Consider routine post-mortem exams

Post-mortem exams are one of the most under-utilized tools on the dairy, says Frank Garry, veterinarian at the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Routine post-mortem exams can give you insight into the disease status of your herd, or alert you to any underlying problems.

Post-mortems don't have to be done by a veterinarian. A trained staff member at your dairy can perform them and then discuss the findings with the herd veterinarian.

Here's why you should consider doing them:

• Simple to perform.
  
• Retrieves value from a death loss.
  
• Facilitates sampling for testing and monitoring.
  
• Provides another type of routine monitoring for disease control.
  
• Improves understanding of how disease affects your animals.
  
• Encourages communication with your herd veterinarian.

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