Posted by Administrator on April 19 2012 14:13

Submitted by Dr. Andrew Bents, Veterinary Medical Center  The latest hot topic in the swine industry has been vitamin D, namely the deficiency in this vitamin.  There have been several cases reported by veterinarians across the country of transient cases of lameness, osteoporosis, and rickets in pigs in the grow/finish phase.  Many times, an infectious cause has not been implicated, but one common denominator amongst all of these cases has been that vitamin D levels were lower th... [More]

Posted by Administrator on March 26 2012 14:22

Footbath 101 by Rosemary Smithyman, Hoof-Tec Footbath Solutions Footbath Basics: When used properly the footbath is a very powerful tool in the prevention and control of infectious claw conditions; particularly digital dermatitis aka hairy heel warts. Footbath Volume: It is imperative to know the volume of your footbaths. How else do you know how much chemical to use and for how many cow passes it will remain effective? The formula is: Length x width x depth (all in inches) ÷ 231 =... [More]

Posted by Administrator on January 19 2012 09:42

Every fall brings an increase in calf respiratory disease. The weather fluctuations and dust levels contribute to calf stress and pneumonia. While we have enjoyed the mild winter, it has been a very long “fall” for calves and we have seen many cases of calf pneumonia that have responded poorly to treatment and recovery has been prolonged. While every farm’s situation is a bit different, there are several underlying factors to review in pneumonia outbreaks. First, review your va... [More]

Posted by Administrator on December 22 2011 16:23

Got Milk Fever? The downer cow--we've all had experiences with them, and everybody has their own remedies. Of course, there are many different causes including low calcium, magnesium, or phosphorus, trauma, septic shock, toxic mastitis, abscesses, or tumors . While each case has its own therapy, this month's edition of the Dairy Newsletter covers our treatment suggestions for the most common reason for the down cow: Hypocalcemia, better known as “Milk Fever.” Suggested treatments f... [More]

Posted by Administrator on November 22 2011 10:36

Now is the Time! Address your Calves Energy Needs Don’t let the mild fall weather fool you. Winter is coming and the baby calves on your farm are NOW in need of additional energy for maintenance and growth. When the temperature drops below 55 degrees F, the calves need to use energy to stay warm. That energy is no longer available for growth or to fight disease.  Now is the time to address your calves energy needs and increase energy so that calves continue to gain weight and have th... [More]

Posted by Administrator on November 01 2011 16:12

Welcome! This is the first edition of the Veterinary Medical Center Dairy and Dairy Calf News. This one-page newsletter will be published monthly. Our goal is to bring you timely information that will help your operation succeed. If you have any questions or comments on any item you see in the newsletter, please give us a call. We are proud to be your animal health service and product supplier. Quick Guide to Preventing Failure of Passive Transfer in Calves We get many calls regarding calf he... [More]

Posted by Administrator on June 25 2010 11:22

January 7, 2009 —  Although cryopreserved boar semen has been available since 1975, a major breakthrough in commercial application has not yet occurred. There is ongoing research to improve sperm survival after thawing, to limit the damage occurring to spermatozoa during freezing, and to further minimize the number of spermatozoa needed to establish a pregnancy. Boar spermatozoa are exposed to lipid peroxidation during freezing and thawing, which causes damage to the sperm membr... [More]

Posted by Administrator on June 23 2010 16:55

A form of rickets Bent leg is a form of rickets and is due to a malfunction of bone metabolism during growth. It occurs during the rapid growth phase of the lamb, usually between 6 and 12 months of age. It occurs primarily in rams, but can occur in ewes. It is more common in Rambouillet and related breeds. Similar conditions occur in cattle, horses, dogs, poultry, and people. It can be prevented by 1) feeding balanced rations; 2) avoiding the use of too much high energy or high protein feeds (r... [More]

Posted by Administrator on June 23 2010 16:08

Also called hairy-shaker disease or fuzzy lamb syndrome Border disease is often seen in the newborn lamb which has a hairy coat and trembles uncontrollably. It is caused by a virus and causes a wide variety of symptoms depending upon the stage of pregnancy when the ewe becomes affected. Sheep affected by border disease are characterized by open ewes, abortion, weak and frail lambs, abnormal hair coat, and nervous symptoms that cause the lamb to shake. The most common clinical symptom is abortio... [More]

Posted by Administrator on July 22 2009 15:11

World response to swine flu crisis   The rapid spread of the swine flu pandemic has forced the World Health Organization (WHO) to change tack. The focus now should be on quick response to severe outbreaks to minimise impact, rather than on attempting to halt growth of the virus, it says. The WHO has stopped producing lists of laboratory-confirmed cases of swine flu as it says this is a waste of resources. It does not advocate a uniform global plan, saying each c... [More]