by M. Jones, DVM, MS, DACVIM | May 9, 2022 | Cattle
Spring rains ensured a bloom of various parasites, including flies. When it rains again, they will be back in force. Significant growth and production losses can occur in cattle just from the annoyance of flies – cattle spend time swishing tails, flipping heads and...
by M. Jones, DVM, MS, DACVIM | May 3, 2022 | Cattle
Spring turnout is a good time to think about parasite control. This time of year, both internal and external parasites are important as flies are getting well established and intestinal worms are blooming on new spring grass. Parasites, particularly internal parasites...
by M. Jones, DVM, MS, DACVIM | Feb 28, 2022 | Cattle
Each year, we pray for the rainfall needed to produce the green grass we hope for every spring. If you’ve owned livestock for more than about 15 minutes, however, you know that with nearly every good thing that comes along, there’s something to watch out for. This...
by M. Jones, DVM, MS, DACVIM | Feb 16, 2022 | Cattle
Calf scours are a challenging problem with young calves on the ground. High stocking density, moisture, and rearing younger calves in the same areas as older calves all contribute to the problem. Prior to about 3 days of age, calf illness is almost exclusively the...
by M. Jones, DVM, MS, DACVIM | Feb 8, 2022 | Cattle
With spring calving season approaching many ranchers will have to deal with the dreaded uterine and vaginal prolapse. Both prolapses are closely associated with calving, but each have very distinct causes and occur at different times. When dealing with a prolapse it...
by M. Jones, DVM, MS, DACVIM | Jan 6, 2022 | Cattle
As we enter into spring calving season, we plan for the events of calving and make sure everything is in place, but we sometimes forget to have plans for the complications that occur before and after calving, like prolapses and retained placenta. There are three...
by M. Jones, DVM, MS, DACVIM | Dec 28, 2021 | Cattle
From time to time, lumps and bumps will show up on cattle, often occurring on the head. Some of these have little significance, while others indicate a more serious problem needing attention. There are four main causes of discrete swellings on the heads of cattle:...
by M. Jones, DVM, MS, DACVIM | Dec 13, 2021 | Cattle
While many folks have a favorite cow, it would be difficult to argue against the idea that the bull is the single most important animal on an operation. His fertility impacts conception rates, he can transmit diseases to multiple animals that can impact calving...
by M. Jones, DVM, MS, DACVIM | Dec 2, 2021 | Cattle
Calving season is one of the busiest times of year for a cow-calf producer. It’s a high-stakes time, where you realize the results of work and decisions made all year—bull selection, heifer selection, nutrition planning, and vaccination choices. It all comes down to...
by M. Jones, DVM, MS, DACVIM | Nov 9, 2021 | Sheep and Goats
Respiratory disease is a common problem with goats. As a practicing veterinarian, I see many of these animals after treatment has already been attempted and sometimes I see them when it’s already too late. I recently surveyed a large group of veterinarians with a...
