Finding Sick Cattle Early

Brendan Kraus, DVM Spur Ridge Vet Hospital

Marion, KS

What are the Costs of Illness BRD Prevention Products Treatment Medications BRD Deaths Decreased Gain Decreased Carcass Value

Prevention is the Best Defense Preweaning

Vaccinations

Backgrounding

Mass Medication

Which Cattle are “At Risk?” Cattle that are in the peri-weaning phase Multiple source cattle and salebarn “Put together” cattle longer than 1-2 days Long Haul Bulls Poor vaccination history Previous history of illness years past Adverse environmental conditions

Assign Risk to Pens It may be prudent to assign a risk rating to

pens so all personnel have an idea which pens need more attention Can be done with a numerical or color system

Impact of Respiratory Disease

Texas Ranch to Rail Sick Cattle (First Year) Gained Less Had poorer feed efficiency Graded lower

28% Got Sick

2.88% Deads

Impact of Respiratory Disease When compared to cattle not diagnosed

with BRD Sick cattle gained 7% less Weighed 3% less Cost 18.5% more to feed Graded 25% fewer Choice

The Total Cost of being sick was $111.38

How good are we at finding sick cattle?

US Meat Animal Research Center Trial Calves were diagnosed as sick and coin flip

determined treatment or no treatment

All Lungs were assessed at packing house 50% of the cattle not diagnosed as sick had lung

lesions 50% of cattle diagnosed and treated for

pneumonia had lung lesions

How good are we at finding sick Cattle?

ADG was affected by percentage of lung damage

Our goal is to prevent severe lung damage Metaphylaxis may help prevent lung damage in

the calves that we are unable to identify as sick Treatment of sick calves is meant to halt lung

damage

What Does Lung Damage Look Like?

Early Inflammation

Pasteurella multocida Abcess

Typical >50% Affected Lungs

Mannheimia Abscess Cut Surface

How do we find Sick Cattle? Many factors influence the outcome of

respiratory illness The most important factor is finding the sick

cattle and starting treatment early A sick animal’s chance of survival will improve

if treatment is started within 48 hours of the onset of pneumonia

Some cattle will hide symptoms completely during this time!

The importance of Time Make sure you have plenty of time in the morning

to diagnose and treat sick cattle.

It takes time to really observe the cattle thoroughly enough to detect the subtle signs of illness

In the summer, cattle must be fed, pulled, treated, and returned to a pen by 11:00am

Symptoms Appetite Depression Lowered Head carriage General Depression Less Responsive to Environmental Stimuli Hide behind other cattle Reduced Gut Fill Cough

Symptoms Increased respiration rate Nasal discharge Not cleaning nostrils or grooming Stiff gait Weakness (drag toes, knuckling joints) Fever Dull Eyes Drooping Upper Eyelid

Lowered Head

Lowered Head

Decreased Rumen Fill

Decreased Rumen Fill

Depressed, Dull Eye

Depressed, Dull eye

Depressed Upper Eyelid

Bright, Shiny Eye

Facial Animation

Depressed Facial Expression

Hiding At Bunk

Too Late

Appetite Depression Feed Consumption starts to drop 48 hours

before a rise in body temperature can be detected Consumption will drop 50% 24 hours before the

fever spikes Pull any newly weaned calf that is slow to

come to the bunk to eat Identify them and come back to get them after

cattle have had a chance to eat

Appetite Depression Pull any newly weaned calf that is slow to come to

the bunk to eat Identify them and come back to get them after cattle have

had a chance to eat

If doctor crew is not available to watch cattle come to the feed bunk during feeding, watch the fill on the cattle very closely Cattle that have not been eating well will have a slight

depression behind the ribs on the left side

Fever Temperatures over 104 F should be

considered a fever Afternoon temperatures are not reliable Temperatures of cattle being processed or run

around the pen are not reliable Always use temperature as a confirmation of

disease, not as the sole criteria

My Favorite Sick Calf IndicatorsIf possible study the calves at first light and

again at feeding time Slow to the Bunk-Come to the bunk but

hide between calves, not eating rapidly Depressed or dull Eye Slight low Head Carriage (when they don’t

know you are watching) Rear Leg Weakness

Prey Animal Instinct Prey animals have evolved to mask signs of

illness Sick cattle will be difficult to find until the

caretakers have earned the cattle’s trust Spend time in the pen every day practicing

low stress techniques until that trust is earned

Pen Riders If cattle are to pulled on horseback, let the pen

rider get in the pen during feed delivery from the first day the cattle are received.

This will allow the cattle to get used to having someone in the pen, and will allow sick cattle to be sorted out more easily later

Try to remove sick cattle quietly, efficiently, quickly, and without upsetting the rest of the pen

Follow Up on Treatment Success Give Pen Riders feedback on treatment

success Target 90% success rate If there are greater than 10-15% retreats, cattle

may be being pulled too late

Summary Sick Cattle = Dollars Lost Some cattle display only the subtle signs of

disease until it’s too late Check cattle early, preferably near feeding

time Pull Early, Pull Deep If a calf catches your eye, it’s probably sick

Our Goal is Healthy, Comfortable Cattle That Get Rapidly On Feed

Questions?