Dr. Mark Thomas returns to the basics when he works with veterinary students or on-farm staff. He focuses on five major areas that can be checked with limited equipment:
- Udder
- Uterus
- GI system (abomasum)
- Lungs
- Metabolic
Source: Dairy Herd Management, January 3, 2018.
Some might argue this oversimplifies the many organ systems and diseases that can affect a cow, but let’s really keep in mind what is most common and what we can treat successfully. Sure we need to look at the eyes, skin and listen to the heart, but in terms of common transition cow diseases, if we can rule out issues in these five systems we will likely find the cow’s issue.
INSIGHTS: Animal health pros who interact with dairy herdsmen and personnel will benefit from reviewing Dr. Thomas’ simplified approach. Remember that training is a continuous process on dairy farms with routine staff turnover, changing herd sizes and weather conditions.