Improving the Quality of Veterinary Practice

Using Your Skills to do a Better Job for Your Patients and Clients

Abstract

Cow health is a priority for dairy producers who look to their veterinarian to design and implement protocols, train employees to be responsive to cow health and welfare issues, and to monitor the impact of preventative and treatment interventions on productivity of the herd. Using typical dairy herd health problems as case examples, a detailed approach that incorporates individual animal evaluation and scoring, appropriate herd-based testing, observation and analysis is a described. The art of observation, examination and analysis of the animals is an essential element that the veterinarian brings to innovative, creative, technologically and scientifically sophisticated approaches to improved dairy cattle health and productivity.