Preventing, Identifying and Treating Pneumonia in Dairy Cows: Tips to Alleviate Hardship

While even the best planned preparation can’t always halt pneumonia in dairy calves, proper prevention and treatment can help alleviate financial hardship and keep your genetic plan moving. It’s important to know the signs and identify the sickness quickly as possible, with the help of a calf-health scoring chart. Don’t wait for the calf to stop eating before diagnosis, as some cases of pneumonia can take years to manifest. When pneumonia is identified, treatment should begin immediately with the help of your local veterinarian selecting a course of treatment or an antibiotic appropriate for the calf.

Starting calves on the right foot from the moment they’re born can help prevent pneumonia down the line. Calves should be born in a clean, well-bedded environment and dried off, but most importantly, they should receive high-quality colostrum right away.

Read more on pneumonia in dairy calves here.