Case-control study on factors associated with a decreased milk yield and a depressed health status of dairy herds in northern Germany.

Background: In the past years, it became apparent that health status and performance differ considerably within dairy farms in Northern Germany. In order to obtain clues with respect to possible causes of these differences, a case-control study was performed. Case farms, which showed signs of health and performance problems, and control farms, which had none of these signs, were compared.

Understanding barriers to following advice: Evaluation of an advisory service from dairy farmers' perspectives.

In dairy herd health medicine, the success of consultation is sometimes limited as farmers do not always implement given advice. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate a consultation performed during a study in the northwest of Germany and thereby to detect barriers that hinder farmers with long lasting problems in herd health from implementing veterinary advice. Six to twelve months after a non-recurring extensive herd health analysis and consultation, 38 farmers were interviewed by phone.

Occurrence of Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin in chronic disease of dairy cows.

Botulism caused by neurotoxins of Clostridium (C.) botulinum is a rare, but serious life-threatening disease in humans and animals. Botulism in livestock is usually caused by the oral uptake of C.