasons for its use.
Rumen Function Enhancements
Authors: Corah Larry R.
Published: March 2023

For years, ruminant nutritionists have utilized the rumen vat for one of its unique attributes - its ability to convert non-useable products into products of the nutritional value that enhances the growth of beef cattle, sheep and dairy cattle. Examples of this have been the utilization of fiber that is non-useable by humans or other non-ruminants. In addition, we have learned how the rumen converts urea to a useable form of dietary protein.

In recent years the focus of ruminant research has shifted to the microbial population, and how altering microbial populations may fine-tune the nutritional diets utilized. Let's address three of these that currently are used: Ionophores, buffers and probiotics.
Bovine Abortion
Authors: Hurd H. Scott
Published: March 2023

A farm in the Midwest is experiencing problems with abortion. This farm is milking around 80 cows, raises its own heifers at another place, and has a rolling herd average of 16,000 pounds. Heifers are bred with a bull at the other farm and brought to the milking farm 4 - 5 weeks before freshening. These springers are housed in the same area as the dry cows until approximately one week before freshening. All cows are vaccinated with a multivalent vaccine for Leptospirosis, Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis, and P13 at the time of dry off. Milking cows are fed a total mixed ration of corn silage, haylage, and high moisture corn. Dry cows and springers are fed corn silage with hay or green chop, depending on the time of year.

On May 1 an aborted calf approximately 120 days gestational age was found in the freestall area. On June 1, one heifer aborted 2 weeks before her calving date. On June 10 another heifer aborted. The veterinarian was called out and he submitted serum samples from both heifers to the diagnostic lab, results were negative. A dry cow aborted on June 15. The fresh fetus and placenta were carried, by the producer, to the diagnostic lab. It will be 2 weeks before results are available. Another heifer and a cow had late term abortions on June 17 and 18. Another cow in the low group aborted twins on June 21. Immediate action is called for but no diagnosis can be made from the laboratory findings.
Reproductive Efficiency in Beef Cattle
Authors: Odde K. G. , Snelling W. M.
Published: March 2023

Cow-calf efficiency can be defined both in terns of biological efficiency and economic efficiency. Measures of biological efficiency include pregnancy rate, percentage calf crop weaned and calf weight weaned per cow exposed. Economic efficiency may be measured by net return per cow/calf unit or net return to the beef cattle enterprise. Biological and economic efficiency are often closely related, but in some situations only a limited relationship exists. For example, if biological efficiency defined as calf weight weaned divided by cow exposed is high, economic efficiency may or may not be high, depending on cow costs and the price of calves. Economic efficiency is of most importance to producers and is dependent on: 1) percent calf crop weaned, 2) weaning weight, 3) sale price of calves, and 4) annual cow costs (Ritchie, 1984). Maximizing production may not always be consistent with maximizing net profits over the long term. Identifying optimum levels of production ( those consistent with maximum continuing net profit) should be the goal. The optimum levels for reproductive measures such as pregnancy rate and percentage calf crop weaned are in fact high and quite close to maximum in most cases. Focusing on high reproductive efficiency at minimal cost is essential in moving cow-calf producers closer to optimum levels of production.

Where do reductions in reproductive efficiency occur? Bellows (1984) summarized losses in potentially weanable calves and reported that most losses occur either because cows fail to become pregnant or lose calves at or near calving. Nutrition is a major factor contributing to these losses. The purpose of this paper is to discuss factors, primarily nutritional, contributing to these losses.
Economics of Reproduction Efficiency in Beef Cow Herds
Authors: Hughes Harlan
Published: March 2023

The objective of this presentation is to suggest how a practicing veterinarian can go about integrating economic reality into his client services. I will concentrate on projecting the increased economic revenue associated with increasing your clients' beef herd's reproductive efficiencies. Other speakers at this conference will cover how reproductive efficiency can be increased and what it might cost to get the increased efficiencies. It will be left up to the conference participants to compare my projected increased revenues to the other speaker's projected cost increases.
Causes and Prevention of Bovine Abortion
Authors: Kirkbride Clyde A.
Published: March 2023

Abortion is a particularly costly and vexing problem for veterinarians and cow/calf producers. Determining the causes of bovine abortion is difficult for several reasons, and despite the advances in diagnostic technology of the past few years, diagnostic success in bovine abortions seldom reaches 50% in laboratories around the world. Table 1 summarizes the results of diagnostic efforts on bovine abortions over the past 3 years at the South Dakota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory where specimens from 600 to 1000 aborted calves are examined each year. With the exception of dystocia, twinning, trauma, and anomaly (which in some cases may be caused by infection) all the causes listed are infectious, i.e. bacterial, viral, fungal, or protozoan. Because toxic, metabolic, and hereditary causes of abortion seldom result in a product or lesion readily recognizable in fetal tissues, these causes of abortion usually remain undetected by diagnosticians.

Obviously the stockman wants every pregnant cow to go to term and deliver a live, healthy calf. This is an unrealistic expectation, but the level of abortion in a herd that should elicit alarm has not been determined exactly. A maximum loss of 3%, while not desirable, probably is not unreasonable. Some of these losses may result from certain inherited hormonal deficiencies, and routine culling usually keeps this problem to a minimum. As with any average figure, this 3% loss does not occur uniformly each year in every herd. Therefore fewer than 1% "normal" abortions may occur in a herd for several years, and then the number may exceed 3% for 1 or more years. This makes it difficult to set a precise figure for the number of abortions that should be accepted before investigation into the cause is started, but in general, diagnostic efforts should be initiated any time more than 1% of the herd abort.
Replacement Heifers
Authors: Hughes Harlan
Published: March 2023

The purpose of this paper is to provide practicing veterinarians a recommended procedure for determining their clients' cost of raising replacement heifers. With these costs in mind, practicing veterinarians can play a major role in helping beef cow operators make profitable replacement heifer decisions.
Reported Use of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Food Animal Practice
Authors: Kopcha M. , Kaneene J. B. , Ahl A.
Published: March 2023

A cross-sectional study was designed to determine 1) the extent to which nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used in the treatment of food animals, 2) demographic and practice factors that may influence their use, and 3) if withdrawal times for milk and slaughter are recommended.
Relationship Between Starting and Ending Scrotal Circumference for Bulls in 140-Day Test-of-Gain Programs
Authors: Whittier W. D. , Bowen M. J. , Eller A. L.
Published: March 2023

Scrotal circumference measurements were collected on 2,714 young bulls at the time they entered one of three bull test stations operated by the Virginia Beef Cattle Improvement Association during the years 1982-1988. Scrotal circumference measurements were collected again at the time bulls completed the 140 day test-of-gain period. Because of a 14 day adaptation period the time between measurements was 154 days. Data were also collected for breed, days of age at start of test, weight at start and end of test, and frame score at end of test. Bulls ranged from 156 days to 371 days of age at start of test with an average of 257 days. The average beginning weight was 339 kg (range 182 to 575 kg) and the average ending weight was 530 kg (range 331 to 786 kg).
Software Lecture Presentations
Authors: Ehrlich Jim
Published: March 2023

This was an informal forum for presentation of computer software related to bovine practice. There were 20 demonstrations given, lasting 30 minutes each, including audience participation. The name of each program demonstrated is listed below followed by the name and address of a contact person for that program. Where a program was demonstrated by someone other than the designated contact person, the demonstrator's name appears in parenthesis.
Use of Dry Period Intramammary Antibiotic Therapy and Other Forms of Mastitis Control in Dairy Cows
Authors: Sischo William M. , Miller Gay Y.
Published: March 2023

The objective of this report is to present preliminary results from a survey of producers regarding their use of mastitis control practices. However, the overall objective of a larger study, which will utilize the survey data summarized here, is to determine tbe economics of OCT. OCT economics will be considered conditional on the predominant mastitis agents in a herd. The study has three components: a microbiologic assessment of herd bulk tank samples, evaluation of herd SCC, and evaluation of herd mastitis control practices.
Using and Interpreting Diagnostic Tests
Authors: Spangler Liz
Published: March 2023

Everything a veterinary clinician does ends in a decision: to treat, to do more tests, or to wait. The diagnostic process is, of necessity, a dualistic one. We have a need for a binary classification system because the decisions we must make are usually dualistic or binary in nature themselves. But the data we have to use is complex, not necessarily dualistic, subjective and not infrequently, contradictory. It must be reduced, consciously or unconsciously, to a single judgement, sick or well. The purpose of this exercise is to examine objectively how diagnostic decisions are made, with the objective of improving diagnostic capabilities in food animal medicine.

The diagnostic problem in either the clinical setting or the screening situation is similar: the correct classification of our patients' disease condition. In clinical medicine, the goal is to assign the correct diagnosis from a list of problems with similar presentation. In screening for disease, the goal becomes to classify herds or individuals correctly as either free of some particular disease of interest or not. The ringer in this process is that diagnostic decisions are never made in isolation. There are economic, social and psychological consequences of making a diagnosis that depend largely upon the environment of the individual or herd. Whatever happens next depends on factors such as the effect of labelling on the herd or owner, the likelihood of owner compliance with testing and/or recommendations which follow from the testing, human considerations, our best estimate of cost/benefit ratio of the procedures we are considering, and other issues.
Critical Reading of the Scientific Literature
Authors: Hancock Dale
Published: March 2023

Science and technology coexist as fractious siblings in the minds of veterinarians. Technology does all the work; science merely leads us to doubt the value and truth of what we are doing. Technology, on its own, leads us into our natural habits of wizardry. Science, carried to its logical extreme, leads us into paralyzing indecision. Nowhere is this intellectual dualism more evident than in our reading, interpretation, and application of the scientific literature. On the one hand, we can find faults with the best research paper. On the other, practitioners cannot waffle endlessly but must at some point use the information at hand to make a decision.
Offering Financial Consultation as Part of a Production Medicine Practice
Authors: Ferry John W.
Published: March 2023

Bovine practitioners anxious to provide more profitable services for their clients have adopted production medicine techniques into their practice. These veterinarians recognize that, although traditional reproductive herd health and sick cow programs are necessary services for the dairy industry, these services stop short of being an investment in improved herd health. By consulting in replacement rearing, ration balancing, udder health, ventilation and barn design, and records analysis, production medicine veterinarians can impact cow health and production. Improved health and production will reward the producer with increased profits.

Many producers, accustomed to sharing their records with their veterinarian, seek input on their financial records as well. By incorporating analysis of financial records, production medicine programs become more focused, and prioritized. This paper will outline how I incorporate financial data into my consulting program, and how this information affects our production medicine services.
Enhancement of Pre-weaning Performance
Authors: Corah Larry R. , Blanding Mitch R.
Published: March 2023

When you evaluate the factors influencing profitability in the cow/calf industry, four key points need to be considered.1. Percent cows weaning calves.2. Weaning weight of calves.3. Selling price of calves.4. Annual cost of maintaining the cow.

Obviously, in evaluating weaning weight, it's important to consider both the percent of cows weaning calves and the actual weaning weight. If the goal is to improve weaning weight it cannot be at the expense of a dramatically reducing percent calf crop. The relationship of these two key profit factors is illustrated clearly in Table 1. Thus, in evaluating weaning weight it's important to look at weaning weight as actual pounds of calf weaned per cow in the herd.

In the past 20 years, it is very clear that the cow/calf industry has made considerable progress in improving calf weaning weights. The pounds of calf produced per cow nationally, (figures as summarized by Cattle Facts) were 318 lbs calf/cow in 1960, 449 lbs calf/cow in 1980 and current figures in 1989/90 are projecting 528 lbs calf/cow.

As we evaluate annual cost of maintaining the cow, very little change has occurred in the industry in the past ten years, but the current focus, such as the National IRM Program, will be addressing production costs and how the industry can improve economic efficiency by lowering annual production costs.

The following summary will look at those factors such as management, nutrition and genetics that can influence weaning weight.

Seven factors (in varying detail) will be considered: a) growth promotants, b) creep feeding, c) use of medicated minerals, d) internal/external parasite control, e) age at weaning, f) grazing systems/forage quality and g) genetic capacity to grow.
Using Epidemiology as an Aid in Feedlot Disease Management
Authors: Ribble Carl S. , Van Donkersgoed Joyce , Harland Richard J. , Janzen Eugene D.
Published: March 2023

The recent introduction of computers to the feedlot industry for monitoring animal health has markedly improved the efficiency with which we can use epidemiology as a means for developing new management techniques to prevent disease. With the computer we can keep accurate health records which can be analyzed rapidly by the attending veterinarian on a regular basis. We describe the kind of system we find useful for recording data on a computer in the feedlot. We also describe how those data can be summarized to help develop an epidemiological approach to disease management in the feedlot, using respiratory disease and hemophilosis as specific examples. Our experience is based upon working in medium-sized feedlots with capacities of several thousand to 15,000 or more head.
North By Northwest
Authors: Wesselius A. G.
Published: March 2023

Getting dairy cows pregnant is a difficult problem for most dairy producers. The average dairyman loses $100 to $200 per cow per year because of reproductive problems. Reducing the number of missed heats in a herd is one of the most significant challenges that a herd health veterinarian can attempt to achieve when counseling dairymen on reproductive management. Detection of estrus is the most costly factor contributing to reproductive efficiency and economic profitability of the dairy herd.