An evaluation of antimicrobial therapy for undifferentiated bovine respiratory disease

A field trial of antimicrobial therapy for cases of undifferentiated bovine respiratory disease (UBRD) in beef calves was conducted at four Ontario feedlots. The primary purpose of the trial was to evaluate the efficacy of three different antimicrobials (oxytetracycline, penicillin, and trimethoprim-sulfadoxine) in the treatment of UBRD occurring within the first 28 days postarrival.The response, relapse, and case fatality rates overall were 85.7%, 14.8%, and 1.4%, respectively, and were not significantly different among the three antimicrobials evaluated. Weight gains of calves treated with the different drugs were not statistically different over the feeding period. Calves that suffered a relapse posttreatment were first treated significantly earlier (p<0.001) in the postarrival period than those that did not relapse. Considered together, treated calves gained significantly less (p<0.05) over the first 28 days and throughout the entire feeding period than controls that were never sick. Cases of UBRD that responded to therapy and did not relapse had rates of gain that were not significantly different from the controls.