Antibiotic Selection and Use

DURABLE CURE, A management program that returns sick animals to a productive state and significantly reduces costly relapses. The goal of the DURABLE CURE program is two-fold: 1) A first-time treated animal is more likely to become a high-performing, profitable animal again; and 2) That animal stays with its group mates and does not suffer a disease relapse.

D.A.R.T. An acronym for the four areas that MUST be thoroughly assessed and monitored, especially in high stress or cattle with a high risk of developing disease. DART stands for; Depression, Appetite, Respiratory index and Temperature.

All four areas must be returning to normal before treatment is discontinued. It is very important to monitor the first three items on all cattle everyday.

Try to address an animal’s disease condition during the early stages. This will greatly improve the treatment response and minimize production loss associated with disease.

Sick Animal Evaluation: Daily monitoring of animals under going treatment is a key factor in the success of the DURABLE CURESM program. If each DART element - Depression, Appetite, Respiratory index and Temperature - is normal, and the treatment cycle has been completed, then the animal is ready to its production group (medication withdrawals met as appropriate). If any one of the factors is not normal, then the animal MUST remain for treatment and evaluation. Questions or concerns about the animals treatment response should be discussed with your veterinarian.

Depression: Depression is rated on four levels: normal, mild, moderate and severe. A normal animal is alert and moves with its group mates. Mild depression may include signs like droopy ears or head, but the animal is easily stimulated into normal behavior. Moderate depression means an animal appears listless and acts sore. It responds to stimulation but does not behave like its group mates. An animal with severe depression is too weak to walk and looks close to dying.

Moving animals from its group to the treatment pen can influence behavior. An animal can easily move from severe depression to moderate or from moderate to mild. Cattle health checkers should carefully note the animal's behavior in the home pen and communicate that to the person responsible for treating the sick animal.

Appetite: One of the first signs of many systemic diseases, such as respiratory, intestinal or severe reproductive infections can be loss of appetite. Animals are going off feed when they fail to show interest in feed. Watch your animal’s response to feed deliver. If they do not appear interested something may be wrong. Try to catch animals before they have been off feed long enough to lack fill and appear - gaunt.

One of the goals of therapy is return to full appetite, so it's important to closely monitor animals being treated for disease. Animals with a full appetite will have a full rumen, and a normal shaped flank. Ideally, the animal should be weighed daily, but this is seldom practical.

Respiratory Index: An additional sign of many systemic diseases is an irregular breathing pattern. This is especially true if the animal is suffering from respiratory disease. Its respiratory rate can be accelerated, its effort to take breaths can be exaggerated, and the depth of its breaths can be noticeably different. Essentially, an animal's respiratory index is abnormal when its rate, depth and effort differ from those of its normal group mates.

The respiratory index is determined by observing respiratory effort, pattern of expiration and the rate of expiration. Unless the person responsible for medial treatments uses a stethoscope to listen to lungs, close visual observation is a must.

Temperature: The normal temperature of a healthy cow or calf is approximately 102.5° F. The temperature can is influence not only by disease, but by the animal’s environment, housing, and temperament. Remember if appropriate; adjust your definition of normal temperature to account for these factors.

Rectal temperature is influenced by a number of factors. However, an animal with a temperature of 104° F or higher that also has abnormal depression, appetite and respiratory index scores probably is suffering from an infective process than will require additional evaluation and potential medical treatment. Measurement of temperature should be performed at a time of day - early morning or early evening - when it's least likely to be influenced by ambient temperature. Temperatures of infected animals tend to spike and respond quickly once treatment begins. But the animal's temperature must remain normal day after day, which requires monitoring the animal for at least three consecutive days.