Want to improve bovine respiratory disease management? Look at your relationship with your veterinarian.

Industry Voice by Zoetis

September 1, 2017

2 Min Read
Strong veterinary relationship. Better BRD management.

When you’re in an emergency room, the doctor treats your immediate problem. But at your family physician’s office, your doctor works to prevent a trip to the emergency room in the first place. Is your relationship with your veterinarian reactive, like the first scenario, or is it proactive, like the latter?

It can make a big difference for your success in managing bovine respiratory disease (BRD) for your operation.

If your veterinarian understands your goals and objectives, he or she can recommend ways to help prevent and control BRD, beyond just treating a sick animal. To accomplish this, it’s important to work closely with your veterinarian — like your family physician — to share what’s most important to you.

Does your veterinarian know if you plan to pass the operation on to your son or daughter? Is he or she aware of the management constraints you want to overcome or if you plan to expand the business this year?

This type of relationship — where your veterinarian understands what you’re trying to accomplish, and you value what the veterinarian can bring to the table — can have big results.

Help control BRD before it escalates. 

It’s not just about solving a problem today. Your veterinarian can make recommendations that can lead to sustainable improvements in your operation. For instance, if you have commingled calves and you’re not using a product that is effective against the four major BRD pathogens your calves could still be vulnerable. Depending on the disease risks in your area, your veterinarian can recommend the right products to protect cattle health and your long-term profitability.

Successfully treat BRD the first time.

If you need to re-pull cattle you’ve already treated, your chance of getting a response with subsequent treatments can decrease significantly. Your veterinarian can evaluate the antibiotic you’re using and recommend management strategies to improve success.

Promote responsible use of antibiotics.

Your veterinarian can recommend ways to promote cattle health, improve treatment outcomes and help keep antibiotics effective and available in the future.

Achieve your goals.

Whether these are health outcomes for your cattle, financial goals for your business or ways to improve the quality of life for you or your employees, your veterinarian can help you develop the right BRD management program to deliver results that matter.

Your veterinarian helps contribute to your success. Your success factors into their success. Keep having these conversations regularly with your veterinarian and you’ll see results.

Next steps: Visit BRD-Solutions.com for some helpful conversation starters about managing BRD.

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