GREAT GOAT MEETING

Thanks to all who braved the slippery roads to come to the goat meeting at the clinic on February 13th.  We had a lively discussion led by Jake Klas from Fennimore Livestock on the many different times, weights and options for marketing buck kids.  Sally talked about the importance of colostrum and how to keep kids healthy.

We also did a breeding soundness exam on a yearling buck owned by Joe Gingerich.  Many thanks to Joe for letting Sally borrow his buck for the meeting. The buck passed the test so we even had some sperm to look at under the microscope.

Please let Sally know if you were unable to attend the meeting, but would like a copy of the information presented.  Jake is happy to answer your marketing questions at 608-988-7210.  

Watch for the next goat meeting coming up in June and the SWTC Dairy Goat Academy in September.    

NEW COMBINATION VACCINE FOR DOGS

We are continuing to see many dogs testing positive and showing signs of Lyme disease infection.  We have had 2 dogs die because the Lyme bacteria infected and destroyed the kidneys before the antibiotic could take effect.  We want your dogs to have long healthy lives so we are recommending a new combination vaccine.

This vaccine stimulates protection against Lyme disease and leptospirosis along with protection against canine distemper, parvo and corona viruses.  If your dog has not had this vaccine before, he or she needs to have a booster a month after the initial dose. Then the protection will last for 3 years like our current combination vaccine.

We have also been seeing more dogs with infectious tracheobronchitis or kennel cough infections.  We recommend an oral vaccination every year to prevent this infection, especially in dogs that are going to shows or dog parks or boarding/daycare situations.

Please call with any questions you have about what vaccinations your dog has had and what would be the best protection for your pet in the future.  Rabies is the vaccination that you have to have proof of on your taxes.

FECAL TESTS HELPFUL

Spring is coming!  You may be thinking about your horses and whether or not to deworm them.  What about your cattle? Calves? Sheep? Goats? Do they need to be dewormed?  Did they pick up parasites while being housed in close quarters during the cold weather?

The best way to answer these questions is to take some manure samples and bring them to the clinic for testing.  We can tell you whether or not the animals in question have parasites and what parasites you need to treat for. The only exception to this rule is bots in horses.  Every horse should have a treatment for bots every year once the bot flies are gone and the skin is free from eggs. Because the bot larvae live and grow in the stomach, they do not show up on a manure sample test.  

The fecal test will show infections due to coccidiosis, campylobacter, giardia and tapeworms as well as stomach and intestinal worms.  All of these infections require a different treatment so you need to know what your animals have.

The best news, of course, is if the tests show they are parasite free and you can save some money on treatments they don’t need!
 

CBD PRODUCTS MARKETED ILLEGALLY

In November 2019, the FDA issued letters to 15 companies in the US (none in Wisconsin) indicating that CBD products were being marketed illegally.  The products being marketed for livestock and dogs are unapproved new animal drugs and are unsafe. The companies’ websites claim that these CBD products are intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of diseases in animals.  Little or no research has been done actually backing up these claims.

The FDA is not aware of any basis to conclude that CBD is GRAS (generally regarded as safe) among qualified experts for its use in human or animal food. There also is no food additive regulation which authorizes the use of CBD as an ingredient in human food or animal food, and the agency is not aware of any other exemption from the food additive definition that would apply to CBD. CBD is therefore an unapproved food additive, and its use in human or animal food violates the FD&C Act for reasons that are independent of its status as a drug ingredient.

Please be aware that the use of CBD oils or other products in food animals is illegal. The products being sold are unregulated.  No safe or therapeutic level of CBD or CBD residues is known yet.

LOTS OF PNEUMONIA IN CALVES

We have been seeing lots of dairy and beef calves with pneumonia lately, thanks to all the changing weather and up and down temps.  The moisture from melting snow makes it hard to bed calves and bedding packs soaked with ammonia are building up from the winter. The most frustrating pneumonia is the one that kills calves before you even have a chance to treat them.

Sally has been seeing a combination of infections causing problems, including mycoplasma, pasteurella, mannheimia, biberstenia and histophilus.  When tested, one of the mannheimia bacteria is resistant to all antibiotics except Excede. Some of the calves show high fevers (105 to 107) and rapid breathing rather than a cough or snotty nose.  Some at getting sick at 6 weeks, some at weaning and some as early as 2 weeks.

Because of the antibiotic resistance problems and the range of infections, it is vital to know what you are fighting in your calves.  The best tests are from a recent dead calf that had not been treated. The other sample that can be very helpful is a deep guarded nasopharyngeal swab.  This special swab can be used to collect fluid from the back of the throat of a live calf. The fluid can be tested for viruses and bacteria and we can get good information without having to sacrifice an animal.

Please call if you have a group of sick calves or if you are having problems with calves getting sick again after treatment.  

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