FARM HEALTH NEWSLETTER
MEDFORD VETERINARY CLINIC
February 2013
Medford office 715-748-2341
Dr. R.L. Shiffler
Dr. H.H. Hildebrandt
Dr. J.M. Osen
Colby Office 715-223-2858
Dr. M. Ortengren
Dr. C.A. Miller
Dr. B.M. Grandaw
www.medfordvet.com
Dr. H.J. Grandaw
Dr. M.R. Moodie
Dr. A.L. Ahles
Serving the dairy industry by providing prevention, treatment, and promoting efficiency – since 1958
Mammillitits
Local Dairy Meetings
Bovine Ulcerative Mammillitis is a
condition seen most commonly in fresh heifers
during the winter months. It is caused by a herpes
virus and is difficult both to prevent and treat.
Heifers with edematous udders around freshening
are at greater risk for mammillitis. Once this virus
is present on a farm it is very difficult to eliminate.
Some closed dairy herds may be free of the
mammillitis virus, and these herds could be
susceptible to larger outbreaks in the event of
infection, even in older cows.
Midwest Manure Summit –
Feb. 26-27 Green Bay, WI
Technologies and strategies used to handle
and process manure.
Register online at www.midwestmanure.com
Prevention of mammillitis is similar to
mastitis- clean animals, clean environments, good
milking procedures, and healthy udders/teats.
Treating udder edema in heifers early with
diuretics, topicals, or steroids is important.
Isolating affected animals is important as this is
contagious, and iodine based teat dips are
recommended to kill the virus.
Herpes Mammillitis usually starts out as a
blister or boil on the teat, breaks open to become
an ulcer, and spreads over the teat and udder. The
lesion or discolored area will die, become leathery
and eventually peel and fall off. This may be a
small or very large area and severe cases can lead
to gangrenous mastitis and loss of entire quarters.
Affected teats are painful, often difficult to milk
out, and easily lead to mastitis.
There is no actual treatment for this
disease, so therapy is focused on supportive care
such as topical emollients and teat bandages. In
many cases, it may be necessary to consider
culling affected animals.
Winter Pasture Walk for Beef Producers Feb. 23 Halopka Farm- Stetsonville, WI
Winter Feeding strategies to maintain
cattle health while enhancing pasture fertility.
Call 715-748-3327 for more information.
Wisconsin Dairy & Beef Husbandry
Conference
March 8 Kimberly, WI
Focusing on cattle husbandry and wellbeing, a program developed by UW-Extension.
Register online at
fyi.uwex.edu/animalhusbandryconference\
2013 Cattle Feeder Clinic
Feb. 20 Stanley, WI
Workshop for cattle feeders on health
management, economics, and food safety.
More info online at clark.uwex.edu
Crop Production 101
Feb. 25-27 in Marathon, Abbotsford, and Sheldon
The basics a farm manager needs to know
on deciding for crop inputs.
Call 715-743-5121 for more information.
Nutrient Management Planning
Several dates and places available
Course to develop a nutrient management
plan using software to meet the NRCS
requirement.
Call 715-803-1861 for more information.