Dr. A.J. Tarpoff, an associate professor and beef Extension veterinarian from Kansas State University, said identifying sickness begins with understanding the difference between normal versus abnormal. Producers observe their animals every day, he said.
“Often the first signal that something may be wrong is abnormal behavior compared to other animals,” Tarpoff said.
This can include change in posture (such as a hunched up back), reluctance to rise, move or keep up with the group, dirty uncleaned nose and dirty rear end. Other changes include a tucked up abdomen, increased respiratory rate, eyes appearing “sunk” into the head and droopy ears.
These abnormal findings could be a big trigger to look deeper, Tarpoff said. It could be as simple as the calf being cold or as serious as severe dehydration from scours or pneumonia.
Being quick to address health concerns based off abnormal appearances or behavior at their onset should help with response and cattle comfort, the veterinarian said.
“Producers should have a good working relationship with their veterinarian to have a predetermined course of action and treatment for these animals when conditions present themselves,” Tarpoff said.
Cattle disease concerns during the winter months can be different for different types of operations.
For cow-calf producers they should have a watchful eye for late term pregnancy losses and early “calf-hood” problems like hypothermia and calf scours, Tarpoff said. If producers are backgrounding calves, wide temperature swings can potentially stress calves enough to trigger outbreaks of coccidiosis or bouts of respiratory disease.
“This year, due to the drought conditions, producers should be aware of foot rot concerns,” Tarpoff said. “We often associate wet muddy conditions with foot rot but we see increases in incidences with dry conditions due to cracking the skin at the foot.”
