A Three Year Field Study of Preconditioning Native Illinois Beef Calves Sold Through a Cooperative Marketing Association — 1969 to 1971

During the fall of 1969, 1970 and 1971, Central Illinois practitioners preconditioned (PC) 1,576 beef calves at a cost range of $3.02 to $4.72. The PC program included weaning calves 30 days before sale, having calves eating grain from a bunk and drinking from a tank, vaccinated against blackleg, malignant edema, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) and bovine parainfluenza virus (PI3). Calves were tagged in the right ear with the green certified preconditioned for health (CPH) tag of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners. Bovine virus diarrhea (BVD) vaccine was added to the program in 1970 and 1971 since clinical cases of the disease occurred in PC calves not receiving the vaccine in 1969. Intranasal PI3 vaccine and Pasteurella hemolytica and multocida bacterin was added to the 1971 program to attempt better immunization. In 1969, more PC than non-preconditioned (NPC) calves were treated for acute respiratory disease after sale. The 1970 study showed that fewer PC than NPC calves were treated for acute respiratory tract disease. The 1971 finding showed the greatest differences. A comparison of 389 PC and 227 NPC calves sold at auction in 1971 and moved into the same feedlots showed a statistically significant reduction in number of cases of acute respiratory tract disease treated in PC calves. Generally, PC calves sold at a higher price than NPC calves.     

Comparison of Thoracic Auscultation,Clinical Score,and Ultrasonography as Indicators of Bovine Respiratory Disease in Preweaned Dairy Calves

Background

The diagnostic tools for bovine respiratory disease diagnosis include clinical inspection, thoracic auscultation, and ultrasonography.

Hypothesis

Thoracic auscultation and clinical examination have limitations in the detection of lung consolidation in dairy calves.

Animals

Prospective cohort of 106 preweaned calves from 13 different dairy herds (10 with a history of active bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in calves and 3 without suspected BRD problems).

Methods

Each preweaned calf was clinically inspected using the Wisconsin calf respiratory scoring chart (CRSC) and treatment history was noted. Systematic thoracic auscultation and ultrasonography then were performed, the latter focusing on lung consolidation. Mortality was recorded over a 30‐day period.

Results

A total of 56 of 106 calves had ultrasonographic evidence of lung consolidation. The sensitivity of thoracic auscultation to detect consolidation was 5.9% (range, 0–16.7%). Only 41.1% (23/33) of calves with consolidated lungs had been treated previously by the producers. When adding CRSC and previous BRD treatment by the producer, sensitivity of detection increased to 71.4% (40/56). The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve was 0.809 (95% CI, 0.721–0.879) for the number of areas within the lungs with consolidation and 0.743 (95% CI, 0.648–0.823) for the maximal depth of consolidation as predictors of death within 1 month after examination. These were not significantly different (P = .06).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

This study shows that thoracic auscultation is of limited value in diagnosing lung consolidation in calves. Ultrasonographic assessment of the thorax could be a useful tool to assess BRD detection efficiency on dairy farms.     

Effects of a Commercial Direct-Fed Microbial on Weight Change,Milk Yield,and Milk Composition in Lactating Beef Cows: A Case Study

Feeding a commercial direct-fed microbial product (DFM) to lactating Angus cows (n = 22) was investigated from d 53 to 123 of lactation. Cows were fed ad libitum hay (alfalfa, wheat, or rye, depending upon period) with supplemental grain, whereas the DFM was fed at a rate of 28.4 g/d per cow to 12 cows, and 10 cows received no DFM (Control). Beginning at an average of d 67 of lactation, cows were machine milked every 14 d to measure milk yield, percent protein, percent fat, and somatic cell count (SCC). Calves were separated from cows 18 h before milk collection, and all calves and cows were weighed on each collection day before milking. Data were analyzed as a repeated measures design where treatment, cow nested within treatment, time, and time x treatment interaction were the independent variables. Milk yield, protein percent, and SCC did not differ between cows receiving DFM and Control cows, but milk from cows receiving DFM had higher (P<0.05) percentage of fat (3.84 vs 3.33%). Cows receiving DFM lost less weight (P<0.05) than Control cows (−0.06 kg/d vs −0.31 kg/d) over the entire trial, but this was quite variable by period. Time and treatment interacted; those receiving DFM gained weight in three of five periods, whereas Control cows gained weight in two periods. There were no differences in calf weight gain between treatments, nor were there differences in cow weight or calf weight at weaning between DFM and Control groups.     

A Comparison of the Immunogenic Efficacy of a Bivalent Vaccine against Pasteurellosis and Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease with That of Three Monovalent Vaccines against Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease

Veterinary Research Communications -     

A Comparison of Simultaneously Collected Arterial, Mixed Venous, Jugular Venous and Cephalic Venous Blood Samples in the Assessment of Blood-Gas and Acid-Base Status in the Dog

Blood samples were collected simultaneously from the pulmonary artery, jugular vein, cephalic vein, and carotid artery in awake dogs. Blood-gas and acid-base values were measured from these blood samples in normal dogs and in dogs after production of metabolic acidosis and metabolic alkalosis. The values obtained from each of the venous sites were compared with those obtained from arterial blood to determine if venous blood from various sites accurately reflected acid-base balance and could therefore be used in the clinical patient. The results of this study demonstrated significant differences between the blood from various venous sites and the arterial site for PCO2 and pH in all acid-base states. Significant differences for standard bicarbonate (SHCO3) were found only when jugular and cephalic venous blood were compared with arterial blood in dogs with a metabolic acidosis. No significant differences were found for BE when blood from the venous sites was compared with arterial blood. The values for pH, HCO3, TCO2, BE, and SHCO3 measured on blood collected at the various venous sites were found to correlate well with those obtained from arterial blood, with a correlation coefficient of 0.99 for HCO3, TCO2, BE, and SHCO3. These correlation coefficients, together with similar values in BE at all collection sites, indicate that, in the dog with normal circulatory status, blood from any venous site will accurately reflect the acid-base status of the patient.     

A Comparative Study of the Preventive Use of Tilmicosin Phosphate (Pulmotil premix®) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae Vaccination in a Pig Herd with Chronic Respiratory Disease

This study was conducted to compare the effects of a preventive in‐feed medication programme using tilmicosin (Pulmotil^® 200 premix, Elanco Animal Health) at 200 p.p.m. with those of a Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mh) vaccination programme (Stellamune^TM Mycoplasma, Pfizer Animal Health). A pig herd with chronic respiratory disease in which infection with Mh played an important role was selected, and a total of 204 piglets were randomly allocated to either the medication (P) or the vaccination (V) group. Pigs in the P group received medicated feed for 3 weeks after weaning (days 34–55), and for 2 weeks late in the nursery period (days 77–98). The piglets in the V group were vaccinated twice intramuscularly, at 4 and 22 days of age. The two groups were compared on the basis of average daily gain (ADG), feed conversion rate (FCR), additional curative medication days (CMD), overall mortality (major variables), a coughing index, pneumonia lesions, and serology against Mh, influenza H1N1 and influenza H3N2 viruses, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (App) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) (minor variables). No significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed for ADG (555 g/day in P group; 567 g/day in V group), FCR (2.64 in P group; 2.41 in V group) and mortality rate (11% in P group; 7% in V group). The average number of additional curative medication days (CMD) per pig was significantly higher (P < 0.01) in the P group (1.5) than in the V group (0.58). At slaughter age, the serological results and the prevalence of macroscopic lung lesions were comparable in the two groups (P > 0.05). With the exception of CMD, the preventive use of tilmicosin at this swine farm was found to confer similar beneficial effects to Mh vaccination.