by Beth Poulsen | Aug 8, 2020 | Educational Materials, Equine
When it comes to the safety and health of your four-legged companions, vaccination is an area where we don’t want to make compromises! Many of the diseases we routinely vaccinate for are very serious, if not fatal for your horse. Having a veterinarian vaccinate your horse can help ensure that your horse is kept healthy, safe, and free of preventable disease. Here are some of our top reasons why veterinarian-administered vaccines are best for both you and your horse.
1. Which vaccines? There are so many different vaccines and vaccine combinations available that the choices can seem overwhelming! 4-way, 5-way, 7-way? What is even in those vaccines and which do I need? Your veterinarian is familiar with available products, what they contain, and (most importantly!) what vaccines your horse specifically should receive. Vaccine programs can be tailored to the individual horse, and your veterinarian has the training to develop an appropriate program. Core vaccines, which include Eastern and Western Equine Encephalomyelitis, Rabies, Tetanus, and West Nile Virus, are recommended for all horses. The list of non-core vaccines, however, is much longer! Your veterinarian can help you decide which of these your horse needs based on age, geographic location, and lifestyle.
2. Vaccine handling. Vaccine storage and handling are essential to ensure that a vaccine is both effective and safe for your horse. You can have confidence that your veterinarian is aware of and will maintain these requirements when providing vaccination services. Improperly stored vaccinations can lose their efficacy, leaving your horse vulnerable to potentially fatal disease. Improperly storing vaccines can also increase the risk of adverse reactions.
3. Adverse reactions. Speaking of adverse reactions, if your horse has an adverse reaction to a vaccine, you want your veterinarian there! Though rare, adverse reactions can be severe and life-threatening to your horse, ranging from mild soreness and fever to complete anaphylaxis. Your veterinarian will be able to recognize signs of adverse reactions quickly, and have the necessary equipment and medications to treat your horse immediately.
4. Liability. Many vaccine companies have excellent backing for their products. If your horse contracts a disease that it was vaccinated against, companies may cover portions of the testing and treatment costs. Some may also cover costs of treating adverse reactions. The catch? Most require that the vaccine was handled and stored properly, and given by a licensed veterinarian.
5. Hidden costs. Purchasing and giving your own vaccines may seem cheaper, but each point discussed above can come with hidden costs. You may be spending more than necessary on non-core vaccines that your horse doesn’t need. Improperly stored vaccines that are ineffective both wastes the money spent upfront, as well as leaves your horse vulnerable to disease that can be very costly to treat. Perhaps most importantly, consider the invaluable cost of your horse’s safety. Having your veterinarian vaccinate your horse is the best way to ensure they are protected from disease while minimizing associated risks.
by Beth Poulsen | Apr 15, 2020 | Educational Materials, Livestock
Spring is fast approaching and the breeding season is right around the corner. In order to ensure a successful breeding season, a bull breeding soundness exam (BSE) is essential. Most bulls are capable of breeding cows, however, some may be “sub-fertile” resulting in more open cows at pregnancy check and a longer calving window. We recommend a BSE every year prior to breeding season as approximately 10-20% of bulls will not be suitable for breeding.
Breeding soundness exams include:
Complete physical exam
Extensive reproductive exam
Semen quality evaluation
Using our state of the art cattle handling facility, we can perform this test in a safe and convenient working environment for both the bull and the veterinarian at no additional charge.
by Beth Poulsen | Apr 15, 2020 | Educational Materials, Livestock
Most beef cows in the U.S. never see a hoof trimmer, nor do they need one. Our beef cows have been naturally selected for great feet and legs and don’t require much maintenance. Cattle on pasture have the ideal substrate to walk on: forgiving topsoil with adequate moisture, cushion, and minimal abrasiveness. This combination eliminates most of the common hoof health issues, but some problems can still arise. Common hoof issues are overgrown toes, twisted claws, sinking heels, hairy heel warts, sand cracks, and traumatic injury. If not dealt with in a timely manner, the problems can lead to severe lameness, pain, musculo-skeletal injuries, and production losses.
We suggest that you observe your herd at least twice a year to assess hoof health. This can be done in the spring before turning cattle out to pasture and in the fall when cattle are brought up for chute work. Identifying hoof issues early makes treating the problem easier and allows the animal to return to being sound.
Extra attention should be given to your herd bulls before turnout. Bulls are large and place an extreme amount of pressure on their hooves when jumping and landing. Most of the hoof issues in bulls are abscesses and ulcers in the claws. These lesions are due to imbalanced claws and repetitive concussive forces. The treatment for these conditions are corrective trimming and stall rest, which may take them out of the pasture for the remainder of the breeding season.
by Beth Poulsen | Nov 2, 2019 | Cats, Dogs, Educational Materials, Wellness
One Dose. Once a Year.
LVC is proud to now offer ProHeart 12 to our patients as a new option for heartworm prevention! ProHeart 12 is the only once-yearly injection to prevent heartworm disease and intestinal parasites in dogs.
Heartworm disease is on the rise in our area – with multiple positive cases at our hospital each month. This increase is mainly due to transport of dogs throughout the country, changes in climate conditions, and less than 25% of dogs in our area receiving heartworm prevention. With heartworm disease on the rise, prevention is a must for your dog.
Is ProHeart 12 the right heartworm prevention for your dog? To answer that question, we advise asking yourself the following:
1. When life gets busy, it is tough to stay on top of monthly dosing?
2. Does your dog refuse to eat, vomit up, or spit out the monthly heartworm prevention chews?
3. Do you have monthly preventatives left from last year that were not given?
If the answer to any of these questions is YES, then ProHeart12 is likely a great prevention option for your dog.
ProHeart12 is an injection very similar to a vaccine – it is administered under the skin at the time of your dog’s annual or wellness exam, but can also be given at any point throughout the year. It has a similar safety profile to all other vaccines and can be given at the same time as other vaccines.
ProHeart 12 injection will be available at all LVC locations starting November 1st. Click here to learn more about ProHeart 12.
If you have any questions or are interested in learning more, please give us a call or ask us at your dog’s next appointment.
by Beth Poulsen | Nov 2, 2019 | Educational Materials, Livestock
Fall is an important time in the management of beef cows. Valuable management can include pregnancy exams, vaccinations, deworming and delousing. Pregnancy exams done in the fall can determine whether or not a cow is bred. Early determination of open cows can have a positive economic impact. Typically beef cows are not culled until the spring when they do not produce a calf. Because an average cow will eat approximately $400 worth of hay throughout the winter, it is cost effective to have infertile cows leave the herd in the fall. This can also improve the fertility of the herd as fertility is a heritable trait. Pregnancy exams can also give valuable information to determine the stage of pregnancy, the sex of the calf, and whether or not the cow is carrying twins. If the goal is to determine the sex of the calf, pregnancy exams are best done between 55 and 80 days.
The fall is also a great time to get caught up on vaccinating your herd. A killed 10-way vaccine is recommended for pregnant cows. This vaccine will protect against respiratory and reproductive disease. Deworming and delousing are also recommended in the fall. An adequate deworming and delousing protocol can help insure cows maintain their weight over the winter and deliver a nice, healthy calf in the spring.
by Beth Poulsen | Nov 2, 2019 | Educational Materials, Livestock, Milk Quality Laboratory
In recent years, the dairy industry has enjoyed steady improvements in milking equipment, cow environment, teat dips and genetics. While these improvements are notable, dairy producers are still faced with udder health challenges that range from fine tuning somatic cell counts to the occasional severe mastitis case. These challenges can often be fatal or permanently damaging to the cow.
A case of mastitis is estimated to cost over $100 in direct costs and over $400 when future costs such as production loss and premature culling are considered. (Rollin, Dhuyvetter, Overton – Preventative Veterinary Medicine 2015). Factors that influence the total cost of a mastitis case include rate of contagious transmission, bacteriologic cure rate, herd replacement cost, and decreased milk production. (Down, Green, Hudson – Journal of Dairy Science 2013).
Given the economic importance of mastitis, a strategic approach to clinical and subclinical mastitis is important for every dairy farm. Culturing is considered the gold standard in mastitis diagnostics. By identifying the pathogen involved and considering the cow’s history of past mastitis events or elevations in somatic cell count, we are able to determine the likelihood of cure and the contagious risk to other cattle. The costs to perform these diagnostics are low and the majority of pathogens can be isolated within 24 hours. The following is a brief overview of common mastitis pathogens, their causes, and typical outcomes.
Gram Negative Mastitis Pathogens
Gram Negative mastitis pathogens are environmental pathogens found in manure, bedding, water, soil, and plant materials. Most pathogens in this group respond poorly to antibiotic treatment. Some gram negative bacteria are likely to cure without treatment, while others are more likely to cause chronic and sometimes untreatable infections. For this reason, it is important to differentiate the gram negative pathogens.
E coli: causes acute, frequently toxic, mastitis. Mild cases often cure spontaneously, but severe cases can be fatal.
Klebsiella: causes acute, sometimes toxic, mastitis. This form is associated with wet, organic material. Mild cases often cure spontaneously, but severe cases can be fatal.
Enterobacter: causes acute, sometimes toxic, mastitis. Mild cases often cure spontaneously, but severe cases can be fatal.
Serratia: can be subclinical or clinical. This pathogen has a poor response to antibiotic treatment and the cure may lead to abandoning the quarter or culling.
Pasteurella: causes acute toxic mastitis. This pathogen is unresponsive to antibiotic treatment and can be fatal.
Pseudomonas: causes chronic low grade or acute toxic mastitis. This form thrives in wet environments and does not respond well to antibiotics.
Proteus: a less common cause of acute mastitis that thrives in wet environments and does not respond well to antibiotics.
Of the commercially available mastitis antibiotics, Ceftiofur products have the best gram negative spectrum. Supportive care is an important component of treatment for moderate to severe mastitis cases. This may involve oral or IV fluid therapy, anti-inflammatory treatments, and potential systemic antibiotics. Some farms elect to withhold intramammary antibiotics for mild cases caused by gram negative mastitis pathogens. Talk to your herd veterinarian about a targeted gram negative protocol, and be sure to monitor outcomes of your decision.
Gram Positive Mastitis Pathogens
Gram Positive mastitis organisms are endemic to the environment and skin of dairy cattle. Characteristics of common gram positive mastitis pathogens are listed below.
Streptococci: These bacteria are typically picked up from the cow’s environment. Strep species represent the most common cause of chronic infections on many dairies and longer duration therapies are sometimes needed.(Strep ag is no longer commonly found in Wisconsin dairy herds, but has a far more acute, contagious presentation).
Coagulase Negative Staphylococci: These bacteria are common skin flora of the teat and udder. Poor teat dipping practices are a common cause. Infections are frequently subclinical resulting in 2-3x increases in SCC. Infections vary in their persistence.
Staph aureus: This is a highly contagious mastitis pathogen that is primarily transmitted from infected quarters during the milking process. The hands of milkers, teat cups, and parlor towels are common means of spreading the pathogen. Staph aureus infections wall off in the mammary gland making treatment less effective than other pathogens. The walled off infections sporadically break open leading to repeated infections and varying cell counts. Culture and culling is a common strategy for fighting Staph aureus issues at the herd level.
All of the commercially available mastitis antibiotics have suitable spectrum for gram positive mastitis cases. Products differ in the duration and interval for which they are researched and labeled. For Streptococcal mastitis, longer duration therapies are frequently necessary to achieve bacteriologic cures. Talk to your herd veterinarian about choosing a product appropriate for your farm’s pathogen profile.
Other Organisms Implicated in Bovine Mastitis
Prototheca: An algae that thrives in wet environments, Prototheca typically causes low grade mastitis with months-long incubation periods before detection. Some Prototheca infected cows do not show elevated cell counts but most will eventually develop a clinical case of mastitis. It can spread from cow to cow in the parlor but herd issues often begin with an environmental source. Because Prototheca does not respond to antibiotics, cows are usually culled or the infected quarter dried.
Mycoplasma: This is a highly contagious mastitis pathogen that spreads from cow to cow in the milking parlor. Respiratory and urogenital infections can also spread through the bloodstream to the mammary gland. Fresh heifers can be infected by way of cross-suckling calves or internal spread of respiratory Mycoplasma infections. Mycoplasma mastitis is not effectively treated by intramammary antibiotics so culling is often recommended. A cow that is being added to the herd should be cultured to prevent the introduction of this pathogen.
Because of these differences in risk factors and treatment outcomes, mastitis culture data can help us design the best possible program to limit the number of new infections. Culture data can also help us choose the best treatment protocols for those that do occur. Operational decisions involving bedding, milking routine, teat dip, drug choice, and culling are made easier based on the knowledge of pathogen factors.
LVC Recommends Culture and Records Analysis to Improve Milk Quality
Request a monthly bulk tank culture. Be sure to share these results with your herd health veterinarian.
Culture individual mastitis cases. To maximize the benefit of these results, log them in Dairycomp or wherever you keep individual cow histories. This information can be very useful should a second case of mastitis occur or when evaluating the cow for other purposes.
If contagious pathogens such as Staph aureus, Prototheca or Mycoplasma are present in your herd, develop a strategy with your herd veterinarian to reduce spread and remove infected cows.
Regularly analyze a combination of DHIA and mastitis culture data to design a program that protects your cows and maximizes farm profitability.
