Because dairy producers can’t afford to leave dollars on the table, especially in today’s competitive market, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI) believes helping to prevent disease is a more effective way to maintain animal health than simply treating diseases as they arise.

“We’ve come up with a model called Prevention Logic,” said Dr. Bruce Vande Steeg, BIVI Technical Services Veterinarian, at the World Dairy Expo. “We look at four levels. There’s the healthy herd, where most animals live, then you have a sub-clinical area of disease – be that sub-clinical hypocalcemia, underlying BVD, PI animal.” Beyond that, level three is clinical disease where animals are clearly sick and need to be treated and finally level four where an animal needs to be culled. “The idea is, no matter where we’re at – 4, 3 or 2 – we want to move those animals back to one.”

Vande Steeg says this strategy is particularly important with the sub-clinical level. “Those animals not mixing feed, not transporting feed through its body, not absorbing the nutrients,” he said. “We fix those issues, then that cow can really perform to her utmost.”

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Dr. Vande Steeg here: BIVI's Bruce Vande Steeg

2012 World Dairy Expo Photo Album