“Scours continues to be the leading cause of mortality and sickness among calves,” said Doug Scholz, director of veterinary services at Novartis Animal Health. “Death loss, treatment costs and poor performance resulting from scours can add up to thousands of dollars in economic losses for a single herd every year. Our goal with this website is to provide producers with prevention tips and management strategies that can significantly reduce the risk of scours on their farms.”

The website includes disease information, expert tips and vaccination guidelines. Visitors to www.scourbos.com can also learn how veterinarians and producers in different geographic regions of the U.S. with unique herd health challenges are using Scour Bos as part of a comprehensive scours management plan.

Containing nine antigens, Scour Bos is the only scours vaccine that provides protection against four E. coli isolates, three rotaviruses, coronavirus and Clostridium perfringens Type C in a single dose.

“Preventing calf scours requires careful management of the dam, the environment and the calf,” said Scholz. “The first step in a scours management program is immunization of the dam with an effective vaccine like Scour Bos, delivering passive immunity via high levels of maternal antibodies passed to the calf through colostrum.”

Scour Bos can be given to beef cows up to 16 weeks precalving and at dry‑off for dairy herds, which helps ensure maternal antibodies circulating in the dam are as high as possible before they are transferred to the colostrum. The 16‑week window of administration also provides maximum convenience and flexibility for producers.

To learn more about Scour Bos and cattle health management tips that prevent scours outbreaks, visit www.scourbos.com or contact your Novartis Animal Health representative.