Deciphering digital dermatitis

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NUTRITIONIST CORNER A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE BY DAVE McCLELLAN The topic of “gut health” and the specifics of “leaky gut syndrome” are fast becoming part of our thinking and planning as we enter the fall of 2016 and begin to receive calves and yearlings off grass into the feedyard. The realization that 70% of all immune cells are resident in the large and small intestine has grabbed the attention of many researchers, veterinarians and nutritionists. Several researchers are fully engaged in leaky gut study including, but not limited to, Dr. Jeff Carroll at USDA-ARS Lubbock, Texas, and Dr. Lance Baumgart at Iowa State University. These two men, as well as others, have had an impact and are changing our thinking on managing all forms of cattle stress with a non-antibiotic focus. Carroll and his crew have done considerable work with probiotics and chromium in feedlot cattle, showing a direct correlation to bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) reduction with the use of probiotics. Baumgart has worked with Holsteins, looking at a connection between leaky gut and worsening the impact of heat stress in lactating cows. Probiotics refers to direct-fed microbials (DFMs)—both yeasts (cell wall and active cells) and bacteria, and enzymes. Some of the available products are one of these, but there are some combinations as well. As a group, these products have a mixed bag of research results ranging from amazing to nothing, depending on the product, but several of them have established good track records and deserve serious consideration in a receiving program. Improvements in feedlot performance have necessitated a stronger bond between good nutrition and good health. Further advancements in health and/or performance will be fostered by integration of nutrition and health as a team effort, requiring out-of-the-box thinking and innovation regardless of who gets the credit. Probiotics are intriguing partly due to no script or veterinary feed directive (VFD) order required to use them. Research “The only testimony I put stock in is my own, and I’m not too comfortable with that without valid research.” has shown reduction in stress-related illness and support of the ability of the animal’s immune system to respond to challenges. Guaranteed live-organism count—strains included—and mannanoligosaccharide content backed by valid independent research are all vital to making good product-use decisions. The only testimony I put stock in is my own, and I’m not too comfortable with that without valid research. We are concentrating on events in the lower GI track and products that can influence the outcome of a challenge, but we would be remiss to ignore rumen function and establishing an environment that allows these products to stay viable into the gut so they can do what we are asking them to do. BRDC, including associated pneumonias, has never been a larger, more expensive challenge to incoming cattle than it is today. BRDC is responsible for over 1 million feedlot deaths each year at a cost of $650 million plus. That number has doubled in the last 15 years. Any metaphylaxis progress we’ve made has been more than offset with drug cost and death loss. Of real concern is the fact that in historical perspective this is a worsening problem of a magnitude we’ve not seen before. Do we have tougher bugs or weaker cattle? Bagley and Griffin, et al., have categorized causes of BRDC into three subsets: STRESS Heat Cold Moisture Injury Fatigue Dehydration Hunger Anxiety Irritant gases Surgery Nutritional deficiencies VIRAL PI3 IBR BVD BRSV Adenovirus Rhinovirus Herpesvirus IV Entervirus MCF Reovirus BACTERIAL Mannheimia haemolytica (Pasteurella haemolytica) Pasteurella multocida Histophilus somni Mycoplasma bovis Others The fact that the first column is the longest speaks to management areas that can always be improved. We as nutritionists and veterinarians share a professional responsibility to examine and consider changes to programs that are not effective, and BRDC could fall in that category. SO WHAT CAN WE DO? Improve communication with the order buyer. Request more health history on incoming cattle. If unavailable, learn to say no! Evaluate every animal individually at arrival and refuse 24 OCTOBER 2016 bovinevetonline.com
some. Rate them at purchase and reconcile that rating at delivery: Low stress, moderate stress, high stress, ultra-high stress, Oh s…! The more questions we ask and answers we get the better prepared we will be. Use a 12 x 300 rule: 12 hours rest pre-processing for each 300 miles of transit. Offer good, clean grass hay at penning and start probiotic delivery on day one. Observe often for eating and drinking behavior. Pull and treat sicks immediately. Allow adequate bunk space (24") and use pens that keep cattle close to feed and water. Make sure the premises are as clean as possible. Delay implanting until booster time. It doesn’t cost; it pays off. If you are going to use probiotics in your receiving program, consider not using metaphylaxis or feed-grade antibiotics concurrently. Probiotics, if they are to work properly, populate the gut with beneficial organisms and exclude Gram-negative bacteria. Using an injectable antibiotic or a feed-grade one will not allow the system to differentiate between good and bad, thereby decreasing the effectiveness of the probiotic. Play the cards you hold in this order (assuming probiotic usage) for obvious sickness at receiving or processing: 1. Use your most effective antibiotic on an individual basis and do not pen with the group until well. 2. Pull and treat as called for. 3. Use a feed-grade antibiotic only when a group reaches a predetermined pull level. 4. Schedule delivery of incoming cattle so you don’t bury your crew. The Stress EZE product that we use extensively is a bundle with both types of DFM, yucca and a chelated trace-mineral package that is backed with extensive in-house research and an independent research study that was recently completed. All studies show improved performance and reduction in morbidity and mortality when compared to metaphylaxis or nothing at all. There are other products in the marketplace that also have good data and deserve consideration. It is time to rethink our approach to receiving and starting new cattle, and with the VFD rule right around the corner, now would be a good time. Put the antibiotic back in the medicine chest and use it when indicated, thereby increasing the chances of getting a durable cure. Most of the probiotic programs are less than $10 for the 28-day receiving cycle, compared to $15 to $30 for metaphylaxis. That might be reason enough to at least investigate the options. It also makes a much kinder, gentler story to share with a consumer. PROTERNATIVE-THE NEW MEASURE OF PREVENTION The industry is changing; it’s time to take cattle feeding down a new road. Recent advancements in cattle nutrition have opened new routes to help limit pulls, treatment and positively benefit the health of an animal. Adopting a new measure of prevention through the feed is an important first step to help minimize delays on the road ahead. Take a new road with ProTernative ® - a proven probiotic that positively activates the immune system of cattle during times of stress. ProTernative works in the lower gut to influence the animal’s natural immunity through an internal active process that only a specific, robust and active live yeast can deliver. The road you’ve always taken doesn’t cut it anymore. Feed ProTernative and take a new measure of prevention. Not all products are available in all markets nor are all claims allowed in all regions. ©2016. ProTernative is a registered trademark of Lallemand Animal Nutrition. LALLEMAND ANIMAL NUTRITION Tel: 414 464 6440 Email: LAN_NA@lallemand.com www.lallemandanimalnutrition.com bovinevetonline.com OCTOBER 2016 25
Page 1 and 2: OCTOBER 2016 The business and scien
Page 3 and 4: OCTOBER 2016 OCTOBER 2016 Table of
Page 5 and 6: The sound of a healthy, weaned calf
Page 7 and 8: TAKE THE STRESS OUT OF BRD. Target
Page 10 and 11: ANIMAL HEALTH The Iowa DD scoring s
Page 12 and 13: ANIMAL HEALTH More advanced clinica
Page 14 and 15: ANIMAL HEALTH WHEN NOT TO USE IVERM
Page 16 and 17: ANIMAL HEALTH ANTIBIOTIC RULES: KNO
Page 18 and 19: PRODUCT INFORMATION NADA 141-299, A
Page 20 and 21: ANIMAL HEALTH DART DEBATE Readers d
Page 22: Brief Summary for use in Cattle: Se
Page 27 and 28: CHOOSE A HEALTHIER, MORE PROFITABLE
Page 29 and 30: BRIEFS NEPHROSIS CASES AT THE ISU-V
Page 31 and 32: BRIEFS USDA SEEKS INPUT ON ANIMAL-H
Page 33 and 34: KEEPING YOU CLEAN AND EFFICIENT SIN
Page 35: CONFIDENCE IS KNOWING THAT YOU GOT

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