The use of a new process known as ‘thoracic ultrasound’ for detecting bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in cattle was recently highlighted at the Teagasc National Beef Conference.
The event took place on Tuesday evening, November 19, at the Landmark Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim, and at the event, research officer in beef herd health at Teagasc Grange, Dr. John Donlon, delivered a presentation on BRD looking at its causes (both viral and bacterial) and highlighted the most appropriate strategies to take on farm to limit its impact.
The vet said “there are new diagnostic methods coming on track for BRD” and explained that the probe used for the thoracic ultrasound process “is the same one used in pregnancy diagnosis”.
The non-invasive procedure has been carried out on suckler weanlings in Grange and the vet explained that “it’s quick, easy to do and a lot of the vets will have the probe”.
On the potential role of thoracic ultrasound in the future, Dr. Donlon said: “By scanning the lungs, it allows us to detect subclinical pneumonia in animals that aren’t actually showing rapid breathing, are not coughing and don’t have nasal discharge.
“This method allows us to identify subclinical animals and treat them before the show clinical signs, it’s quite useful.”
On his hopes for this technology in the field, Dr. Donlon said vets are beginning to become interested in its role and training courses are being organised by other vets, but that it won’t be available on farm in the immediate future.
BRD prevention on farm
Even when best practice is followed in terms of weaning management, he explained that there may be instances when pneumonia or BRD occurs, and advised farmers to monitor weanlings closely post weaning for any early signs.
On limiting the impact of BRD within a suckler herd, Dr. Donlon said that a multi-faceted approach is needed, encompassing animal-based factors such as weaning stress, the causative pathogens, and the environment and air quality to which the suckler weanlings are exposed.
He said: “For prevention, you need to look at reducing animal stress, improving the animal’s immunity to pathogens through vaccination and controlling concurrent parasite burden.”
The importance of appropriate weaning procedures as a strategy to reduce stress were also detailed, and he detailed the positive impacts of creep grazing, meal feeding and a gradual weaning process.