BVD information

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red

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LaRue, Ohio
This was in the Farm Journal's Beef issue. I found it to be very informative.
For the entire article go to:
http://www.agweb.com/get_article.aspx?src=&pageid=135184

What bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) looks like

Recognizing the presence of bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) virus in a cowherd can be likened to growing older—you may see subtle signs without realizing what has actually happened. Just as wrinkles and stiff knees may indicate the other side of the hill is closer, a number of seemingly isolated problems may suggest BVD is circulating in your herd.

For example, newborn calves that fail to nurse or have difficulty standing or walking can be associated with certain birth defects caused by BVD. Sporadic abortions or even decreased pregnancy rates may be signs of the disease, as well as bouts with respiratory disease or calf scours. On the weird side, BVD can cause a bleeding syndrome where cattle can bleed to death either spontaneously or after a routine procedure like an injection or castration.

Susceptible cattle can get an acute BVD infection any time during life. Most acute infections do not result in detectably sick cattle. Fetal infections frequently occur when pregnant females are acutely infected. The type of damage to the fetus varies, mostly dependent on the stage of gestation at which the infection occurred. Acute BVD is transmitted from animal to animal by inhalation or ingestion of saliva, bodily discharge or feces. In acute cases, you might see the obvious signs—fever, diarrhea, anorexia, ulcers, depression, excess salivation or respiratory problems.

There is also a peracute version of BVD. The animals have basically the same symptoms, but may die quickly. Peracute BVD is related to a specific strain that causes especially severe symptoms.

Chronic BVD infections are also similar, though there may be hair loss, lameness and more death than with acute cases. The animals may be more obvious—the classic poor-doers.

Another outcome of BVD infection is the persistently infected animal. This occurs when the fetus is infected at about 1½ to 4 months gestation. An animal cannot become persistently infected unless born that way. Many PI calves die early early in life from the effects of the infection or from secondary infection like pneumonia.

It’s estimated that half of all PI calves die before weaning and another half will die between weaning and slaughter. While some may be obviously unthrifty, others will appear perfectly normal.

At the extreme end of the scale, BVD can develop into a fatal form—mucosal disease—but only if the animal is a PI. Again, the symptoms are similar, though more severe, and erosions in the digestive tract, including the mouth, may be bad.

However, not all PI animals develop mucosal disease. Chronic BVD infections are  a form of mucosal disease. The animals may also be more obvious from a physical standpoint—they are often found in groups of classic poor-doers


I'm sure that DL can add a lot to this but there were signs that I didn't know to look for in cattle.

Red

 

Joe Boy

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Jan 31, 2007
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692
I know that they can take a piece of the ear and test to see in the animal is a PI.

Question:  Should a herd be tested?

Question 2:  Should we give shots annually for the prevention of the disease?  Most of our pastures join someone elses or we take them to shows, so how are we to prevent this from being in our herd?

Question 3:  Will being a FREE herd help us market our livestock?
 

red

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Joined
Jan 20, 2007
Messages
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Location
LaRue, Ohio
Joe Boy said:
I know that they can take a piece of the ear and test to see in the animal is a PI.

Question:  Should a herd be tested?

Question 2:  Should we give shots annually for the prevention of the disease?  Most of our pastures join someone elses or we take them to shows, so how are we to prevent this from being in our herd?

Question 3:  Will being a FREE herd help us market our livestock?

The complete article had some information on what should be tested & vacination programs. I'm sure that any clean herd would benefit from promoting it as such!
DL sent me a really good article on BVD that I have forward to the admin to be posted. I'm sure she can add a lot more good information too.

Red
 

DL

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Jan 29, 2007
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3,622
Joe Boy said:
I know that they can take a piece of the ear and test to see in the animal is a PI.

Question:  Should a herd be tested?

Question 2:  Should we give shots annually for the prevention of the disease?  Most of our pastures join someone elses or we take them to shows, so how are we to prevent this from being in our herd?

Question 3:  Will being a FREE herd help us market our livestock?

Joe Boy - these are good questions and of course there are no simple answers!
I would ear notch a herd if -
1) I had a closed herd and wanted to use it as a marketing tool
2) I didn't have a closed herd but I was willing to test and quarantine anything I bought
3) I was having reproductive issues, abortions, dead/deformed calves, evidence of immune suppression (ie cows not recovering from "usual" infections metritis etc

I believe vaccinating with a vaccine that says it offers fetal protection and contains both type I and type II BVDV is an excellent idea

Eventually in a perfect world BVDV free herds and cattle would get a premium - right now some feed lots and bull tests are taking the proactive and progressive step to either require testing and test prior to entry. I think that is an excellent idea.  In a bull test situation untested PI bulls can adversely affect their pen mates buy decreasing immunity, increasing risk of infection (shipping fever) and increasing cost of antibiotics to you - so it is a good idea to utilize programs that do require testing....bad disease - you don't want it!

Happy spring to all - it is snowing here! dl
 

DL

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Really good article in Beef Today

http://www.agweb.com/Get_Article.aspx?sigcat=beef&pageid=135184


Go there - get smart!
 

Joe Boy

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Jan 31, 2007
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692
DL:
Thanks as always. 

Red:
Thanks for the post.

My vet said he only saw a one out of a 1,000 PI cattle in test he has made.  I wanted him to test my herd when I had the PHA and TH test made.  He said that he did not think I had any problem since I do not have abortions and seldom have a case of respitory problems....only during real dusty days for the babies in the dusty lots..... a water sprinkler helps as much as anything...

THANKS AGAIN...
 

showcattlegal

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Jan 26, 2007
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gallup New Mexico
BVD is really common in new mexico so i tested all my cows, and the vet told me if you test your cows then the next year you just have to test your calves from then on unless you get a carrier. I test all my calves at branding time you just take a lil piece of the ear and send it in. I do every cow and bull I buy because i bought a bull out of Iowa that ended up being a carrier, i lost most of my heard because of it. The sad thing was it was a big breeder and he wouldn't do and thing about it. I learned my leason the hard way but it is really easy to test  now that we know we can test for it.
 

DL

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showcattlegal said:
BVD is really common in new mexico so i tested all my cows, and the vet told me if you test your cows then the next year you just have to test your calves from then on unless you get a carrier. I test all my calves at branding time you just take a lil piece of the ear and send it in. I do every cow and bull I buy because i bought a bull out of Iowa that ended up being a carrier, i lost most of my heard because of it. The sad thing was it was a big breeder and he wouldn't do and thing about it. I learned my leason the hard way but it is really easy to test  now that we know we can test for it.

good for you showcattlegirl - that is the way to take the bull by the horns so to speak! ;D  Once you test your cows, and they test negative for BVD PI you never have to test them again.

I have a friend in your neck of the woods who had 2000 mother cows and annually bought a bunch of bulls. One year their pregnancy rate dropped from about 95% to 45% - yup, you guessed it - they bought a persistently infected bull - so not only did they have to test the purchased bulls they had to test all the calves...it was a mess and pretty easy to prevent by testing cattle entering your herd. And as you know, not many people do it until they get burned. Since to end up with a PI calf the cow must be infected during a certain stage of gestation (or less likely a PI herself) your big breeder sure did the wrong thing by not making it right.  Lot of breeders do the same thing about Johne's disease (ie ignore it) - sure pays to be proactive....dl
 
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