Friday, April 21, 2017

Hidden Cases of  Pneumonia

"On the average, for every calf with clinical pneumonia, we can expect almost two additional cases of subclinical pneumonia. In some situations, we have seen as many as six additional cases of subclinical pneumonia." page 68 "Why aren't my calves growing?" Dr. Theresa Olivett, School of Veterinary Medicine, Univ. Wisconsin writing in Progressive Dairyman, April 19, 2017.

What's the big deal about "subclinical" pneumonia - it's not bad enough to treat!

Dr. Olivett observes
"Sources of infection provides constant draw of metabolic energy by the immune system. ...Even calves with subclinical respiratory disease may suffer 0.1 pound a day decrease in average daily gain during the preweaning period." (p68)

Thus working with the herd veterinarian to describe disease patterns, protocols for early detection of pneumonia and effective treatment protocols is a cost effective approach to calf management. 


1 comment:

Lewis Clark said...

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