This resource has been updated as part of the veterinary review process. It was originally published on April 6, 2018.

Veterinary Review Initiative
This resource has been reviewed for accuracy and clarity by a qualified Doctor of Veterinary Medicine with farmed animalA species or specific breed of animal that is raised by humans for the use of their bodies or what comes from their bodies. sanctuary experience as of July 2024.

Check out more information on our Veterinary Review Initiative here!

Outbreak Of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza In CowsWhile  "cows" can be defined to refer exclusively to female cattle, at The Open Sanctuary Project we refer to domesticated cattle of all ages and sexes as "cows." In The U.S.
In March 2024, the USDAThe United States Department of Agriculture, a government department that oversees agriculture and farmed animals. announced the detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in cows in Texas, Kansas, and New Mexico. Since these initial detections, cows in additional states have been affected. Folks welcoming new cows to their sanctuary should familiarize themselves with this disease and the risk it poses. We also recommend staying up-to-date about the current situation in your area and consulting with your veterinarian about measures you should consider implementing to reduce the risk of bringing HPAI into your sanctuary. Depending on where you are located, this may mean testing new arrivals before they set foot on sanctuary grounds or even temporarily suspending intake. You can read more about HPAI in domesticatedAdapted over time (as by selective breeding) from a wild or natural state to life in close association with and to the benefit of humans ruminants and camelids here.

When a new cowWhile  "cow" can be defined to refer exclusively to female cattle, at The Open Sanctuary Project we refer to domesticated cattle of all ages and sexes as "cows." arrives at your sanctuary, several critical steps must be taken to ensure the safety and health of the incoming resident, the existing residents, and sanctuary humans! In this resource, we’ll discuss important incoming protocols for cows, but as you’ll see, the specifics of your incoming protocols may vary depending on your region, philosophy of care, and unique circumstances. The following information is meant to give folks a basic understanding of the types of incoming protocols that may be necessary when welcoming cows to their sanctuary, but we recommend folks work with their veterinarian to identify the most appropriate incoming protocols for their sanctuary.

Take Notes!
Remember to keep track of all intake information and records of any new resident. You can find our resident record-keeping guide here.

Identify The Specific Needs Of Incoming Individuals

Before welcoming a new resident, it’s important to have at least a basic understanding of their species’ needs so that you can prepare to meet those needs. We provide general recommendations regarding the nutritional, housing, and care requirements of cows, but it’s important to consider if new arrivals have different needs or require any special accommodations based on factors such as their age, health status, known history, or the circumstances of their recent living situation. In some cases, this will be something you can figure out before even meeting the new arrival based on the information you are provided with, but other times you’ll gather this information after their arrival, for example, during their intake evaluation, a veterinary exam, or during your observation of the individual (as described below). 

Each new resident and situation will be different, but we want to highlight a few of the more common situations sanctuaries may encounter and how to proceed:

Welcoming Neonates

Calves have very different needs than mature cows. It’s important to be aware of these differences before welcoming a calf to your sanctuary so that you can provide them with the care they need to thrive. You can read more about caring for calves here. If you welcome a mother along with her nursing calf, you should not separate them unless absolutely necessary for their health. If you do need to separate them, allow them to be close enough to touch if they choose to, if you can!

Welcoming Pregnant Or Lactating Cows

Pregnant cows have different needs than other cows, and their needs change depending on how far along they are. You should work with an experienced veterinarian to determine the most appropriate diet and care practices for pregnant arrivals. Similarly, lactating cows may have different needs, particularly in terms of diet. Again, your veterinarian should be able to advise you on the most appropriate diet to provide. If you are taking in a heavily lactating cow from a dairy production setting, you should work closely with your veterinarian to make sure you are not encouraging further milk production while ensuring she does not develop mastitis.

Welcoming Elderly Cows

While some older cows will continue to thrive with the same care you provide to other cow residents, other individuals may require something different, such as supplemental food or additional warmth in colder temperatures. You can read more about caring for elderly cows here.

Welcoming Cows Who Have Been Starved

While we generally recommend providing free-choice access to appropriate forages to cows, offering unrestricted food to an individual who has been starved can result in serious health complications. If the new individual(s) is from a starvation situation, you must work closely with your veterinarian to determine what to feed them.

Welcoming An Unneutered Male (Bull)

If the new resident is a mature bull, you need to think carefully about human safety. Not all bulls are confrontationalBehaviors such as chasing, cornering, biting, kicking, problematic mounting, or otherwise engaging in consistent behavior that may cause mental or physical discomfort or injury to another individual, or using these behaviors to block an individual's access to resources such as food, water, shade, shelter, or other residents., but because they have the potential to behave quite differently than a neutered male, being with them in an enclosed space can be dangerous. It’s imperative to enact protocols that ensure caregiverSomeone who provides daily care, specifically for animal residents at an animal sanctuary, shelter, or rescue. safety. Don’t let caregivers enter the bull resident’s space alone, and make sure only your most experienced, cow-savvy caregivers work around the individual. However, because bulls are large and can be very fast, even experienced caregivers can find themselves in a dangerous situation, especially in a confined space, so you must take additional steps to keep them safe. For example, if you can, create systems that allow caregivers to encourage the individual to move into a different space (perhaps their outdoor space or a neighboring pen they can be closed into) without having to enter the area he is in. Caregivers can then close off his primary space, allowing them to clean his water, restock hay, or remove soiled bedding safely (so long as the physical infrastructure of the space is sound). If caregivers have to enter the bull resident’s space while he is present and unrestrained, make sure the space is designed so caregivers have multiple ways out and can do so quickly if needed. Make sure all protocols are clearly communicated to sanctuary personnel and post signs outside the quarantineThe policy or space in which an individual is separately housed away from others as a preventative measure to protect other residents from potentially contagious health conditions, such as in the case of new residents or residents who may have been exposed to certain diseases. space to remind folks of these protocols.

Welcoming Fearful Individuals And/Or Escapees

If the new arrival is very agile and appears to be fearful, or if the new resident is assumed to have escaped from their previous living situation, be sure to assess if your quarantine space can safely contain them. A frightened cow may try to jump or run through a fence. Not only do you want to avoid the new resident getting loose, but they could also seriously injure themselves while trying to escape. Any time you take in fearful individuals, it is important to find gentle ways to help them become more comfortable around their caregivers. They may never become residents who crave human attention (though some individuals who arrive very fearful, certainly do!), but you should be able to ease their fears (and hence increase their comfort) even if they choose to keep their distance from humans.

Keep Human Safety In Mind
If the new cow is fearful or confrontational, be sure to keep human safety in mind when working with the cow. Being in a confined space with a fearful or confrontational cow has the potential to be quite dangerous. You may need to utilize a chute system to safely evaluate the individual, and/or you may have to enlist the help of your veterinarian. Make sure anyone working with the cow is trained in safe practices and is well-versed in cow body language and behavior.

Adhere To A Quarantine Policy

While the specifics of what each new arrival needs in terms of things like diet or housing may vary, one universal truth is that all new arrivals must be quarantined to prevent possible disease spread between the new resident and others. Quarantine is critical for all new residents of any species, even if they appear healthy and even if you know exactly where the individual came from! Quarantine procedures protect the rest of your residents (and the humans who care for them) from infectious diseases that may not be producing clinical signs in a healthy-looking arrival – an entire herd could be easily infected and possibly even killed by certain infectious diseases. You can read more about quarantine protocols here.  

If you’re taking in a group of cows that were living together previously, you can probably quarantine them together since it’s likely that any infectious diseases one has the others have already been exposed to, and staying together may put the new residents more at ease. However, if an individual seems very ill, is behaving oddly, or has diarrhea, they should be isolated from the others and evaluated by a veterinarian. Additionally, if the group includes a mix of females and unneutered males who are sexually mature, you will need to take steps to prevent breeding. When welcoming a group of individuals, be sure to monitor them to ensure that the current social dynamics are safe – just because they came in together, doesn’t necessarily mean they get along well. If anyone appears to be getting picked on, find a way to split the group to reduce tensions while avoiding anyone having to live alone unless absolutely necessary.

Enrichment Can Help!
Companionship for herd animals such as cows is very important to their health. While quarantine must be given priority for new residents, it’s important to also consider their mental well-being during this time. An enrichment plan can go a long way in reducing stress, boredom, and loneliness for a quarantined individual, and we’ve got multiple resources that can give you ideas for how to do this. We suggest starting with our resources on social enrichment and cow-safe enrichment.

Evaluate The New Cow’s Health

When welcoming a new resident to your sanctuary, you must assess their overall health to ensure you are addressing any issues as soon as possible. This is accomplished through initial observations, an intake evaluation, ongoing observation, and possibly a veterinarian’s assessment of the individual, especially if the new resident shows any signs of concern or is part of a pending cruelty case. Diagnostic testing also plays an important role in evaluating the new arrival’s health and will be discussed later on.

Veterinary Examinations For New Arrivals
If a new arrival is showing signs of concern, you should consult with your veterinarian to determine the best course of action, which may be to have them seen immediately or to schedule an upcoming exam and closely monitor them in the meantime. But what about individuals who are seemingly healthy or who have minor issues that you are properly trained to manage on your own? If possible, it’s beneficial to schedule a time for them to be examined by your veterinarian as well! In addition to potentially catching health concerns you were not aware of, your veterinarian will be able to gather information specific to the individual that may come in handy later on (for example, baseline blood work and vitals). Additionally, seeing the new resident and understanding their history will allow your veterinarian to make specific recommendations regarding their care, which might include a slight alteration to your typical intake procedures.

Initial Observations

Whenever you welcome a new resident to your sanctuary, it is crucial that you spend some time observing the individual upon arrival to determine any immediate needs they may have. If you or your staff picked up the individual and transported them back to the sanctuary, this observation process will actually begin before the new resident sets foot on sanctuary grounds. Through thoughtful observation, you may be able to identify signs of concern that warrant immediate veterinary care or further assessment on your part. This part of the intake process will also help determine if an intake evaluation (described below) should happen immediately or if you can wait for the new resident to settle in a little bit. In instances where you are taking in multiple new residents, your initial observations can help inform the order in which you perform intake evaluations, prioritizing individuals who appear to require more immediate assessment.

In addition to observing new arrivals for signs of concern, this is also a good time to consider your current plans in terms of their care, diet, housing, etc., and whether or not these plans need to be adjusted based on your initial observations.

Identification
If you are taking in cows who look very similar, you must have a system of identifying and documenting individuals while you are getting to know who is who. For more docile individuals, some sanctuaries use properly fitting collars with name tags, which can be helpful for staff or volunteers who are working on learning everyone’s name and can also be a good way to make sure information is being recorded for the correct individual. Collars do come with potential risk if residents get them caught on something, so if you can find a breakaway style, that would be your safest bet. Regardless of the style, collars may not be a good option for a more skittish or confrontational cow, as it may be difficult to safely put on and regularly check the collar, and if they get it caught on something, it may be difficult to assist them. Additionally, be careful when using collars on cows who are still growing. They will need to be checked often and refitted as needed. Every individual will have their own unique physical characteristics, so if collars are not an option or are not something you want to use, you could take lots of pictures and write out thorough descriptions for staff and volunteers to refer to while learning everyone’s names. Alternatively, animal-safe temporary paints and markers can be used to assist with identification until personnel are familiar with who’s who.

What About Ear Tags?
Ear tags are not a form of identification we recommend for sanctuaries because they are an invasive form of identification that causes pain, and there are other pain-free ways for caregivers to reliably identify residents. Additionally, ear tags perpetuate the notion that farmed animalsA species or specific breed of animal that is raised by humans for the use of their bodies or what comes from their bodies. are numbers rather than individuals. But what if a new cow arrives with an ear tag? Should it be left in? Unfortunately, this is not an easy question for us to answer. We recommend familiarizing yourself with the regulations in your region and consulting with your veterinarian and legal counsel for guidance. In most cases, it is considered unlawful to remove official ear tags, though some sanctuaries understand this and choose to do so anyway. Non-official ear tags are typically fine to remove (though we do recommend saving these and keeping them with the individual’s record).

It’s important to understand the possible ramifications of removing ear tags for the resident and your organization if it is discovered that official tags have been removed or if a resident escapes and is picked up by another individual, such as a farmer. Sometimes, an official ear tag is the only way to prove that the individual is free from certain diseases, and lacking this proof could put the individual (and those they have come into contact with) at risk of government control efforts. Additionally, if the individual is to be adopted out of your region, official identification will likely be necessary as part of transport across state lines, so removal may mean they need to be retagged later on. Ear tags are also one of the more broadly recognized and more obvious ways of showing “ownership” of farmed animal species such as cows. While this is one of the reasons sanctuaries may be opposed to the practice of keeping ear tags in, there may also be a situation where the presence of an ear tag makes it easier to prove “ownership” of a resident who gets loose. While microchips can also be used as proof of “ownership,” not everyone who finds a stray cow is going to consider the possibility of them being microchipped, meaning a loose resident may be assumed to be “owner-less” if they do not have an ear tag. 

If an individual with an official ear tag develops an infection in the area of the tag and your veterinarian deems the tag must be removed, they can advise you on how to best proceed (which may require the tag to be replaced and that the appropriate agency be notified). Like many farmed animal sanctuariesAnimal sanctuaries that primarily care for rescued animals that were farmed by humans., we are strongly against the practice of ear tagging and recognize the important symbolism of ear tag removal once the individual has found sanctuary, but we also believe it is important that sanctuaries fully understand the potential risks involved when it comes to the removal of official identification. Seek legal counsel so that you fully understand the potential risks involved and have a plan in place should you find yourself in legal trouble.

In instances where ear tags must be left in, sanctuaries must continue to differentiate themselves from exploitative settings. All residents should be named, and their names should be the primary way in which they are referred to and communicated about. When talking with guests or sharing stories online, explaining why a certain resident has an ear tag and making a point of stressing that their ear tag is not who they are, can go a long way in both educating the public about how farmed animals are treated and how sanctuaries are different.

Prioritize An Intake Evaluation

It’s important to perform an intake evaluation on all new residents. Ideally, we recommend new arrivals either be seen by a veterinarian or have an intake evaluation performed within 24 hours of arrival, though some individuals may need even more immediate assessment. An intake evaluation includes conducting a full health check to evaluate their overall health and to learn more about the individual, as well as gather important information for their permanent record. Be sure to follow quarantine procedures while conducting the intake evaluation. To learn more about the intake evaluation process, including how to prioritize assessing and addressing a new resident’s needs, check out our resource here! If, for whatever reason, you are unable to perform a full health evaluation shortly after their arrival, you will need to closely observe new residents for signs of concern and take steps to address those concerns appropriately.

An intake evaluation is conducted in much the same way as a routine health checkThe Open Sanctuary Project uses the term "health check" to describe health evaluations performed by caregivers who are not licensed veterinarians. While regular health checks are an important part of animal care, they are not meant to be a replacement for a physical exam performed by a licensed veterinarian. – you should check every inch of the cow, looking for any signs of concern and providing any necessary treatments as recommended by your veterinarian. Be sure to consider the individual and their history when conducting the health check. Depending on the cow’s age, breed, and previous living situation, they may be more likely to arrive with certain diseases. For example, cows rescued from a dairy production setting should be thoroughly evaluated for mastitis since they are more likely to have or develop this condition than other cows. Calves also have their own set of common health challenges. You can find more information about health challenges that commonly affect calves here. Other conditions that are fairly common in newly rescued cows include:

• Hoof Issues – Because sanctuaries often take in individuals who may have had their needs neglected, new cows may arrive with overgrown hooves. Be sure to evaluate their feet and check for any signs of hoof rot, hoof abscesses, or other abnormalities. Schedule a visit from your farrier or veterinarian to trim their hooves and address any issues. Be sure to work with your veterinarian to diagnose any issues and establish a treatment plan.
• Mobility Or Joint Issues – You should assess the cow’s mobility by watching them walk and looking for any abnormalities in their gaitA specific way of moving and the rhythmic patterns of hooves and legs. Gaits are natural (walking, trotting, galloping) or acquired meaning humans have had a hand in changing their gaits for "sport". or shifting of weight when standing. When checking their legs, pay extra attention to their joints, looking for any swelling and listening for crepitus (popping or crunching). If safe to do so, you can feel the joint for heat as well. Mobility and joint issues should be evaluated by a veterinarian to determine the cause and appropriate treatment plan.
• Respiratory Issues – Watch closely, both during the intake evaluation and during the quarantine period, for any signs of respiratory illness such as nasal discharge, coughing, an elevated respiratory rate, fever, or breathing that sounds wet, raspy, or wheezy. Your veterinarian can evaluate the cow’s lungs, recommend diagnostic testing, and ultimately offer treatment options. 
• Pinkeye – If the cow arrives with eye issues, especially during fly season, be sure to consider if it could be pinkeye (infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitisKeratoconjunctivitis is an infectious often epidemic disease that is caused by an adenovirus (especially serotypes of species Human adenovirus B and Human adenovirus D of the genus Mastadenovirus) and is marked by pain, redness and swelling of the conjunctiva, edema of the tissues around the eye, and tenderness of the adjacent lymph nodes., IBK), which is highly contagious. All eye issues should be evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible, as early treatment of many issues is important to prevent permanent eye damage. Because pinkeye is contagious and is often spread by flies, be sure to use proper fly mitigation strategies and follow quarantine procedures to prevent the spread to other residents. Some cows may arrive with scarred eyes from old pinkeye infections.
• External Parasites – Checking for external parasites should be a part of all resident health evaluations, but it is especially important for incoming cows. Lice infestations are common in cows, and new cows can easily spread these parasites to other residents. 
• Emaciation – It is not uncommon for new cows to arrive severely underweight. This could be caused by many issues, such as improper diet, dental issues, parasitism, or other disease (such as Johne’s disease). A veterinarian should evaluate new residents who are significantly underweight, appropriate diagnostics should be performed as your veterinarian recommends, and you should consult with them about how to encourage safe weight gain. Because dental issues are a common but sometimes overlooked cause of weight loss in older cows, we recommend asking your veterinarian about the possibility of dental disease. While your ambulatory veterinarian can examine the individual, they may recommend sending the resident to a veterinary hospital for a more thorough dental evaluation.

In addition to looking for signs of concern during the intake evaluation, you should also determine the following information. In some cases, this will require veterinary involvement.

• Determine if males have been neutered: New males should be evaluated to determine if they have already been neutered, though in some cases you may need a veterinarian to help with this if you are unsure if they are intact or not. Intact males should be neutered as soon as your veterinarian deems it appropriate. Waiting until the end of their quarantine period to have them neutered could delay their introduction to other residents, so the sooner you can schedule their neuter, the better. They will need time to recover after the surgery and also can remain fertile for up to 6 weeks after being neutered, during which time they should be kept away from unspayed females. Be aware that cryptorchidism (where one or both testes have not descended into the scrotum) is possible. If an individual who appears to have been neutered is behaving as though they are intact, be sure to discuss the possibility of cryptorchidism with your veterinarian.
• Assess pregnancy status of females: Sexually mature females should be evaluated for pregnancy through an ultrasound and/or BioPRYN blood testing. If laparoscopic ovariectomies are part of your cow care practices, work with your veterinarian to determine if the individual is healthy enough (and mature enough) to undergo the procedure. If an incoming resident is early on in their pregnancy, some sanctuaries choose to administer Lutalyse (or a similar product) to induce miscarriage, under the guidance of their veterinarian. This decision ultimately depends on an individual sanctuary’s Philosophy of Care.
• Approximate their age by looking at their teeth: We are not talking about evaluating their dental health here – that requires an experienced veterinarian. However, by observing how many adult teeth a cow has, you can estimate their age, and having a general idea of their age can be very helpful when considering their needs. If you have never aged a cow before, there are plenty of resources online that show how, or you can work with your veterinarian to have this done. Unfortunately, if an individual has all of their adult teeth, you really only know they are over 4 years old, but your veterinarian may be better able to guess the age of a cow who has all their adult teeth by looking at how long or worn they are. Be sure to keep human safety in mind – if you cannot safely look at a cow’s teeth, skip this step for now. Being hit by a cow’s swinging head can cause serious injury! When examining their teeth, never put your hand inside a cow’s mouth as they have very strong jaws that could seriously injure a hand or finger.

Consider Placing A Rumen Magnet
If you haven’t already, talk to your veterinarian about using rumen magnets to help prevent hardware disease and work with them to establish an appropriate protocol for your residents. Depending on your protocols and the age of the new cow, either have the magnet placed during the intake process or schedule placement for a later date.

Ongoing Observation

Some health conditions may take time to manifest outward symptoms and, as explained below, there are limitations to disease screening tests. Therefore, in addition to evaluating their health upon arrival and during their intake evaluation, it’s important to continue to closely monitor new residents for signs of disease. While all residents should be observed closely each day, extra attention should be paid to new residents during their quarantine period to ensure any potential issues are caught and addressed as soon as possible and before quarantine is discontinued.

Incoming Testing

If you have not already done so, work with your veterinarian to determine appropriate incoming testing protocols for new cows you welcome to your sanctuary. While individuals showing signs of concern may require additional diagnostics, there may be certain tests your veterinarian recommends for all incoming cows. For starters, all new residents should have a fecal sample submitted to check for internal parasites. If parasites are found, your veterinarian will be able to advise you regarding whether or not treatment is recommended.

In addition to testing for internal parasites, your veterinarian may recommend that all new cows undergo testing to screen for certain diseases, even if individuals are not showing outward signs of the disease. Consult with your veterinarian to see what tests they recommend for screening purposes and to gather more information about testing protocols. Depending on the disease you are screening for, very young individuals may need to reach a certain age before they are tested to avoid maternal antibody interference. 

When establishing testing protocols, it’s helpful to understand the test’s sensitivity and specificity (which will tell you what the chances of a false-negative or false-positive are), but, ultimately, you should defer to your veterinarian when it comes to recommended tests and test interpretation. In some cases, repeat testing may be necessary for more reliable results.

Below, we’ll discuss screening tests for Johne’s disease, Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD), and Bovine Leukemia Virus (BLV), but you should defer to your veterinarian for specific guidance. Your veterinarian may recommend other testing based on the specifics of your region and/or based on where the new arrival is coming from. Certain disease confirmations may require an official report to your local government – if testing is for screening purposes only, you may want to have a conversation with your veterinarian about what a positive result would mean for the individual and the sanctuary.

Screening For Johne’s Disease

Testing new arrivals for Johne’s disease can help reduce the chances of exposing your residents to this fatal and contagious disease. However, screening for Johne’s disease in individuals who are not showing clinical signs of the disease is difficult, so it’s important to work with your veterinarian to determine the best protocol for Johne’s testing. Fecal culture and PCR are the most accurate diagnostic tests for cows showing signs of clinical disease, but cows who have been infected can still test negative if they are not currently shedding the organism that causes this disease. To account for this, your veterinarian may recommend also conducting blood serum antibody tests. However, it can take up to one year after exposure for antibodies to develop, so a negative result cannot rule out the possibility of infection. Antibody tests are not recommended for individuals under six months of age due to the risk of maternal antibody interference.

If new arrivals test negative, it’s a good idea to retest them before discontinuing quarantine and introducing them to other residents. Based on our conversation with an experienced veterinarian, we suggest waiting at least one month before retesting, though your veterinarian may recommend waiting longer than that if you have the quarantine capacity to do so. If a new resident tests positive for Johne’s disease but is not showing clinical signs of disease, they may still be able to have a good quality of life for many years but can spread the disease in their feces. Younger cows are most susceptible to the disease, but adults can be infected as well. If you find yourself caring for a Johne’s positive cow, be sure to work with your veterinarian to determine appropriate protocols to keep everyone safe. You can read more about this topic here. Be aware that even with repeated testing, infected individuals may go undetected for some time. Therefore, your veterinarian may recommend annual testing for all cow residents. You can read more about this here.

Screening For Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD)

The virus that causes BVD can cause subclinical disease or acute illness, but the most concerning characteristic of this virus is its ability to create persistently infected (PI) individuals. Persistent infection occurs if a cow becomes infected with BVD virus (BVDV) while pregnant and spreads the virus to her calf in utero. Not all in-utero BVDV infections result in persistent infection, with the outcome depending on multiple factors, including when during pregnancy the infection occurs. While cows with transient infections can spread the disease to others for a limited time, persistently infected individuals remain infectious for life and typically have the virus present in all of their organs and tissues which, except in rare cases, results in them shedding large amounts of the virus in all of their bodily fluids, including their urine, feces, nasal and ocular secretions, saliva, semen, milk, and colostrum. Some persistently infected calves are born very weak and die shortly after birth, but others appear completely healthy.

Screening new arrivals for BVD is important to protect your other residents, but a major goal of BVD testing is to identify persistently infected individuals. There are various testing options available, so be sure to talk to your veterinarian about what is most appropriate based on the individual’s age and other factors. Because a positive result could indicate either a transient or persistent infection, your veterinarian may recommend further testing to determine if the individual is persistently infected or not. 

Screening For Bovine Leukemia Virus (BLV)

Bovine Leukemia Virus is an oncogenic retrovirus that has the potential to cause lymphosarcoma (malignant lymphoma) in cows. Though infected individuals remain infected for life, only about 5% of BLV-positive cows will develop lymphosarcoma; about two-thirds of infected cows will show no signs of disease, and the remainder will show no outward signs but will have persistently elevated lymphocytes. BLV infection may not have the same implications as Johne’s disease or persistent BVD infection, but some sanctuaries choose to screen all incoming cow residents for BLV as part of their incoming protocols. However, this will only indicate that an individual has the virus, not whether or not they will develop lymphosarcoma. Knowing an individual is BLV-positive can be useful information to have, especially if they eventually develop symptoms that could be related to lymphosarcoma, but individuals can be tested at any time, so some sanctuaries may choose to only test when an individual is presenting signs of concern.

Incoming Vaccines

It’s important to work with your veterinarian to establish vaccine protocols for your cow residents based on the specifics of your resident population and your region. New residents should be vaccinated accordingly and in consultation with your veterinarian. You can read more about vaccines for cows here.

Establishing and following appropriate intake protocols can make a world of difference when it comes to ensuring the health and safety of your residents. If you haven’t already, be sure to consult with your veterinarian regarding the incoming protocols your sanctuary should adopt!

SOURCES:

Cattle Care Guide | Farm Sanctuary

Advanced Topics In Resident Health: Johne’s Disease (Paratuberculosis) | The Open Sanctuary Project 

Estimating Cattle Age Using Dentition | Mississippi State University Extension (Non-Compassionate Source) 

Hardware Disease in Cattle | NC Cooperative Extension (Non-Compassionate Source) 

Bovine Viral Diarrhea: Background, Management And Control | Cornell University College Of Veterinary Medicine (Non-Compassionate Source) 

Bovine Virus Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) | Cornell University College Of Veterinary Medicine (Non-Compassionate Source) 

Overview of Bovine Leukosis | Merck Veterinary Manual (Non-Compassionate Source)

Bovine Leukosis Virus | Cornell University College Of Veterinary Medicine (Non-Compassionate Source)

Non-Compassionate Source?
If a source includes the (Non-Compassionate Source) tag, it means that we do not endorse that particular source’s views about animals, even if some of their insights are valuable from a care perspective. See a more detailed explanation here.