Diseases & Disorders
All Diseases & Disorders Content
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.
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.
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.
Does Cold Weather Contribute to Pneumonia in Calves?
Prolonged winter cold has some fairly obvious effects on cattle of all ages.
Anthrax: Vaccination Considerations
Anthrax is caused by bacteria, Bacillus anthracis, which has the ability to form very resistant spores in the soil. These spores can remain viable for many years on pasture, and become reactivated when the right environmental conditions exist. Fortunately for cattle producers, losses due to anthrax can be prevented through use of a vaccine that has proven its effectiveness through the years.
Anaplasmosis: Is it a problem in the Northern Plains?
Cattle producers have been hearing more and more about a disease called anaplasmosis. This disease recently appears to have become more common in areas not previously affected. The disease is typically associated with cattle herds in warmer areas of the country, but is it ever a problem up here on the Northern Plains?
Liver Abscesses: The Unseen Profit Thief
Liver abscesses are a great example of an important value robber in feedlot cattle that’s not immediately apparent.
Ergot in Western Wheatgrass and the Potential Effects for Winter Grazing
2019 has been a year fraught with challenges for ranchers across South Dakota. Abundant precipitation is usually a blessing, however, wet conditions coupled with a cool spring followed by warmer temperatures has caused another problem across the rangelands of South Dakota: ergot poisoning.
Foot Problems in the Feedlot
While we usually think of foot problems in feedlot calves occurring in conjunction with warm, muddy conditions, wintertime also brings a certain set of conditions that can create lameness in these animals.
Dealing With Alfalfa Winter Kill
Winter kill and general stand loss of alfalfa has specifically been of concern in many parts of South Dakota the last two years. Most observed alfalfa winter kill is due to low, wet or flooded areas where plants were suffocated and died over the winter.