The welfare of ill and injured feedlot cattle: a review of the literature and implications for managing feedlot hospital and chronic pens.

By definition, ill and injured animals are on the negative valence of animal welfare. For beef cattle kept in feedlot settings, advances in cattle health management have resulted in a greater understanding and prevention of illness and injury. However, the management of cattle once they become ill and injured is an understudied area, and there are gaps in knowledge that could inform evidence-based decision-making and strengthen welfare for this population.

Randomized comparison between a forced air system and warm water bath for resuscitation of neonatal hypothermic calves with or without oral administration of caffeine.

Background: Hypothermia is a cause of neonatal calf death in cold climates. Practical and effective rewarming methods are important for bovine health within affected regions.

Hypothesis/objectives: To compare the rewarming rate and blood analytes (glucose, lactate, and cortisol) of calves resuscitated with forced air with warm water bath, with or without oral administration of caffeine.

Influence of Single Dose Enrofloxacin Injection on Development of Fluoroquinolone Resistance in in Calves.

Fluoroquinolone (FQ) resistance in a major foodborne bacterial pathogen, , derived from cattle has recently become prevalent and poses a significant public health concern. However, the underlying factors for this increase are not entirely clear. To evaluate the effect of enrofloxacin treatment on FQ-resistance development in , 35 commercial calves were equally divided into five groups (Groups 1-5) and were orally inoculated with FQ-susceptible (FQ-S) .

Review of regulations and indications for the use of in-feed antimicrobials for production animals.

Antimicrobials have been fed to livestock for more than 60 years. Veterinarians and producers saw tremendous gains in health and performance, and usage became widespread. Over time, improved management reduced some of the benefit of many feed-through antimicrobials except for a few important diseases.

Physical Traits and Reproductive Measurements Associated with Early Conception in Beef Replacement Heifers.

Developing and raising replacement heifers requires a large capital investment for producers. Therefore, it is imperative to discover traits and management practices to eliminate subfertile heifers prior to breeding and pregnancy determination. In this study, four years of data was analyzed from a centralized beef heifer development yard in the Midwest of the United States.

Effect of Danofloxacin Treatment on the Development of Fluoroquinolone Resistance in in Calves.

is a leading cause of foodborne gastroenteritis. Recent studies have indicated a rise in fluoroquinolone-resistant (FQ-R) in cattle, where FQ is used to control bovine respiratory disease (BRD). To assess the effect of danofloxacin treatment on the development of FQ-resistance in , 30 commercial calves were divided into Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3 ( = 10), and were all inoculated orally with FQ-susceptible (FQ-S) ; seven days later, Group 3 was challenged with transtracheal , and one week later, Group 2 and Group 3 were injected subcutaneously with danofloxacin.

Comparisons of plasma and fecal pharmacokinetics of danofloxacin and enrofloxacin in healthy and Mannheimia haemolytica infected calves.

Danofloxacin and enrofloxacin are fluoroquinolones (FQs) used to treat and control bovine respiratory disease (BRD) complex. While low toxicity, high bactericidal activity, and availability in single and multiple dosing regimens make them preferable, the increasing incidence of FQ-resistance in foodborne pathogens and effects on gut microbiota necessitate evaluating their pharmacokinetics (PKs). The objective of this study was to determine the exposure level of gut microbiota to subcutaneously administered FQs and compare their PKs between plasma and feces in healthy and Mannheimia haemolytica infected calves.

Enrofloxacin Alters Fecal Microbiota and Resistome Irrespective of Its Dose in Calves.

Enrofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone drug used to prevent and control bovine respiratory disease (BRD) complex in multiple or single doses, ranging from 7.5 to 12.5 mg/kg body weight.

A 2-year randomized blinded controlled trial of a conditionally licensed Moraxella bovoculi vaccine to aid in prevention of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis in Angus beef calves.

Background: Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) in beef cattle has major welfare and production implications. Effective vaccination against IBK would also reduce antibiotic use in beef production.

Objective/hypothesis: To evaluate the efficacy of a conditionally licensed commercial IBK vaccine containing Moraxella bovoculi bacterin.

Validation of a gauze sponge sampling methodology to detect Tritrichomonas foetus by real-time PCR.

Bovine trichomoniasis is a concern for the cattle industry. Advances in testing systems have increased the ability to detect the disease in bulls. However, the greatest limitation is proper collection of an adequate sample.

Validation of a portable pneumatic captive bolt device as a one-step method of euthanasia for use in depopulation of feedlot cattle.

Objective: To validate the effectiveness of a penetrating captive bolt device with a built-in low-pressure air channel pithing mechanism (PCBD) as a 1-step method for euthanasia of cattle.

Design: Clinical trial.

Animals: 66 feedlot steers and heifers (weight, 227 to 500 kg [500 to 1,100 lb]) that were not expected to survive or finish the feeding period with their cohorts.

Serum concentrations of haptoglobin and haptoglobin-matrix metalloproteinase 9 (Hp-MMP 9) complexes of bovine calves in a bacterial respiratory challenge model.

Background: Serum haptoglobin (Hp) and haptoglobin matrix metalloproteinase 9 complexes (Hp-MMP 9) have been identified as biomarkers with diagnostic potential in cattle with conditions resulting in an acute inflammatory response. The purpose of this study was to evaluate potential diagnostic applications of serum Hp and Hp-MMP 9 concentrations in calves with BRD and establish a timeline for their detection in calves experimentally challenged with Bibersteinia trehalosi and Mannheimia haemolytica. Thirty-five cross bred dairy calves were inoculated via tracheal catheterization with either a PCR confirmed leukotoxin negative B.

Randomized clinical trial to evaluate the pathogenicity of Bibersteinia trehalosi in respiratory disease among calves.

Background: Bibersteinia trehalosi causes respiratory disease in ruminants particularly in wild and domestic sheep. Recently, there has been an increased number of B. trehalosi isolates obtained from diagnostic samples from bovine respiratory disease cases.

Evaluation of a commercial rapid test kit for detecting bovine enteric pathogens in feces.

Recently a commercial antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit in the form of a dipstick (Bovine Enterichek, Biovet Inc.) was made available to bovine practitioners and producers for the rapid detection of Betacoronavirus 1 (BCV-1), Rotavirus A (RV-A), Escherichia coli K99(+), and Cryptosporidium parvum in feces from diarrheic calves. The diagnostic performance of Bovine Enterichek was evaluated in comparison with a multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction assay (mrtPCR).

Effects of restricted antimicrobial exposure on antimicrobial resistance in fecal Escherichia coli from feedlot cattle.

Objectives: The primary objective was to evaluate differences in antimicrobial resistance among enteric bacteria recovered from feedlot cattle that were being raised without exposure to antimicrobial drugs (AMDs) and those reared using conventional practices.

Materials: Forty pens of feedlot cattle (4557 total animals) that were being fed without AMD exposures were selected for enrollment as were 44 pens of cattle (4913 total animals) being fed for production of conventional beef products at the same feedlots. Fecal samples were collected from the floors of pens approximately biweekly through the middle of the feeding period and again prior to slaughter.

A survey of reasons why veterinarians leave rural veterinary practice in the United States.

Objective: To identify factors associated with veterinarians leaving a career in rural veterinary practice (RVP).

Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study.

Sample Population: Veterinarians from the United States who no longer worked in RVP.

A survey of reasons why veterinarians enter rural veterinary practice in the United States.

Objective: To identify factors associated with interest in or choosing a career in rural veterinary practice (RVP).

Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study.

Sample Population: Veterinarians and veterinary students in the United States.

Calving and calving management of beef cows and heifers on cow-calf operations in the United States.

A national sample of cow-calf producers was contacted to participate in a study to describe selected calving management practices on operations throughout the United States. Information was gathered on calving season, frequency of dystocia, frequency of observation, timing of assistance, and calving facilities. Regional and herd size differences existed in all parameters evaluated.