Four Tips for Avoiding BRD This Season. Weather conditions and having a plan can minimize the risk for BRD. Winter cold and storms are right around the corner, and the risk for bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in your cattle may be right around the corner as well. A little planning can go a long way in handling the pressures of Mother Nature and managing your cattle to stay ahead of a BRD outbreak. Phillip Kesterson, DVM, Beef Technical Services, Zoetis suggests considering these four factors this season: • Temperature fluctuations - While humans may enjoy “layering weather,” it can be hard on cattle in grow yards. When the morning starts out cold, then warms up 30ºF or more during the day and cools off again at night, we can remove or add layers, but cattle can’t. The fluctuations can cause respiratory stress, so watch cattle for signs of illness. • Dusty days - Dry weather can cause respiratory issues for cattle in dry lots. While you do everything you can to address and mitigate this issue, you can’t do much if Mother Nature doesn’t provide some
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moisture. Keep an eye on cattle during the dusty days for signs of distress. • Commingling Issues - You might be thinking the risk is past, but don’t be overconfident that your cattle are beyond the period of vulnerability caused by commingling. Mixing cattle exposes them to new pathogens when immune systems may be suppressed, so keeping a constant eye on emerging signs of disease is important. • Long duration treatments - With labor often in short supply, using a long duration anti-infective treatment for BRD allows for returning cattle to their home pens where they feel more comfortable, thus decreasing the likelihood of subsequent treatments. Speaking of treatments, what’s your strategy? If you do encounter a BRD issue, having a set protocol and plan for treatment is essential to help get cattle feeling better and back on feed. Dr. Kesterson encourages producers to consider the new BRD treatment available that combines the long duration of the leading antibiotic on the market1 with a fast acting NSAID, ketoprofen, for
The Carolina Cattle Connection q JANUARY 2022
fever control: Draxxin KP (tulathromycin and ketoprofen injection) Injectable Solution. This new BRD treatment: • Provides 14 days of antibiotic therapy: ◦ Draxxin KP contains the trusted antibiotic tulathromycin and maintains antibacterial therapeutic levels for up to 14 days.2 • Controls fever starting in one hour up to 24 hours to help animals feel better: ◦ Draxxin KP demonstrated a significant reduction (p ≤ 0.0072) of BRD associated fever from one hour up to 24 hours after treatment compared with Draxxin (tulathromycin injection) Injectable Solution alone.3 • Has similar year round syringe ability as Draxxin: ◦ Draxxin KP is approved for the same dose size as Draxxin and has similar viscosity. • Treats all four major BRD pathogens: ◦ Draxxin KP is labeled to treat BRD caused by Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus somni, and Mycoplasma bovis.4 • Improved respiratory scores for better animal well being: ◦ A challenge study demonstrated animals treated with Draxxin KP showed numerically improved attitude and respiratory scores compared with animals
treated with saline and Draxxin post treatment.3 Talk with your veterinarian to evaluate your BRD management and treatment protocols, and learn more about Draxxin KP at www.draxxinkp.com. References 1 Animalytix Ruminant Segments Anti-infective therapeutic category, MAT, ending June 2021. 2 Data on file, Study Report No. A431N-US-16-418, Zoetis Inc. 3 Data on file, Study Report No. A131C-XC-17-528, Zoetis Inc. 4 Freedom of Information Summary. NADA 141-543 — Draxxin ® KP (tulathromycin and ketoprofen injection). Food and Drug Administration; 2020. About Zoetis. As the world’s leading animal health company, Zoetis is driven by a singular purpose: to nurture our world and humankind by advancing care for animals. After nearly 70 years of innovating ways to predict, prevent, detect, and treat animal illness, Zoetis continues to stand by those raising and caring for animals worldwide — from livestock farmers to veterinarians and pet owners. The company’s leading portfolio and pipeline of medicines, vaccines, diagnostics, and technologies make a difference in over 100 countries. In 2020, Zoetis generated revenue of $6.7 billion with ~11,300 employees. For more, visit www.zoetis.com.
