Biography: Dr. Colin Palmer is an Associate Professor of Theriogenology (Animal Reproduction) at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Originally from Nova Scotia, Dr. Palmer worked in mixed practices in Ontario and British Columbia and has owned/operated a practice in Saskatchewan. Dr. Palmer along with his wife Kim and children Lauren, Emily and Carter run a herd of purebred Red Angus cattle under the KC Cattle Co. name.
Vaccines are a priceless tool for modern livestock production. They are as important to the economic viability of a cattle operation as pesticides are for crop production. Rabies, Blackleg, IBR (Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis), BVD (Bovine Viral Diarrhea), anthrax, bacterial and viral respiratory infections, and numerous other diseases are prevented or lessened in severity because of vaccines. Over the last couple of decades new vaccines have been developed for calf scours, mastitis, and foot rot prevention; however, no less revolutionary has been the improvements with each generation of product targeting the same ol’ cattle diseases that have been with us for decades. Disease causing infectious agents are usually a bacterium or a virus. Germ is a commonly used word for bacteria and viruses; especially ones that cause disease. Molds (fungi) are less commonly involved unless conditions are right to allow their numbers to flourish. Ringworm is a common skin condition in cattle and other livestock caused by select species of ringworm fungi. Parasites are also infectious, but most prefer to quietly steal to survive rather than to cause overt harm. A notable exception might be the coccidia parasite responsible for the bloody diarrhea associated with coccidiosis in cattle. Several types of very small organisms (aka. microorganisms, microbes), mostly bacteria, live within our bodies and are beneficial causing no harm whatsoever. Many of these bacteria assist with digestion, help produce essential nutrients and assist the immune system in the destruction of harmful organisms. The mix of organisms, called a microbiome, residing on our skin, in our noses, in our gut and virtually any where in our bodies is unique to that system and
Canadian Galloway Advance 2022
to the individual. A microbiome is not static. Antibiotics, foods we eat, others we come in contact with, where we live, who are parents were and numerous other factors, many of which we are just now learning about, can all influence a microbiome. Newer technology, such as PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests, have proven to be much more sensitive for identifying organisms in environments that were previously believed to be sterile. Older testing methods relied on culture, which essentially meant that these organisms had to grow in a petri dish under the right conditions, or at the very least had to be detectable by testing methods that required the organism to remain intact. When an infectious agent enters a body, it will move to its preferred site where it will reproduce; provided it has entered through the right system. For example, the gut, respiratory system, or blood. Respiratory pathogens that don’t get inhaled may simply desiccate or dry out on the skin surface. An important concept for understanding disease treatment and prevention is recognizing the difference between viruses and bacteria. Both are tiny, yet viruses are smaller than even the smallest bacterium, only visible with highly specialized microscopes. Bacteria are living, single-celled creatures with an outer protective cell wall and an inner lining protecting the cell’s organ structure. Bacteria can produce their own food and can thrive in a wide variety of environments. Bacteria tend to be opportunistic, feeding on biological debris that is present often from physical damage (cuts, wounds) or damage caused by viruses. Viruses consist of just a thin protein coat covering a small amount of RNA or DNA that represents the genetic code necessary for creating future generations.
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