Acompanhamento das doenças respiratórias bovina na fase de recria

Abstract

The bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a complex composed of pneumonias and bronchopneumonias, with the latter being the most relevant, culminating in developmental delays, high prevalence, and high mortality rates in herds. This study aimed to detect and monitor BRD during the rearing phase. Eight cattle, both male and female, aged between 16 and 19 months, of the Girolando breed, were evaluated over a period of 10 months using pulmonary ultrasonography, physical examination, weighing, and body condition scoring. These animals were monitored in a previous study that evaluated pulmonary changes using ultrasonographic, physical, and hematological examinations, from birth to weaning, totaling 84 days, in which all eight animals, regardless of the technique, tested positive for BRD. In this study, 100% of the animals tested positive in the ultrasonographic test at least at some point during the evaluations; 25% on pulmonary auscultation; 81% presented lesions between the 4th and 6th intercostal spaces; 69% of the lesions were located in the right lung. Furthermore, it was possible to observe that the animals suffered losses in weight gain at the same times as the highest incidence of BRD cases. With the results, weighing proved to be a good tool for monitoring animal development when associated with the ultrasonographic examination as the most effective diagnostic technique for BRD detection.