Eugene David Janzen

The University of Calgary | HBI · Department of Production Animal Health

Lameness is a significant health issue in feedlot cattle, having major economic, labor, and welfare implications. Digital dermatitis (DD), a lesion of the plantar surface of the foot, and foot rot (FR), which affects the interdigital cleft, are common infectious causes of feedlot lameness with bacterial origins. These hoof lesions can occur alone o...

The epidemiology of hoof-related lameness (HRL) in western Canadian feedlots, with a focus on digital dermatitis (DD), was described and analyzed to help inform recommendations on lameness control and prevention in western Canadian feedlot cattle. The retrospective data in this study were accessed from 28 western Canadian feedlots that placed cattl...

Digital dermatitis has emerged in North American feedlots, although production and economic impacts are not fully understood. Objectives of this study were to: 1) estimate economic impact of a single case of digital dermatitis (DD), foot rot (FR) and bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in feedlot cattle; and 2) determine its impact on average daily ga...

Digital dermatitis (DD) has been reported in North American feedlots, although risk factors are not well characterized. Our objectives were to analyze: 1) foot and leg conformation and 2) pen hygiene, as potential variables that predispose feedlot cattle to DD. Production parameters in DD-affected cattle were compared to healthy cattle and to those...

The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence proportion of lameness in feedlot cattle and the associated risk factors. Lameness was studied in 2 southern Alberta feedlots over a 2 yr period. The incidence proportion of lameness was 36.3% for all calves pulled for treatment. Risk factors associated (P < 0.0001) with increased lamenes...

Septicemic pasteurellosis is an acute and fatal bacterial disease of cattle and wild ungulates caused by certain serotypes of Pasteurella multocida. Here we report a single case of septicemic pasteurellosis in a 6-month-old, Red Angus heifer from a cow-calf operation in Alberta, Canada. Postmortem examination revealed necrotizing and hemorrhagic my...

One hundred and thirty-one 2 mo. old pasture housed Angus cross bull calves were evaluated for 62 d over two years (Year 1: n = 69, 134.1 ± 20.37 kg BW; Year 2: n = 62, 118.1 ± 15.49 kg BW) to determine 1) the effects of a subcutaneous (s.c) injection of meloxicam on indicators of long term pain after castration and 2) the potential use of cow-calf...

Ovariectomy (spaying) using the trans-vaginal dropped ovary technique (DOT) is performed to prevent pregnancy in cull female beef cattle that are not retained for breeding stock in areas practicing extensive grazing management. There are no reports describing analgesia for this surgical procedure. The objective of this study was to measure behavior...

One hundred and seventy-four Angus bull calves (248 ± 27.1 kg of body weight (BW), 6-mo-old) were used in a 71 d study to assess the efficacy of the combination of flunixin meglumine and lidocaine in mitigating pain associated with band and knife castration. The experiment consisted of a 3 × 2 factorial design that included castration method -sham...

Oral meloxicam is labelled for reducing pain and inflammation associated with castration in cattle in Canada, however, subcutaneous meloxicam is only labelled for pain associated with dis-budding and abdominal surgery. The aim of this project was to determine the pharmacokinetic profile of oral (PO; 1.0 mg/kg BW) and subcutaneous meloxicam (SC; 0.5...

Oral meloxicam is labelled for reducing pain and inflammation associated with castration in cattle, however, subcutaneous meloxicam is only labelled for pain associated with dis-budding in cattle. The aim of this project was to compare the efficacy of oral (Solvet, 1mg/kg BW) and subcutaneous (Metacam, 0.5 mg/kg BW) meloxicam in reducing physiologi...

Worldwide, more than one million extensively managed beef heifers are surgically ovariectomized each year, but to date there are no pain mitigation strategies reported for this procedure. The objective of this study was to determine if pre-surgical intramuscular injection of a combination of butorphanol (0.01 mg/kg), xylazine (0.02 mg/kg) and ketam...

Over a two-year period, 1207 lame (L) feedlot cattle with gait scores > 1 (based on a 4-point scale with 1 = mildly lame and 4 =severely lame)) were identified by feedlot personnel for the first time, and an additional 98 non-lame cattle (NL) (gait score = 0) from the same pen as the lame cattle, were used to evaluate the relationship between speci...

To assess the effect of meloxicam and lidocaine on indicators of pain associated with castration, forty-eight Angus crossbred beef calves (304 ± 40.5 kg of BW, 7–8 months of age) were used in a 28 day experiment. The experiment consisted of a 2 × 2 factorial design where main factors included provision of analgesia and local anaesthesia. Analgesia...

This investigation followed a cohort (n = 21) of single-sourced Angus cross yearling heifers diagnosed with toe tip necrosis syndrome (TTNS). The animals were intensively followed for ~7 months, over which time 5 animals were euthanized because of intractable lameness or life-threatening sequelae such as cellulitis and myositis. Treatment consisted...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a single dose of subcutaneous (s.c.) meloxicam administered at the time of knife and band castration on inflammatory response and wound healing over 56-d post-castration. Seventy-two Angus crossbred calves (47.3 ± 6.70 kg of body weight [BW] and 7 to 8 d of age) were randomly assigned according to...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a single s.c. injection of meloxicam on scrotal healing, inflammatory response and behaviour in castrated or castrated and branded beef calves. Seventy-two 2-mo old Angus crossbred bull calves were used to assess the effects of procedure (Trt): 1) sham control (CN); 2) knife castration (KN)...

The aim of this study was to assess knife castration and knife castration + branding in 2-mo old calves, and the effect of a single dose of s.c. meloxicam at mitigating pain indicators. Seventy-one Angus crossbred bull calves (128 ± 18.5 kg of BW) were used in a 3 × 2 factorial design where main factors included procedure: sham (control calves, CT;...

In Western-Canada, approximately half of the calves produced are castrated before 1 wk of age. Therefore, it is important to identify effective analgesic drugs to mitigate pain associated with castration and consequently improve animal welfare. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a single s.c. dose of meloxicam at mitigating pain as...

The newly revised Canadian Codes of Practice for the management of beef cattle requires that as of 2018, calves older than 6 mo of age be castrated using pain control. Castration is a husbandry procedure commonly done without pain control, and there is a lack of agreement on an effective pain mitigation strategy specific to castration. The aim of t...

Three experiments evaluated the effect of band and knife castration on acute pain for the first 7 d after the procedure on 1-wk-, 2-mo-, and 4-mo-old calves. All calves were blocked by age and weight and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: sham castration (control, CT), band castration (BA), and knife castration (KN). Experiment 1 evaluated 1-w...

Angus bulls (n = 48) were randomly assigned to control (castrated without the application of a postoperative healing agent) or surgical castration followed by either the application of a topical germicide, aluminum powder spray, or liquid bandage. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of commercial topical healing agents in impr...

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of band and knife castration on behavioral and physiological indicators of chronic pain in beef calves at 3 different ages (36 calves/age group): 1 wk of age (Exp. 1, 4 ± 1.1 d of age, 43 ± 1.1 kg BW), 2 mo of age (Exp. 2, 63 ± 2.3 d of age, 92 ± 1.7 kg BW), and 4 mo of age (Exp. 3, 125 ± 4.6...

Three experiments evaluated the effect of band and knife castration on acute pain for the first 7 d after the procedure on 1-wk-, 2-mo-, and 4-mo old calves. All calves were blocked by age and weight and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: sham castration (control, CT), band castration (BA), and knife castration (KN). Experiment 1 evaluated 1-w...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of castration method, meloxicam, and temperament on growth performance and indicators of pain in band- or knife-castrated beef calves. Seventy-two crossbred Angus calves (76 ? 2 d of age and 134.5 ? 20.30 kg BW) were randomly assigned to treatments according to a 3 ? 2 factorial design assessin...

Routine management practices such as vaccination, ear tagging, castration, and branding are procedures commonly done on the same day. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a single dose of subcutaneous meloxicam (Metacam 0.5 mg/kg BW) at mitigating acute pain caused by knife castration or the combination of knife castration and hot-ir...

Castration is commonly done without the use of pain mitigation, although previous studies have shown that the combination of an analgesic and an anesthetic drug is more effective at mitigating pain than either drug on its own. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of the combination of a lidocaine (2% with epinephrine) ring block 30 min...

The aim of this study was to evaluate if the timing and frequency of administration of an antibiotic (oxytetracycline; 1 mg/10 kg of BW) and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID; meloxicam, 0.5 mg/kg of BW) improved wound healing in band castrated calves. Drugs were administered as a combination. Twenty-four recently weaned Angus crossbred...

A total of 48 recently weaned Angus crossbred bull calves (292 ± 19.1 kg BW) were used to evaluate the effect of types of anesthesia and surgical cuts on scrotal wound healing after castration. Calves were randomly assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial design assessing surgical castration incisions (cut made with Newberry knife [K] vs. bottom cut made with...

The transport and sale of compromised and unfit cattle is a major welfare concern. A compromised animal is defined as having reduced capacity to withstand the stress of transport but where transport with special provisions will not result in undue suffering. Currently, there is a lack of information regarding the occurrence and conditions of compro...

A case-control study was conducted to investigate potential risk factors for toe tip necrosis syndrome (TTNS) in western Canadian feedlot cattle. Feedlot veterinarians provided hooves from 222 animals that died of either TTNS ("cases") or from all other causes ("controls"). The claws were sectioned by researchers to confirm the diagnoses; there was...

Lameness is of significant health, welfare, and economic concern in feedlot cattle. However, few studies have identified the risk factors associated with becoming lame or the severity of lameness. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between animal, feedlot management, and environmental risk factors associated with lameness...

Beef producers are often advised to castrate calves as early as possible to reduce pain associated with tissue damage. However, there has been no research to determine if 1-wk-old calves do not feel pain at the time of castration. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of a single dose of s.c. meloxicam (Metacam®, 0.5 mg/kg BW) immediately...

The current study evaluated 17 loads of cull beef cows transported in Canadian winter conditions to assess in-transit temperature and humidity, evaluation of events during loading and unloading, and animal condition and bruising. Regardless of the use of boards to block ventilation holes in trailers, temperatures were higher within trailers than at...

Diagnosis of lameness due to infectious claw lesions in beef cattle can be extremely challenging under commercial feedlot conditions resulting in inappropriate medical treatment and unnecessary drug and labor costs. The objective of this study was to determine if infrared thermography could be used to make a differential diagnosis between foot rot...

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of band and surgical castration on behavioral and physiological indicators of pain in beef calves at 3 different ages (36 calves/age group): newborn (Exp.1, 4 ± 1.15 d of age, 43 ± 1.13 kg BW); 2 mo of age (Exp. 2, 63 ± 2.35 d of age, 92 ± 1.75 kg BW); or 4 mo of age (Exp. 3, 125 ± 4.65 d of...

Angus crossbred bulls ( = 60; 257 ± 5.4 d of age; initial BW 358.8 ± 3.78 kg) were used to study the effect of a vaccine against gonadotropin-releasing factor (GnRF) and band castration on behavioral and physiological indicators of pain. Cattle were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: bulls, band-castrated calves without pain mitigation (castra...

Angus crossbred bulls (n = 60; 257 ± 5.4 d of age; initial BW 358.8 ± 3.78 kg) were used to study the effect of a vaccine against gonadotropin- releasing factor (GnRF) and band castration on behavioral and physiological indicators of pain. Cattle were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: bulls, band-castrated calves without pain mitigation (cast...

Nineteen loads of commercial feeder cattle (BW 376 ± 39 kg, mean ± SD) transported for 18 ± 4.5 h in summer and winter seasons were used to collect data on internal temperature and humidity conditions in the deck and belly compartment of pot-bellied trailers and their relationship with shrink, cortisol, and morbidity. Measurements of temperature or...

Twenty-four commercial loads of beef calves (BW 300 ± 52 kg, mean ± SD) were evaluated for associations among transportation factors, in-transit microclimate, and calf welfare. Transport factors evaluated included vehicle speed, space allowance, compartment within trailer, and transit duration. Calves were transported for 7 h 44 min ± 4 h 15 min, w...

Abstract Text: The objective of this study was to evaluate if oral meloxicam could mitigate post-procedural indicators of pain associated with band castration in beef calves. One hundred intact Angus bull calves (BW 299 ± 3.3 kg) were randomly assigned to treatments according to a 2 × 2 factorial design assessing castration method (band castratio...

Measuring animal-level conditions during transit provides information regarding the true risk of environmental challenges to cattle welfare during transportation. However, due to constraints on placing loggers at the animal level, there is a need to identify appropriate proxy locations. The objective was to evaluate eight distributions of ceiling-l...

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of a single or multiple intramuscular (i.m.) injection of ketoprofen and castration technique on physiological and behavioral indicators of pain in beef calves. A total of 150 bull calves (284.8 ± 22.7 kg BW) were used in both experiments, each one conducted as a 3 x 2 factorial design, where m...

Non-suppurative encephalitis occurs sporadically in beef cattle in western Canada, leading to loss of animals. This retrospective study investigated the presence of viral, bacterial, and protozoal antigens or DNA in 37 western Canadian feedlot cattle with non-suppurative encephalitis for which a cause had not been identified. Cases were selected ba...

Mycoplasma bovis is a pathogen causing respiratory disease, otitis media, arthritis, mastitis, and a variety of other diseases in cattle worldwide. It is increasingly recognized by the veterinary and livestock communities as having an important impact on the health, welfare, and productivity of dairy and beef cattle. M. bovis diseases can be diffic...

Mycoplasma bovis is a pathogen causing respiratory disease, otitis media, arthritis, mastitis, and a variety of other diseases in cattle worldwide. It is increasingly recognized by the veterinary and livestock communities as having an important impact on the health, welfare, and productivity of dairy and beef cattle. M. bovis diseases can be diffic...

A randomized, controlled, blinded clinical trial was performed at a research feedlot in western Canada. Auction-market-derived steers (n = 288) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: 1) no antimicrobials on arrival; 2) oxytetracycline in the starter ration for 14 d; and 3) long-acting oxytetracycline subcutaneously on day 0. Minimal inhibitor...

Eighty-nine steer and bull calves (210 +/- 20 d of age) were randomly assigned to a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments to study the effect of sham or band castration (CAST) with or without pain medication (MED) on performance, behavior, cortisol, and Escherichia coli shedding. Steers (serving as controls; C) were previously castrated at 34 +...

The aim of this study was to describe the microbiologic agents and pathologic processes in fatal bovine respiratory disease (BRD) of feedlot cattle and to investigate associations between agents and pathologic processes. Ninety feedlot calves diagnosed at necropsy with BRD and 9 control calves without BRD were examined, using immunohistochemical (I...

A prospective observational study was carried out to examine antimicrobial resistance patterns of fecal Escherichia coli isolates of calves on arrival at the feedlot, and then evaluate the associations between the total volume of antimicrobial used for disease treatment and changes in antimicrobial resistance, during the feeding period. No macrolid...

A randomized and blinded field trial was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of a Fusobacterium necrophorum bacterin for control of liver abscesses and footrot under commercial feedlot conditions in western Canada. Half of the vaccinated and half of the unvaccinated control animals had ad libitum access to a forage-based (ALF) growing diet. The ot...

To investigate the effect of routine dental floating on weight gain, body condition score, feed digestibility, and fecal particle size in pregnant mares fed various diets. Randomized controlled clinical trial. 56 pregnant mares. Mares were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 feed groups (n = 14 mares/group). All horses were sedated and an oral examination...

Castration is one of the most common routine surgical procedures performed in the horse, from which a number of potential complications can arise. We undertook a prospective evaluation of short-term complications associated with castration of draught colts over a 3-year period (1998-2000). To compare castration complications in a large number of dr...

Thirty-four mixed breed horses from two separate farms showed signs of abdominal discomfort, pyrexia and dehydration after being exposed to a new batch of 14% complete horse feed. A new batch of cattle feed from the same manufacturer resulted in dairy cows showing depression, a drop in milk production and diarrhoea. Examination of both diets reveal...

Chronic, antibiotic-resistant pneumonia, sometimes with concurrent polyarthritis, occurs in feedlot cattle in western Canada. The prevalence of Mycoplasma bovis, bovine viral diarrhea virus, and Haemophilus somnus was determined by using immunohistochemical staining of lung and heart tissue from 2 groups of animals with this history. Mycoplasma bov...

Chronic, antibiotic-resistant pneumonia, sometimes with concurrent polyarthitis, occurs in feedlot cattle in western Canada. The prevalence of Mycoplasma bovis, bovine viral diarrhea virus, and Haemophilus somnus was determined by using immunohistochemical sataining of lung and heart tissue from 2 groups of animals with history. Mycoplasma bovis an...

Johne's disease is a well recognized problem in dairy herds. Relatively little information is available on either the prevalence or the control of Johne's disease in commercial cow-calf operations. In the fall of 1999, blood samples were collected during pregnancy testing from cows on community pastures in Saskatchewan. Sera from these cows were an...

The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of selected pathogens in the tissues of a group of feedlot cattle with chronic disease (most often respiratory disease and/or arthritis). Samples of lung and joint tissues from 49 feedlot animals that had failed to respond to antibiotic therapy were tested by immunohistochemical staining for...

From the fall of 1992 through calving 1996, detailed cow breeding outcome records were maintained actively for seven large cow–calf herds in western Canada. The numbers of mature females in the study for the breeding seasons beginning in 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995 were 1122, 1177, 1251, and 1236, respectively. Outcomes included pregnancy status, ca...

Beef cows sometimes are pastured close to oil- and gas-production and processing facilities. We measured the health and productivity of cow-calf herds with differing exposure to sour-natural-gas processing facilities in western Canada. In seven cow-calf herds, the numbers of eligible mature females included in the study for the breeding seasons beg...

The objectives of this study were to describe the nature and distribution of microscopic lung lesions in feedlot cattle with interstitial pneumonia and to determine whether bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) antigen was present in affected lungs. Lungs with macroscopic lesions compatible with interstitial pneumonia were collected from cattle...

Two experiments were conducted to determine estrous response and pregnancy rate in beef cattle given a controlled internal drug release (CIDR-B) device plus prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF) at CIDR-B removal, and estradiol or gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). In Experiment I, crossbred beef heifers received a CIDR-B device and 1 mg estradiol benzo...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for diagnosis of persistent bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded skin biopsy specimens. Skin from 41 of 42 calves shown to be persistently infected (PI) with BVDV by repeated virus isolation more than 3 week...

Abortion outbreaks caused by infection with Neospora caninum in beef cattle have not been well documented. Neospora caninum infection was confirmed in 4 fetuses that were aborted by cattle in a 350-head beef herd; an additional 58 cattle aborted during the next 2.5 months. Overall, 44.4% (157/354) of the cattle in the herd did not become pregnant o...

A prospective observational study of a breeding season in a Saskatchewan community pasture was carried out to determine the cause or causes of a chronic infertility problem. There were 774 cows, from 27 herds, divided into 4 breeding groups (A,B,C,D) on the pasture. Cows entering the pasture in May were weighed, had their body condition scored and...

To determine seroprevalence of Neospora caninum infection in beef herds and the association between serologic status and rate of abortion, stillbirth, calf mortality, and reproductive failure. Longitudinal study. 419 cows from 8 beef herds in central Alberta. 1,391 serum samples from a serum bank were analyzed, using ELISA, and results were compare...

We compared the field efficacy of a new antibiotic, florfenicol, with tilmicosin in the treatment of naturally occurring undifferentiated bovine respiratory disease. Beef calves with rectal temperatures greater than 40.5 degrees C and signs compatible with undifferentiated bovine respiratory disease were entered into the trial. Calves were randomly...

To determine the association between a leak of sour natural gas (more than 30% hydrogen sulfide) from a pipeline in a river valley and the health of beef cattle in the intensively ranched surrounding area. Prospective cohort study. 13 herds of cattle within 4 km (2.5 miles) of the leak and 10 herds outside the 4-km zone. Distance of herds from the...