The Beef Cattle Health and Nutrition Podcast

Dr. Colin Palmer, one of our reproductive specialist veterinarians from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine here at the University of Saskatchewan  joins the podcast again this week to discuss the important topic of subfertility in beef bulls.  Today we focus on the parts of the breeding soundness exam that greatly impact fertility - scrotal circumference and semen morphology.  Dr. Palmer describes some of the most common sperm defects and why they occur. 00:00 –Welcome and introductions 01:05 – Importance of body condition score in bulls 03:16 – Scrotal circumference and it’s impact on fertility 10:02 – Identifying testicular and scrotal problems 16:05 –  Accessory sex glands and seminal vesiculitis 18:45  – Evaluating the semen sample 21:55 – Abnormal sperm morphology – why does it occur? 24:12 – Common sperm morphology abnormalities – Distal midpiece reflexes and proximal droplets 32:00 – What does the term “Rusty load” mean in terms of sperm defects? 35:05 – Genetic sperm abnormalities 37:12 – Why is 70% normal sperm considered acceptable? 40:21 – Summary and wrap up

Dr. Colin Palmer, one of our reproductive specialist veterinarians from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine here at the University of Saskatchewan  joins the podcast to discuss the important topic of subfertility in beef bulls.  Why do we need to perform bull breeding soundness exams? What are the implications of various factors such as lameness and other physical problems on bull fertility?  These are just some of the topics we discuss in this first part of a two part episode. 00:00 –Welcome and introductions 03:54 – Importance of herd fertility in cow-calf operations and factors that affect it 10:45 – Value of a limited breeding season 14:22 – Subfertility vs Infertility 16:08 – Importance of the breeding soundness examination of the bull 19:21 – Meaning of the various classification categories 27:22 – Impact of lameness on bull fertility 31:06 – Other factors that may affect fertility that can be identified in physical examination 34:23 – Summary and Wrap-up

This week, Dr. Nathan Erickson and Dr. John Ellis join me to discuss the emergence of Bovine influenza A virus in cattle.  We discuss what is currently known about this emerging disease issue at this point in time.  New information is being acquired about the impacts and spread of Bovine Influenza A virus and this podcast gives information on the disease as known around April 12, 2024.   Please rely on your local veterinarians or government veterinary offices for the most up to date information on this issue.  Emerging diseases remind us of the importance of preventive practices.  Using raw colostrum only from your own herd, not introducing orphan calves or nurse cows from dairy herds and quarantining new animals for 21 days will help prevent the introduction of diseases like Bovine Influenza A virus, Foot and Mouth Disease, and many other diseases.  Find tips at https://www.beefresearch.ca/topics/biosecurity/ 00:00 –Welcome and introductions 04:10 – Clinical signs seen in dairy cow outbreaks in US 08:06 -  A primer on Influenza viruses 10:28 – Influenza D virus role in respiratory disease in cattle 12:15 – Hosts for Influenza A virus 16:09 – High pathogenic vs low pathogenic influenza viruses 18:21 – How influenza viruses change and jump to other species 20:00 – Possible ways of spread of Bovine influenza A virus 25:00 – Possibility of Bovine Influenza A virus in beef cattle 27:14 – Human health implications 28:29 – Herd to herd spread and biosecurity precautions 31:59 – Summary and Wrap-up

Dr. Chris Clark, an internal medicine specialist from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine joins the podcast to discuss how best to treat neonatal diarrhea in calves.  We discuss how to detect dehydration and acidosis in an affected calf and the best ways to utilize oral electrolytes.  We also discuss when a calf will need intravenous therapy and the limited value of antibiotic therapy.  Check out the great resources on the Calf 911 section of the BCRC website for more information. https://www.beefresearch.ca/producers/calf-911-resources/ 00:00 – Welcome and introductions 02:33 – Preventing calf scours is the best option 06:02 - Causes of calf scours 08:58 – Assessing hydration in a calf  14:36 – Acidosis 20:43 – How to utilize oral electrolytes 25:31 – What to look for in an electrolyte solution 29:18 – Antibiotics are of limited value for scours therapy 31:39 – Summary and wrap up

The calf that presents with acute abdominal issues or colicky symptoms is not uncommon on cow-calf herds around calving time. In this episode,  Dr. Blake Balog from Cattle Health Management in Brooks, Alberta joins the podcast to discuss the causes of colic in young calves and how the producer should approach these cases when faced with them. 00:00 –Welcome and introductions 04:08 – How do calves present with colic or acute abdominal problems? 05:06-  What should you do if you identify a calf with colic? 08:11– Atresia coli and atresia ani 13:16 – Intestinal accidents  18:46 – Abomasal ulcers and other abomasal issues 26:25 – Navel problems that may cause colic 33:36 – Final advice for dealing with calves with colic 34:39 – Wrap up

This week my guest is Dr. Mariana Guerra-Maupome.  Mariana is a veterinarian with PhD training in bovine respiratory disease.  She works as a feedlot consultant for Telus Agriculture and Consumer Goods and as part of her job, helps to provide feedlot consultation services to feedlots across North America and farther abroad.  She joins me this week to discuss the challenges of designing health protocols that help to protect calves as they transition from one sector of the industry to another. 00:00 –  Welcome and introductions 04:40 –  Segmentation of the beef industry  07:11 – Factors affecting the value of the calf at the feedlot 12:16 – Importance and impacts of BRD 14:15 – Strategies that lower the risk for BRD 18:21 – How often do we currently utilize those strategies at the cow-calf level? 20:55 – How can the cow-calf producer capture value? 23:59 – The importance and value of data 26:31 – How will things change in the future? 28:21 – Summary and Wrap up

Dr. Roy Lewis joins the podcast again to discuss Remote Drug Delivery Devices (RDDD).  These are the dart guns, cross bows, and pole syringes that are sometimes used by producers to administer antimicrobials to cattle on pasture.   Dr. Lewis discusses their proper use and why they should be only used as the last resort if no other option is possible.  Here is a link to more information on the Beef Cattle Research Council website. https://www.beefresearch.ca/producers/remote-drug-delivery/ 00:00 - Introduction 01:55 - Defining Remote Drug Delivery Device (RDDD) 02:55 – Basic guidelines for injecting animals with any antimicrobial 03:48 – How commonly are these devices used and what are the advantages of these devices? 07:05 – What are the downsides of using a RDDD? 08:32 – Withdrawal times and damage to tissues 11:30 – Proper use of RDDD’s when warranted 14:38 – Do pharmaceutical companies support the use of RDDD’s? 16:13 – Getting a correct diagnosis when treating foot rot on pasture. 19:07 - Closing comments and Wrap up

Jenifer Heyden, a livestock extension specialist from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture joins me again on the podcast to discuss high nitrate levels in feeds and how to prevent nitrate toxicity in your cow herd.  We discuss the details on the clinical signs of nitrate toxicity and how to interpret a feed test for nitrate levels as well. 00:00 – Opportunity to participate in Cow-calf Health and Productivity Enhancement Network 02:07 – Welcome and introductions 04:00 – Feed sources that might have issues with nitrates 05:53 -  Drought and plant stress affecting nitrate levels 06:53 – How does nitrate toxicity occur and what are clinical signs? 11:40 – Difficulties in the treatment of acute nitrate toxicity 10:23 – Confirmation of diagnosis and possibility of treating cases of lead toxicity 12:26 – Prevention of nitrate toxicity 14:03 – Understanding a feed test for nitrates 17:10 – Utilizing feeds with higher nitrate levels 20:35 – Advice for producers that might have high nitrate feeds 23:00 – Wrap up Saskatchewan Agriculture Website on Nitrate Toxicity  https://www.saskatchewan.ca/business/agriculture-natural-resources-and-industry/agribusiness-farmers-and-ranchers/livestock/animal-health-and-welfare/nitrate-toxicity Canadian Cow-Calf Health and Productivity Enhancement Network (C3H-PEN) Contact:  Jayce Fossen, Project Coordinator c3h.pen@usask.ca 306-966-7870

Dr. Greg Penner discusses some of his latest research findings on determining the optimum time to harvest cereal forages when feeding in bales or swath grazing. 00:00 - Intro 04:10 - Defining "Green-feed" 05:50 - Stages of cereal maturity 08:27 - Why do we need updated recommendations on harvesting cereal forages? 10:47 - Changes in barley forage nutrient compensation at different stages of maturity 12:45 - Changes in oat forage nutrient compensation at different stages of maturity 14:18 - Impacts at the animal level in terms of digestibility 17:05 - Impacts on body condition score and performance 19:15 - Economic benefits 22:00 - Recommendations for producers using cereal forages 23:26 - Wrap up The Canadian Cow-Calf Survey: https://www.beefresearch.ca/blog/discovering-the-realities-of-the-2023-canadian-calf-crop/ The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) is asking all Canadian cow-calf producers to share insight into their on-farm management and production practices, which will help inform future beef research and extension strategies. The 2023 Canadian Cow-Calf Survey is an online questionnaire set up to collect data to help understand longer-term trends in production methods and efficiencies. Collecting credible information directly from beef cattle producers helps the BCRC identify research priorities and information gaps, develop provincial benchmarks and examine changes over time that impact farms and ranches. Canadian Cow-Calf Health and Productivity Enhancement Network (C3H-PEN) Contact:  Jayce Fossen, Project Coordinator c3h.pen@usask.ca 306-966-7870

This week I'm pleased to welcome Dr. Vanessa Cowan to the podcast.  Vanessa is a veterinarian and a specialist in veterinary toxicology who has recently joined our faculty at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.  She joins me this week to talk about lead toxicity, one of the most common toxicities of beef cattle that also has important public health implications. Here are the links to some of the research opportunities that I talk about at the start of the podcast: The Canadian Cow-Calf Survey: https://www.beefresearch.ca/blog/discovering-the-realities-of-the-2023-canadian-calf-crop/ The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) is asking all Canadian cow-calf producers to share insight into their on-farm management and production practices, which will help inform future beef research and extension strategies. The 2023 Canadian Cow-Calf Survey is an online questionnaire set up to collect data to help understand longer-term trends in production methods and efficiencies. Collecting credible information directly from beef cattle producers helps the BCRC identify research priorities and information gaps, develop provincial benchmarks and examine changes over time that impact farms and ranches. Canadian Cow-Calf Health and Productivity Enhancement Network (C3H-PEN) Contact:  Jayce Fossen, Project Coordinator c3h.pen@usask.ca 306-966-7870 00:00 – Opportunities to participate in Canadian beef surveys and projects 02:55 – Welcome and introductions 04:58 – Sources of lead in the environment of cattle 06:37 -  How much lead is necessary to cause toxicity? 07:37 – Rapidity of onset and clinical signs 10:23 – Confirmation of diagnosis and possibility of treating cases of lead toxicity 13:04 – How commonly do we see lead toxicity in Western Canada – seasonality and age groups 17:05 -  Public health significance of lead toxicity in cattle 20:42 – How long does lead last in the tissues? 22:37 – Prevention of lead toxicity 24:56 – Wrap up

This week I'm presenting another case from the files of our Disease Investigation Unit.  This case has particular relevance to those producers that have been dealing with drought conditions over the last year.  The case focuses on a cow-calf herd that has calves affected with neurological signs and blindness at birth. 00 - Introduction 1:36 - Herd background and presenting complaint 3:43 - Post mortem findings and lab results 4:40 - Details of on farm visit and continued cases 10:24 - Presumptive Diagnosis of Vitamin A Deficiency 12:54 - Other research results on impacts of low Vitamin A in calves and cows 13:52 - Concluding remarks on Vitamin A testing and supplementation Links to BCRC Webinar Series:  https://www.beefresearch.ca/webinars/

Dr. Andy Acton joins me this week in the podcast to discuss the impacts, treatment and prevention of coccidiosis in cow-calf herds.  Dr. Acton is a veterinarian and owner of a mixed practice in Ogema, Saskatchewan with lots of practical experience in working with cow-calf herds.  He is the 2022 recipient of the Western Canadian Association of Bovine Practitioners Veterinarian of the Year Award.  Andy recently sent me a message about a nervous coccidiosis case he dealt with and we begin the podcast with a brief discussion about nervous coccidiosis before moving on to discuss the more common presentation in calves which manifests as a bloody diarrhea.

Dr. Zach Johnson joins me to discuss an infertility case that he investigated a few years ago.   Dr. Johnson is the current president of the Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association and he is a veterinarian who owns a rural practice in Melville, Saskatchewan.  Zach has led  a number of these types of infertility investigations and we discuss the challenges with sorting out the cause of an infertility problem and the various diagnostics that might be used. 00:00 – 2:20   Welcome and Introductions  02:21 – 04:17   Infertility case history 04:18 – 5:58 The challenges associated with investigating infertility problems 05:59 – 07:40   What diagnostics did we do? 07:41 – 09:32   Neospora caninum as a cause of abortion or infertility 09:33 – 11:45   IBR and BVD, Leptospira, Trich and Campylobacter 11:46 - 18:27 Discussing the diagnosis – Copper deficiency 18:28 – 19:43   What was recommended for the herd 19:44 - 21:33   The value of pregnancy checking the herd 21:34 – 22:35 Wrap up

Barry Yaremcio is a nutritionist from Camrose, Alberta who provides nutrition and management consulting to beef producers.  Barry spent years working as a nutritionist with Alberta Agriculture and has a wealth of practical experience.  He is joining the podcast to discuss the challenges associated with drought and to discuss the important things to focus on when trying to stretch your feed supplies when forage may be limited.  Here is a link to Barry's website where you can read his blog and learn more about his consulting services.  https://www.beefconsultant.com/ 00:00 – 1:25   Welcome and Introductions  01:26 – 05:09   Importance of maintaining body condition 05:10 - 07:28 Correcting less than ideal body condition scores 07:29 - 09:16   Drought impacts on feed quality 09:17 - 13:42   Importance of feed testing, bale weights and cow weights when feed is limited 13:43 – 24:44   Using alternative feeds that might be used to stretch supplies -Kochia, Green Feed, Screening pellets, Distillers grains, Canola regrowth, Cocktail mixes for grazing 24:45- 27:33 Rules of thumb for feeding straw 27:34 – 29:29 Dealing with tight feed supplies 29:30 – 30:55 Wrap up

Dr. Chris Clark is my guest this week.  Dr. Clark is an internal medicine clinician in large animals who also serves as the Associate Dean at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.  We have a short conversation on the agriculturally focused seats at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and then take a deep dive into some of the causes of sudden death in cattle.  We also discuss the importance of getting a post-mortem diagnosis when deaths do occur in your herd. 00:00 – 1:25   Welcome and Introductions  01:26 – 06:04   Agriculturally focused seats at WCVM 06:05- 08:23  Definition of Sudden death 08:24 -  13:42  Infectious causes of Sudden death in cattle – Clostridial Diseases(Blackleg) 13:43 -  23:33  Infectious causes of Sudden death in cattle – Anthrax 23:34 – 28:04  Traumatic causes of sudden death (Lightning) 28:05 – 34:27  Nutritional causes of sudden death (Bloat) 34:28 – 36:25  Other nutritional causes of sudden death (Lead toxicity, Blue green algae, white muscle disease, monensin toxicity, water deprivation, magnesium deficiency) 36:26 - 38:25  White muscle disease 38:26 – 41:45 The importance of a post-mortem diagnosis 41:46 - 42:30 Wrap up

Dr. Emily Snyder returns as a guest expert on the podcast to answer a listener question.  What are the best practices to follow when introducing animals to your herd?  It's an important aspect of biosecurity and Dr. Snyder gives us some of the diseases we worry about and what we can do to mitigate the risks. 00:00 – 1:54   Welcome and Introductions  2:01 – 3:13   What do we mean by the term biosecurity? 3:14 – 5:01   The importance of source of incoming animals 5:02 –   6:57 Diseases of concern when purchasing new animals 6:58 – 9:17 Johne’s Disease 9:18 – 14:26 Salmonella dublin 14:27 – 17:30 Bovine Viral Diarrhea 17:31 – 19:32   Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis Virus 19:33 -  21:35  Timing of introduction and impact on calf scours and BRD 21:36 - 23:14   Minimizing stress for the incoming animals 23:15 -  25:00 Wrap up

Jayce Fossen recently completed his Masters degree at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine focused on antimicrobial usage in Canadian cow-calf herds.  Jayce joins me to discuss his results as well as a pitch for recruiting new herds for the Canadian Cow-Calf Health and Productivity Enhancement Network. If you have a cow-calf herd that meets the criteria mentioned in the podcast, and are interested in participating in this new study, contact Jayce at 306-966-7870 or via email at C3H.PEN@usask.ca Link to BCRC website on antimicrobial use and resistance: https://www.beefresearch.ca/topics/antibiotic-resistance/ 00:00 – 1:22   Welcome and Introductions  1:23 – 3:37   Why do we need to study antimicrobial use in cow-calf herds? 3:38 – 5:10 Description of herds that were followed in the study 5:11 –   7:01 Most common reasons for antimicrobial use 7:02 – 8:17 Proportions of animals being treated 8:18 – 12:22 Classification of antimicrobials based on importance for human health 12:23 – 14:53   Reasons for higher treatment numbers and mass medication 14:54 – 20:52   Antimicrobials and remote drug delivery 20:53 – 23:26   Differences between Eastern and Western Canadian herds 23:27- 26:00   General principles of wise antimicrobial stewardship 26:01 -  30:54  The Canadian Cow-Calf Health and Productivity Enhancement Network 30:55 – 31:54  Wrap up

In this episode, I recorded a presentation by Dr. Anatoliy Trokhymchuk at the annual field day of the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence at the University of Saskatchewan.  Anatoliy is a veterinarian and epidemiologist who serves as the Chief Scientific Officer at our local veterinary diagnostic laboratory (Prairie Diagnostic Services).  Anatoliy will describe some of the new technology that may make it possible to learn what bacteria or viruses are present in a swab in a much faster manner than traditional laboratory techniques.  New technology might make it possible to perform DNA fingerprinting for bacteria and viruses on the farm or at your local veterinary clinic rather than sending the sample into the diagnostic lab and waiting 5-7 business days for an answer to come back.

Dr. Greg Penner from the Dept. of Animal and Poultry Science returns as my podcast guest this week.  Greg is discussing some of his latest research efforts on the effects of high sulphate water on cattle performance and how we can mitigate some of the subclinical effects such as copper deficiency in high sulphate water situations. 00:00 – 2:00   Welcome and Introductions  2:01 – 5:21   Where and when do we see high sulphates? 5:23 – 7:01   Polioencephalomalacia – nervous disease caused by high sulphates 7:02 –   9:25 Subclinical effects of high sulphates 9:26 – 11:32 Current guidelines for high sulphate levels 11:33 - 17:18 Describing results of a trial where high sulphate water was given to cattle 17:19 – 24:25 An attempt to mitigate high sulphates with Bismuth subsalicylate 24:26 - 27:38   Evaluating mineral strategies to mitigate the low copper caused by high sulphates 27:39 – 30:07   Next steps in future research 30:08 – 32:42   Recommendations for producers with high sulphate water or feed 32:43- 33:52   Wrap up

Dr. Diego Moya joins the podcast to discuss some of his research on pain control for calves during painful procedures such as castration.  Dr. Moya is an assistant professor at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and his research focuses on beef cattle welfare and behaviour.  In this episode he provides us with some summaries of what we know about pain associated with castration and how to mitigate it.  In addition, he provides a glimpse into some of the new products that might be available in the future to help with pain control specifically with castration. 00:00 – 03:09   Welcome and Introductions  03:10 – 06:50   How do we measure pain in calves? 06:51 – 08:25   The relationship of age of castration and amount of pain 08:26 – 11:27   Are there major differences in pain between methods of castration? 11:28 – 13:53  Drugs for pain mitigation for calves 13:54 – 16:11 Can we show benefits for using pain mitigation? 16:12 – 15:18 Combining local anesthesia with an NSAID 15:19 – 21:20 Potential of new castration band product infused with local anesthetic 22:21– 22:20   Wrap up