Diseases & Disorders

All Diseases & Disorders Content

A newborn calf with its mother in a snowy field

Will Health Effects Linger in Beef Calves Following Harsh Spring Weather?

Beef herds calving in late winter or early spring flirt with disaster annually when it comes to bitter weather conditions. It’s a rare year when a prolonged cold snap or snowstorm doesn’t occur during this critical period. In the throes of those weather conditions, calf health and even survival can be directly affected.

Face and nose of a black cow.

What Livestock Owners Should Know About Vesicular Stomatitis

Because it’s not a common occurrence in most areas every year, reports of Vesicular Stomatitis (VS) in the media often raise questions among livestock owners. Here are answers to some of the more-common ones that may pop up.

grey to brown fly with large eyes and elongated mouthparts

What are Those Gigantic Flies?

As we progress later into the summer, we commonly see an increase in horse fly activity.

A herd of cattle gather around a stock pond on a vast, lush grassland. Courtesy: USDA [CC BY 2.0]

The Environmental Disease Called Pinkeye

Plentiful moisture during the grazing season might contribute to what could be called a “bad year” for a certain cattle disease: pinkeye.

A hereford calf in a field with flies on its face.

The Different Sides of Pinkeye Treatment

Pinkeye (or infectious keratoconjunctivitis) is a scourge that most cattle operations will deal with at some point. Regardless of the type of cattle affected or time of year, prevention always beats treatment.

A close shot of a black and red cow's face. A blurred white cow's head is in the foreground.

Testing Your Beef Cattle for Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus

Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) is among the most important pathogens affecting today’s beef and dairy cattle operations. Associated with reproductive, digestive, and respiratory illnesses in cattle, the virus can also create a congenital, persistent infection in calves, greatly aiding the virus’ spread within and between herds.

Small group of black angus cattle at pasture.

Springtime Vaccines: Tools For Healthy Summer Calves

Vaccines can be a valuable tool for cattle producers looking to help keep their calves healthy on summer pasture.

A close shot of a black and red cow's face. A blurred white cow's head is in the foreground.

Lingering Health Effects in Cows and Bulls Following a Harsh Winter and Spring

While mortality directly due to harsh winter weather is much more likely in calves rather than adult cattle, older animals can be affected too, and some of those effects might linger into the days of better weather and warmer temperatures.

small herd of black angus calves in pen

Johne’s Disease Management: Preventing Manure Contact is Key

The key to decreasing Johne’s Disease transmission is preventing young stock from coming in contact with manure from potentially infected animals.

Microscope analyzing a slide.

How the Veterinary Lab Diagnoses Anthrax in a Beef Herd

Anthrax is a serious disease of cattle that pops up somewhere almost every year in South Dakota. It’s caused by a bacteria that survives as a very tough spore form in the soil. Knowing whether a death on pasture has been caused by anthrax is important for several reasons.