The Rural Voice, 1990-11, Page 16Avoid the
Cold
Shoulder
Single or multi -room,
automatic propane
heating comfort '
without costly duct
wottt and registers.
Front, optional side
and rear outlets.
Perfect for homes
without basements.
Sizes available /
from 35,000
to 85,000
BTUs.
on Hunter or Warm
0% Financing* Morning Wall Furnaces
See the many quality propane wall
furnaces from Superior Propane that
will keep more than your shoulders
warm. Ideal for heating the home,
cottage, workshop, garage, or any place
you need fast, reliable heat. And
they're backed by the power of safe,
dependable propane.
With Superior Propane's financing,
you pay absolutely no interest for one
year. Or choose a term of up to five
years, at competitive financing.
Minimum of 10% down payment
required. Come today to your local
Superior Propane Branch and ask for
all the details.
Offer expires November 30, 1990.
•Ponding credit approval.
Superior wi%`
Walkerton
Hwy. 9 W.
519-881-1270
Owen Sound
Hwy. 70
519-376-6735
Stratford
519-271-0810
1-800-265-4915
Goderich
519-524-2661
All models may not be available at all Branches.
While supplies last. Models shown may contain
options that are available at extra cost.
12 THE RURAL VOICE
DIAGNOSTICS
THE
SHIPPING FEVER COMPLEX
by Dr. G.K.A. JOSEPHSON, VETERINARY LABORATORY SERVICES
The cattle feedlot industry suffers
more economic losses from shipping
fever than from any other disease.
This severe, fibrinopurulent (with both
a fibrin and purulent response),
necrotizing pneumonia affects cattle
within two weeks of their arrival on
the feedlot. It is estimated that 75 per
cent of all illnesses and 65 per cent of
all deaths in the feedlot are related to
shipping fever. The condition is
characterized by sudden onset, high
body temperatures and pneumonia.
Occasionally diarrhoea is also noted,
sometimes with the presence of blood.
Deaths can occur suddenly, and
animals may be found dead before
they are noticed to be sick.
The classical "shipping fever
equation" of stress plus primary viral
infection plus secondary bacterial
infection has been recognized for
many years and is still accepted as the
cause. Whether or not clinical disease
occurs following the shipping fever
equation depends on many factors,
including the size (or numbers) of the
infecting organism, its pathogenicity
and the immunity of the individual
animal. Management practices also
influence the outcome. The Bruce
County Beef Project in 1978-80,
identified many of the on-farm factors
associated with mortality and
treatment costs, and these results have
been confirmed by other studies.
Stress is an important cause of the
disease. Transportation over long
distances, particularly without
adequate rest and feeding periods,
causes exhaustion and reduced
resistance. Fluctuations in temp-
erature and humidity, along with the
confining of calves have also been
identified as stressing agents. Mixing
groups of animals, vaccinating on
arrival, and feeding corn silage
increased the risk of disease. When
several of these factors are combined,
the incidence and severity of
pneumonia increases dramatically.
Many viruses can be involved.
Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis,
Bovine Virus Diarrhoea,
Parainfluenza -3 and Bovine
Respiratory Syncitial Virus have all
been identified. Since viral infections
do not respond to antibiotics,
vaccination is highly recommended.
However to be effective, vaccines
must be given preferably two weeks
before the animal is exposed to the
virus, and often two injections of the
vaccine must be given.
Mycoplasma organisms, along
with bacteria such as Hemophilus
somnus, Pasteurella Multocida, and
Pasteurella hemolytica are often
identified in outbreaks of shipping
fever. Many of these bacteria are
found in the nasal cavities of normal
healthy calves and spread to the lungs
where they cause a problem only after
the animal has been stressed.
Antibiotics are used against bacteria,
but to be successful, early detection
of sick animals is important. The
antibiotic to use is one that has worked
in the past or one that is recommended
by a diagnostic laboratory after the
organism has been identified and a
sensitivity test performed. The use
of mass medication through the water
gives unreliable results and cannot be
depended on to prevent an outbreak
from occurring.
Good nursing care is important.
Adequate shelter, regulation of
temperature and humidity, good
ventilation, dust control, proper
sanitation, and good nutrition all help
reduce the impact of a serious
outbreak.
At present, a single, reliable
vaccine for the prevention of shipping
fever is not available. The purchase of
calves that have been preconditioned
however, can greatly reduce the
incidence of disease, as they have
been weaned, vaccinated against many