Pneumonia is one of the most common diseases affecting young cattle, with approximately one third of all calves suffering from the disease at some time.
Thousands of Irish cattle die each year from respiratory disease and tens of thousands more, often referred to as ‘Respiratory Cripples’, never reach their full live-weight potential, due to ill-thrift associated with chronic pneumonia.
Calf pneumonia is a huge drain on resources, both physically and financially. An outbreak of pneumonia will cost on average around €130 per infected calf. Research also shows that it’s not just the infected calves that cost you money. Despite showing few visible signs, apparently unaffected calves in a group can also suffer reduced liveweight gain, needing increased time and additional feeding to reach finishing weight.
Calf respiratory disease/pneumonia is a complex condition. Many factors contribute to pneumonia in calves.
Risk Factors:
Herd health programmes for respiratory disease should concentrate on removing or reducing these risk factors and minimising the exposure to disease agents – particularly the primary causes, which are preventable. Good management and the concurrent use of appropriate vaccines now will significantly reduce the amount of clinical pneumonia in your herd.
Always apply first principles when treating sick animals i.e. remove and treat sick animals from the group to prevent further disease transmission. Concurrent BVDv infection within the herd will cause widespread suppression of the animals’ immune systems, leading to increased severity of all diseases, particularly calf pneumonia.
Respiratory vaccines ‘prime’ the calf’s immune system to fight the viral pneumonia. Make sure you choose a vaccine that provides protection against the major causes of viral pneumonia. Talk to your vet today to give your herd the start it deserves and prevent problems arising later on.
Reference:Ryan,E.G. & O’Grady, L.E. (2004) The economics of infectious and production diseases in dairy herds. In: Herd Health Planning. Published by: Veterinary Ireland.
Pneumonia in young stock is one of the most economically important diseases occurring in Ireland. Recent studies show that Respiratory Disease may account for up to 50% of all treatments on Irish Farms, with the total cost of treating one individual animal for viral pneumonia calculated at €136.03.
Total cost = Direct cost + Indirect costs
Direct costs include treatment cost, vet fees and herdsman’s time. Direct costs are estimated at less than 40% of the total cost of the disease.
Indirect (hidden) costs are more difficult to quantify but consist mainly of reduced live weight gain resulting in extra time, feed and labour needed to finish the affected cattle. A rule of thumb commonly used is Total costs incurred from an outbreak of pneumonia are 2.5 x Direct Costs
Vaccinating your animals against the most important disease agents of Viral Pneumonia will help protect your herd against these hidden losses. Vaccination aids the animal’s immune system in fighting the disease, minimising the effects of the disease and the associated treatment costs.
Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV) and Parainfluenza Type 3 (P13)are the two most destructive common pneumonia viruses. BRSV causes severe damage to the lung tissue (which can be fatal), while P13 damages the lining of the upper respiratory tract and interferes with the body's defences.
Active BVDv infection in a herd will result in widespread immunosuppression within a group of young weanlings. This immunosuppression will open the door for viral pneumonia to affect your herd.
Rispoval 3 is the only one vaccine available that protects against three key viruses associated with vial pnewmonia - RSV, PI3, BVD. A full vaccination course (2 shots) prior to high risk/stress periods provides optimal protection against these major pathogens. For younger calves, vaccination with Rispoval RS + P13 Intranasal provides one-shot protection against BRSV and P13. Vaccination against another key virus, IBR, can also be given using Rispoval IBR Marker vaccines (Live or Inactivated).
Remember, Viral Pneumonia can result in deaths, failure to thrive and downgrading of carcases at slaughter. It also leads to increased labour and costs input.
The cost benefit analysis of a vaccination program for Beef Calves is 6:1. This illustrates that a pneumonia vaccination program costing €600 is preventing a potential loss of €3,600 from a pneumonia outbreak.
Talk to your vet today about investing in the best Pneumonia Prevention Program.