PSVIII-16 Evaluating navel disinfection practices and health outcomes in newborn beef calves in Canada: A pilot-study.

Abstract Research indicates that not disinfecting the umbilical cord of newborn calves can contribute to navel infections, potentially leading to secondary complications like respiratory illness and diarrhea. This pilot-study aimed to: 1) survey the prevalence of navel disinfection practices in newborn beef calves in Canada and 2) assess the effects of two navel treatment methods using either navel dipping or a spraying with a 7% iodine tincture on morbidity and visual clinical outcomes. An online survey was distributed via social media and at a beef industry event in Alberta in March of 2025. Morbidity records of 85 crossbred Angus male and female calves (n = 42-43 per treatment) from a single herd located in Olds, Alberta, Canada were recorded up to 40-days of age. A subsample (n = 26/treatment) of calves were assessed within the first 15-hour post-birth (baseline) and then weekly until day 28 using visual clinical parameters. After calving, cow-calf pairs were housed in outdoor pens with shelter, straw beddings, and ad libitum access to water and diet. The following clinical parameters were scored on a four-point scale in ascending order of severity: nasal and ocular discharges, cough, fecal consistency, and umbilical enlargement. Navel cord condition was assessed using a three-point scale, where 0 indicated the cord had fallen off, 1 indicated signs of desiccation, and 2 indicated moist tissue. Regarding the survey, from a total of 39 respondents, most were from Alberta (36%) and Ontario (36%), followed by Manitoba (26%) and Saskatchewan (3%). The majority (79%) were commercial producers, while 8% raised purebred and 13% had both. Calving locations varied, with 36% using indoor barns, 36% pasture, and 23% utilizing outdoor pens or feedlots, while the remaining (5%) producers adjusted between barns and outdoor pens. A total of 36% of producers treated navels, 41% did not, and 23% treated them occasionally. Among those who applied treatments (23/39), 52% used 10% iodine tincture, 26% used 7% iodine, while the remaining used iodophor-based products (8%), povidone-iodine (4%), or did not apply any treatment (8%). Treatment timing varied, with 32% treating within an hour post-calving, another 32% between 1-6 hours, 27% between 6-24 hours, and the remaining producers applying treatments more than two days after calving. A total of 51% of producers reported identifying navel infections in their herds, while 49% had not observed any case. A total of 40 cases of morbidity was observed, being 14% pneumonia, 18% navel infection, and 1% diarrhea. However, no differences (P > 0.05; Proc GLIMMIX of SAS) were observed on morbidity or visual clinical parameters. A variability in navel disinfection practices among Canadian beef producers was found, but more research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of different disinfection methods on health outcomes.