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...]
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...]
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...]
Unreturned phone calls can cost you more than $50,000 a year
Commentary Unreturned calls are far from harmless. They’re lost revenue. When you don’t respond, you signal “not now” to a client or prospect who may never call again. Plus, if an existing client referred the caller, you lost the opportunity and embarrassed your promoter. In a time of declining vet visits and new clients <Link>, Teri Leggett reminds us of the … [Read more...]
Goodbye, back room. Hello, lower-stress patient exams.
Karen Becker, VMD, asks an obvious question about taking pets into the back room for examination, then addresses the benefits and challenges of exam room appointments that include pet owners. She asserts that allowing a guardian to remain involved in the treatment and care of their pet opens the doors of communication, builds trust with that client, and influences client choice … [Read more...]
Reflections on anthropomorphism, the uniquely human need to humanize
In most cases, when we anthropomorphize animals, objects, concepts and such, it is either harmless or beneficial to us and the things we are anthropomorphizing, shared Justin Gregg, PhD, in his interview with Marc Bekoff, PhD. It can, of course, go terribly wrong and cause harm to all parties involved, but on balance, it’s a force for good in this world. Bekoff interviewed … [Read more...]
Zoom classes for rabbit care offered in October
The House Rabbit Society is offering learning opportunities in October. The new Senior Rabbit Care class is designed to help understand how rabbits’ needs change as they age. Each Zoom session includes a Q&A. A recording will be sent to all participants. Two sessions of the class will be take place: one on Thursday, October 16th at 4:00 p.m. (PDT) and again on Saturday, … [Read more...]
Education, a necessity for veterinary-producer relationship creation and sustainability
Producers in small and medium livestock operations and veterinarians in rural veterinary practices experience similar barriers to establishing partnerships. Each group recognizes the need for education, preferring in-person, collaborative learning communities. Researchers from Texas A&M revealed five major themes regarding relationship barriers: a) time; b) financial … [Read more...]
The coinfection conundrum
Commentary This article, while pig-focused, provides perspectives that may apply across species. Our industry often talks about immunosuppression which is a logical outcome when an animal is fighting more than one pathogen. For reference, one might remember the coinfection challenges with concurrent flu and Covid infections during the pandemic. The extra stress pigs face … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – October 2, 2025
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, September 25, 2025. Link. Most read posts from September 25, 2025 AHD Bulletin – Workslop: AI-generated work content is slowing everything down. Link. The role of AI in cancer diagnostics. Link. No title, no problem. Link. 3 Ways to Strengthen the Feline Client Experience. Link. Setting client … [Read more...]
Workslop: AI-generated work content is slowing everything down
As offices scramble to plug AI tools into their workflows so they’re not left behind, few are seeing their efforts pay off, writes Bruce Gil. Source: GIZMODO, September 23, 2025. Link. The insidious effect of workslop is that it shifts the burden of the work downstream, requiring the receiver to interpret, correct, or redo the work. In other words, it transfers the effort … [Read more...]
The role of AI in cancer diagnostics
Includes Commercial References Unlike the challenges with AI in content development, in-clinic AI-powered tools hold vast potential to improve care for companion animals, from streamlining routine tasks to enabling accurate diagnostics. Authors from the Zoetis Global Diagnostics team share potential benefits from increasing access to care for diagnostic detection with … [Read more...]
3 Ways to Strengthen the Feline Client Experience
We’re pleased to welcome the CATalyst Council™ as a sponsor of Animal Health Digest and to regularly share findings from the Catalyst Council Feline Market Insight Reports. Gina Fortunato and Kristin Wuhrman are working with us to pull actionable insights in support of growing the feline care segment of veterinary services. We’ll share them in Feline Findings at the link … [Read more...]
Keeping rabbits safe from RHDV-2 in endemic areas
Complimentary Commercial Content Fall changes wild rabbits’ food sources, prompting them to seek new sheltered locations and spend more time foraging <Link>. This often brings the rabbits closer to farmsteads, acreages and suburban homes. In areas where rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus type 2 is endemic, the risk of domestic rabbits becoming infected increases (see … [Read more...]
Large litters, more pigs than teats; Is that a problem?
Pig survival to weaning age is challenging overall, but when a sow produces more pigs than she has teats, producers are challenged to keep pigs alive and doing well. The industry’s focus on increasing litter size has unintentionally led to an increase in the proportion of low birth-weight pigs and prewean death losses which approach 20 percent in some cases <Link>. In … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – September 25, 2025
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, September 22, 2025. Link. Most read posts from September 22, 2025 AHD Bulletin – Job #1 – Getting results. Link. Older workers remain overlooked as sources of skill, experience. Link. Conditions associated with HPAI spreading to farms identified. Link. AAHA’s standards receive first-ever full … [Read more...]
Innovation is a state of mind. 2025 Veterinary Innovation Summit overview.
We selected Gene O’Neill’s insights from the recent Veterinary Innovation Summit <Link> from the many postings shared by attendees. He shares perspectives on big issues that are critically important to move our industry forward and demonstrate the true value of veterinary medicine. Source: Gene O'Neill, LinkedIn, September 12, 2025. Link. O’Neill summarized four major … [Read more...]
Conditions associated with HPAI spreading to farms identified
Kimbra Cutlip’s article is a reminder that 1) wild bird migration is underway, 2) colder weather means more infections, 3) biosecurity reduces risk to animals and their caretakers, and 4) prevention strategies are beneficial and reduce strain on production economics. Source: Feedstuffs, September 10, 2025. Link. A recently published study in the journal One Health compared … [Read more...]
Nassau County warns residents about spread of rabies among raccoons and cats
Rabies has been found in at least 25 animals since July of last year in mostly raccoons and three feral cats, according to Nassau County New York officials. Rabies had previously been eradicated in Nassau County in 2016 following aggressive control efforts. The resurgence is a stark reminder of the importance of vaccination, public education and wildlife baiting to manage … [Read more...]
Talking to clients about cats and major life changes
A major change, such as moving, the addition of a new animal or baby to the household, could induce significant distress even in the most adaptable cats, writes Meghan E. Herron, DVM, DACVB. She discusses elements of preparing a cat for change proactively in this article. Source: Clinician’s Brief, July 2025. Link. Feline patients could be better served if clients were … [Read more...]
Turmeric a promising yet under-researched functional ingredient
Commentary If it hasn’t happened already, a pet owner is going to ask questions about turmeric or curcumin, a key compound in turmeric. Used historically in folk medicine, the compounds have a renewed modern appeal. Tim Wall shares essential information for pet food professionals about turmeric’s role in formulations. Turmeric is a promising yet under-researched functional … [Read more...]
Let’s review: Matching the drug to the bug to treat BRD
K. Shawn Blood, a Zoetis DVM, reviews the four most common classes of anti-infectives used in cattle treatments and their modes of action. He emphasizes the importance of choosing the right anti-infective since respiratory disease is a complex disease system. He notes that many outside variables can negatively affect treatment outcomes. Source: Progressive Cattle, September … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – September 18, 2025
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, September 18, 2025. Link. Most read posts from September 18, 2025 AHD Bulletin – Four worn out, unwelcome words or phrases in vet med. Link. Rabies is NOT a thing of the past. Link. “What Else?” Link. Which coaching approach is the best? Behavior-based vs mental-state. Link. Are veterinary … [Read more...]
Four worn out, unwelcome words or phrases in vet med
Wendy Hauser, DVM, shares four words used in veterinary medicine she thinks we should ban or use less frequently: Compliance Gold standard Standard of care Pet parent Source: Animal Health News and Views, September 2025. Link. . . . the sentiment behind pet parent normalizes the idea that pets are not property.” INSIGHTS: We agree and work diligently to refer … [Read more...]
Which coaching approach is the best fit? Behavior-based versus mental-state
The evolution of two coaching traditions continues to shape how we practice coaching today, writes Chris Morgan. He defines the two main approaches and asserts the importance of integrating mental-state alignment and behavioral execution to achieve a more reliable and sustainable shift in team performance: Behavior-based coaching: rooted in behaviorism, focused on shaping … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – September 9, 2025
We are pleased to provide IBPSA members with our weekly AHD Bulletin. We believe boarding and pet services professionals can have a significant role in supporting pets’ quality of life and advocating for best health practices for the animals they see routinely.” – Kirk Augustine, AHD Founder, president From this week’s Fast BITES There are still openings for Bold and … [Read more...]
Calf castration. The younger the better!
Sponsor Content When, why and the best modern practices for castration are the topics for the last segment in this week’s episode of Doc Talk with host Dan Thomson, MS, PhD, DVM. He explains the benefits of castrating calves in the first week of life compared to waiting until weaning, since the bull's testicles don’t produce testosterone until they hit seven to 10 months of … [Read more...]
Understanding probiotics and their role in dairy production [Podcast]
Sponsor Content In this podcast episode, Stephen Lerner, PhD, explains the science and practical applications for probiotics and enzymes in dairy farming. He says microbial solutions are becoming mainstream in dairy management, offering sustainable alternatives to traditional treatments, and transforming animal agriculture by improving gut health, feed efficiency, immune … [Read more...]
Are veterinary teams obligated to discuss the option of pet insurance?
In February 2024, Alyssa Watson, DVM, and Beth Molleson, DVM, discussed the veterinary team’s role in pet owner education, including lifetime costs of pet care and pet insurance options. They debated the pros, cons and limitations veterinary teams experience during a Veterinary Breakroom podcast. Fast forward to this year. Jennifer Sperry, DVM, broke down key differences … [Read more...]