AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Bob Van Saun, professor and extension veterinarian at Penn State University. He is also a member of the AABP Nutrition Committee. If you are interested in beef or dairy nutrition, consider joining the committee by visiting this page. 

This episode of Have You Herd? is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim and the PYRAMID(R) Line of vaccines, a premier choice to protect calves from BRD. Get relentless protection at PyramidVaccines.com.

Van Saun begins by reviewing the important biologic role of copper for ruminants and why it is a critical mineral for ruminants. We also discuss some clinical diseases or conditions where a veterinarian may be triggered to look at a copper deficiency. This includes bleaching of the haircoat (achromotrichia), anemia, reproductive performance, growth, and disease consequences due to the role copper plays in innate and humoral immunity. Some of these syndromes may be clinically apparent, but a large portion may be subclinical, and the practitioner should evaluate the entirety of the mineral program to evaluate. 

Van Saun discusses the interplay between copper and other minerals and how this interaction can affect copper metabolism. We also discuss general guidelines copper in ruminants and diagnostic procedures for evaluating copper metabolism in a herd. 

Due to the impacts of copper on many production and disease issues in ruminants, veterinarians play a critical role in evaluating herds for copper deficiencies by performing a diagnostic work-up and evaluating potential interventions.