Nobody wants to walk out to the pasture and see a sick cow. Cattle diseases don’t just hurt the animal—they can slow down your whole operation and hit your wallet harder than expected. Sick animals may eat less, grow slower, or lose condition, and treating them takes time and money you probably hadn’t planned on spending. The good news? Many common issues can be spotted early and dealt with before they turn into big problems.
By paying close attention to your cattle and acting quickly when something seems off, you can stop many diseases from spreading through the herd. Early detection not only reduces stress for you and the animal, but it also gives you more options when it comes to treatment. It’s also a way to stay in control instead of feeling like you’re constantly putting out fires. When in doubt, your veterinarian should always be your first call—they are there to support you and can help you get ahead of things fast.
While cattle can get sick any time of the year, a few health problems occur more often during the summer months. Heat, flies, and changing forage quality all play a role. In the sections below, we’ll cover four common summertime issues—what causes them, what signs to look for, and what you can do to protect your herd. Knowing what to watch for is one of the simplest but most powerful tools you have as a cattle producer.
Pinkeye, a highly contagious disease in cattle, can spread rapidly if not promptly addressed. This bacterial infection, which primarily affects the eyes, can lead to irritation, excessive tearing, and in severe cases, blindness. Given its mode of transmission through direct contact and flies, an outbreak can swiftly engulf an entire herd. Therefore, early detection and immediate action are crucial, as managing it becomes significantly more challenging once it takes hold.
Bovine Leukemia Virus (BLV) could be lurking in your herd right now—and you wouldn’t even know it. This silent disease is already costing the cattle industry millions, especially in dairy herds. While it often flies under the radar, BLV can have a profound financial impact, leading to lost production, higher vet bills, and the need to replace affected animals. Even if your cattle look healthy, the virus could still spread, putting your operation at risk.
Calf dehydration is a serious problem that often sneaks up on producers. It’s easy to overlook until it becomes critical, but by then, the damage may already be done. The most common culprits are scorching summer heat and scours, both of which can strip a calf of fluids fast. The key to saving a dehydrated calf is spotting the signs early and acting quickly.
Spring weather might feel like a distant dream right now, but it’s just around the corner. Before long, the ice and snow will melt away (if you get any), and your pastures will come alive with lush green forages. This seasonal shift is a welcome sight for many, signaling new growth and fresh grazing opportunities for your herd. But lurking behind all that greenery is a hidden danger. This silent threat can strike quickly and severely impact your cows’ health and production. This threat is called grass tetany.
Calf scours is a challenge that keeps cow/calf producers on edge, and for good reason. It’s the leading cause of financial loss in herds, hitting harder than any other health problem. What makes it so worrisome is how quickly it can show up and spread, much like wildfire sweeping through dry grass. To make matters worse, calf scours can be a bit of a puzzle, leaving many producers scratching their heads about what exactly they’re dealing with.
When people hear ‘grass tetany,’ they usually think of spring – lush grasses, green pastures, and cows grazing happily. But tetany can sneak up on you even in winter when you feed your cows hay or silage. However, it can also happen when cattle are fed harvested forages like silage or hay.
It may not seem like it now, but winter is coming. The change in seasons also brings new problems to deal with to keep your cattle performing at their best. Keeping your cattle healthy during the stress of colder winter temperatures can be a pain in the neck. It is also doable.
The fall season can be problematic for a beef producer. As you go into it after a dry, hot summer, the entire herd may be stressed. The combination of high heat, short grass, and low water tanks can stress cattle and make them more prone to disease.
BRD, or bovine respiratory disease, is a general term for any respiratory disease in cattle. A range of factors can cause this disease. The common names usually used for this disease are pneumonia or shipping fever. Stocker and feedlot operations are often where this disease occurs. It occurs more often there because of the extreme stress that calves are put under from weaning and then being shipped.
