Challenges and opportunities for managing respiratory disease in dairy calves

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is important for the Ontario dairy industry due to the large economic and welfare costs of this disease. Practical science-based management techniques are needed to control and reduce the risk of this disease. Currently, the emphasis on BRD is focused on early detection of disease and prevention. These areas are important but it is not practical to assume this disease will be eliminated in the near future. It is necessary to determine the best practices for caring for sick animals, monitoring their recovery and making changes to their management to facilitate health and recovery. If management changes can be made for animals that are failing to thrive in a current situation, a more complete recovery may be possible and the welfare and economic costs of BRD may be minimized.