pneumonia

topgeas

pneumonia in 2 week old calves also they have sore eyes. shed well vented, cleaned and washed. any ideas?

bob charles

topgeas wrote: »

pneumonia in 2 week old calves also they have sore eyes. shed well vented, cleaned and washed. any ideas?

sore eyes, immediately if it was older animals I would be saying IBR, any nasal discharge? IBR causes damage to the front of the lungs. Regular shots of anti inflammatory and a mix of Tylosin and Oxytetracycline is what I would charge in with every 24 hrs. Its a disastrous year for pneumonia problems around or parts even in vaccinated animals.

LostCovey

bob charles wrote: »

sore eyes, immediately if it was older animals I would be saying IBR, any nasal discharge? IBR causes damage to the front of the lungs. Regular shots of anti inflammatory and a mix of Tylosin and Oxytetracycline is what I would charge in with every 24 hrs. Its a disastrous year for pneumonia problems around or parts even in vaccinated animals.

Sweet Jebus.

Prescribing three different drugs including a combination of two antibiotics for what you think might be viral pneumonia in calves you have never seen on a farm you have never been on??????

Any chance this might be a little hasty, ill-advised and wrong?

LC

bob charles

LostCovey wrote: »

Sweet Jebus.

Prescribing three different drugs including a combination of two antibiotics for what you think might be viral pneumonia in calves you have never seen on a farm you have never been on??????

Any chance this might be a little hasty, ill-advised and wrong?

LC

maybe but from what I have seen this year animals have to be hit hard and early to have a chance of survival with pneumonia and specifically IBR. I cant see any problem with giving a anti inflammatory the combination I said use complementary drugs and cover a broad spectrum of complaints. Dither and die

lakill Farm

Whats Resflor like? I think Norbrook make it. I have used it for last 3 years and find it good.

PatQfarmer

lakill Farm wrote: »

Whats Resflor like? I think Norbrook make it. I have used it for last 3 years and find it good.

Respichlor. Great to "tidy up" any residual infection, or slight infection in vaccinated calves.
I'm with Bob Charles though, pneumonia is rife this year. Hit it early and hard is only option to keep them alive.
Had a small outbreak in one shed (think it was a draught...) used Nuflor and Colvasone. One to combat resp infection, one steroidal anti-inflammatory to alleviate breathing. All stayed alive, thankfully. Temps hit 41C at times. Scary stuff!
After I was satisfied all were over pneumonia, they got a week on Respichlor (€55 for 3kg tub, treats 20 animals or so) to complete cure.

LostCovey

PatQfarmer wrote: »

Respichlor. Great to "tidy up" any residual infection, or slight infection in vaccinated calves.
I'm with Bob Charles though, pneumonia is rife this year. Hit it early and hard is only option to keep them alive.
Had a small outbreak in one shed (think it was a draught...) used Nuflor and Colvasone. One to combat resp infection, one steroidal anti-inflammatory to alleviate breathing. All stayed alive, thankfully. Temps hit 41C at times. Scary stuff!
After I was satisfied all were over pneumonia, they got a week on Respichlor (€55 for 3kg tub, treats 20 animals or so) to complete cure.

Where do ye get all this gear???????????????

Birdnuts

bob charles wrote: »

. Its a disastrous year for pneumonia problems around or parts even in vaccinated animals.

Heard similair things from neigbours next to my place in North Mayo - thankfull no cases among the home herd so far(touch wood!!). Many reckon its something to do with the exceptionally mild winter

bob charles

it being a pig of a year, I would be ashamed to say how many animals I have lost to pneumonia this year and all animals are vaccinated for IBR but not with RSV. They have all being treated early but response is very poor. Anything that is looking anyway off at the moment is being slaughtered to try and contain infections. Just a disaster for me anyway

Birdnuts

Should people be wary of animals bought at marts/from dealers ATM??

bob charles

Birdnuts wrote: »

Should people be wary of animals bought at marts??

Yeah very much so. Consider you buy 2 animals at you local mart. On the sale day there is 400 cattle sold that your animals would have being in proximity off. Now these 400 animals came from say 100 different herds of 100 animals a piece, do you get my drift. Stress of selling, transport, new surrounds, mixing with new animals and a new diet, bullying etc, its easy to see why there can be such a major problem.

In my own case I was confident I would reduce my pneumonia related deaths this winter, through better facilities and a better animal health program in place. If anything we are running at between doubling and tripling our average:(

I think Im going to have to go back to the start again and rethink everything, also must go and visit some pig men and get their take on disease prevention as these boys have to be on top of their game.

Birdnuts wrote: »

Should people be wary of animals bought at marts/from dealers ATM??

once animals go inside for the winter period the chances of infection go way up and its usually pre christmas that the dangers at their most critical as animals are readjusting to housing.

Birdnuts

bob charles wrote: »

Yeah very much so. Consider you buy 2 animals at you local mart. On the sale day there is 400 cattle sold that your animals would have being in proximity off. Now these 400 animals came from say 100 different herds of 100 animals a piece, do you get my drift. Stress of selling, transport, new surrounds, mixing with new animals and a new diet, bullying etc, its easy to see why there can be such a major problem.

In my own case I was confident I would reduce my pneumonia related deaths this winter, through better facilities and a better animal health program in place. If anything we are running at between doubling and tripling our average:(

I think Im going to have to go back to the start again and rethink everything, also must go and visit some pig men and get their take on disease prevention as these boys have to be on top of their game.



once animals go inside for the winter period the chances of infection go way up and its usually pre christmas that the dangers at their most critical as animals are readjusting to housing.

As i suspected - glad the ladies got out early this year, hope the weather holds for the next few weeks so they can stay out!!

pakalasa

It's the high humidity in a shed that spreads pneumonia. People think it is the cattle sweating that causes it, but it's more a case of the bugs being able to last longer in the humid air and so easier to spread from one animal to another especially when cattle are packed tigthly like in a slatted shed. Ventilation, without draughts, is the key.

The reality is that animals are far less likey to get it outside. Nothing like a bit of frosty weather to kill all these nasty bugs.

PatQfarmer

LostCovey wrote: »

Where do ye get all this gear???????????????

From the vet. Downside is you have to pay for it:)

PatQfarmer

bob charles wrote: »

In my own case I was confident I would reduce my pneumonia related deaths this winter, through better facilities and a better animal health program in place. If anything we are running at between doubling and tripling our average:(

Have you tested for BVD?
I had 2 PI's in bought-in calves. Once I found them and took them out, the change in herd health was phenomenal!

bob charles

PatQfarmer wrote: »

Have you tested for BVD?
I had 2 PI's in bought-in calves. Once I found them and took them out, the change in herd health was phenomenal!

My thinking is that the BVD issue is way way bigger than what is believed at present and that is what is leading to such problems. Testing for BVD is one avenue being discussed but the logistics and cost are prohibitive especially when constantly buying animals and my herd is completely open.

whelan1

just a thought , now that we are testing for bvd , should johnes testing be done in the same way also?

PatQfarmer

bob charles wrote: »

My thinking is that the BVD issue is way way bigger than what is believed at present and that is what is leading to such problems. Testing for BVD is one avenue being discussed but the logistics and cost are prohibitive especially when constantly buying animals and my herd is completely open.

I have tested every animal that entered my herd since, while they are in herd of origin, but that is easier for us as we buy calves directly from local farmers.
If you can manage it, definitely worth the money.:)