In the final video of the series, Dr. Armon Hetzel explains how to make decisions on treating mastitis while waiting for culture results.

In this continued series, Drs. Armon Hetzel and Larry Judge of Animart demonstrate how to treat a cow with mastitis.

Drs. Armon Hetzel and Larry Judge of Animart demonstrate how to properly culture cows for mastitis.

When Kiefland Holsteins in Utica, Minnesota, installed an automatic milking system in 2011, not only did the farm benefit from the reduced labor requirements – but also the steady supply of data generated by the equipment.

Dr. Peter Vanderloo of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory examines several udders during a presentation at the PDPW Business Conference in March. He discusses the diseases that likely infected the udders and what could have been done to prevent infections.

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is commonly observed in dairy calves and has both acute and long-term effects on the performance of those calves. This disease is the most common and costly disease affecting the North American cattle industry. The key to preventing respiratory disease is to reduce stress and vaccinate animals against viruses and bacteria that cause disease.

As summer winds down, there is no better time to reflect on how much our herds were impacted by heat stress. The results may surprise you!

Cud chewing – both the sights and sounds of rumination – is a key monitor of dairy cow health and has been for years. A drop in rumination time signals something is impacting rumen function or animal well-being and puts producers on the alert for possible interventions.

It’s impossible to assess the rumen pH of a dairy cow just by looking at her. Yet, impaired rumen digestion can be silently lowering herd production and health.With careful observation, there are subtle signals normal rumen function may be disrupted.