Early attention is critical to get successful outcomes from bovine respiratory disease.
The best treatment for bovine respiratory disease is prevention. However, this time of year, it can seem unavoidable. In order to successfully treat BRD, Dr. Eric Moore, Norbook director of technical services, says that it is critical that you identify BRD early.
According to Dr. Moore, “When we look at the effects of BRD on your cattle, one thing we’re always concerned about is how soon can we get them back to normal, and so, anytime that we use something that has a long time to react or we catch cattle late, we don’t catch them early in the disease cycle-- you’re actually having losses of both gain and up to death in your herd. So, having a product that’s effective, fast acting, and finding those cattle early are critical to successful treatment of BRD.”
Cattle producers know BRD is most prevalent in the fall and requires treatment. Moore says that producers need a treatment option that is easy to use, and more so, easy to use in cold weather.
“So, this time of year is a time of year we see a lot of bovine respiratory disease out there, the fluctuating temperatures, as we wean calves, as we commingle calves. BRD rears its ugly head,” he states. “This time of year it is cold, products that are thick can be really tough to push through a syringe.”
Moore notes that working with your local veterinarian is the best option when it comes to preventing and treating BRD.
“You local veterinarian that works with your herd has a good idea of what risks you have of getting that disease in your herd and what preventive measures you have available that you can do to prevent BRD from happening in the first place,” he adds. “So working with your local veterinarian to both find a program to prevent BRD, a good vaccination and nutrition program followed by if your animal does get sick. We want to have the best treatment available and working with your local veterinarian can develop the right protocols for what type of program.”
