“We know that the earlier we detect bovine respiratory disease (BRD), the better the prognosis will be,” said Nathan Meyer, DVM, PhD, Boehringer Ingelheim. “Getting the right treatment into that animal early and quickly will increase your chance of a successful outcome.”
One reason for that is because by the time the animal shows clinical signs, the disease has already been incubating for several days.1 “If we detect clinical signs in the afternoon and think ‘I’ll treat her tomorrow,’ there could be a lot more damage to the lung by the time tomorrow arrives,” agreed Bob Smith, DVM, Veterinary Research & Consulting Services, LLC, which serves customers in California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and Washington. “The progression of the disease is rapid, and antibiotics cannot reverse the damage that’s been done. Early detection and treatment will help stop the infection so it doesn’t spread further.”
From spreadsheets that show herd data year over year, to software that tracks historical disease incidence on the farm, there are some systems and tools that allow for better identification of high-risk groups of cattle, but they don’t offer detection help for individual animals.
Detecting disease
New technology to help diagnose BRD is in the early stages of development including remote detection systems, temperature-detecting ear tags and time management monitors. However, most are cumbersome or expensive, and in their infancy stages.
For now, it still comes down to a trained human eye. And that poses challenges, too.
“Trained labor who can spot BRD early is the key, but it’s tough,” Dr. Meyer explained. “Early signs are very subtle, but not always linked to BRD. How can a rider see a cough or sneeze and know it’s BRD, versus pulling and overtreating an animal that doesn’t need it?”
“Detecting sickness is as much an art as it is a science,” Dr. Smith offered. “We have scientific observation cues like the D.A.R.T. scoring guide, but it is also subjective.”
He provided a few pointers.
- Look back at a pen of cattle after you’ve ridden through, after they all settle down and are likely to show you how they really feel.
- Don’t get in too big of a hurry, because you’ll be more likely to miss a sick calf.
- View the cattle from your truck to get a different perspective.
- Focus is critical. If a pen of cattle generally looks good, a rider may be lulled into complacency. If a rider’s mind starts to drift, it’s time to back up and look at that pen again.
Dr. Smith reminds riders that if they think they’re losing focus, get off the horse, stretch a bit, remount and pick up where they left off.
He then advised gaining as much information as possible about the calf to help make treatment decisions.
- What is the calf’s age? The younger the calf, the more susceptible it is to respiratory disease.
- How long ago was the calf weaned? A weaned calf that has not had sufficient time to recover from the stress is more susceptible to disease.
Dr. Meyer added that once a calf has been diagnosed, using the appropriate treatment is crucial. “To optimize treatment success, look for a fast-acting, broad-spectrum antibiotic that provides coverage against all the major BRD-causing bacteria.”
Training pen riders
The quantity and quality of labor can vary, depending on geography and size of the operation. Smaller, family-run operations raise their family members in the business. Larger operations may have to train people who haven’t had a lot of experience with cattle.
“Something as basic as good horsemanship skills — making sure the pen rider is comfortable in the saddle — may need to be taught, and allows him or her to focus on looking at the cattle,” Dr. Smith said.
The answer to “How can a rider spot BRD early on?” lies in purposeful training. Drs. Meyer and Smith offered up several ideas:
- Match up a new employee with an experienced one to shadow.
- Well-trained employees should review all they are seeing as they ride or walk pens together.
- As new employees start making their own observations, continue to check animals together so their trainers can provide in-the-moment coaching.
- Adjust how long the training period is to how much experience an employee has.
- Schedule follow-up trainings after a newly trained employee has been on their own for a bit.
- Set up learning time with a veterinarian or consultant, riding pens but also classroom training with videos and images.
Part of Dr. Smith’s role is to help train feedlot staff in southwest Kansas, the upper portion of the Texas panhandle and western Oklahoma. In addition to identification training, they also analyze data by pen rider, checking temperatures and illness status of the calves they pulled.
“Detection is tricky; it takes a very astute individual with good training to be able to see the early signs of BRD,” Dr Meyer said. “It’s always a good idea to work with a veterinarian on training and treatment protocols.”
“They all want to do a good job,” Dr. Smith added. “It’s important to look for ways we can help them improve their skill set, and stay positive and encouraging when they do succeed.”
