Epi. 292 – Managing Spring Disease Risk in Beef Cattle – Sponsored by Elanco Animal Health

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Brett Terhaar, technical services veterinarian with Elanco Animal Health. This episode of Have You Herd is sponsored by Elanco Animal Health, manufacturers of Nuplura PH+5 vaccines.

Managing risk of disease in the spring for newborn calves is an important part of consulting for our beef cattle clients. Terhaar suggests that we must first manage husbandry, nutrition and colostrum programs to ensure calves have the best immune system and health to prevent disease. Timing of vaccines is also an important component of managing disease risk in the spring. Veterinarians should consult with producers to evaluate their vaccination protocols and pay attention to timing and the number of antigens presented to the calf. Immune response to vaccinations requires a significant amount of energy from the calf.

Veterinarians should also be aware of endotoxin load when designing vaccine protocols for producers. Endotoxin can have a negative effect on the health of the calf and its ability to appropriately respond to vaccines during a disease challenge. Terhaar reviews how this can impact calf health and management of disease.

Find out more information from Elanco Animal Health by visiting this link. Information about Nuplura PH+5 can be found here or contact your Elanco representative.