Bovine respiratory disease: Diagnosis

Question 1

What’s the most common respiratory problem in fattening cattle?

Answer 1

• Mannheimiosis / pasteurellosis
• Histophilus somni

Question 2

What’s the most common respiratory problem in housed calves?

Answer 2

• Enzootic pneumonia

Question 3

• First grazing season heifers?

Answer 3

• Lungworm

Question 4

What are stressors for calves?

Answer 4

• Transport
• Weaning
• Disbudding
• Castrating

Question 5

What can cause stertorous upper respiratory noise?

Answer 5

• Laryngeal chondritis - may respond to penicillin, may need tracheostomy

Question 6

When examining a cow what would you check?

Answer 6

• General appearance - coat
• Ear position
• Behaviour
• Coughing
• TPR
• Resp noise + depth
• Posture

Question 7

What sample would you take to isolate what agent?

Answer 7

• Nasopharyngeal swab = IBR (RSV, PI3)
• Conjunctival swab = IBR
• Serology = all
• Bronchoalveolar lavage = M. bovis, IBR, RSV, PI3, BVD, Haemophilus, Lungworm
• Faecal sampling = D. viviparous

Question 8

When examining a building what should be examined?

Answer 8

• Urea? Warm air?
• Underfoot squelch test
• Too hot/cold?
• Dusty?
• Make you cough?

Question 9

What are indications of inadequate airflow in a shed?

Answer 9

• Cobwebs
• Tiger stripes
• Can also use smoke test

Question 10

What are common reasons for lack of stack effect?

Answer 10

• No outlet / too small
• Building too high
• Inlet too big
• Insufficient biomass - not enough calves