Albany County’s 4-H Beef Project, in conjunction with the Laramie Alpine Animal Hospital, 830 Skyline Road, Laramie, are testing project member heifers and steers beginning 9 a.m. at its very first PAP testing event.
Ruth Lake, beef project leader, stated the 4-H project accounts for roughly 70 cows and loses between three and four cows annually to Congestive Right Heart Failure, commonly known as High Altitude Disease (HAD) or Brisket Disease. The deaths of these cows — bought, fed, managed and sold by the children participating in the project — are costly.
“If it gets to the point where the disease is quite advanced,” Lake said, “you’re not going to be able to save it.”
Buyers who note visible symptoms, which include severe swelling, bulging eyes and recumbence, are less likely to purchase; however, with PAP testing members can catch any potential risk early and make appropriate changes in the cow’s environment.
“If you can catch it early, you take them to a lower elevation [and] you can potentially save them,” Lake said.
Like high blood pressure in humans, HAD is one of the most prevalent causes of morbidity and mortality in cattle and an issue the Albany County 4-H Beef Project is familiar very familiar with.
The disease can develop in growing calves or bulls, or adult cows that are moved from low elevation (less than 6,000 feet) to high.
HAD detection
Dr. Timothy Holt, DVM and associate professor for the Department of Clinical Sciences at Colorado State, was one of the first to utilize methods of diagnosis traditionally administered on humans in cattle.
By measuring pressure levels in the lungs and flow resistance in the cow’s arteries, experts are able to determine the presence of pulmonary hypertension. This process, known as Pulmonary Arterial Pressure Testing, is used as a preventative measure and can determine which animals have a higher likelihood of developing the disease.
“[We’re] trying to collect those animals who can survive in higher elevations,” Holt said, and testing allows for a more accurate analysis.
The emphasis of timely PAP testing is to ensure ideal cattle with strong genes will survive at the higher altitudes in the Mountain West states. In essence, PAP testing is necessary for selecting the best cattle for herding and breeding.
Where testing
The testing will be administered at the Laramie Alpine Animal Hospital, 830 Skyline Road, Laramie, by Dr. Maria Rittenhouse, DVM. Rittenhouse will provide general information about HAD and the benefits of PAP testing. The event is open to all Beef Project members and begins at 9 a.m.
The Link LonkNovember 14, 2020 at 07:00PM
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Beef Project cattle testing today, 9 am | News | laramieboomerang.com - Laramie Boomerang
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