Spring vaccinations can reduce summer respiratory disease and improve weaning success.
Changing weather conditions and stress from working or transporting calves opens the door for the viruses and bacteria that cause summer pneumonia. The vaccinations a cattleman gives this spring can help reduce the risk of summer pneumonia and prepare calves successfully for fall weaning.
“Summer pneumonia is a real challenge and can occur during dry or wet weather conditions,” said Jon Seeger, DVM, managing veterinarian with Zoetis. “With INFORCE™ 3 we see a great value in the rapid, lasting immune response to the intranasal administration in the spring with young calves.”
For Jorgensen Land and Cattle near Ideal, South Dakota, INFORCE 3 is an important part of their respiratory vaccination protocol. “We were struggling with respiratory disease outbreaks in the bulls we received from our cooperator herds,” said Cody Jorgensen, a partner in this operation that sells 3,700 plus bulls each year. “We worked with our local veterinarian and experts from Zoetis to create a vaccination protocol that has essentially eliminated our respiratory problems heading into fall.”
Jorgensen says the protocol begins with an INFORCE 3 administration at birth, followed by a second dose of INFORCE 3 at branding/turnout time. They will also give ONE SHOT® BVD and ULTRABAC® 7 vaccinations at turnout time, along with DECTOMAX®Injectable for parasite control.
“We simply don’t have the respiratory issues that we used to have since we implemented this protocol in our own operation and with our cooperator herds,” said Jorgensen.
Vaccinating young calves in the springtime will help you and the calf win the fight against summer pneumonia before it begins. “A vaccination program is like sending the calf’s immune system to school,” Dr. Seeger said. “It’s important for producers to vaccinate calves before putting them out for summer so calves can develop the proper immune capabilities.”
“Anything abnormal to the animal’s environment or daily activity can be a stress factor, and young calves’ immune systems must compensate for it,” Dr. Seeger said. “When calves are taken out of their normal comfort zone, keep an eye on them for at least the next seven to 10 days to make sure sickness doesn’t follow the associated stress.”
To learn more about giving calves a healthy start, visit CompleteCalfProtection.com.
About Zoetis
Zoetis is the leading animal health company, dedicated to supporting its customers and their businesses. Building on more than 60 years of experience in animal health, Zoetis discovers, develops, manufactures and markets veterinary vaccines and medicines, complemented by diagnostic products, genetic tests, biodevices and a range of services. Zoetis serves veterinarians, livestock producers and people who raise and care for farm and companion animals with sales of its products in more than 100 countries. In 2016, the company generated annual revenue of $4.9 billion with approximately 9,000 employees. For more information, visit www.zoetisUS.com.
