Intranasal delivery brings less stress, more confidence

ā€œAn intranasal vaccine for calves is my favorite delivery mechanism from an immunological standpoint,ā€ says Tera Barnhardt, D.V.M. ā€œThe mucosal surface that lines the nasal cavity is loaded with immunologically active tissue. When we can place a vaccine right where that tissue is, my experience is we get an immunological response in a less stressful manner.”

For cow-calf operations, ā€œI recommend BOVILIS NASALGEN 3 in the spring right before we turn calves out on pasture, to prevent summer pneumonia,ā€ she continues. ā€œI’ve been really happy with how well it works, especially since it’s not easy to monitor the health of individual calves on grass. That’s where herd immunity is important.ā€

In other instances, she recommends BOVILIS NASALGEN 3 on beef calves at weaning. According to Barnhardt, ā€œThat’s another opportunity for stress, and I want to counteract that.ā€

It is a similar situation for her feedyard clients, where they are bringing in calves that may have just been weaned or been purchased at a sale barn. ā€œI need to protect that investment and make sure we don’t run into disease,ā€ she says. ā€œAnytime we have trouble in a feedyard with calves that are high-risk or have been through management practices that are ā€˜less than stellar,’ I usually reach for Bovilis Nasalgen 3.ā€

Barnhardt typically administers BOVILIS NASALGEN 3 when calves are about to be moved from a calf ranch, either back to the home farm or to a feedlot. ā€œThat’s a time of stress when I want to boost the calf’s immunity and rely on the immune system’s memory. They’re usually about 4 months old, and likely to have immune memory.ā€

According to Barnhardt, the benefits of intranasal vaccines also reflect Beef Quality Assurance principles. ā€œIt’s one less injection we have to worry about. If I can reduce the number of needles we use, it’s less stress on that animal and no injection-site problems.ā€

She also says it is easier to train workers to administer Bovilis Nasalgen 3. ā€œWe’re training more people who didn’t grow up working with animals and haven’t administered a lot of vaccines. That’s why I like the blue shadow – it makes it easier for me to see if the vaccine has been given correctly.ā€

Tera Barnhardt, D.V.M., veterinary consultant Johnson City, Kansas