The Rural Voice, 2005-07, Page 49The leading edge
Cattle medicines can be deadly to
producers who aren't careful
Learning the finer points of
administering needles could save a
cattle handler's life, according to a
Saskatchewan veterinarian.
Mishandling cattle vaccines can
lead to mangled meat and dead
ranchers, said John Campbell,
professor at University of
Saskatchewan's Western College of
Veterinary Medicine.
"Micotil is the big one. That's the
one that hit the news in the past
couple of years."
There have been two reported
cases of people who have died from
accidentally injecting themselves with
the antibiotic which is primarily used
to treat respiratory diseases in cattle.
In one case in 2003, a 38 -year-old
Nebraska cattle producer was
attempting to treat one heifer when a
pregnant longhorn cow in an adjacent
pen charged a gate. The rancher fell
on top of an uncapped needle in his
pocket. He managed to stumble a few
meters to a phone and called his wife
for help but died later in the
emergency room.
Campbell told producers attending
the first annual Stock Person's
School, organized by the Farm
Animal Council of Saskatchewan that
there is a lesson in this tragic story for
all people working with cattle.
The best piece of advice he could
give to people who must work with
the deadly drug, he said, is never carry
a loaded syringe in their pocket or
mouth. "It's a recipe for disaster if
that's Micotil in your pocket. don't do
it."
Other rules of thumb include
keeping a cap on the needle, only
injecting properly restrained animals,
not reusing Micotil syringes and
needles, avoiding automatic syringes
and keeping the drug away from
children.
Producers who do accidentally
inject themselves are advised to take
the product label with them to the
hospital. It tells doctors that while the
patient may be displaying symptoms
of a heart attack, cardiac drugs might
make matters worse. While Micotil
can be deadly, an injection of less
than one cc will likely result in
nothing more than serious local
swelling. "I've probably done that to
myself," Campbell confessed.
He said producers should also
exercise caution when handling
topical insecticides such as Spotton,
Neguvon, Cylence and Tiguvon,
many of which have organophos-
phates that can target enzymes in the
nervous system. Wear gloves and
protective clothing and eye wear. It's
a good idea to wash thoroughly with
soap and water after handling them.
Other pour -ons such as Ivomec,
Cydectin, Megamectin and Dectomax
are much less toxic to humans.0
— Source: Western Producer
Montana dog sniffs out noxious weeds
There's a new soldier in Montana's war against noxious weeds: a dog named
Knapweed Nightmare.
With its black and brown coat, perky ears and lolling pink tongue. Nightmare
looks like an ordinary family pet. but it's a professionally trained dog with a
single-minded goal: sniffing out knapweed.
While scent detection dogs are used widely across the world searching for
everything from narcotics to land mines to lost children, Knapweed Nightmare
may be the only dog trained to find noxious weeds, according to Kim Goodwin.
rangeland noxious weed project specialist at Montana State University. The
weeds displace native plants and can permanently damage ecosystems. Spotted
knapweed alone has a $46 million annual impact on Montana cattle producers.
Weeds also affect fish and wildlife habitat, which in turn hurts the recreation and
tourism industries.
Nightmare is undergoing rigorous training which. once completed. will lead
to a series of ever -more -difficult performance tests.0
— Source: Montana State University
Studb.shows manure
application sustainable
A Saskatchewan study shows
that manure applied at agronomic
rates is a sustainable management
practice if the rate of application is
in balance with crop nutrient needs.
Jeff Schoenau. soil scientist at
the University of Saskatchewan. is
the lead scientist on the research
project.
"Our intent was to develop
guidelines and recommendations
as to how the nutrients and organic
matter in manures are best utilized
in an agronomic and environ-
mentally -sustainable manner." said
Schoenau. "We have in place four
long-term manure research trial
sites across Saskatchewan w here
we are looking at different rates.
sequences and methods of
application of manure."
The scientists measured soil
properties including nutrient
content. organic matter. soil struct-
ure. crop yield and quality. Teams
worked mostly with hog manure
but also with cattle manure.
"We found that when manure is
applied at agronomic recommend-
ed rates. which may he accom-
plished by manure testing and soil
testing to determine the appropriate
rate and balance of manure and
fertilizer nutrients to meet the crop
demand. we see no evidence of
nutrient loading or any negative
effect on quality of the soil."
There is a caveat to this finding.
however.
"We do see e‘ idence of nutrient
buildup. increased losses by
leeching or denitrification. in
situations where agronomic rates
are exceeded. Respecting
agronomic rates is also key to
good yield responses to the
nutrients contained in the manure
over sustained periods.
"We found that with injected
liquid manure. we consistently
achieved better crop recovery of
nutrients and yields. which is the
most desirable outcome. than w ith
surface broadcast applications "
--Source: Western Prndlut it
JULY 2005 -15