Early detection and treatment vital for recovery from bovine respiratory disease

The economic impact of BRD in calves is reflected not only in the immediate cost of treatment but also the lost growth rate. This results in an increased age at first calving, reduced first lactation yield, increased days open and reduced productive life in the dairy heifer and the increased age of target finishing weight and carcase downgrading in beef cattle. It is predicted that the average lifetime economic cost of a typical case of BRD is £772 in the dairy heifer and £243 in a beef calf.

Antimicrobials are the mainstay treatment for BRD, with 82% of cases responding to the first treatment, dropping to 38% by the third treatment highlighting the need to achieve success with early diagnosis and treatment. The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as loxicom or finadyne, in conjunction with antimicrobials consistently results in a faster reduction of rectal temperature and less lung lesions at slaughter. A recent study revealed that twice as many cattle had lung lesions at slaughter consistent with a case of pneumonia than the number recorded to have a pneumonia treatment, suggesting many cases are missed.

This dramatic drop in response to treatment supports the requirement for improved detection within herds. The California Health Score is a systematic scoring system in which six clinical signs are assessed visually. When present each sign is assigned a point score, a score above 5 represents a case of BRD and justifies treatment. The limitations of health scoring is dictated by the frequency it is used. In adult cattle technologies are available such as continual monitoring devices like ear tags used for the detection of reduced feed intake and pyrexia. These technologies are being adapted for calf behaviour enabling faster BRD detection on farm. The use of thoracic ultrasound as a management tool for BRD has become more common with several main uses.

- It increases the reliability of diagnosis especially when symptoms are subtle.

- It increases the detection of BRD in early cases.

- It helps assess response to treatment.

- Screening tool for selecting replacements.

Prevention is better than cure when it comes to BRD, 28% of farmers state that good ventilation and 27% state that good hygiene management are the principal factors, however the importance of correct vaccination programs cannot be overlooked. The success of a vaccination program relies on the diagnosis of the pathogen involved, which dictates which vaccination is the right one to use. Other components that are vital for success are the correct administration – method and timing coupled with good calf nutrition to allow the calf’s immune system to respond to the vaccine appropriately.

Lisnafillan Farm Vets in conjunction with Boehringer are holding a Youngstock Meeting – Modernising Pneumonia Control to Maximise Production. This meeting will elaborate on factors affecting BRD and its prevention. It will take place on Wednesday, 2nd August in Ballymena Livestock Market at 7.30pm. Please register through the link on their Facebook page or contact the office on 07791146060.