Real Life Bovine Pharmacology Physiology and Pharmacology of the Bovine Respiratory System

Pneumonia

Abstract

While antibiotics are and will remain the mainstay of therapy for bovine pneumonia, there are many other factors besides simple bacterial growth that contribute to the pathogenesis of bacterial colonization, proliferation, and tissue damage. In particular, the body's responses to the factors which predispose to colonization, and its subsequent responses to the bacterium and its products, play a major role in the degree of damage and the eventual outcome. Pharmacological modification of these responses may alter the severity and outcome of the disease process, either positively or negatively. A review of the pathophysiology of bovine pneumonia will reveal areas where pharmacological intervention beyond antibiotics is indicated or contraindicated.