Cattle Health

Mannheimia haemolytica: When balance is lost, respiratory disease follows

rogerio.eduardo@hipra.com — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) remains one of the most significant health and economic challenges in both beef and dairy production.

Setting calves up for success: Building a strong start

abby@agproud.com — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Success starts at birth. A recent BCRC webinar highlighted just how critical those early decisions are, from precalving management to colostrum intake and postnatal care. It’s about stacking small advantages, such as nutrition, environment, timing and intervention, right from the start.

Scratching the surface with itchy cows

brenda.ralston@lakelandcollege.ca — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

When cattle start rubbing and losing hair in late winter or early spring, lice are often the first suspect. Follow-up checks by producers and veterinarians, however, show the cause is not always that simple.

Inside the pen: Advancing BRD detection in Canadian feedlots

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) remains a leading health concern in Canadian feedlots. Currently, pen riders quietly surveying thousands of cattle daily are a feedlot’s main defence against this challenging disease.

BVD control: From assumption to strategy

rogerio.eduardo@hipra.com — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

BVD remains one of the most economically significant infectious diseases affecting cattle worldwide. While many producers vaccinate routinely, the virus can still circulate quietly within herds, reducing performance long before obvious clinical signs appear.

Scours prevention: Is it worth it?

sroberts@alltech.com — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Although Benjamin Franklin was referring to fire prevention when he wrote that phrase, the same phrase can have literal implications when it comes to saving pounds through scours prevention in calves.

Don't let your pasture kill your profits: Grazing and feeding hazards

troy.walz@unl.edu — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Physical hazards – from swallowed wires to toxic plants – can be devastating, not only to the cow but in certain instances can cause late-term abortions or permanent birth defects in the calf crop.

Love hurts, but castration doesn’t have to

brenda.ralston@lakelandcollege.ca — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Castration is a management procedure that reduces animal aggression, prevents unwanted breeding and improves meat quality. No matter what method is used, all castration procedures cause pain, as measured by stress responses in the animal. Explore new products that are helping to reduce that pain and increase productivity.

Science or schedule? Rethinking calf transport regulations

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) began enforcing its revised livestock transport regulations in 2022, which reduced the maximum travel time for weaned calves from 48 to 36 hours before a mandated break and increased rest periods from five to eight hours.

IBR in cattle: A practical guide for cattle producers

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) is a fast-moving upper respiratory disease that can quietly drain profitability in beef and dairy herds. It spreads quickly through close contact and, like other herpes viruses, it doesn’t leave the herd once it arrives.

BRSV in cattle: What farmers need to know

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

BRSV is a common cause of respiratory illness in calves. It can have lasting and even deadly effects. Prevention is the only effective measure to control it.

Customizing animal health disease prevention

jason.anderson@vaxxinova.com — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Technology intersects many segments of agriculture with applications extending into animal health for prevention, detection and treatment of illness. Many of the newer tools are aimed at blending data collection, analysis and specialized interventions.

3 aspects of herd health that will add more pounds per calf

kristinap@agspire.com — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

After more than 15 years of practicing in a large-animal clinic, a veterinarian pinpoints three herd health issues on which producers can take action to add pounds to their calves and efficiency to their operations.

Answering digital dermatitis FAQs

zeb_gray@diamondv.com — Mon, 12 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Even though digital dermatitis is not exactly a new problem, questions still abound about proper prevention and control. Here are some tips for managing cattle and their environment that might help out your operation.

Healthy heifers for longevity in the herd

abby@agproud.com — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

With herd size looking toward growth, heifer development will continue to be increasingly important. Management, parasite control and herd immunity are key components of raising healthy heifers.

Spring grazing tips and grass tetany prevention

ckinder@uidaho.edu — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0400

As the year transitions from winter to spring, producers are ready to stop feeding hay, and the livestock are eyeballing the “weakest link” in the fences to get to the green grass.

Broad horizons: The industry-shaping career of Kee Jim

tyrell@agproud.com — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

When Kee Jim talks, people in the cattle world listen. He has spent a decades-long career refuting the notion that a jack of all trades is the master of none, offering his extensive expertise to help feedlot operators become as efficient and profitable as possible.

Vaccine handling: It’s more important than you think

jessica.newberry@virbacus.com — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

It’s time to work cattle. You’ve gotten the vaccines and all you have to do is load syringes and you’re good to go, right?

Don’t stress: Here’s how to handle the heat

abby@agproud.com — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Summertime brings in the warmer weather and, with it, a different set of stressors for cattle. A number of factors can lead to stress in cattle, including fluctuations in temperature or adverse weather conditions.

Essential practices to build BRD resilience in your calf crop

christopher.schneider@merck.com — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In my 25 years as a cattle veterinarian, I’ve seen the impact of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) – the most prevalent and costly challenge facing North American cattle producers – in many operations.

What are you doing to prevent pinkeye?

jessica.newberry@virbacus.com — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Pinkeye is one of the most frustrating diseases we face, and it has a negative impact not just on the value of cattle but also on their production.

Steps to halt zoonotic disease transmission

aaron.yoder@unmc.edu — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Zoonotic diseases – also known as zoonoses – are caused by germs that spread between animals and people. No matter where people come into contact with animals, harmful germs are sometimes carried by animals.

The ‘5 W's’ of responsible antibiotic use in cattle

russell.daly@sdstate.edu — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The term “antibiotic stewardship” might sound high level, but it’s something cattle producers and veterinarians practice every day. In human health care, antibiotic stewardship means ensuring that antibiotics are used only when necessary and appropriate.

Maximize immunity, decrease disease with these five calf health considerations

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Ranchers have so much invested in the genetics and in the long process of getting that live calf on the ground that we want to do everything we can to protect that investment. Let’s look at how to give our young calves the best possible start.

Persistently infected calves invading the cattle industry

abby@agproud.com — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Bovine viral diarrhea virus, or BVDV, is one of the most frequent diseases dealt with in cattle, in all sectors of the industry.

Rotavirus in calves: What is causing the problem and how do we address it?

randal.shirbroun@vaxxinova.com — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Many cow-calf producers can relate to the frustration and challenges associated with scours, or diarrhea in baby calves. The typical and very reasonable questions to ask would include, “What is causing the problem?” and “How do we address it?”

Time to prepare: Fall processing recommendations for weaning-aged calves

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 00:00:00 -0400

And just like that, it’s time for fall processing. Let’s look closely at what we’ll need to give our weaning-aged calves a leg up on their next stage of life, starting with vaccination strategy, implants and deworming.