In recent years, researchers have discovered that heat stress affects the gut at a very basic level. This has led to a growing interest in nutritional strategies that support gut health, with probiotics emerging as a promising tool to help cows better cope with high temperatures.

Recent research from multiple labs suggests some of the most expensive stressors cows experience are the ones we don’t see.

Hemorrhagic bowel syndrome (HBS) is a silent, confounding killer in dairy herds. It’s particularly stressful because the exact cause of HBS is unknown. There are few symptoms, it often impacts older high-producing cows, and it’s nearly always fatal. Often you don’t know a cow has HBS until it’s too late.

The term “high risk” is mainly applied to calves bought and sold through local livestock auctions or sale barns, although not all these calves are necessarily considered high risk.

Inflammation is a complex biological response triggered by the immune system in response to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, tissue injury, or stress. In mammals, including beef cattle, understanding the inflammatory response is of utmost importance as it can have significant implications for health, productivity, and overall well-being.

There are several on-farm circumstances that can impact gut health, including heat stress, acidosis, weaning, poor bunk management, psychological stress and calving. Supporting gut health around calving is critical to optimize performance and preserve health.

With heat stress comes lameness and negative impacts on hoof health. In fact, heat stress is one of the biggest factors contributing to dairy cow lameness.