What is the importance of body condition scoring in the physical ...

[arivle123]

What is the importance of body condition scoring in the physical examination?

Question 2

Why are dairy cattle usually examined in stocks or a head lock, while beef cattle are examined
  in a squeeze chute?

[zacnyjessica]

Answer to Question 1

Body condition scoring is an objective means of determining the overall fat and muscling of
the patient. Animals at either end of the scale are less likely to be healthy and are indicative of
the chronicity of the problem.

Answer to Question 2

A dairy cow is used to having her head in a head catch while her body is handled in some
fashion, whether to milk her or to be rectally palpated. Beef cattle, on the other hand, are
generally unaccustomed to being handled and are wary of humans. They may strongly resist
being touched, let alone handled, necessitating the use of a device such as a squeeze chute,
which will restrain the whole animal.