What is Dairy Production Medicine?

VE TE R INAR Y ME DIC INE TE AC HING AND RE S E AR C H CE NTE R S enior R otations in Dairy P roduc tion Medic ine LE AR NING OB J E C T IV E S What is Dairy Production Medicine? Production medicine is the utilization of many facets of production, e.g. nutrition, environment, genetics, and health, into a well-managed program monitored by records (Herrick 1990). Important areas where a veterinarian can help the dairy farm become more profitable are: Animal Welfare: through on-farm visits, understand the relationship between individual animal health, food supply personnel, and the herd. Nutrition: Increase dry matter intake and milk production through nutrition and cow comfort. Milk Quality: Reduction of somatic cell count (SCC) through mastitis control and prevention. Reproduction: Improve reproductive efficiency of the herd. Decrease the age at first calving through heifer management programs. Herd Management: Advised on management to improve effective labor and facilities utilization. Disease management: surveillance, diagnostics (pathologists in the animal diagnostic laboratory), disease prevention (vaccines, animal health/care, treatment). On-farm food safety: through discussions on and off the farm regarding food animal production agriculture and food safety issues. The learning objectives described here for 4 th -year veterinary students interested in modern food animal production medicine address all these areas. T he R otation This rotation has four overall objectives: 1) To provide dairy production medicine clinical settings where students can apply knowledge and techniques and participate in health and production medicine delivery systems. 2) To provide exposure to contemporary dairy production and population medicine programs. 3) To identify clinical laboratory and information resources useful in dairy production medicine programs and practice. 4) To develop students ability to communicate with producers and farm employees in a production medicine environment. November 09

2 T he firs t day of eac h rotation will c ons is t of: 1) Orientation: Discuss learning objectives Provide list of reading materials: - Pioneer Forage Manual: A Nutritional Guide (Yours to Keep) - Working with DairyComp305 A brief primer - Body Condition Scoring - Body Condition Scoring Worksheet - Particle Size Separator Worksheet - Vaccination Program Worksheet - Milk and Dairy Beef Quality Assurance booklet - Coreherd Profiles - Dairy Lameness and Foot Health folder - Dairy Welfare Evaluation Guide ( Loaner- return) - NRC - Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle (Loaner - return) - Laboratory handbook on Bovine Mastitis (Loaner-return) 2) 1-hour session in the computer lab to give out email accounts, discuss the Virtual Library, give an introduction to other accessible software/internet access at the VMTRC. 3) Training on Dairy Comp 305 computer herd record computer program. 4) Discussion of Student Responsibilities: Carry 2-pair clean coveralls, cleanable rubber boots, stethoscope, thermometer, shoulder protection (or mosquito forceps or towel clamp) Obtain assignment for next days visit from clinician or resident Maintain professionalism Ask lots of questions!!! Practice sanitation/hygiene on the farm Punctuality (in the truck, ready to go) Participate in emergency duty (is optional) Participate in student rounds: Rounds are student-driven and will require that each student be prepared to talk about an issue/problem seen or discussed during the week. Rounds are held every Friday starting at 1:00pm. Keep medical records on sick cows (forms in the trucks) Conduct and present a project (for 3 & 4-week students) Fulfill learning objectives Understand zoonotic disease potential and hazards from working with cattle - Cryptosporidium, leptospirosis, salmonella, brucella vaccines - Needle sticks and sharps management, injuries prevention 5) Discussion of first rounds topics. 6) Vaccinology roundtable: Come prepared to discuss immunology and vaccines.

3 Two-Week S tudent R otation Objec tives 1. Get on different dairies and see how they operate. Give context and exposure to the dairy production cycle and the personnel involved in a California dairy business. Be able to demonstrate observational skills in a herd environment. This objective will be met by herd visits and discussions at client farms and ranches. 2. Increase understanding of food animal production agriculture and on-farm food safety issues. This objective will be met by discussions at cow-side on client farms, during rounds, and during a didactic session on food safety. In addition, the prescription process and appropriate drug usage will be emphasized. Familiarization with AMDUCA via AVMA web-site: http://www.avma.org/reference/amduca/amduca1.asp and in rounds. Students should also be familiar with Prudent Drug Use Guidelines: http://www.avma.org/reference/jtua/jtua_dairy.asp 3. Introduction to CAHFS (the animal diagnostic laboratory) and proper sample submission. 3-hour session once every rotation with the pathologist on duty will cover appropriate techniques for sample submission to diagnostic laboratories and diseases seen at the lab. Students will also review pathology with specimens saved for them for that purpose every other week at Pathology rounds. 4. Develop skills in field physical exams, diagnostics and therapeutics. This objective will be met by sick-cow work done in core herds. 5. Develop skills in rectal palpation, understand reproduction records, breeding programs, and the role of the veterinarian in reproductive management. This objective will be met by regular core herd visits, review of reproductive tracts, reproductive records evaluation, and short didactic sessions. 6. Understand biosecurity and the veterinarian s role in biosecurity. This objective will be met through on-farm discussions. 7. Understand dairy herd vaccination programs.

F our-week S tudent R otation Objec tives 1. Get on different dairies and see how they operate. Give context and exposure to the dairy production cycle and the personnel involved in a California dairy business. Be able to demonstrate observational skills in a herd environment. This objective will be met by herd visits and discussions at client farms and ranches. 2. Increase understanding of food animal production agriculture and on-farm food safety issues. This objective will be met by discussions at cow-side on client farms, during rounds, and during a didactic session on food safety and milk quality. In addition, the prescription process and drug usage will be emphasized and some practice in writing drug labels will be given. Familiarization with AMDUCA via AVMA web-site: http://www.avma.org/reference/amduca/amduca1.asp and during rounds. Understand the roles and responsibilities of the food animal veterinarian in food safety. Understand the prescription process for food animal drugs. Know the AMDUCA guidelines for extra-label drug use. Students should also be familiar with Prudent Drug Use Guidelines: http://www.avma.org/reference/jtua/jtua_dairy.asp 3. Demonstrate observational skills in a herd environment and develop skills in dairy farm and calf-ranch problem-solving, health maintenance, and optimization of performance. Meeting the problem-solving objective will depend to some degree on the clinical material but can come from the production medicine activities listed below. a. Reproductive management - Review bovine reproductive structures and palpation findings with slaughter house tracts. - Know how to perform and be able to teach appropriate AI and semen handling. - Practice palpation skills on large dairy farms - Understand the role of reproductive management in dairy production - Be able to distinguish "people problems" from "cow problems", as they relate to reproductive performance. - Know when and how to implement different kinds of breeding programs. - Be able to generate DC305 bredsum reports and know what they mean. b. Udder Health and Milk Quality - Be able to take aseptic milk samples - Be able to plate and read milk cultures to identify colony morphology at the genus level - Be able to fit lab results into the herd milk quality and udder health picture. - Be able to interpret somatic cell count and milk quality data and develop an approach to solving milk quality problems using creamery or other records. - Develop an understanding of the role of milking machine in mastitis and herd performance. Watch the National Mastitis Council video: Evaluation of Milking System Performance and participate in milking technology rounds. - Know and understand appropriate milking techniques. - Videotapes available on Managing Milking, Mastitis Prevention and Control (See Dr. Champagne) 4

5 c. Nutrition and Feeding Systems - Learn the steps in a typical feeding system on a large dairy. - Learn the steps in ration evaluation. - Opportunities for on-farm nutritional problem-solving will arise from clinical material. d. Cow Environments - Develop an appreciation for the role of cow/calf comfort and its effect on performance and health. - Be able to identify the key components of cow comfort. e. Calf and Heifer Management - Understand colostrum management on large dairy farms - Be able to identify and prevent pathogens through vaccination and sanitation - Be able to perform a field necropsy for problem-solving - Understand the requirements for calf growth and how to monitor growth - Understand the management system for rearing large numbers of calves on dairies and calf ranches. 4. Introduction to CAHFS and proper sample submission. 3-hour session once every rotation to discuss sample submissions and typical and notso-typical cases presented to the diagnostic laboratory. Students will also review pathology with specimens saved for them for that purpose every other week at Pathology rounds. 5. Computerized record-keeping systems to meet production and health objectives. Develop skills in using Dairy Comp 305 record-keeping system: - Generate bred sum reports, Monitor reports & interpret. 6. On-farm bovine medicine and surgery. Understand the necessity and role of the practitioner in being able to recognize and treat the individual sick animal to be of value to the owner in dealing with herd problems. Be able to perform a field physical exam, diagnostics and treatment as well as be able to fit the individual animal health problems into the scope of the whole herd. 7. Understand dairy herd vaccination programs. 8. Discuss the issues, rules, regulations and ethics in on-farm animal welfare. This objective will be met through on-farm discussions. Be able to discuss the current issues in dairy farm animal welfare. View and print the AABP Practical Euthanasia Guidelines website: http://www.aabp.org/resources/euth.asp 9. Understand biosecurity and the Veterinarians role in biosecurity. This objective will be met through on-farm discussions.

C hec klis t for the R otation: 6 To help you fulfill all the objectives for this rotation, please use the following checklist as a guideline. [ ] Reviewed reproductive tracts [ ] Reviewed steps in proper AI techniques and semen handling [ ] Improved rectal palpation skills [ ] Reviewed different breeding programs and know how to implement them [ ] Reviewed AMDUCA guidelines [ ] Reviewed label requirements for prescription food animal drugs [ ] Reviewed Prudent Drug Use Guidelines [ ] Can take an aseptic milk sample [ ] Reviewed milk culture technique and read plates [ ] Reviewed milking techniques [ ] Reviewed milking equipment evaluation (4 week students) lab or by reviewing videotape [ ] Reviewed interpretation of SCC reports [ ] Reviewed feeding system evaluation [ ] Reviewed ration evaluation [ ] Can identify key components of cow comfort [ ] Evaluated or reviewed colostrum management [ ] Performed a field necropsy [ ] Can list appropriate samples to submit to the diagnostic laboratory [ ] Evaluated neonatal calf rearing on one dairy or calf ranch [ ] Reviewed heifer management and monitoring growth [ ] Can generate lists, bredsum and monitor reports in DC305 and interpret [ ] Performed field physical exams, can list common diagnoses, and treatments [ ] Analyzed a vaccination program on a dairy [ ] Reviewed food safety and quality milk production [ ] Reviewed practical euthanasia guidelines [ ] Reviewed farm animal welfare guidelines

The Dairy Production Cycle 7 Maternity Pen Calf Hutch/Calf pen Close-up dry cows Weaning Group Pens Far-off dry cows Breeding Age Heifer Low Group Bred heifer Medium Group High Group Fresh Springing Heifer 1. What are the diseases or conditions that concern us at each stage? 2. What are the management factors to keep animals healthy and productive at each stage? 3. What parameters should we monitor at each stage? 4. What happens in the day in the life of a cow on each farm? 5. How do cows move through the system on each farm?