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Pinkeye (infectious keratoconjuntivitis) in cattle is a major concern for the well-being and comfort of the animals as well as performance and efficiency. This bacterial infection of the cornea (clear part of the eye) and conjunctiva (tissue above the cornea and underlying the eyelids) causes severe pain and may lead to temporary blindness.  What causes it? There are 2 primary bacteria that can cause pinkeye in cattle. Moraxella bovis, which causes the common summertime pinkeye and Moraxella bovoculi with is more common in confined cattle and seen in all seasons. What do you see? The initial clinical sign of a...

            The cold weather of late winter provides challenges to our cattle. Here are some of the situations I commonly see and my suggestions for solutions. Calves in Cold Weather             Until their rumens are developed, these baby calves are reliant on digestible energy intake to stay warm and grow. Immune function is greatly influenced by energy levels and body temperature. Here are considerations: High fat milk replacer – good quality milk fat is the best energy source for these babies. Increased feedings – during the coldest times, feeding 3 times per day for calves is very beneficial. Increasing the...

As we approach the fall season, there are some timely topics to consider - Pinkeye: Late summer is still a time when pinkeye can show up in our cattle herds. While it is too late in the season to use commercial vaccines, the use of pinkeye nosodes is effective in the face of an outbreak. These are administered orally or in a water source. Let me know if you would like more information – I can send or email a copy of our nosode information sheets, or you can find this information on my website at www.doctomroskos.com I have the...

May is a transition month as we move from the variable weather of Spring to the warm early Summer weather by the end of the month. For the health of our animals going into Summer there are some things to consider. PARASITES: Internal parasites produce more eggs as the spring progresses. Before turnout onto pasture, it is beneficial to control parasite load. I am seeing issues with the commercial wormers such as Ivomec, Eprinex, Cydectin, and Panacur/Safeguard with resistance development. Administering these just before turnout simply seeds the pasture with resistant worm eggs. Using a natural wormer such as Dr...

Scouring calves, lambs, & goat kids can be a challenge any time of year but are more critical during the winter months. Here is my review of some products that can be beneficial. Impro Opti-Start – A powdered product that is mixed in milk or electrolytes.  Contains antibodies and bioactive peptides from Impro whey and dried egg proteins.  High levels of active probiotics are combined with psyllium, which acts as a probiotic.  Also included are vitamins and electrolytes.  This is fed at 1-2 oz. per day for the first 2-4 weeks of age.  Approximate cost is $0.50 to $1.00 per calf...