Cattle

Figure 1. Caseonecrotic pneumonia, one of the more classical pathologies associated with Mycoplasma bovis infection.

Mycoplasma bovis, thoughts on diseases, treatments, control and prevention

Some of the organism's characteristics have a direct effect on antibiotic treatment choices. As the organism has no cell wall B lactam antibiotics are ineffective. The organism does not synthesise...

Figure 3. Early detection of the signs of BRD in young calves requires a commitment from farmers to conduct regular monitoring and scoring, using an appropriate scoring system.

Early detection and treatment for bovine respiratory disease

As for many diseases, the accurate and early diagnosis of BRD is a critical step in the implementation of effective therapeutics. The variability in how animals respond to the disease, along with...

Figure 4. Example illustration from the author's bovine viral diarrhoea virus teaching for farmers.

Managing BVDV at the herd level part 1

The first step in assessing a herd is to identify the risk of current infection by evaluating biosecurity and management. Primarily, this should focus on incoming stock (purchased animals and existing...

Figure 1. Housed youngstock.

Parasitic control at housing in cattle: a modern rationale

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board's (AHDB) (2020) parasite control guide provides all anthelmintic preparations currently available for cattle. Anthelmintic classes available include...

Figure 2. Diarrhoea pathogens diagnosed on the farm (multiple options could be selected). Note: 49% of farmers did not use diagnostics or did not diagnose any pathogens for diarrhoea.

OPEN ACCESS: Insights into UK farmers' attitudes towards cattle youngstock rearing and disease

The survey was undertaken during May 2018, was open to any UK farmer with online access who owned cattle and was promoted via Facebook and Twitter online social media platforms. Paid targeted online...

Figure 8. Design of size, straps and buckles is important.

Calf jackets: a review of science and practice

There have been a relatively small number of published trials carried out on commercial farms or research facilities in the UK. The basic data presented in these trials are summarised in Table 2....

CattleReview: November–December 2020

The objective of a study by Cattaneo et al (2020) (The Veterinary Journal https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2020.105533) was to assess how uterine disorders alter the lying behaviour and plasma...

Modernising BRD control

Treatment will be most effective if it is given as early as possible in the course of a disease. Traditionally the diagnosis of pneumonia is based on visual signs of respiratory disease (e.g. reduced...

Figure 1. Mucosal defences and dysbiosis. Enhancement of mucosal protection by the microbiota occurs at three levels: competitive inhibition, upregulation of mucosal function and interaction with immune cells.

Youngstock diseases — an immunological perspective

Current understanding of the development of the immune system in neonatal calves emphasises the importance of reducing stress and avoiding inappropriate antibiotic use.

Calf scour management and alternative therapies

Prevention is better than cure undoubtedly, but allied to that is a new approach to the types of products that should be considered in the light of current antimicrobial resistance issues and the...

Responsible use of medicines and medicine recording

Figure 3. On-farm culture is increasingly utilised on farm to identify cases of mastitis that may not require treatment with antibiotics.

Practical use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in farm practice

NSAIDs work by targeting the pro-inflammatory pathway and preventing synthesis of proinflammatory substances. They prevent the conversion of arachidonic acid into prostaglandins and thromboxane, by...