Effect of Respiratory Disease on Weight Gain and Infrared Thermal Profiles in Feeder Cattle
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21423/aabppro20005401Keywords:
performance, acute respiratory disease, feeder cattle, radiant energy lossAbstract
Respiratory disease is the most costly disease of feeder cattle, and remains a major, ongoing concern for health care providers and feedlot operators. Currently, rectal temperature, feed intake, and visual appraisal are used to assess an animal's clinical condition and response to treatment. Marked physiological events associated with disease, adaptation to rations, and acute and chronic stress can modify heat loss or alter blood flow to the body surface and change metabolism in underlying muscle tissues. These changes can lead to alterations in the amount of radiant energy lost to the environment. Thermal imaging measures the amount of infrared radiation on the surface of an animal. Scanning animals with an infrared camera could detect changes in radiant energy loss associated with physiological and pathological events resulting from respiratory disease. This study evaluated the effect on performance and radiant energy loss wrought by clinical illness in feeder cattle with acute respiratory disease.