Dairy Vet Clinical Quiz

This month Chris Watson from the Wood Veterinary Group challenges us to make our own diagnosis from
the case notes he has compiled. This is something which some of you rearing beef steers may have come across before. So why not have a go?

A call came in from a local beef unit to see a Belgian Blue cross steer that the client thought might have a ‘blockage’ of some sort. Although being called in to see the steer it was only what the owner described as ‘off-colour’. The owner was quite proud of this steer as it had been a cheap buy as one of a twin, and yet despite this had grown on extremely well.

The steer was in a small dark box and seemed to be very uncomfortable so to get a better look we turned it into the yard to get a clearer view of its behaviour. In the yard you could see why it was a favourite as it was a very good shaped steer and well grown for its age.

The steer had apparently been straining for a few days and you could see it with the tail partly raised and the muscles around the anus seeming to ‘pulse’ as if straining to pass something from the rectum. The abdomen was enlarged with an obvious swelling underneath around the sheath and prepuce. The steer had been on a ration of silage and home-produced concentrate based on barley supplemented with dairy cow minerals.

The first two correct entries out of the hat will each win one of our sat-navs kindly provided by NWF.

Entries close on Friday January 22nd 2010.
Full details will appear in the next issue of Dairy Vet.

Terms and conditions

• The competition is open to residents (age 18yrs or over) of the UK only, with the exception of ‘employees’ or ‘relatives of employees’ of UBM Information Ltd and NWF Agriculture Ltd.
• Inclusion in the competition is subject to registration.
• Entry to the draw will close Friday January 22nd 2010.
• The winners will be announced in the March 2010 issue of Dairy Vet.
• The winners will be selected at random.
• The judge’s decision is final. No correspondence or discussion shall be entered into.
• Prizes are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. No prize alternative available.

Data Protection

_{Information you supply to UBM Information Ltd and NWF Agriculture Ltd may be used for publication (where you provide details for inclusion in our directories or catalogues and on our websites) and also to provide you with information about our products or services in the form of directmarketing activity by phone, fax or post. Information may also be made available to 3rd parties on a list lease or list rental basis for the purpose of direct marketing.
If at any time you no longer wish to receive anything from UBM Information Ltd or to have your data made available to 3rd parties, please write to the Data Protection Co-ordinator, UBM Information Ltd, FREEPOST LON 15637, Tonbridge, TN9 1BR. Freephone 0800 279 0357 or email ubmidpa@ubm.com.
If at any time you no longer wish to receive anything from NWF Agriculture Ltd or to have your data made available to 3rd parties, please write to the Data Protection Co-ordinator, NWF Agriculture Ltd, Wardle, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 6AQ. Tel 0800 262397 or email mike.phillips@nwfagriculture.co.uk.}