BEEF CATTLE PRODUCTION SERIES - PART 1 by TSCRA - The Cattleman Magazine

BEEF CATTLE PRODUCTION SERIES – PART 1

Reduce Parasites, Keep Calves Healthy, Maintain Strong Feet and Sound Eyes

Brought to you by

& CATTLE HEALTH

This is not a business that rewards moving backwards.

Vista. Easy on cattle, strong on productivity. ®

It’s simple logic: A vaccine should move your cattle ahead. Not set ‘em back with harsh side effects. That’s why Vista® vaccines have earned such a strong reputation among leading cattlemen. • • •

Vista Once vaccine provides the longest duration of immunity against IBR and BVD (Types 1 and 2) in the industry1,2 Proven to provide the defense needed against respiratory and reproductive challenges Labeled for use in pregnant cows and calves nursing pregnant cows

With Vista, cattle reach their natural potential. Deliver maximum value. And keep moving forward. 1 2

Vista Once, Vista 5 and Vista 3 product labels and Bovi-Shield Gold® One Shot™ product label Pyramid® 5 + Presponse® product label does not have a duration of immunity

CATTLE HEALTH

BEEF CATTLE PRODUCTION SERIES – PART 1

Reduce Parasites, Keep Calves Healthy, Maintain Strong Feet and Sound Eyes Table of Contents 4 Consider Total Parasite Control for Your Herd 5 Parasite Control on a Cow-Calf Herd 8 Tips to Avoid Stressed, Sick Calves 10 Calf Scours 10 Blackleg: Prevent This Fast Killer of Calves 12 Keeping Eyes Healthy 13 Lame Excuse — Regardless of why your cattle may be showing signs of lameness, find and fix the problem fast!

The Cattleman, the monthly journal of Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, is pleased to partner with Merck Animal Health on a series of seasonal beef cattle health management manuals. Thanks to the generous support of the Merck Animal Health technical services veterinarians, Dr. David Bechtol and several of his colleagues, we are able to provide a blend of easy-to-read articles that educate and inform ranchers about various aspects of beef cattle health management. thecattlemanmagazine.com

Merck Animal Health BEEF CATTLE PRODUCTION SERIES – PART 1 Reduce Parasites, Keep Calves Healthy, Maintain Strong Feet and Sound Eyes

From the cow-calf ranch to the feedlot, manage the parasite burden in your herd.

Consider Total Parasite Control for Your Herd By Gary DiGiuseppe

“Internal parasitism affects every step of the cattle production system,” says Dr. Harold Newcomb, D.V.M., cattle technical services veterinarian for Merck Animal Health. “Whether you are a cow-calf guy, a stocker guy or even a feedlot guy, you have to be able to manage parasite burden in those animals.” Most parasite infestations are of the “subclinical” variety. The producer may not have noticed the resulting production loss, but it’s definitely there. “If those animals have been grazing, they’re going to have some sort of parasite load,” he says. “If it gets down to the point where you can visually detect performance differences in a cow because of a parasite burden, you have major problems going on.” Common internal parasites in the South The most commonly found internal parasites in calves in southern ranches are Cooperia spp., nematodes that reside in the small intestines of ruminants. As of 2009, they were found in 91.2 percent of cattle. Ostertagia spp. — the brown stomach worm — can also be a problem with calves, as can Haemonchus. “We’re mainly concerned with parasitism in the younger animal because that’s where we see most of the production loss,” Newcomb says. Another frequent source of infestations of younger animals is Nematodirus. The most likely parasite problem in older animals would be Ostertagia, which is found in 79.4 percent of animals. New4

comb says the adult cow will develop an immune response to Cooperia. If you start seeing Cooperia in older cattle, you probably have a nutritional or stress problem that’s causing her immune system to not function correctly. Newcomb says Cooperia is the most prolific egg shedder among them and has a significant impact on cattle performance. Studies have found Cooperia can reduce performance by up to 12 pounds over a 60-day receiving period. It also reduces feed intake. Two studies conducted on feedlot cattle found cattle with low parasite burdens — a fecal count of 9 eggs per gram (epg) — decreased feed intake by 3.2 percent, and a higher burden (47 epg) reduced intake by 7.8 percent. Test, then test again 14 days later Producers need to conduct fecal egg reduction tests when they deworm. By comparing fecal egg counts before and after deworming they can see if their anthelmintic (dewormer) is working. In conjunction with a number of parasitologists, Merck Animal Health developed a standardized fecal egg count reduction test. The test should be conducted on 20 animals randomly selected from a defined group. Twenty animals, says Newcomb, “gives us a statistical look at what’s going on in the herd and overcomes the day-to-day variation in egg shedding.” For best results, sample animals from the same age group — ideally, cattle from 6 months to 2 years of age. For cow-calf operators, the field test should be conducted

Merck Animal Health BEEF CATTLE PRODUCTION SERIES – PART 1 Reduce Parasites, Keep Calves Healthy, Maintain Strong Feet and Sound Eyes

thecattlemanmagazine.com

during optimal parasite transmission conditions on your pasture. Stocker cattle, feedlot cattle and replacement heifers should be tested and treated upon arrival, and stockers and replacement heifers should be tested again after at least 2 months on permanent pasture. The second test to gauge efficacy should be conducted 14 days after the first. According to Newcomb, “14 days is the magic number, because that gives all the dewormers the chance to kill all the worms that they can. Yet, you should be under a time period before any re-infestation and new egg production can be going on.” If egg counts are not reduced by at least 90 percent, it could be a sign of resistance. If this happens, the producer should consider additional diagnostic investigation. He or she should also switch to an alternate treatment — either a different class of anthelmintic, or a combination of 2 compounds from different classes. Prevent or delay resistance Newcomb says there has been a lot of research looking at the development of resistance when using the same class of anthelmintic repeatedly, rotating between classes or using 2 or more classes concurrently. The consensus is that use of concurrent/combination of dewormer classes is probably the best answer for prevention of, or delay in, resistance. The 3 main classes are macrocyclic lactones or endectocides like Dectomax, Ivomec, Cydectin, Eprinex, and generic ivermectins; benzimidazoles, which include Safe-guard, Valbazen, and Synanthic; and imidazothiazoles like Rumatel, Levasole, Totalon, and Tramisol. Repeat the screening test using the new treatment. Newcomb says in the South, cow-calf producers who deworm in the spring do so 6 to 8 weeks after grass emerges, and again 6 to 8 weeks later. In the fall, they deworm again after a killing frost, when most

of the parasite transmission has decreased. “If you look at the lifecycle of the worm, the cattle ingest the larva on the grass. Once ingested, the larva develop into the adults — generally in about 21 days or so — and then start passing eggs,” he says. “Some of those worms live in the stomach or the abomasum. Some of them live in the intestinal tract.” Newcomb urges every rancher to work out a deworming protocol with a veterinarian or parasitologist. Overcoming resistance Repeated use of the macrocyclic lactone class of dewormers has led to selection of resistant parasite populations. “We’ve used the pour-on ivermectins for fly control, and we’ve used them at the most inopportune times for deworming — in other words, we’ve placed a lot of selection pressure on the worms because of using these products for fly control,” he says. External parasites have also developed resistance to 2 other classes of chemicals used in tags and pour-ons: pyrethroids and organophosphates. “The trick there is combination usage of the products and rotational use,” Newcomb says. “If we’re using an ivermectin ear tag, you might want to use a pyrethroid-type pour-on...or, if you’re using an ivermectin-type pour-on on the cattle but deworm in the spring, then you might want to use a pyrethroid ear tag or an organophosphate ear tag, or a combination. They’re less likely to build resistance to 2 compounds than they are to 1.” Apply fly control products at the right time of year and institute a whole fly program that may involve an insect growth regulator (IGR) supplemental to decrease the number of fly larvae. The take-home message is ranchers need to deworm at the proper time, check if their dewormer is working by doing a fecal egg count reduction test, and work with their veterinarian or parasitologist to develop a total parasite control program for their operation. ❚

Cow-Calf Herd Parasite Control By David Bechtol, D.V.M., Palo Duro Consultation, Research & Feedlot, Canyon, Texas, and Dr. Jim Furman, The Animal Center, Alliance, Neb.

Types of external parasites • Include biting and non-biting flies, myiasis-producing flies (maggots), mosquitoes, biting and sucking lice, ticks and mites • The most serious threat to production and economics since they feed on body tissues such as skin, blood and hair, often resulting in discomfort and irritation for the animals • Live year-round in the warmer southern climate thecattlemanmagazine.com

• Irritate animals and may transmit diseases from infected animals to healthy ones Flies Flies have many families affecting livestock. Some are blood suckers, while other are just plain pesky. Most come in contact with the animals for only a short period of time, making control difficult. ➤

Merck Animal Health BEEF CATTLE PRODUCTION SERIES – PART 1 Reduce Parasites, Keep Calves Healthy, Maintain Strong Feet and Sound Eyes

Lice Lice spend their entire lives on the host. Several species of lice are present in the South. Many are blood-sucking, but one is merely a biting louse, which feeds on skin and hair causing itching, irritation and hair loss. Lice cause most of their damage in the colder weather months of late fall and early winter.

Internal parasites to be concerned about include: • Haemonchus (large stomach worm) • Ostertagia (brown stomach worm Type I and Type II) • Trichostrongylus (stomach hair worm) • Cooperia (Cooper’s worm) • Oesophagostomum (nodular worm)

Mites Mites feed on the surface or burrow just beneath the skin, making very slender winding tunnels and secreting fluid. A toxin is also secreted which causes intense irritation and itching. Infested animals rub and scratch continuously, causing inflamed areas with only scattered hairs remaining. Infestations are contagious and treatment of all animals in the herd is essential in preventing spread.

The brown stomach worm is most economically significant. The normal life cycle is modified when the immature form encysts itself in the lining of the abomasum causing severe damage to the stomach cells that produce acid and enzymes. This phenomenon is called pre-type II ostertagiasis. All of these internal parasites infect different areas of the digestive tract and require the cattle host to complete their lifecycle. They also cause numerous problems including depressed immune systems and increased disease susceptibility. They suppress appetites while limiting nutrient intake and absorption. Reduced nutrition impacts the animal’s performance in the form of reduced feed efficiency, reduced rate of gain and reproduction, and lower immune response to vaccinations. Use parasiticides correctly to be effective and save cost. The time to kill grubs is not necessarily the same time to kill flukes, mites, lice or internal parasites. Seasonal control of parasites may be more cost-effective than a blanket “shotgun” approach. Work with your local veterinarian to develop a sound strategic deworming program. ❚

Ticks Ticks are blood-sucking and drop off the host after feeding to lay their eggs. Their effects include inflammation, itching and swelling at the bite site, blood loss and paralysis from injection of toxic fluids. They also transmit disease, including anaplasmosis, bovine piroplasmosis and tularemia. Types of internal parasites • Include the gastro-intestinal nematodes, lungworms, liver flukes, adult and larval tapeworms and coccidian • Cause just as many productivity problems and economic problems as the external ones

Internal parasites cause numerous problems including depressed immune systems and increased disease susceptibility. They suppress appetites while limiting nutrient intake and absorption, which results in reduced feed efficiency, reduced rate of gain and reproduction and lower immune response to vaccinations.

Merck Animal Health BEEF CATTLE PRODUCTION SERIES – PART 1 Reduce Parasites, Keep Calves Healthy, Maintain Strong Feet and Sound Eyes

thecattlemanmagazine.com

SO EASY, CATTLE DEWORM THEMSELVES!

Get all the health and performance benefits of an effective deworming without all the labor, handling and stress. With range cubes, mineral, top dress pellets or blocks there’s a Safe-Guard® Self-Deworming form to fit YOUR operation. Safe-Guard even controls the resistant worms pour-ons leave behind1. It’s so easy the cattle will deworm themselves!

Watch the short demonstration video at safe-guardcattle.com

Ask your animal health supplier or Merck Animal Health representative about Safe-Guard Self-Deworming cattle products.

Consult your local veterinarian for assistance in the diagnosis, treatment and control of parasitism. Important Safety Information: Safe-Guard mineral and feed through products: RESIDUE WARNING: Cattle must not be slaughtered within 13 days following last treatment. For dairy cattle, the milk discard time is zero hours. A withdrawal period has not been established for this product in pre-ruminating calves. Do not use in calves to be processed for veal.

Safe-Guard En-Pro-Al Block: RESIDUE WARNING: Cattle must not be slaughtered within 11 days following last treatment. A withdrawal period has not been established for this product in pre-ruminating calves. Do not use in calves to be processed for veal. Safe-Guard Protein Blocks: RESIDUE WARNING: Cattle must not be slaughtered within 16 days following last treatment. A withdrawal period has not been established for this product in pre-ruminating calves. Do not use in calves to be processed for veal. Always read and follow label directions.

Stromberg, B.E., et al., Cooperia punctata: Effect on cattle productivity? Vet. Parasitol. (2011), doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2011.07.030

Giralda Farms – Madison, NJ 07940 – merck-animal-health-usa.com – 800.521.5767 Copyright ©2016 Intervet, Inc. d/b/a Merck Animal health, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. All rights reserved 10/16 BV-SG-54399 2

Tips to Avoid Stressed, Sick Calves By Gary DiGiuseppe

For the most part, diseases that afflict calves aren’t present at first in the field. They’re brought there by other animals. The exceptions, says Dr. Mark Spire, D.V.M., retired technical services manager for Merck Animal Health, are the clostridials or blackleg family of diseases. That includes C. perfringens, which is a scours or a sudden death organism. But other than that, says Spire, very few disease-causing organisms are in the ground itself. “The rest of them come from the cow,” he explains. “They’ll either come from her intestine, obviously on the scours side of things, or they’ll come from her nose and saliva, for the respiratory side.” Spread out the herd As cows are moved onto the pasture, the numbers of pathogens in that environment start to build. To reduce that threat of these pathogens to the calves, one tactic would be to spread out the cow herd. If smaller pastures make that unfeasible, the producer should try to reduce the number of cattle in the calving area, or to expand the calving area to a bigger area. Spire says research conducted in Canada has shown that 8

disease problems increase if the density in the calving area is more than one cow unit per 1,000 square feet. In addition to the problem of an increased pathogen load and more calves in close proximity to it, protection provided to calves by their mothers through the colostrum is uneven. Spire says there will be some variation of protective immunity across a set of calves. “As an operation increases the number of potentially susceptible animals in an area, we see a buildup of the number of organisms within an environment. This imbalance between bugs and calves can quickly create a situation where we’ll start seeing disease outbreaks, either scours or respiratory disease,” he says. Calf diseases vary by age Spire says the disease outbreaks tend to vary with age. From the first 3 or 4 days on up to the first 3 weeks, there are more digestive problems with calves. Then, from the first 3 weeks up to 6 weeks of age, problems with a scours-producing organism called coronavirus will emerge, as will C. perfringens outbreaks. “The Clostridium

Merck Animal Health BEEF CATTLE PRODUCTION SERIES – PART 1 Reduce Parasites, Keep Calves Healthy, Maintain Strong Feet and Sound Eyes

thecattlemanmagazine.com

perfringens organisms are powerful toxin producers,” Spire says, “and what we’ll tend to see is either a bloated calf that will generally die within 24 hours, or calves will just be found dead without prior signs of being sick.” When the calves are examined postmortem, the most frequent trauma detected is a large stomach ulcer that either killed the calf by rupturing, or by the release of the clostridial toxins. “That’s a loss of a nice-doing calf,” he notes, “typically around 6 to 8 weeks of age.” When the calves are around 10 to 12 weeks of age, various organisms that cause pneumonia tend to take hold. Spire says those are mostly summer pneumonias, but they can also be seen from Christmastime through the first of the year in herds that started calving in late August or early September. “Again,” he says, “these are all population management problems because we start getting too many susceptible animals of the same age within a given timeframe, at about the time the population of respiratory pathogens increases and colostrum-derived immunity starts to decrease.” Move out the older calves That brings up a second density-related issue. In addition to population density, herd owners have to manage age density and not allow too heavy a concentration of calves in the same age bracket. Spire says, “It’s a good idea, if we’re calving in a very short period of time in a highly dense area, to take those older calves and their cows out and move them to another pasture. They don’t need to be watched as closely as those younger ones do.” A second option, if the cows are calving on ground where the rancher has experienced scours problems before, is to vaccinate the cows before they calve. “We have some very good vaccines on the market,” says Spire. “They’ll produce better quality colostrum to go into that calf and that raises the level of immunity. So even if we might have a buildup of organisms, now our collective immunity is higher and we’ll tend not to see outbreaks that are as serious or prolonged when compared to unvaccinated herds.” Limit exposure to sick calves Other management tips involve the calves themselves. If they’re already showing disease symptoms, either scours or pneumonia, “those animals act like Typhoid Marys,” says Spire. “They end up spreading disease. They quickly build up the level of disease organisms within an environment and can expose other animals.” When calves already exhibiting disease, Spire says he brings those pairs off the herd. “I can manage those as a smaller group, but I’m just trying to protect the population by handling those away from susceptible herd mates,” he says. thecattlemanmagazine.com

Cold and wet a bad combination Adverse weather can also affect the extent of disease in the herd. As Spire says, “The old adage is, ‘You can have cattle cold. You can have cattle wet. But you can’t have cattle cold and wet.’ When a baby calf comes out, it only has so much energy reserve available until it starts eating well. If they try to keep warm by shivering or just laying down and trying to huddle themselves up, those calves are burning up that energy store.” That can leave the calf without the strength to fight off a low-level pathogen infection, particularly if the protection they receive from the cow has been compromised. Spire says, “Most of the time, when we have a good milking cow and good amounts of colostrum, those calves are getting enough energy and can take short-term weather stresses. But if there are any issues, then things can go wrong. Feeding cows poor-quality forage will decrease milk production or lower the quality of the colostrum. As cows age older than 8 or 9 years of age, have old mastitic udders, balloon teats of a size so calves can’t nurse well, or a broken-down bag — any of those defects aren’t going to produce the milk level that we need to get the energy level into those calves.” This can happen as well with thin heifers or those on poor-quality forages. Problem births Calves that experienced problem births, a condition generally known as dystocia, also tend to get hit harder by disease. Spire says the offspring of heifers are particularly susceptible. “The more calving problems you have, the more susceptible those particular calves are to disease,” he says. “That happens for several reasons. One, if it takes a long time to get that calf out, or we have to manipulate it, that calf doesn’t get up and nurse as readily.” If the calf does not get up within an hour and a half, he says, the herd owner should consider intervention through either colostrum management or antibody management. There are several products on the market that could potentially be employed at this time. As for the cow herself, Spire says if the animal is working hard to give birth he’ll give her no more than an hour before intervening — 2 hours for a heifer. Intervention can reduce some of the stress on the calves, as well as the wear and tear on the cows. “Don’t let them go a long time,” he says. “That ends up weakening the calf and it weakens the cow. We end up with more disease and in fact, we’ll see about 3 times the death loss in calves that survived dystocia before they’re weaned than in calves that had a normal birth with no problems or difficulties.” In addition, calves that have gone through dystocia tend

Merck Animal Health BEEF CATTLE PRODUCTION SERIES – PART 1 Reduce Parasites, Keep Calves Healthy, Maintain Strong Feet and Sound Eyes

not to absorb good levels of antibodies via the colostrum; therefore, they lack protection and are more susceptible to disease down the road. Spire says in addition to making sure the cow was well-vaccinated pre-calving, the herd owner may want to accelerate the vaccination program for the calves. While calves tend to receive their first vaccinations at 8 to 12 weeks of age, when there has been a higher level of calving problems within a group, Spire says they’ve sometimes had to start handling calves and giving

them vaccines the day they’re born, or within the first week. He concludes, “The key part of this is that there are a lot of potentially bad things that can happen to the herd during the calving season, whether it’s higher levels of dystocia or the weather… whether it’s crowded calving areas or poor nutrition in the dam or poor immunological status in the dam… all those things are contributors to disease in a set of calves before we get to weaning. Management is the key to increased profitability.” ❚

Calf Scours By David Bechtol, D.V.M., Palo Duro Consultation, Research & Feedlot, Canyon, Texas, and Dr. Jim Furman, The Animal Center, Alliance, Neb.

Calf scours is another name for calf diarrhea. It is a result of conditions that affect the digestive tract of calves, mostly from 3 days of age to 4 to 6 weeks. • Causes dehydration and loss of vital electrolytes to the calf, resulting in an alteration of the acid-base balance of the bodily fluids • Damage to the intestinal lining of the calf stops the calf‘s ability to digest and absorb nutrients, causing weight loss as well as hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and, if not treated, death • Results from infection of various pathogens, such as viruses like BVD, rotavirus, coronavirus, and bacteria like Escherichia coli, salmonella and Clostridium perfringens

The cow herd should be gathered and vaccinated 6 to 8 weeks prior to the start of calving with scour prevention vaccines. This is necessary for the mother cow to have time to develop antibodies in her colostrum (mother’s first milk) to the various disease entities that normally cause scours. If signs of scours show up during the calving season, early treatment is much more effective than waiting until the calf is not nursing, acting very depressed or even down and unable to get up. Early treatment starts with oral fluids to replace the fluids and the electrolytes. If not caught early the calves may need intravenous fluids to keep them hydrated while the intestinal tract repairs itself to get normal absorption going again. ❚

Blackleg: Prevent This Fast Killer of Calves By David Bechtol, D.V.M., Palo Duro Consultation, Research & Feedlot, Canyon, Texas, and Dr. Jim Furman, The Animal Center, Alliance, Neb.

Blackleg, a disease of young cattle, sheep, goats and sometimes swine, is caused by the organism Clostridial chauvoei. This bacterium can survive in the soil for many years. • Organism enters the healthy animal’s body by ingestion through the mouth, where it then enters the blood stream through the intestinal tract • Tends to settle in the muscles, often in the legs and shoulders • Can develop spontaneously without a history of open wounds, although bruising may be a predisposing factor by producing anaerobic conditions in muscles harboring the organism • Usually causes death within 12 to 48 hours; therefore, it is futile to try to treat this disease; prevention through vaccination is the preferred method of management The vaccine for blackleg, in combination with several other clostridial diseases of the muscle (chauvoei, septicum), liver 10

(sordellii, novyi), and gut (perfringens type C & D) has been one of the most effective and successful cattle and sheep vaccines to prevent a specific disease. Another clostridial organism seen in cattle is Clostridia perfringens, found mostly in calves 2 to 4 weeks of age – often it is the calf of a good-milking mother who gets stressed by weather, by getting separated by fence from its mother, or by some other cause. An indicator that the calf is affected is bloating in the small intestine, which cannot be relieved with a stomach tube because the rumen of the calf is not yet developed. This clostridial organism causes death to the calf within 12 to 48 hours, and treatment is almost always unsuccessful. Prevention through vaccination of the cow herd annually is successful because it passes antibodies through colostrum from dam to baby. This is an essential part of a herd health

Merck Animal Health BEEF CATTLE PRODUCTION SERIES – PART 1 Reduce Parasites, Keep Calves Healthy, Maintain Strong Feet and Sound Eyes

thecattlemanmagazine.com

Take care of BRD with Once PMH® IN, the first and only intranasal vaccine that delivers dual bacterial pneumonia protection for healthy cattle of all ages, including calves as young as 1 week of age.

Talk to your veterinarian or animal health supplier about Once PMH IN. Always read, understand and follow product label and use as directed. merck-animal-health-usa.com • 800-521-5767 Copyright © 2016 Intervet Inc., doing business as Merck Animal Health, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. 54670 1/16 BV-Once IN-51131-B

Approved for healthy cattle 1 week of age or older Dual protection against Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida, the leading causes of early-onset BRD Adjuvant-free, intranasal application that’s easy to use and easy on cattle

Choose Once PMH IN And never choose again

prevention program. There are several pharmaceutical companies who now make a vaccine for these clostridial diseases. Some veterinarians and producers prefer to give a blackleg (7-way clostridial) vaccine to the calf the day it is born. Others wait until it is time to vaccinate the calves at branding, generally 2 to 3 months of age, letting the mothers’ colostrums protect the calves until branding. Both methods have proven successful in controlling this deadly disease.

Clinical signs of blackleg • Acute depression • Lameness • Loss of appetite • Fever • Swelling about the legs, shoulder, back, and neck • The swellings make a crackling sound when pressed due to the gas ❚

Keeping Eyes Healthy By David Bechtol, D.V.M., Palo Duro Consultation, Research & Feedlot, Canyon, Texas

It is common for cattle on brushy or weedy pastures to have an outbreak of what appears to be the classic infectious pinkeye. Closer examination may reveal simple trauma due to the weeds. This is also common on dry wheat or grass pasture. For irritated eyes, the first thing to do is examine the animal’s eyes closely for scratches, wheat heads or grass awns. In mild cases of corneal trauma, simple cleaning of the eye is usually sufficient. If the animal is squinting and acting pained, then an eye patch or lid suturing, along with either topical or injected medication, may be indicated. Cancer of the eye Cancer is one of the most common and major problems affecting the eye and vision. It is affected by breed, pigmentation around the eye, genetics, age, virus, ultraviolet solar radiation and environment. Generally, there are precursor lesions that develop on the eyeball, eyelid or the third eyelid (nictitating membrane), but many of these lesions do not develop into cancer. The ones that do develop to the cancer stage tend to become ulcerated. Weeping and bleeding are common and then bacteria invade causing festering and foul-smelling growths. The cancer then invades the deeper tissues around the eye itself and may progress into the lymph node of the head and eventually to the other body organs such as the lungs and liver. Older cattle are more prone to cancer of the eye, as are white-faced animals with no skin pigment around the eye. Cancer eye has been estimated to be moderately heritable. Welfare considerations today frown on the development of cancer eye in cattle to an advanced stage, causing severe pain and suffering of the animal. Inspect livestock regularly and cull infected animals immediately. Treatment is another option in the early stages. Electrocautery (burning) or cryosurgery (freezing), as well as scalpel surgery and removing the third eyelid, or removing an entire 12

eye, can sometimes be valid options. Remember, handling vision-impaired animals can be very dangerous. Pinkeye and other eye conditions There are several systemic diseases that can have ocular lesions. These include IBR, BVD, listeriosis and malignant catarrhal fever, all of which are difficult to diagnose. If multiple symptoms are seen, consult a veterinarian. Ocular whitening of the cornea from IBR will usually start in the center of the cornea and often an ulcer will develop as well, similar to pinkeye. With cattle that develop corneal lesions with BVD, the cloudy opacity of the cornea generally starts at the limbus, where the white part of the eye meets the cornea, which is the clear part. It progresses to the center and eventually clouds the entire cornea. Most of the time these animals are sick with respiratory symptoms. The other infective causes of eye lesions are viral in nature and cause clouding of the cornea and conjunctivitis, which is simply an inflammation of the soft tissues surrounding the eye and eyelids. This causes sensitivity to sunlight and the cattle will squint or close their eyes. There will usually be a discharge from the eye as well. True pinkeye, or infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis, is found wherever there are cattle. Death directly due to the disease is rare, but economic consequences can be severe due to slow growth of calves, reduced weight gains and reduced milk production. Pinkeye is caused by the bacteria Moraxella bovis, most commonly thought to be transmitted by flies and other insect vectors. That being said, there are other new bacteria that are incriminated as a cause of pinkeye, such as Moraxella bovoculi. This may make it necessary to culture the true cause of the pinkeye problem before a valid treatment or prevention program may be implemented. The cattle generally are not sick with just pinkeye and

Merck Animal Health BEEF CATTLE PRODUCTION SERIES – PART 1 Reduce Parasites, Keep Calves Healthy, Maintain Strong Feet and Sound Eyes

thecattlemanmagazine.com

display only runny ocular discharge and/or corneal ulcers. The most effective treatment for the true pinkeye is an injection of long-acting oxytetracycline. Control the spread of pinkeye Pinkeye is an infectious disease and any affected cattle should be isolated in clean pens, if possible. All animal handlers should take care that infection is not spread from the isolation area to the healthy animals.

Good fly control is a must in any pinkeye outbreak and will quickly pay for itself. Several pinkeye vaccines are available. These have been helpful in many situations and may be part of an effective control program. Your veterinarian can tailor a specific control and treatment program for your individual situation. Ultimately, treat the animal as a high-quality production animal. Eyes are a vital organ for normal life functions for beef cattle. ❚

Lame Excuse Regardless of why your cattle may be showing signs of lameness, find and fix the problem fast! By Gary DiGiuseppe

Dr. Guy Ellis, a beef technical services veterinarian for Merck Animal Health, says the afflictions affecting the feet and legs of cattle can be divided into injuries and infections. Ellis notes that an injury is not always readily apparent, and sometimes by the time it’s noticed it has become serious and hard to correct. Watch for abrasive injuries to the feet that can lead to toe abscesses. He says, “If you can notice cattle getting sore, and treat those cattle earlier, you can prevent infection from ascending up the leg and getting into the soft tissue and joint.” It’s important to restrain the animal so the foot can be thoroughly examined and the cause of the lameness diagnosed. If it’s an infection, Ellis says, “Different antibiotics work well for those conditions if caught early. You can sort those cattle into a drier environment if they have foot rot to help alleviate the problem more quickly.” Foot rot Foot rot is one of the most common lameness problems a rancher will see in his or her herd. Formally known as infectious pododermatitis, it is primarily caused by the bacterium Fusobacterium necrophorum, along with others commonly found in soil and animal manure. It’s an infection in the soft tissue between the toes, that usually gets started from a mild, abrasive injury, such as from the animal walking in corn stalks. If not addressed early, it can spread to the joint and become difficult to reverse. Toe abscesses Toe abscesses are also typically caused by contact with an thecattlemanmagazine.com

abrasive surface, but they are the result of infection entering the toe itself and the treatment is different. “You need to trim the feet and try to get those abscesses to drain themselves,” Ellis advises. “If they have an avenue to drain out the bottom they’ll heal more quickly, instead of ascending up into the leg and soft tissue.” Hairy heel warts Foot rot and toe abscesses are not contagious, but hairy heel warts are. Also called papillomatous digital dermatitis, its cause may be multifactorial. Ellis says it’s more frequently found in moist, wet conditions where cattle are confined. For a

Merck Animal Health BEEF CATTLE PRODUCTION SERIES – PART 1 Reduce Parasites, Keep Calves Healthy, Maintain Strong Feet and Sound Eyes

long time, the condition was associated with dairy cattle, but it is attracting more attention in the beef industry. Injury The injury side of cattle lameness ranges from soft tissue damage to ligament, tendon and joint problems. One potential cause is a foreign object, like a nail, penetrating into the sole of the animal’s foot. This can lead to infection. Another type of injury can be associated with the hoof wall, such as when the animal gets a toe wedged into a small space. In the process of extricating itself, the animal may damage or lose part of the hoof wall. Ellis says faulty choice of injection sites can also result in lameness. “You can cause problems just by putting a 2-cc injection too close to the shoulder joint, for example.” He says a simple sprain can be addressed through management by sorting injured animals into a pen where they don’t have to move around to compete with pen mates for food. Injuries can heal; bad conformation usually can’t be fixed “Something caused by an injury can typically be rehabilitated, depending on the cost of the animal,” notes Dr. Robert Wells, livestock consultant with The Samuel R. Noble Foundation, Ardmore, Okla. If a bull worth $4,000 to $5,000 is injured, then a veterinarian may consider applying a cast, splint or wrap, depending on the injury, to allow the animal time to heal.

Good conformation in cattle, Wells stresses, starts at the “ground level and works its way up.” Ranchers must choose cows and bulls with the correct set to their feet and legs. Wells says, “The analogy I use is a car. With only 3 tires it won’t go very far down the road. A cow or bull that is lame on 1 leg is not going to produce well for you.” For proper structure, both toes of each of the animal’s hooves should be even in shape. “I don’t want to see a club-footed animal, which is basically an animal with a very small toe or one that’s squared off in the front,” Wells says. There should be a little bit of an angle to the fetlock and pastern area. The knee or hock should be in line with the shoulder in the front and in line with the back edge of the rump in the back. The hoof needs to be proportional in size to the body. The hooves, he points out, are about 7 to 8 square inches and need to support a 1,200- to 1,300-pound cow, or a 2,000-pound bull. “There are a lot of pounds per square inch being placed on those hooves, so I want to make sure the hooves are not too large, but yet not too small,” Wells says. Address lameness as soon as you can When it comes to lameness, either through injury or through infection, when do you call in your veterinarian? “As soon as you notice a problem,” says Ellis. “The quicker you can make a diagnosis, the quicker you can turn things around.” ❚

Merck Animal Health BEEF CATTLE PRODUCTION SERIES – PART 1 Reduce Parasites, Keep Calves Healthy, Maintain Strong Feet and Sound Eyes

thecattlemanmagazine.com

BetterHEALTH // HeavierWEANING WEIGHTS // HigherVALUE

THE SATISFACTION OF A JOB WELL DONE IS ITS OWN REWARD.

Better performance and higher value for every calf is even more satisfying. From birth to sale day, a PrimeVAC™ preconditioning program can turn healthier calves and higher weaning weights into real value for you and your customers.

To find the PrimeVAC preconditioning program that’s right for your operation, talk to your veterinarian and visit cattleprimevac.com. Always consult your veterinarian concerning: best health management decisions specific to your operation, selection of qualified USDA/FDA approved products, optimum use of combination products, and the efficacy of vaccination in the face of maternal antibodies. Always read, understand, and follow product label and use as directed. Data on file. merck-animal-health-usa.com • 800-521-5767 Copyright © 2016 Intervet Inc., doing business as Merck Animal Health, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. 54670 1/16 BV-PV-51322

BEEF CATTLE PRODUCTION SERIES – PART 1

For more information on our products visit