Ultrasound for Calf Health

Did you say ultrasound for my health?

Just as little children can become unwell, so can baby calves. Dairy farmers do everything in their power to make sure their calves and cows are always healthy and take great steps in order to prevent them from getting sick. Vaccine use and housing calves in an environment with good air flow are examples of some of the preventative steps taken by farmers to ensure a calf's well-being. Occasionally, calves will get sick no matter how well the farmer takes care of them. An illness found often times in calves, is pneumonia.

Pneumonia in calves is also called calf respiratory disease. When farmers check their calves for this illness, they will look for various symptoms to confirm if it is pneumonia or if something else is affecting their health. Symptoms in calves typically will be: a fever, coughing, a drooping head, feed intake is declining, heart rate increasing and mucus is coming out of its nose. If a farmer sees these symptoms in a calf, they will consult with their veterinarian for treating the sick animal. The calf is then given its prescribed amount of medicine until it returns to its normal healthy self.

A veterinarian uses ultrasound technology to
check for respiratory problems in a calf.

How does the dairy farmer know if the calf is healthy again? Thanks to new advancements in technology, a farmer can tell in a matter of minutes rather than days or weeks. Veterinarians are now able to come out to the farm and observe the calves internal condition with the use of a portable ultrasound system. The vet goes from calf to calf and looks for signs of any damage in their lungs. Blood clots, abscesses and free fluid in the lungs are images the vet will be able to see using the ultrasound. Treating these in time may heal most of the damage that has occurred. In rare cases, the damage that has been done to the lungs will not heal properly. This gives a disadvantage to the calf's growth and development as she becomes older.

Pictured below are actual ultrasound photos taken of different calves with various lung conditions.

An ultrasound of a calf's healthy lung.

This calf has abscesses in their lung.
Notice the bulgy area near the top of the ultrasound.

The "comet tailing" in a calf's lungs can
mean there is fluid flowing around inside.

The experienced vet is able to figure out what a healthy lung should look like by looking on the ultrasound screen. The technology will allow the vet to answer questions such as: Is the vet doing a good job at diagnosing pneumonia?, Is the medicine that is being used effective? and Are the farmer’s preventative steps and vaccines working? Knowing the answers to questions like these help the farmer in deciding what actions to take if his calves get pneumonia. They will also assist the farmer is determining what new ways he can use in order to prevent his calves from getting sick in the future.

Technology like ultrasound is a huge asset to the dairy world. It makes the farmer's job easier in monitoring their animals' health and assists veterinarians in diagnosing illnesses with an inside view. Thanks for reading and until next time, have a dairy good day!

Information located at:

http://www.agweb.com/livestock/dairy/blog/Dairy_Today_Healthline_295/using_ultrasound_to_assess_calf_health/

http://www.dairyco.org.uk/technical-information/animal-health-welfare/biosecurity-and-diseases/diseases/calf-pneumonia/#.VCOLIPldWSo

Photos located at:

http://rebloggy.com/post/cute-animal-baby-animal-imgur-baby-cow-calf/31455043746

http://www.eimedical.com/blog/?Tag=calf+lung+ultrasound

http://www.hoards.com/intel/131007_art4

Start at the beginning...

My Brown Swiss cow, Beyonce, and I at the county fair.

Hello and welcome everyone to A Dairy Good Life! My name is Carlie Krueger and I will be the writer of this blog. First things first: introducing myself. I come from a small town in farthest southeast corner of Minnesota called Caledonia. A couple miles out of town you will find my family owned dairy farm where we milk about forty cows of various breeds. In my younger years, I was an active member in my 4-H club showing my dairy cows at the local county fair and volunteering around the community. In high school, I was also very active in our town’s FFA (Future Farmers of America) chapter where I participated in dairy judging. Currently, I am a sophomore majoring in agricultural communications with a minor in animal science at North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota (Go Bison!).

As one might have already guessed from the title of my blog or the web link address, I have a big passion for anything relating to the dairy community. My goal with this blog is that I will be able to reach an audience that may or may not have any knowledge or experience with dairy. Talking about the different ways to get more information about the dairy industry, answering why Blanche the dairy cow looks different than Eleanor the beef cow, and speaking about the different dairy breeds in the United States are some of the things I intend to write about in my blog.

The seven major breeds of dairy cows.

Another area in the dairy community I am looking forward to write about are ways you can add more dairy products to your meals. Did you know that milk has nine, yes, you read that correctly, nine essential nutrients in just a single eight ounce glass? Wow! The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that children and adults receive three cups of fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products in their meals each day. I hope to post some great tips and yummy recipes along the way that contain the wonderful wholesome product that is milk.

Milk, cheese, and yogurt are always great choices!

This is just the beginning of my various posts and my wish for you as readers is to leave this blog with better and clearer knowledge of a lifestyle that I have grown up in and have grown to love. Until next time, remember your three servings and have a dairy good day!

Information and pictures located at:

(http://www.drink-milk.com/health-wellness/3-every-day.aspx#.VBNtpvldWSo)

(http://www.purebreddairycattle.com/pages/Breeds.php)