Commentary As animal health pros address the needs of aging pets, feline cognitive dysfunction syndrome becomes a consideration for cat owners and their veterinarians. The sources shared here address cat dementia and are worth veterinary teams’ reviews in support of cat owners as their cats age. Share both on social media or in newsletters. Feline dementia is a condition … [Read more...]
Archives for October 2025
Palpating a horse’s back for soreness (video)
Providing a teaching moment video, Sina Parsaye, DVM, shares how horse owners can palpate a horse's back for soreness to see if there are issues that a veterinarian needs to address. Consider this video for social media, newsletters and training for equine groups. Source: My Senior Horse, June 15, 2025. Link. Video [1:26] … [Read more...]
America Palominos likely descend from six sires
TV horses like Roy Rogers’ Trigger captured people’s interest in palomino horses. Researchers from Mississippi State University studied palomino inheritance patterns and discovered six foundation sires for the modern stock-type horses registered with the Palomino Horse Breeders Association. Fifty-eight percent of PBHA horses trace back to Old Fred, a palomino Quarter Horse … [Read more...]
Preparing chickens before winter coops them up
Offering guidance to backyard poultry raisers, veterinarians recommend fall health checks as insurance for chickens’ winter survival. They highlight four common health issues that affect chickens in the fall: Mites and lice Internal parasites Respiratory issues Abnormal molting Source: Chicken Whisperer. Link. INSIGHTS: This is a good article to share with … [Read more...]
Vaccinating calves early pays off later
Despite producer pushback on the economics of strategic vaccination, preconditioned calves are table stakes, especially with the current market conditions. Timed vaccination can also support reduced antibiotic use. Vaccines against BRD pathogens (such as IBR, BVD, PI3, BRSV, Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida) are widely available. Still, their effectiveness … [Read more...]
Bluetongue in the Midwest
Vince Collison, DVM, shares recent experiences with Bluetongue virus infections in northwest Iowa in this article. He reviews the virus, how it is transmitted and how it affects animals who contract the disease. In the U.S., the biting midge Culicoides sonorensis is the primary vector of the virus that most frequently infects sheep and whitetail deer. Source: The Stockman, … [Read more...]
Windrow grazing provides nutrition, cost advantages
Here’s an idea that has caught on in row crop country. Aaron Berger shares how windrow-grazing annual forages allows producers to cut the crop at an optimum time for quality in late summer or early fall and increase harvest efficiency through strip-grazing the windrows. With crop harvest progress more than 80 percent complete, this method may be a good discussion topic with … [Read more...]
Don’t overlook heifer fertility
Commentary Acquiring, raising and developing heifers is one of the highest expenses of milk production. Managing them intentionally and separately provides an opportunity for veterinary teams to educate dairy teams about heifer development and improve herd performance. In many cases, heifer care, feeding and reproductive programs are not held to the same standards and … [Read more...]
Beware tall fescue toxicosis
Fescue toxicosis is commonly seen in cattle grazing endophyte-infected tall fescue. Most often associated with spring and early summer grazing, tall fescue toxicosis is a threat in the fall, especially to new bulls and cattle grazing pastures to the ground. Heather Smith Thomas shares many considerations when dealing with tall fescue to reduce the incidence of toxicosis in this … [Read more...]
Asian longhorn tick found in Kansas
The Asian longhorn tick has spread through more than 20 states, including the most recent identification on a dog in Franklin County. Ottawa is the county seat. Source: Bovine Practitioner, October 10, 2025. Link. Image: Link. … [Read more...]
Honoring and celebrating veterinary technicians
Call them veterinary technicians, veterinary nurses or even “you there,” but call them and involve them fully in veterinary practice services. There’s a clear link between practice revenue, veterinarian satisfaction and the work of veterinary technicians. When deployed to the full extent of their knowledge and skills, clients’ experiences are enhanced and veterinary … [Read more...]
RECOVER Initiative releases first-of-its-kind newborn resuscitation guidelines
The RECOVER Initiative recently released its ‘Newborn Resuscitation Guidelines for Puppies and Kittens.’ This first-of-its-kind resource for veterinary professionals addresses ways to help puppies and kittens survive during the critical post-birth period. In the guidelines, veterinary professionals can find everything from appropriate warming and drying techniques, positive … [Read more...]
4 consumer packaged goods giants dominate pet food market share across price points
The pet food segment is noisy as the continued evolution of pet owner preferences toward premium, science-backed and fresh offerings creates opportunities for emerging brands. Still, Nestlé, Mars, General Mills and Colgate-Palmolive dominate the pet food industry, having captured significant market share in nearly every category of pet food. These CPG companies outperform … [Read more...]
Ways to help cats and their caregivers prepare for veterinary visits
We continue our collaboration with Gina Fortunato and Kristin Wuhrman to share actionable insights from Catalyst Council research to support growth in the feline care segment. Thank you for reading the first edition posted September 23rd <Link>. Feline care is a current industry growth segment. However, barriers, especially stress and uncertainty, still suppress … [Read more...]
Competitive rivalries
Nursing a rivalry, whether it's with a colleague, friend or sibling can sound stressful, but the right kind of competition can be a powerful motivator and push us to be better. Source: AXIOS, September 10, 2025. Link. Warning - people may be more likely to be unethical or cutthroat when competing against a rival because they really want to win.” INSIGHTS: Constant … [Read more...]
Understanding the rise of career dysmorphia and what you can do about it
Career dysmorphia, a newly coined non-medical term, deals with one’s obsession with their career. This occurs when professionals struggle to realistically perceive the career progress they have made. The problem is worsened by the constant comparison of their situation with those around them, fueling self doubt. Source: The HR Digest, via AVMA SmartBrief, October 5, 2025. … [Read more...]
The science of defiance: Why we comply; plus how to resist successfully
Commentary This article is appropriate for this time in our industry and society. Dr. Sah’s perspectives are worth considering as we are asked to act, accept and adopt at what often seems like warp speed. Her framework is based on behavioral science research that defines ways to act intentionally, effectively and true to your values. She shares her simple, actionable guide … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – October 6, 2025
Congratulations and welcome to the 25 new members who joined the association in Q3. Check the list for these members in your area and consider giving them a call. Two upcoming webinars available: How to Hold Staff Accountable with Love. Wednesday, October 15th at 1:00 p.m. Central Time <Register here> Tofu litter: A clean, green kennel solution. October 29, … [Read more...]
Foxtail woes. Be warned.
From mouth sores to infections, foxtails aren’t just annoying; they are painful for horses and pets. But the potential secondary problems are even worse. If a foxtail enters the skin, respiratory tract or urinary tract of a dog or cat, it can result in infection, inflammation or worse. Once inside, foxtails can migrate to different areas of an animal’s body. Note the … [Read more...]
If dogs designed tables
This is just too fun and ridiculous not to share. Source: 60secondstonapoli, Instagram, August 20, 2025. Link. [30 seconds] … [Read more...]
Best practices for safe, efficient body temperature in cats, dogs during veterinary procedures
Sharing current recommendations about warming and cooling in dogs and cats during anesthesia and surgery, Walter L. Brown, RVTg VTS (ECC), provides a review of updated methods from new research and techniques. He shares how to implement them correctly. Source: AAHA Trends, October 6, 2025. Link. Even with techniques and devices considered to be safe and efficient, frequent … [Read more...]
The best dog exercises for canine conditioning
Exercise is an important component to weight and obesity management. But rarely do we hear that exercising a dog is more than a walk around the block. Debby McMullen, CDBC, shares ways to physically condition dogs in this article. She advocates activities that cover cardio, stretching, balancing and strengthening to benefit a dog’s conditioning and stimulate them … [Read more...]
Practical guide to equine body condition scoring
Equine body condition scoring is an assessment of external body fat and not muscle development, writes Sarah Nelson in this informative article. She shares tips for monitoring equine body condition along with a horse owner-friendly scoring guide. Consider sharing this article with horse owners as a pre-visit activity and prepare them for a more comprehensive discussion of … [Read more...]
Study: Rate of penicillin administration affects a horse’s arterial blood pressure
In a study of 29 horses under general anesthesia, researchers compared two methods of giving penicillin: 1) a fast injection over one minute and 2) a slower one over 10 minutes. Both methods caused a drop in blood pressure, but the fast injection led to a more dramatic decrease. Source: Paulick Report, October 1, 2025. Link. In equine anesthesia, every decision—from drug … [Read more...]
Feeding by-products advances dairy productivity and sustainability
Feeding by-products are no longer just useful; they’re essential. By-products, including soybean meal, corn distillers grains, canola meal, beet pulp, soy hulls and citrus pulp, are often the result of food and industrial processing. While these ingredients are undesirable for people, they’re rich in nutrients that cows can digest and convert into high-quality … [Read more...]
First-of-its-kind system eradicates residual dairy barn methane
The large-scale field trial of the Methane Eradication Photochemical System represents the first real-world validation of a scalable technology capable of eradicating methane emissions from livestock barn air. The prototype MEPS unit, housed in a standard 40-foot shipping container, processed air samples from a 250-cow, open-sided dairy barn on a dairy farm in … [Read more...]
High-dose oxytocin allows sows to pass on greater immunity
Research at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine indicates that administering a high dose of oxytocin to sows 12 to 20 hours after farrowing can significantly improve colostrum quality and passive transfer of immunity. For producers, improving early passive transfer can reduce pre-weaning mortality, lower disease treatment costs, and improve overall herd … [Read more...]
October is National Pork Month
National Pork Month is celebrated every October and is often referred to as Porktober. It is a time to honor the hard work of pork producers and the delicious, versatile meat they provide. Dennis Smith shares his insights into the pork market and opportunities to promote pork as beef prices continue to rise. Source: National Hog Farmer, October 6, 2025. Link. Also see: … [Read more...]
Researchers using ‘eBeam’ to battle New World screwworm
Texas A&M AgriLife and the National Nuclear Security Administration are exploring safer alternatives to high-radioactivity technologies to address NWS and other invasive arthropods. The eBeam technology used to halt fly reproduction is a potentially safer alternative to high-radioactivity cobalt-60 gamma sterilization. Source: Farm Progress, October 7, 2025. Link. Texas … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – October 9, 2025
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, October 2, 2025. Link. Most read posts from October 2, 2025 AHD Bulletin – Unreturned phone calls can cost you more than $50,000 a year. Link. It’s the process that counts. Link. Case suggests Tamiflu MAY help cats infected with H5N1. Link. Meeting Gen Zs where they learn. Link. Got the giggles? … [Read more...]