NEWS

The faculty at CSU are busy and productive despite the change in leadership at the top that has made headlines. Dr Tony Frank who has been appointed interim President of CSU began at CSU as a member of the Pathology department at CVMBS. He may have helped one of you with a problem on your dairy by doing a necropsy. This issue is filled with information generated by CSU faculty or adjunct faculty. CSU faculty are here to serve you at many levels. They can help with individual problems, influence and develop national policy, as well as coordinate national studies of the dairy industry.

I would like to introduce a new member to the staff at the CSU Diagnostic Laboratory who is probably an old friend to many of you. Dr. John Maulsby is a native Coloradoan. After graduating from Colorado State University in 1975 he spent the next 13 years in mixed animal veterinary practice. He practiced for 1 year at Boulder Veterinary Hospital, owned a mixed animal practice in Gunnison for 4 years and practiced in Greeley for 8 years. During this time he gained a great respect for the livestock producers of Colorado and the invaluable contribution they make to our economy and society.

In 1988 he went to work for the Colorado State Veterinarian's Office as a field veterinarian. He was involved in animal welfare cases as well as disease control. As an Assistant State Veterinarian for six years he oversaw the Bureau of Animal Protection and the Pet Animal Care Program. In August 2006 he became the Colorado State Veterinarian for two years. He retired in August 2008 from the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

Dr. Maulsby's goal is to help the veterinarian's and livestock producers of Colorado remain profitable and stay in business to continue to produce the safest food supply possible. He has accepted the case coordinator position on October 1, 2008 at the CSU Diagnostic Lab to help communicate with practitioners after lab results are obtained. The commitment to obtain accurate results and the outstanding work ethic that Dr. Barb Powers has instilled at the CSU Diagnostic Lab is a valuable asset to the Colorado Livestock industry. As a former veterinary practitioner he recognizes how important accurate, timely reporting of lab results is to the practitioner.

Despite the economic problems, we all have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Enjoy.

Ragan Adams,
Editor CDN

Dr. Frank Garry of CSU-ILM on Johne's Disease

Dr. Frank Garry, leader of CSU's ILM, is featured for his work on Johne's Disease in this month's Bovine veterinarian. Fifteen years ago Dr. Garry began working on Johne's Disease when a national survey of the dairy industry conducted by the USDA:APHIS National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) Dairy '96 showed that the disease was distributed throughout the entire dairy cow population, not just one or more regions of the country, and that the problem was more costly to producers than previously recognized. The Dairy '96 study also showed that dairy producers were not well informed about the disease, and thus were ill prepared to deal with it effectively. CDN has published the results of many of the research projects performed by Dr Garry and his colleagues both regionally and nationally.

The report in Bovine Veterinarian includes research by other groups in the country and how the Colorado research in conjunction with others has helped to understand this disease which is such a drain on the dairy industry.

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Figuring out Down Cows

The best way to combat the negative publicity associated with down cows is to minimize their occurrence and, if they do occur, tend to them promptly. Down cows are an unfortunate occurrence that can puzzle producers and veterinarians, much less dairy workers with less cattle experience or medical knowledge. Dr Dave Van Metre, DVM of CSU-ILM explains how to perform a thorough examination to evaluate the down cow, what are the factors that influence decisions concerning the cow's future, and the pros and cons of treatment or euthanasia.

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NEFA Testing at CSU Diagnostic Lab

Colorado State University Diagnostic Lab is now offering the Non-Esterified Fatty Acid (NEFA) test to veterinarians. Dr. Dwayne Hamar developed this test at the CSU D-Lab and it became available on November 6, 2008. NEFA testing is used to evaluate the level of free fatty acids in the blood of cattle. The results are used to evaluate the nutritional plane of dry dairy cows that are close to calving.

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More Dairy 07 Results

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information about ILM activities