Archive Case #62: Bovine Respiratory Disease

Clinical Clues

1. A group of recently transported weaner calves develops fever, depression, and nasal discharge after arrival.
2. Several affected animals are breathing faster and coughing.
3. The outbreak follows recent mixing, transport stress, and weather change.
4. Auscultation reveals increased bronchial sounds and cranioventral lung involvement.
5. The syndrome is consistent with bronchopneumonia in transported calves.
6. Bovine respiratory disease is a multifactorial syndrome that commonly follows stress, commingling, and pathogen exposure in young cattle.

Diagnosis

Bovine Respiratory Disease

This case is most consistent with Bovine Respiratory Disease because the calves became febrile and respiratory after transport and mixing with clinical evidence of bronchopneumonia. The most important clues are the timing after shipping, group outbreak, and cranioventral lung pattern, which strongly support BRD.

Educational Use

Vetdle archive cases are educational veterinary games for diagnostic reasoning practice. They do not provide veterinary advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional medical guidance.