Shipping fever is feared by many feedlot operators when bringing in new animals to finish for market, but University of Guelph researchers say that a new treatment is on the way to help improve recovery.

Profs. Laurent Viel and Joanne Hewson of the Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, are studying the benefits of using corticosteroids -- potent anti-inflammatory drugs – in addition to traditional antibiotic therapy, to improve recovery and lessen lung scarring associated with respiratory disease.

Shipping fever (bovine pasteurellosis) is a respiratory disease most commonly caused by stress. Animals newly introduced to the feedlot often suffer from the condition because of the stress associated with transportation and new social interactions.

It’s often hard to treat because there are two components to the disease: bacterial infection of the lungs, and inflammation of lung tissue in response to the infection.

Antibiotics are the common course of treatment used by producers, but this method only rids the lungs of infection and does little to decrease inflammation. If left untreated, inflammation can cause serious lung lesions and may lead to decreased appetite and less weight gain in the animal.

"The inflammatory aspect of the disease process is often overlooked by producers," says Hewson. "We’re hoping to help them learn how to use corticosteroids appropriately in order to treat this problem."

Some producers already use a combined antibiotic and anti-inflammatory treatment, but this method has yet to be proven effective at helping animals recover.

That’s where Viel and Hewson’s research comes in. For the study, 96 animals at the University of Guelph’s Elora Beef Research Station were treated for pasteurellosis with either an antibiotic, or a combination of an antibiotic and a corticosteriod.

The overall performance of the animals was measured and evaluated in terms of feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion and pneumonic lesions at slaughter, to provide an economic picture that illustrated the disease’s impact.

Results showed that the combined treatment was much more effective at reducing fever in the early stages of infection. Feedlot performance data is currently being analyzed to determine the long-term effects of combined treatment on affected animals.

The study also found that the prognosis for recovery was better when the infection was treated earlier..

Results of the research are still being analyzed, but Hewson expects appropriate recommendations for use of the antibiotic and corticosteroid drugs plus an economic evaluation to be available to producers in the near future.

This research was sponsored in part by the Ontario Cattlemen’s Association through the Agricultural Adaptation Council’s Canada-Ontario Research and Development program.