Chuckles From Down Under

By: Jane Sullivan, Bell Veterinary Services

Entering Heaven

Three men died on Christmas Eve and were met by Saint Peter at the pearly gates.

“In honour of this holy season,” Saint Peter said, “you must each possess something that symbolizes Christmas to get in to Heaven.”

Here are some rules of thumb to think about when working with your veterinarian on a program. First, lightweight cattle have a higher chance of being BVD PI positive because there is a higher likelihood the BVD PI calf is still alive. Second, if you are going to institute a BVD PI testing program, you must test every animal on your facility to make this work. If you test random pens, the likelihood of having a BVD PI calf get in the system and become commingled in the hospital pen with tested cattle could defeat your purpose. Also, research shows that BVD PI cattle can cause issues in cattle housed with nose to nose contact in adjacent pens. Lastly, you have to develop a plan for what to do with the BVD PI cattle once they are identified. Quarantine, salvage slaughter and selling these animals are all options. Please remember the ethics of selling damaged property to others, and a BVD PI animal for sale is unethical if it is not properly represented. If you wind up with a high morbidity, high mortality episode in cattle, it is too late to try and find the BVD PI animal as it has probably already died. Working with your veterinarian, you can take

The first man fumbled through his pockets and pulled out a lighter. He flicked it on. “It represents a candle,” he said. “You may pass through the pearly gates,” Saint Peter said.

The second man reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. He shook them and said, “They’re bells.” Saint Peter said, “You may pass through the pearly gates.”

The third man started searching desperately through his pockets and finally pulled out a pair of women’s glasses.

Saint Peter looked at the man with a raised eyebrow and asked, “And just what do those symbolize?”

The man replied, “They’re Carol’s.”