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, a reproductive specialist vet, discusses subfertility in beef bulls. Topics include the importance of bull breeding soundness exams, implications of factors like lameness on fertility, and identifying fertility issues through physical examinations.

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, a researcher in cereal forages and harvesting, discusses his latest research on determining the optimum time to harvest cereal forages. Topics include the stages of cereal maturity, changes in forage nutrient compensation, impacts on animal digestibility and performance, economic benefits, and recommendations for producers using cereal forages.

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