Thoracic Ultrasound (TUS) gives us the ability to identify lung disease quickly and accurately, respiratory disease remains one of the most common and costly health challenges affecting youngstock. Often, calves can have significant lung damage without showing obvious clinical signs, meaning opportunities for early intervention are missed. Last week the team at Severn Edge Farm Vets were lucky enough to undergo thorough training with the team at MSD on thoracic ultrasound scanning in cattle to give our clients better service when identifying lung disease.
By incorporating TUS into your herd health programme, we can work together to improve calf health, optimise performance, and make more informed management decisions.
Investigating Sick Calves
TUS can be used alongside a full clinical examination to provide a clearer picture of what is happening within the lungs.
Using ultrasound allows us to:
- Identify the extent and severity of lung lesions.
- Distinguish between calves that may benefit from treatment and those that may not.
- Combine scan results with herd health information to make evidence-based treatment decisions.
- Record findings within age groups to identify patterns and potential risk factors.
- Reassess calves several weeks later to monitor recovery and evaluate treatment success.
This approach helps ensure that treatment decisions are targeted and effective rather than relying solely on clinical appearance.
Routine Herd Improvement Visits
TUS is not only useful when there is a problem. Some of the greatest benefits come from monitoring calf groups proactively before respiratory disease becomes obvious.
During routine herd visits we can:
- Assess lung health in pre-weaned calves, even when they appear healthy.
- Monitor growth and performance alongside disease prevalence.
- Review housing, ventilation, nutrition, vaccination programmes, and management practices.
- Identify areas where improvements could reduce disease pressure.
- Track progress over time through repeated assessments, ideally every six months.
These visits provide valuable information that can help improve overall calf health and future herd performance.
Reducing Antibiotic Use
Responsible medicine use is becoming increasingly important across the livestock industry. TUS helps us make treatment decisions based on evidence rather than suspicion alone.
By using ultrasound findings alongside clinical signs, we can:
- Target treatment towards calves that genuinely need it.
- Avoid unnecessary antibiotic use in calves with minimal or no lung pathology.
- Review treatment protocols to ensure they remain effective.
- Assess the success of vaccination programmes.
- Monitor treatment rates over time and demonstrate improvements.
This not only supports responsible antibiotic usage but can also reduce treatment costs.
Heifer Selection and Future Performance
Research has shown that respiratory disease in young calves can have long-term impacts on growth, fertility, and future milk production.
TUS can help us:
- Identify calves with significant lung damage that may have reduced future performance.
- Support decisions regarding breeding and replacement stock selection.
- Monitor the effectiveness of management changes aimed at reducing respiratory disease.
- Compare groups over time using consistent and repeatable scanning methods.
This information can be particularly valuable when making decisions about future herd replacements.
Calf Rearing Unit Assessments
For calf rearers and units sourcing calves from multiple farms, TUS can provide an additional layer of health assessment.
Scanning calves on arrival allows us to:
- Detect respiratory disease that may not yet be visible clinically.
- Identify affected animals early and manage them appropriately.
- Reduce the risk of disease spread within the group.
- Highlight the importance of vaccination and biosecurity measures on source farms.
- Improve welfare outcomes while reducing medicine use.
Early detection provides the best opportunity to minimise the impact of disease.
Understanding Thoracic Ultrasound Scores
Score 0
No lung consolidation detected.
- Lungs appear normal.
- Treatment is generally not required if the calf is clinically healthy.
Score 1
Small isolated lesions.
- Mild changes within the lung.
- Monitor closely and consider clinical signs before deciding on treatment.
Score 2
Larger or multiple lesions.
- More significant lung involvement.
- Treatment may be appropriate depending on the overall clinical picture.
Score 3
Extensive lung involvement.
- Significant disease present.
- Prompt veterinary assessment and intervention are recommended as the prognosis may be less favourable.
How We Can Help
Thoracic Ultrasound is a practical, on-farm tool that provides valuable information about calf respiratory health. Whether you are dealing with pneumonia issues, looking to reduce antibiotic use, or wanting to improve the long-term performance of your youngstock, TUS can help us make better-informed decisions together.
By identifying problems early and monitoring progress over time, we can work towards healthier calves, improved performance, and greater confidence in your herd health programme.
Benefits to Your Farm
Using TUS allows respiratory disease to be detected earlier, treatment decisions to be evidence-based, and herd health plans to be tailored to the needs of the farm. Regular monitoring helps improve calf health, supports responsible medicine use, and contributes to better long-term productivity and profitability.
