BQA: A Way of Doing Business
From the proper way to clean a syringe to choosing the right needle to use for the animal in the chute, BQA guidelines help improve management efficiency while safeguarding consumer confidence.
These days, we're inundated with acronyms — so many that a body must pause and ponder the plethora of alphabet soup. But unless you're brand-spanking new to the beef cattle business, you probably know what "BQA" means. The industry put wheels under its beef quality assurance program more than 20 years ago, to help producers do a better job of raising, feeding and harvesting high-quality beef.
In the beginning, there may have been a few producers who scoffed at the notion. Maybe those folks figured they knew all that was needed about handling cattle and using the various products preventing or treating animal ailments, or for enhancing animal performance. Maybe.
The BQA mission
is to maximize consumer confidence and acceptance of beef by focusing producer attention on daily production practices that influence
the safety, wholesomeness
and quality of
their product.But even 20 years ago, plenty of producers recognized value in BQA. They were thinking about how it could have a positive effect on their individual businesses and put the entire industry in a more favorable light. During recent years, animal agriculture has increasingly come under scrutiny. Every food production industry is only a headline away from a public relations nightmare. We know the methods producers apply to raising and caring for animals influences consumers' perceptions of the industry.
The BQA mission is to maximize consumer confidence and acceptance of beef by focusing producer attention on daily production practices that influence the safety, wholesomeness and quality of their product. It's a mission that more and more producers are taking to heart.
"I think most producers are taking a more proactive approach. They're proud of what they do. They want to do a good job, and they want to keep improving," says Drew Gaffney, BQA coordinator for the Nebraska Cattlemen.
Gaffney is one of about 70 state BQA coordinators, located across the nation. Some of these individuals, like Gaffney, are associated with a state cattlemen's association or beef council. Others are veterinarians, university personnel, or state agency staff members. They share responsibility for acting as a catalyst to encourage producers to use the latest science, technology and common sense to meet expectations for beef quality and safety.
An important part of that is providing opportunities for BQA training and certification. In Nebraska, for example, Gaffney tries to coordinate four or five training sessions each month, with the help of several other certified BQA trainers in his state. Training sessions may also be offered as an "added attraction" at producer meetings and trade shows. Gaffney recently provided a BQA presentation during live demonstrations of cattle handling equipment at Husker Harvest Days, a major agricultural exposition.
"A show like that offers an opportunity to reach a lot of producers at one location," Gaffney says. "Talking about proper use of vaccines and other injectable products fits well with those demonstrations of chutes and other equipment. It's a chance to remind producers of some really important points and maybe tell them a few things they haven't heard before."
Covering the fundamentals
Gaffney says questions from producers reveal the necessity to cover the fundamentals, like the importance of using clean syringes whenever injectable products are administered. However, many people do not realize that syringes should not be cleaned with disinfectants or soap. Well, the exterior of a syringe can be scrubbed with soap, water and a brush, but not the interior surfaces, which come in contact with vaccines or other injectables. The same is true for transfer needles used to rehydrate a dried vaccine prior to use.
"It's a common mistake," Gaffney adds. "But even if you rinse with water afterward, a disinfectant or soap residue remains. And that residue can significantly reduce the efficacy of modified-live virus (MLV) vaccines."
And just rinsing with tap water really isn't good enough to remove contaminants. Transfer needles and metal syringes with glass barrels may be disassembled and boiled in water. That's not a good idea with syringes having plastic parts, so Gaffney advises producers to clean them by repeatedly drawing very hot water into the syringe and expelling it. The water should be brought to a boil, and while its temperature is still near the boiling point (greater than 180° F), the syringe should be rinsed four or five times. Of course, a just-cleaned syringe should be allowed to cool before use.
Gaffney recommends taking steps to prevent bacterial growth when storing equipment between uses. After lubricating the rubber plunger parts or o-rings with glycerin or plain vegetable oil, a clean, dry syringe can be placed in a new zipper-lock-type plastic bag and stored in a freezer.
Kerry Rood is an Extension veterinarian for Utah State University who also serves as a state BQA coordinator. Rood also stresses the importance of handling all injectable animal health products carefully, according to label instructions. Even experienced producers may overlook some key aspects when handling and administering vaccines. They are not the kind of thing that should be hauled around on the pickup dashboard. They should be stored under refrigeration and transported in a container with cold packs. With the increased use of MLV vaccines, Rood says producers need to evaluate how they and their help handle these products.
"Typically, modified-live virus vaccines are prepared in such a way that rehydration is required. Especially after that is done, the products need to be handled so they remain most effective, by avoiding extreme temperatures, direct sunlight and too much shaking," Rood says.
"Remember that you're working with living organisms, and they need tender loving care while they're in the bottle or in the syringe."
Drew Gaffney has found that many producers believe all vaccines should be shaken vigorously before use. In fact, too much shaking can damage the product and reduce vaccine efficacy.Gaffney has found that many producers believe all vaccines should be shaken vigorously before use. In fact, too much shaking can damage the product and reduce vaccine efficacy. During his presentations, Gaffney demonstrates the mixing of vaccine by gently rolling the bottle's contents back and forth. He also explains how, wherever and whenever cattle are being processed, vaccines should be kept in a cooler until it is drawn into a syringe. And syringes containing vaccines should not be laid down and left subject to sunlight or warm temperatures. Even empty syringes left lying for a short time could become warm enough to cause damage to vaccine when it is drawn into the syringe.
Workstation coolers are produced and sold commercially, which have compartments to hold cool packs, vaccines and syringes. It's a good investment, but Gaffney often shows producers how to easily fashion a homemade version from a very inexpensive Styrofoam cooler. Holes just large enough to admit syringe barrels can be cut into the top or the side of the cooler, so syringes are kept cool and away from sunlight, along with the vaccine kept inside.
When using vaccines requiring rehydration, producers are advised to mix only an amount that will be used in a short time. Gaffney suggests mixing only an amount that can be used within 45 minutes to an hour.
Increasingly, injectable products are being manufactured to accommodate low-dose subcutaneous (sub-Q) injections, although certain products do require intramuscular (IM) injection. BQA guidelines call for use of sub-Q injection whenever possible, to help avoid costly injection-site damage in muscle tissue.
Rood advises producers to choose the right needle for the job. When delivering injections of relatively small-volume to young animals, an 18-gauge needle usually is best. For larger animals and larger doses, a larger 16-gauge needle is preferred. Needle lengths of 1 inch (in.) to 1½ in. are suitable for IM injections. For sub-Q administration, needles should be ½- to ¾-in. long.
"Both needle length and the angle at which it is inserted are important. Intramuscular injections should go straight into the muscle with the longer needle. For subcutaneous, I like a ⅝-inch needle and a 60° angle to place the injection under the skin," Rood explains.
"A 'tent' of skin can be pulled up with the other hand, making proper subcutaneous injection easier, but I advise caution if the animal is not carefully restrained. If it moves suddenly, there is a danger of wounding your own hand with the syringe needle. Subcutaneous injections can be delivered correctly and more safely if care is given to using the correct needle and maintain the proper angle during injection," he adds.
Vaccine placement
BQA guidelines call for all IM injections to be given in the side of the animal's neck and just ahead of the shoulder. The "injection zone triangle" is defined by the slope of the shoulder, the nuchal ligament (at top of neck) and vertebrae. Never give IM injections in the rump, loin or back leg.
Sub-Q injections may be given elsewhere, but many BQA coordinators and trainers recommend the same injection zone. "The neck is just a good, handy landmark to consistently recommend," Rood states.
However, in much of the West, or wherever small calves are "wrestled" and restrained for branding, castration and vaccination, access to the neck may be difficult. Typically, a person responsible for holding the calf's head and foreleg immobile will have his/her knee against the calf's neck. To avoid the chance of injuring that person, some producers and their working crews have resorted to administering subcutaneous injections in the "armpit." But Rood warns against it.
In that area, he explains, are lymph glands and a variety of nerves and blood vessels that come out of the body cavity and are near to the skin. Granted, the skin is not very thick in that region, which might make an injection easy to administer, but there is a risk of doing damage to the structures mentioned, and immune response to vaccination may not be adequate.
As an alternative to the armpit, Gaffney advises producers to administer sub-Q injections in the dewlap — that fold of skin that follows the calf's neck, from under the jaw, down to the brisket region between the calf's front legs. Dewlap injections should be given ahead of the shoulder, using the proper needle and angle for sub-Q administration.
According to BQA guidelines, no more than 10 milliliters (mL or cc) of any product should be delivered at a single injection site. And when multiple injections are given, they should be spaced at least 4 in. (about the width of an adult's hand) apart.
Some producers have expressed concern when, after administering an injection to an animal, a lump or knot develops. Often, however, that is a good thing.
"That's probably most common with clostridial bacterins (like seven-way blackleg), which contain a protein or adjuvant that causes a local immune response. It's just a sterile abscess, and it shows that the immune system is responding," Rood explains. "It's only bad when it's a non-sterile abscess — an infection caused by the needle introducing dirt or some other foreign substance. That's why it's important to use sharp, sterile needles."
Document what you do
From the standpoint of BQA, another important aspect of correct use of injectable products is recordkeeping. To document the safety and quality of their product, producers should record which products are used, how they were administered and when. That includes the product serial numbers and lot numbers, which are printed on the product packages. In the case of a rare adverse reaction to a specific product, that information would be valuable to the producer and attending veterinarian. In addition, some animal health preconditioning programs require that information to be recorded and verified.
"Those numbers, along with product expiration dates, are printed on the box. I advise producers to tear off the tabs bearing the information and place them in a plastic bag to keep on file," Gaffney adds.
Rood says many producers are scrutinizing their expenses more carefully, including animal health program costs. It's symptomatic of tougher times, economically.
"But these are the times when animal health products are the most important. 'You can't sell what's dead,' is a quote I often use to drive this home. Prevention of disease is paramount in tough economic times, as producers may be operating on the edge, and there is no room for error," Rood says.
Adopting a proactive approach to BQA also bolsters the entire industry's effort to assure consumers of a safe, wholesome product. It's the right thing to do, but adoption of BQA production practices can also help producers position themselves to take advantage of marketing opportunities incorporating age, source and process certification.
"I think more producers are looking at the big picture," Gaffney says. "Probably the question I hear most frequently is, 'How can I become BQA-certified?"
Of course BQA is more than proper use of animal health products. It's a holistic approach to managing nutrition, preventative and treatment medications, cattle handling and transportation, environmental quality, biosecurity and recordkeeping. It's a way of doing business.
For more information about BQA and a list of state BQA coordinators, go to www.bqa.org.
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