TriCounty Veterinary Center Blog

February is National Pet Dental Health Month

January 11, 2023

Good oral health is more than just a pretty smile.

Poor dental hygiene can put both your pet’s health and your pocket book at risk. “Dog breath” – or a cat with a foul-smelling mouth – can be a sign of untreated dental conditions. If left untreated, you may put your pet at risk for greater problems such as periodontitis or heart disease. 

Routine cleanings can help prevent periodontal disease and save money in the long run.  A 2014 analysis conducted by Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. showed that the average cost per pet to prevent dental disease is just one-third of the average cost of treating dental disease.

More importantly, a complete oral examination can detect hidden health problems. Even if your pet’s breath smells fine, there still could be dental conditions that are hard to spot without a complete veterinary exam.

Schedule your pet’s dental checkup with us now. We’ll do a thorough checkup to make sure your pet is at optimum health. We also can show you how to brush your pet’s teeth in between exams. Brushing is the single most effective thing you can do to keep your pet’s teeth healthy between dental cleanings. If your pet is in need of a professional cleaning, or other work, we offer a $20 discount in February. Dental supplies, such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, are also 10% off!

We’re committed to your pet’s health and wellness, and we know that you are as well. Book your appointment today!

Preconditioning calves primes their health through all stages of production

Last Updated on Saturday, 14 March 2015 10:37

Written by Natasha Wheeler

“A calf that is vaccinated on the ranch and weaned on the trailer is not a preconditioned calf,” states Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute Director of Outreach Dave Rethorst.

“I like to define preconditioning as calves that are vaccinated, weaned on the ranch, fed on the ranch for 45 days and then marketed,” he adds.

After 45 days, the calves have completed weaning, been started on feed and are ready to be moved to the feed yard or other operations.

Preconditioning process

“We are preparing these calves for the next stage of their lives and trying to keep them alive without wasting resources,” Rethorst notes.

A preconditioned calf is familiar with a feed bunk and a water tank, and they have been immunized, dewormed, castrated and dehorned.

“The difference is in the pounds,” he comments, noting that preconditioned calves may cost more, but their value will also be higher.

Nearly 750,000 cow/calf producers in the U.S. funnel their calves into a few thousand feedlots, which funnel into only a small number of packers.

“We want to develop the immune system of these animals, so they can go through all of these phases,” Rethorst continues.

Early impacts

Developing the immune system begins early in life, says Rethorst, who mentions that impacts occur even before birth through a process called fetal programming.

He became interested in fetal programming at a veterinary consultants’ meeting at the University of Nebraska, when he heard about a study involving protein in a cow’s diet during her last trimester of gestation.

Supplementation

“Steer calves out of supplemented cows performed better in the feed yard, and heifers out of supplemented cows performed better reproductively,” Rethorst explains.

His own studies involve trace minerals.

“If we were going to cheat cows on trace minerals, it was during mid- to late gestation,” he comments, adding that is the worst possible time to do so.

Shorting the cow on nutrients at that time robs the developing fetus of minerals essential to its development.

“That last third of gestation is when the cow is dumping trace minerals to the calf and priming its immune system,” he says.

The immune system of the fetus begins to work around 120 days or at about four months of gestation.

“It makes sense that we should be fortifying the cow’s diet so that when the calf hits the ground, it is able to fight off E. coli, Salmonella, Crypto and other causes of scours,” he explains.

Research at the University of Wyoming is beginning to show that an energy deficiency late in gestation leads to smaller organs, such as the brain and pancreas.

“Focusing on fetal programing is important, whether it’s protein, macro or micro minerals,” he states.

Castrating and dehorning

After the calf is born, it should be dehorned and castrated as young as possible, according to Rethorst.

“If we’re handling them at birth, and mom isn’t snorting in our pocket, let’s take care of castration when we put the ear tag in,” he suggests.

He adds that it should at least be done within the first few months to reduce stress on the animal.

“If we are using breeds that have a polled option available, let’s take the horns off when we turn the bull out,” he says.

Otherwise, dehorning should be done while the animals are still babies, with burning or paste.

“Deworming is another thing that we can do to get one step closer to an immune system that works right,” he adds.

Preventing exposure to pathogens will help the calves stay healthy.

Vaccine

“When it comes to vaccine, it’s all about timing and building,” Rethorst continues.

He recommends working with a veterinarian to develop the right combination.

“On spring calving cows, we want to start vaccinating these calves this spring,” he says.

Rethorst believes that preconditioning calves helps insure they are strong and healthy throughout the next stages of production.

“We are talking about preparing calves for transfer from one segment of the industry to another,” he explains.

Natasha Wheeler is editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be contacted at natasha@wylr.net.

From Dr. Laurin, August 16, 2017

Beef Cattle Hoof Care

Summer is a time of the year you can relax, have all of your cattle put out to grass, and think about things like farming, family vacations, footrot and pinkeye.  Hoof issues in cows and bulls can have a detrimental effect to your calving season, your time, and the health and well-being of the herd. 

We put in a hydraulic roll over chute two years ago.  After doing so, we have seen a lot of sole abscesses on bulls on grass and on feed.  These can be treated, and response can be remarkable.  In some breeds and with some genetics, toes overgrow and become corkscrew.  Those can be trimmed as well with our chute.

If you find one lame on pasture, please come in and visit with us.  If it is simply footrot, a dose of antibiotics given very early in the infection can show remarkable results within 1-2 days.  If you are not seeing that, we recommend bringing the animal in.  When we identify the foot issue, we typically will put a shoe on the other toe.  Once that shoe is on, the animal now doesn't bear weight on the sore toe, and starts walking well fast.