Lab Services
Rocky Creek Veterinary Service, a large animal, predominantly dairy, practice, has a microbiology lab for all milk culturing needs, a Bio-pryn lab providing pregnancy testing by blood sample and we also perform BVD testing for our clients. Dr. Sanner, a graduate of Virginia Tech runs our microbiology lab. Dr. Moore, a graduate of North Carolina State University runs our Bio-PRYN lab and performs BVD testing.
Microbiology Lab
The microbiology lab has been a great help to our clients. By utilizing this service, they and we are able to determine the kinds of pathogens we are dealing with and if they are contagious or environmental, so that we can determine the best course of treatment. If you are dealing with a contagious organism, such as staph aureus or mycoplasma bovis, certain measures need to be taken to keep the pathogens under control.
BulkTank Milk Analysis: measures the cleanliness of equipment and cows and is useful in treating mastitis problems as well as insures that dairies are producing quality milk for consumers. Some environmental pathogens that can be detected are staph species, strep species, coliforms, kliebsiella, pseudomonas, prototheca and proteus. Depending on the pathogen, some may indicate a bedding problem, contaminated water or dip cups. Some environmental problems can also originate from poor milking procedures.
Preliminary Incubation Count: is a way to measure raw milk keeping quality and sanitation practices on farms. This count is usually reflective of a dairy's cleanliness during the milking procedure and the equipment involved in the milking process. If the SPC plus PIC before pasteurization exceeds 300,000 cfu/ml, then shelf life is likely to be lower than desired and processors will often choose a tanker load of milk that is below this combined count.
What is BioPRYN?
BioPRYN® (Pregnancy Ruminant Yes/No) is a pregnancy detection procedure in cattle. It measures the presence of Pregnancy-Specific Protein B in the blood circulation of the animal (this is a protein that is produced by the placenta of the growing fetus).
BioPRYN® begins with collection of a blood sample from the animal. The samples are then shipped to our laboratory where an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is performed. Reports may be downloaded directly into dairy management software.
Using BioPRYN® assures accuracy. When the livestock producer draws blood samples from the animal 30 days after breeding and 90 days after calving, the pregnancy question is answered within 27 hours after testing begins. Our lab offers this service Monday through Thursday, with reports available to the client Tuesday through Friday.
For more information regarding BioPRYN® and submission forms see www.biotracking.com
BVD Testing
Testing for cattle persistently infected with Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV PI calves) is an important investment in the health and performance of your herd. Because you make significant management decision based on BVDV test results, you need to be certain the test you are using is accurate and reliable.
A number of options are available - but not all BVDV tests are the same. The IDEXX HerdChek* BVD Antigen Test Kit is the only USDA-licensed test detecting BVDV PI calves. Sometimes referred to as Antigen Capture ELISA, the IDEXX BVD is the fastest and most accurate method for detecting PI calves using ear notch samples. This antigen is highly stable and resistant to heat, freezing or other environmental influences.
For more information contact us at labservice@rockycreekdairy.com