Ancillary (Nonantimicrobial) Therapy in the Treatment of Bovine Respiratory Disease

Abstract

The respiratory system of mammals plays a critical role in external respiration; the exchange of gases between the ambient atmosphere and the blood. In addition to this function, the respiratory system is significantly involved in body temperature control, vocalization, immunity to inhaled antigens, antimicrobial action, detoxication, olfaction and a number of important metalbolic and endocrine functions. In considerations of the pathogenesis of respiratory disease and in the planning of therapeutic regimens, maintaining the primary function of gas exchange is of critical importance, but the effects on other respiratory functions must also be considered. In this review, therapeutic intervention in bovine respiratory disease will be reviewed with the goal of selecting therapetic agents that optimze respiratory and tissue defense mechanisms and minimizing damage produced by infectious agents or tissue reactions to these organisms.