‘Not all heroes wear capes…some wear ear tags’
Donor cows give beef calves a second
chance with plasma transfusions
By Mavis Fodness
Plasma transfusions often save human lives. Now its increasing use in the beef industry is also allowing newborn beef calves a second chance at life.
Veterinarian Erin deKoning performed her first plasma transfusion five years ago, thanks to a beef producer who brought a sick calf to the Luverne clinic for treatment.
“The first time was purely experimental, and luckily we had a long-time producer who was willing to go along with the experiment,” said deKoning, who is entering her 17th year of veterinary practice.
A simple total protein blood test revealed the week-old calf was low on protein. The low level was due to a failure of passive transfer (FPT), which occurs when a newborn doesn’t receive their mother’s protein-rich colostrum within 12 hours of birth.
DeKoning suspected a plasma transfer would increase the calf’s protein levels and energy level, if only a sufficient donor cow was available.
In her first case, deKoning said the owner brought the cow along with the sick calf. Blood was collected from the cow and its plasma was given via intravenously to the calf.
Plasma is the straw-colored liquid that is left when blood’s red and white blood cells are removed. Plasma is full of immunoglobulin antibodies, proteins and necessary electrolytes that can boost a low immune system.
Results of deKoning’s first plasma transfusion had positive results.
“Upon receiving the plasma, the calf perked up, thrived, was weaned that fall and went on to be fed out at the producer’s feedlot,” she said.
Since then, 50 percent of the FPT calves treated by the clinic have been saved thanks to plasma donations. The success rate continues to grow as the treatment becomes a more accepted treatment by producers and transfusions are becoming a common treatment for calves under one week of age.
DeKoning said the clinic averaged 10 plasma transfusions since 2021. That number rose this year due to the increased value of a newborn calf.
“Currently bottle calves straight off the cow are $1,500 to $1,600 or more depending on the area of the country,” she said. “We choose this treatment to save the calf and boost the immune system to help it thrive for the rest of its life.”
Cost of a plasma transfusion ranges from $250 to $300.
Key to a successful plasma transfusion starts with the cow. If the calf’s mother is not available, a donor is used. Keeping an adequate supply of bovine plasma on hand has become a standard practice at the Luverne clinic.
As fate would have it, cow-calf operations are popular enterprises among the employees at the Rock Veterinary Clinic. Beef cows owned by deKoning, and veterinary technicians Rylie Gens and Lexy Schiebout supply beef plasma for clients during the months-long calving season.
“As long as it (plasma) is frozen, it will keep for at least a year, if not more,” deKoning said. “But we have never carried plasma over a year since we use it that fast.”
Donor cows have become primary suppliers for the clinic’s donor supply.
Rock Veterinary staff recently celebrated one such donor cow on their social media page. Jenny is a 5 year-old Hereford/Angus cross owned by Schiebout, who is beginning her 11th year working at the clinic.
Jenny gave her first blood donation in March.
“She happened to need to come to the clinic for other reasons so I volunteered her for a blood donation,” Schiebout said. “She was in at the right time — being about one to two months from calving and our plasma supply was running low.”
The docile Jenny allowed Schiebout to draw enough blood for five plasma infusions for FPT calves. The donation process takes 20- to 30-minutes and Jenny suffered no ill effects.
Collected in half-liter bags, the donated blood is ideally kept in the clinic’s cooler for 14 days to allow the blood products to separate and the plasma can be easily drawn off for use. In emergencies, the whole blood can be separated in small batches using a centrifuge.
A plasma transfusion to a beef calf takes about 15 minutes.
Cows like Jenny can safely donate blood once per month.
“However, we prefer donors to be in a specific window between scour vaccination and one to two months pre-calving,” Schiebout said.
For cows like Jenny, this window only occurs once per year with results of the five plasma infusions from Jenny unknown.
“It is difficult to determine how many calves her plasma saved as we don’t always receive feedback from producers once the recipient calves go home,” Schiebout said. “The donors (like Jenny) have always gone on to have healthy calves with no issues.”
Similar to human volunteers who donate blood, the cow nor its owners receive payments.
“We simply do it in hopes that even one more calf can go on to live a happy, healthy life and fulfill its purpose to feed the world or become a productive member of the herd,” Schiebout said.
In Jenny’s social media post, clinic employees likened her to fictional super heroes like Superman or Batman.
“Some heroes were capes…some where ear tags,” the post read.
chance with plasma transfusions
By Mavis Fodness
Plasma transfusions often save human lives. Now its increasing use in the beef industry is also allowing newborn beef calves a second chance at life.
Veterinarian Erin deKoning performed her first plasma transfusion five years ago, thanks to a beef producer who brought a sick calf to the Luverne clinic for treatment.
“The first time was purely experimental, and luckily we had a long-time producer who was willing to go along with the experiment,” said deKoning, who is entering her 17th year of veterinary practice.
A simple total protein blood test revealed the week-old calf was low on protein. The low level was due to a failure of passive transfer (FPT), which occurs when a newborn doesn’t receive their mother’s protein-rich colostrum within 12 hours of birth.
DeKoning suspected a plasma transfer would increase the calf’s protein levels and energy level, if only a sufficient donor cow was available.
In her first case, deKoning said the owner brought the cow along with the sick calf. Blood was collected from the cow and its plasma was given via intravenously to the calf.
Plasma is the straw-colored liquid that is left when blood’s red and white blood cells are removed. Plasma is full of immunoglobulin antibodies, proteins and necessary electrolytes that can boost a low immune system.
Results of deKoning’s first plasma transfusion had positive results.
“Upon receiving the plasma, the calf perked up, thrived, was weaned that fall and went on to be fed out at the producer’s feedlot,” she said.
Since then, 50 percent of the FPT calves treated by the clinic have been saved thanks to plasma donations. The success rate continues to grow as the treatment becomes a more accepted treatment by producers and transfusions are becoming a common treatment for calves under one week of age.
DeKoning said the clinic averaged 10 plasma transfusions since 2021. That number rose this year due to the increased value of a newborn calf.
“Currently bottle calves straight off the cow are $1,500 to $1,600 or more depending on the area of the country,” she said. “We choose this treatment to save the calf and boost the immune system to help it thrive for the rest of its life.”
Cost of a plasma transfusion ranges from $250 to $300.
Key to a successful plasma transfusion starts with the cow. If the calf’s mother is not available, a donor is used. Keeping an adequate supply of bovine plasma on hand has become a standard practice at the Luverne clinic.
As fate would have it, cow-calf operations are popular enterprises among the employees at the Rock Veterinary Clinic. Beef cows owned by deKoning, and veterinary technicians Rylie Gens and Lexy Schiebout supply beef plasma for clients during the months-long calving season.
“As long as it (plasma) is frozen, it will keep for at least a year, if not more,” deKoning said. “But we have never carried plasma over a year since we use it that fast.”
Donor cows have become primary suppliers for the clinic’s donor supply.
Rock Veterinary staff recently celebrated one such donor cow on their social media page. Jenny is a 5 year-old Hereford/Angus cross owned by Schiebout, who is beginning her 11th year working at the clinic.
Jenny gave her first blood donation in March.
“She happened to need to come to the clinic for other reasons so I volunteered her for a blood donation,” Schiebout said. “She was in at the right time — being about one to two months from calving and our plasma supply was running low.”
The docile Jenny allowed Schiebout to draw enough blood for five plasma infusions for FPT calves. The donation process takes 20- to 30-minutes and Jenny suffered no ill effects.
Collected in half-liter bags, the donated blood is ideally kept in the clinic’s cooler for 14 days to allow the blood products to separate and the plasma can be easily drawn off for use. In emergencies, the whole blood can be separated in small batches using a centrifuge.
A plasma transfusion to a beef calf takes about 15 minutes.
Cows like Jenny can safely donate blood once per month.
“However, we prefer donors to be in a specific window between scour vaccination and one to two months pre-calving,” Schiebout said.
For cows like Jenny, this window only occurs once per year with results of the five plasma infusions from Jenny unknown.
“It is difficult to determine how many calves her plasma saved as we don’t always receive feedback from producers once the recipient calves go home,” Schiebout said. “The donors (like Jenny) have always gone on to have healthy calves with no issues.”
Similar to human volunteers who donate blood, the cow nor its owners receive payments.
“We simply do it in hopes that even one more calf can go on to live a happy, healthy life and fulfill its purpose to feed the world or become a productive member of the herd,” Schiebout said.
In Jenny’s social media post, clinic employees likened her to fictional super heroes like Superman or Batman.
“Some heroes were capes…some where ear tags,” the post read.
