BVD Suspected...Working on the plan of attack

[gulfso]

Need your input please.

A few weeks ago, I noticed a young heifer abort. She should have been about 7-8 months along but did not find fetus just the evidence. Talked to vet and they said watch her. About 2 weeks roll along and notice an older cow that appeared to be in heat. The older cow had some health problems in the winter, vet came out and dosed with calcium, etc. She seemed to recover but was still weak which I attributed to having a sucking calf along with our recent weather stress, BUT this caused me to watch everything more carefully. Couple more days roll along and I observed another young cow aborting (same scenario as other, just the afterbirth and no fetus. Got all three to vet and she did blood test. One of blood test came back positive for BVD, but do not know if it is acute or PI. We will have to do ear notch testing on whole herd to determine which type. Been on phone with State Vet and regular vet and all helpful and are working with us but yet to suggest a starting point.

Cattle have been on closed herd except for bulls. The bull has here for 9 months and was vaccinated for BVD, but State Vet tells me that even though he was, he CAN still get disease. (He said the vaccination is like a flu shot in humans… it doesn't always prevent it.)

Have older cattle that are pregnant and other than testing them not too much that can be done until they calve. Then they can be vaccinated and the calves can be tested. We have about 20 that we were planning to sell in October along with some that are not pregnant and some that should have been…. but now I wonder. Facilities are not ready to do a whole herd test on farm, but will be in a few weeks.

The question I have is where would you start to test? I want to get some of these to the vet and check at their facility to speed up things. My wife and I think the bull should be a priority test (I really wonder about him because of the timing of things) and then maybe the young ones we want to sell. What do you think? Open for all kinds of advice. Especially form people who have had it. Total herd size including calves and adult cows about 70.

We know it will be time consuming but I am looking at the positive if there is one. The whole herd will eventually be healthier in the end.

 

[MikeC]

Consult your vet on a complete herd testing protocol.

For what it's worth, I had rather buy animals from someone who has been through the BVD thing and tested all of their herd than one who has not, and knows nothing about BVD.

It's a given that BVD is in about 75% of the herds, but just don't realize it.

Be sure to test for types I & II. Use PCR if possible.

 

[Outrigger2]

we tested all the calves at pre-weaning.just took a little notch out of the ear. got results back in about 5 days all neg. the vet said if some did come back positive, test the dam of the calf.

 

[KNERSIE]

I agree with outrigger2, test ALL calves and the open cows and those that aborted. Cull all that come back positive and also test the dams granddams etc of the PI calves.

Vaccinate all in calf cows with Bovishield Foetal Protection from pfiser (if thats available there). Vaccinate all cows that has calved with Bovishield and also all calves.

Make sure other vacinations on the cowherd and replacement heifers are up to date.

To test the whole herd isn't such a big a deal, I've found that the side-cutter lookalike nailclippers works very well to cut a small earnotch to fit in the test tube.

 

[milkmaid]

The quickest route would be to test everything in one fell swoop... most cost effective would probably be to start with the calves, anything that's negative has a negative dam, anything positive may or may not have a PI dam, and just work your way up the generations until you've found and culled all PI animals.

 

[CWT Angus]

I agree, test everything, it is cheap and simple. If you can test the bull in the meantime before your facilities are ready, that may also give you some answers. Then backtrack through generations until you get to a negative result. Cull everyting positive. If it is just the bull, and the cows are negative that will be an easier fix.
Sorry to hear about your troubles. I'm sure it is very stressful. Good Luck to you.

 

[rockridgecattle]

not a good situation. Glad you are getting help from the vets. they would be the best to consult in what to do. but i agree with the rest test all. Good luck. Sorry to about the stress.

 

[gulfso]

Stress..stress what stress :drink: :drink: Actually I was raised on the farm and there is always stress. It is either dry or raining too much. It is either to darn hot or too darn cold. Have heavy cattle and the price sucks, thin cattle and the price is sky high. All part of life. Impatience may be a better description...

 

[KNERSIE]

The quickest route would be to test everything in one fell swoop... most cost effective would probably be to start with the calves, anything that's negative has a negative dam, anything positive may or may not have a PI dam, and just work your way up the generations until you've found and culled all PI animals.

MM, I have a question for you.

Would a bull be able to pass BVD on to his calves? All the vets I have spoken to suggested testing the calves and test all positive calves' dams, etc. Not a single one suggested testing the bull as a priority, except to test bulls that will be sold for breeding purposes as an insurance to the buyer.

 

[Outrigger2]

i am in the process of getting the bulls tested. just as a precaution

 

[milkmaid]

The quickest route would be to test everything in one fell swoop... most cost effective would probably be to start with the calves, anything that's negative has a negative dam, anything positive may or may not have a PI dam, and just work your way up the generations until you've found and culled all PI animals.

MM, I have a question for you.

Would a bull be able to pass BVD on to his calves? All the vets I have spoken to suggested testing the calves and test all positive calves' dams, etc. Not a single one suggested testing the bull as a priority, except to test bulls that will be sold for breeding purposes as an insurance to the buyer.

According to the Merck Vet Manual, it can happen but the incidence is low.

• Persistently infected cows give birth to persistently infected calves, but most calves sired by a persistently infected bull will not be infected with virus in utero.

Since it's not as likely, it wouldn't be as high a priority as testing the cows. However, a PI herd bull is shedding the virus 24/7/365 and could potentially be a cause of PI calves in non-PI cows.

 

[KNERSIE]

Thanks MM,

informative as usual!

 

[milkmaid]

Thanks MM,

informative as usual!

You're welcome... (I did have to look up the answer to your question in the MVM though. ;-))

 

[Outrigger2]

got the bill from the vet from testing calves, it's about $5.25/calf. expensive, but worth it in the long run

 

[gulfso]

So far the anticipated cost are $3 for the state lab for each test and vet charges $90 per hours plus a $75 farm call. Cost of vaccine $150. (I am going to vaccinate all as we do the test. I think this would be a time saver for later)

I suspect that after the first time thru of testing I will do it myself. IF we have our act together, cows in the pen medications and testing supplies ready along with some free help I think we can probably do the heard in about 4-6 hours.

 

[MikeC]

So far the anticipated cost are $3 for the state lab for each test and vet charges $90 per hours plus a $75 farm call. Cost of vaccine $150. (I am going to vaccinate all as we do the test. I think this would be a time saver for later)

I suspect that after the first time thru of testing I will do it myself. IF we have our act together, cows in the pen medications and testing supplies ready along with some free help I think we can probably do the heard in about 4-6 hours.

Good luck. I went through the BVD thing once.