Animal Health II.

The article presents abstracts of various papers related to animal behavior that were presented during the symposium held on July 27, 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was organized by the American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Canadian Society of Animal Science. One of the papers discussed is "Assessment of Antibiotic Usage in Dairy Herds in Pennsylvania," by A. Sawant, L. Sordillo, and B. Jayarao. A survey of 113 dairy herds from 13 counties in Pennsylvania indicated that fifty percent of dairy farms maintained antibiotic treatment records. Only 21% had written plans for treating sick animals. Antibiotics were mostly administered (93%) by the owner/manager or designated herdsman, but only 32% of farms sought a veterinarian's advice before administration. Another paper discussed is "The Early Detection of Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) With Infrared Thermography and Treatment With Nitric Oxide," by A.L. Schaefer, B.J. Perry, N.J. Cook and others. BRD is one of the most costly health afflictions affecting the beef industry. Unlimited treatment with antibiotics either before or following the appearance of clinical signs is not optimally effective and moreover, is raising concerns globally regarding the promotion of resistant microorganisms.