Big Animals, Big Picture
One expert shares her thoughts on the best approach to keeping livestock healthy

Producers want what’s best for their animals. “I don’t know any farmers who aren’t attached to their livestock, even if they don’t name them,” says Margaret (Martey) Masterson, DVM, ACVPM, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Ohio State University (OSU) Large Animal Services (Marysville, Ohio), and a diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine since 1991.

Having grown up on a farm in Southeastern Ohio, Masterson has deep respect for the expertise and passion with which farmers raise their livestock. “I grew up with an appreciation of the knowledge and skills of farmers, who are extremely good at what they do,” she says. But, no matter how well they do their job, their livestock can - and do - get sick, and Masterson and her colleagues at OSU are devoted to doing their best to prevent that from happening.

Why prevention
After graduating from Ohio State University in 1984 with a degree in veterinary medicine, Masterson joined a veterinary practice for a couple of years. “It was a mixed practice of both small and large animals, but I [preferred] working with the larger animals,” she recalls. “But, I didn’t simply want to treat sick cows. I wanted to help farmers help their animals stay healthy.” It’s a matter of looking at the big picture and using that as the starting point, she adds.

It made sense to return to OSU to begin a three-year residency. When the school was established in 1934, it was on the forefront of preventive medicine, she continues. “There are 27 veterinary schools today, and I don’t believe many have an entire department devoted to preventive medicine,” she says. “Even fewer have an ambulatory clinic where the university sends students and faculty to farms to do routine work. We cover anything from record analysis to reproductive services to emergency work.”

In 1989, at the completion of her residency, Masterson was hired by the university, and since then has immersed herself in the program. “In recent years, we have focused more heavily on food safety and the idea that food safety begins on the farm,” she explains. “The college has gained recognition here, [particularly] as it has become more widely accepted that it’s more valuable to prevent disease rather than treat it after it occurs.

“How we raise animals has recently come into the American public’s focus for two reasons,” she continues. First, food borne diseases, which often begin on a farm, can lead to such illnesses as salmonella. Second, the public has grown increasingly aware of farming practices as they relate to animal welfare. “The industry hasn’t done a great job of explaining to the public why we do the things we do and that we are looking out for the animals’ [best interests],” she says. “We need to educate the public more.”

So, for instance, some believe that dairy cattle should be out to pasture every day, Masterson points out. But, the cattle’s hooves trample the grass and leave it muddy in wet seasons. “Sometimes it’s best to keep cows in and let the pasture dry out so that there is a pasture in the nicer weather. And, cattle can get sick standing in the wet mud.” There are always tradeoffs when raising cattle and livestock, she adds.

A good detective
A great veterinarian must be a great observer - even a detective, says Masterson. For instance, in spite of farmers’ efforts to provide high quality milk and meat, sometimes the feed they provide or the vaccinations they administer are not up to par. “The feed scale may turn out to be broken or a farmer isn’t storing vaccines at the right temperature,” she notes. In cases where cattle are on antibiotics, there are strict guidelines for holding off using these animals’ milk. And, while the vast majority of producers are very careful about this, a second pair of eyes never hurts.

“In preventive medicine or production medicine (e.g., looking at housing livestock, harvesting milk and other aspects of production to optimize the quality of the end-product), veterinarians really must travel out to the farms and see what is actually going on. [He or she] must use all of the tools at [his or her] disposal, [including] the farmers’ financial and production records, how the animals look and the quality of the farmers’ end products.”

Helping your customers
As in any industry, people may be tempted to cut back on care in a sluggish economy. But, it is more advantageous for everyone - from the producer to the vet to the sales rep - to work together to prevent disease, rather than wait and treat it. “Now is the time to invest in routine animal health maintenance, such as vaccine programs, de-worming and good nutrition,” says Masterson.

For distributor reps, this means knowing your veterinarian customers’ needs and helping them stay connected to their clients and patients. “Distributor reps should keep the local vets in the loop,” says Masterson. “Often, reps work directly with the farmers, when they need to keep local vets involved in the farm management and animal care.” This is particularly important given that farmers provide so much animal care on their own, such as administering vaccines, she adds.
Reps can also help vets and farmers by providing:

• Smaller quantities of vaccines whenever possible. “Remember, in Ohio and other parts of the country, there are smaller farms,” says Masterson. “So, when vaccines are packaged in such large quantities, it makes it difficult for small-farm producers to use without wasting a lot [of product].”
• Data on research that demonstrates the health and economic advantages of using one product over another. “This includes vaccines, routine drugs, mineral injections, vitamins and any oral products that producers can administer themselves,” says Masterson.
• Information on new technologies. Vets and farmers are interested in new ways of tracking animals that have received medication in order to be compliant with guidelines. “They need farm-friendly tracking systems that will hold up in a barn setting,” says Masterson.
• Storage ideas. Vaccines and other items that are stored in barns for long periods of time must be appropriately packaged to stay clean and at the right temperature.

Preventive medicine is a team effort. Without the support of veterinarians and their sales reps, producers can’t do the best job possible of keeping their animals healthy.