Timothy Yen offers a practical, five-step framework to focus on what’s important when making big career decisions. He emphasizes feelings and values, what matters most to yourself and other people, objectively considering realities versus assumptions and then shares how to put it all together. Source: HBR Ascend, May 2021. Link. … [Read more...]
Solitude
Being lonely and being alone isn't the same. There are real health benefits to spending time by yourself. Source: AXIOS, March 26, 2024. Link. Solitude can relieve stress, boost confidence, and teach us something new about ourselves.” INSIGHTS: Sometimes you need expert advice. Listen to your inner voice. … [Read more...]
RESPONSIBLE pet imagery in marketing, advertising and outreach is important
The authors of this piece urge animal health pros to be vigilant in how we portray pets and their owners. They emphasize the need to do it in a positive and healthy environment. Using more responsible imagery to connect and engage with your pet-loving audience can go a long way toward influencing and changing behaviors for the better — improving safety and 'norms,' and helping … [Read more...]
USDA grant to help fund KSU scholarships to develop rural vets
The KSU CVM recently received a $250,000 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture to create the Rural and Underrepresented Scholarship for Hopeful Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Students program. Source: AAHA NEWStat, April 16, 2024. Link. Students from underrepresented groups and applicants from rural backgrounds … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – April 11, 2024
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, April 4, 2024. Link. Most read post(s) from the April 4th AHD Bulletin – Let’s stop calling them soft skills. They’re interpersonal skills. Leadership skills. Link. Finding joy. Link. The role of vehicle movement in swine disease transmission. Link. ===================================== Smells … [Read more...]
Insects on farm animal menus
Sharing her fascination for livestock innovations, Phibro’s Leah Dorman, DVM, writes about how insects may provide an alternate, sustainable protein source in livestock diets especially where soy is not easily grown. Source: Explore Animal Health, March 23, 2024. Link. INSIGHTS: Dorman is referencing controlled and mass-scaled production of insects for protein. Hobby … [Read more...]
Video game teaches cow handling
Mooving Cows is a 3D isometric mobile game that’s changing the way dairy farm employees understand and interact with cattle. University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Jennifer Van Os, PhD, developed the game with feedback from Wisconsin dairy farmers, including Spanish- and English-speaking staff on farms. It provides an alternative to traditional animal handling training … [Read more...]
Resource: Basic biosecurity practices for sheep and goats
Collaborating with USDA, the staff at the American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners developed a biosecurity toolkit for use by DVMs and producers. The toolkit consists of six flyers, as well as a main poster. It’s free to download and can be used for client education. Source: AASRP. Link. … [Read more...]
5 steps to super-sanitation for calf equipment
Cleaning and sanitation of calf-feeding equipment is a primary management subset that matters advised Don Sockett, DVM, PhD. Equipment must be cleaned first, disinfected second to help reduce the potential for spreading illness between calves. Sockett shared two main things he sees during farm visits: 1) the use of weak or ineffective soap and 2) wash brushes not dried … [Read more...]
From mixed practice to swine specialist, Randy Jones, DVM (podcast)
Randy Jones, DVM, is an icon in swine practice and production. He shares his journey from a mixed veterinary practice to specializing in pigs, the pig industry’s evolution to specialization in farm management and veterinary roles. Source: Popular Pig Podcast, March 28, 2024. Link. … [Read more...]
Get cows bred earlier using estrus sync
The main constraints for producers considering adopting a synchronization protocol are labor, facilities and costs. Still, the main advantage of implementing synchronization technology is an added opportunity for more females to conceive in the first 21 days of the breeding season. The authors present benefits of estrus synchronization for beef cows in natural breeding … [Read more...]
Nebraska Range Short Course, NBLC Grazing School might offer DVMs time with clients
Commentary Quality time coupled with advancing learning could benefit DVMs and key clients. While fishing and golf might sound fun, the 2024 Nebraska Range Short Course combined with the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition Grazing School is an opportunity for veterinarians to participate alongside their producer clients. It’s something to consider especially if next-generation … [Read more...]
Focus on heifers to improve reproduction success, costs
The main reproduction challenge on dairies now lies in the heifer herd, according to the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Paul M. Fricke, PhD. He said, “Now that we’re raising fewer heifers, it’s more important to be better with them.” Fricke believes attention to reproduction is an important element in lowering the cost to raise a heifer to calving. Source: Hoard’s … [Read more...]
Buckle down on biosecurity: HPAI, BIAV
Mindy Ward’s title says it all, “Buckle down on biosecurity!” We’ve assembled a group of articles referencing emerging HPAI infections in non-bird species. Most notable is AABP’s renaming of the emerging cattle disease as Bovine Influenza A Virus versus HPAI followed by assertions to keep pets away from birds. There’s significant media coverage but, as we’ve learned before, … [Read more...]
Second case of avian influenza identified in a person in the U.S.
A person is being treated for bird flu following contact with dairy cows presumed to be infected with the virus in Texas. The article shares updates on avian flu detections across the U.S. Source: Agricultural Dive, April 1, 2024. Link. Also see: Human H5N1 likely linked to cattle, Worms and Germs, April 1, 2024. Link. A lot of attention is warranted, says Scott Weese, … [Read more...]
The role of vehicle movement in swine disease transmission
Researchers at North Carolina State University sought to better understand the role of vehicles in spreading diseases between swine farms. The study indicates that, except for crew transport vehicles, all vehicle types analyzed have the potential to spread disease across numerous farms. They noted vehicles transporting pigs to farms or markets showed a substantial decrease in … [Read more...]
Curbing gas with perennial grass
The Paris Agreement commitments to global emissions-reduction targets has elevated the discussion of methane production from cows <Link>. While some claim inaction from the livestock segment, a Minnesota study of forages contradicts those claims. Perennial forages are often praised for their ability to capture atmospheric carbon and sequester it in the soil. Now a … [Read more...]
APHIS now thinks wild birds are to blame for HPAI infections in cows (video)
Based on findings from Texas, the detections appear to have been introduced by wild birds. Initial testing by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories has not found changes to the virus that would make it more transmissible to humans.” Source: Drovers, March 28, 2024. Link. Also see: Milk supply unaffected by HPAI in cows, Smithsonian, March 27, 2024. Link. … [Read more...]
The 5 Ps of biosecurity
The recent discoveries of HPAI in goats and cows have caused escalating discussions of biosecurity in livestock production. Swine and poultry producers have been dealing with this need for some time, but compliance to biosecurity measures remains challenging. Ann Hess shares some of the challenges and survey results she discussed with Pipestone’s Rachel Stika Jensen, … [Read more...]
At 70 degrees F calves and cows start feeling the heat
A spring day in the 70s is often celebrated. Jackets get removed, grills get lit, golf clubs come out and cars get washed. But in the calf barn and calving pens, as well as in loafing lots, cattle start to move toward heat stress. Reminding producers that heat stress does not discriminate, Jimena LaPorta, PhD, shared the importance of keeping calves and cows cool. Source: … [Read more...]
Deworming calves pre-weaning improves weight gain, adds value
A recent Arkansas study showed deworming calves about two months before weaning improved weight gain and added value for producers, writes John Lovett. We know the why, the when and the how, but getting producers to change behaviors to realize the value is still a barrier. Sharing this article might help. Source: Drovers, April 1, 2024. Link. The weight gain from … [Read more...]
How certified veterinary support personnel improve equine practices
Some equine veterinary practices thrive by strategically deploying crucial support provided by veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants. Haylie Kerstetter shares takeaways from a panel discussion about it at the 2023 AAEP convention. Source: The Horse, March 29, 2024. Link. Veterinarians should create relationships with clients and establish their technicians as … [Read more...]
Spring is gas colic season
Springtime colics are typically caused when gas builds up from a horse ingesting forage that is high in sugar like lush spring grass. The rich grass causes excessive fermentation to occur in the gut, which can create a buildup of gas. With only one way to escape sometimes the gas builds up in pockets causing pain since horses can’t burp. Source: EQUUS, March 28, 2024. … [Read more...]
A bad sample is worse than no sample
Sponsored Content According to Ohio State’s William (Bill) P. Weiss, PhD, “A bad sample is worse than no sample.” He was speaking about accuracy when analyzing feed, but he could have been referencing the collection of samples to be sent to diagnostic laboratories to identify pinkeye strains from cattle showing signs of it. Addison Laboratory’s Karlin Yaeger and I spoke … [Read more...]
Lyme vaccine. What dog owners may be reading.
As a veterinarian and dog owner, writes Jennifer Bailey, DVM, “I feel strongly that the canine Lyme vaccine is safe and effective enough for dogs who live in areas that are endemic for Lyme disease.” Sharing considerable history, the lack of full support by veterinarians, and the potential for side effects, she emphasizes vaccination based on lifestyle, geographic location and … [Read more...]
Results from workforce needs and gaps survey
U.S. employers report challenges in finding suitable job candidates with work-ready skills to fill open roles, according to an AgCareers.com survey. Problem-solving and decision-making were identified as the areas with the most significant gaps for current employees and new graduate hires. Organization and planning skills, as well as teamwork, were also identified as … [Read more...]
Humans pass more viruses to animals than we catch from them
In a paper published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, researchers reported that roughly twice as many host jumps were inferred to be from humans to other animals, anthroponotic, rather than the other way around. Anthroponosis is the opposite of zoonoses. The pattern was consistent throughout most viral families considered. They also found even more animal-to-animal host … [Read more...]
Properly prepared beef is safe to eat; HPAI is not a food safety threat
“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and USDA food safety experts, properly prepared beef is safe to eat,” said Meat Institute’s Julie Anna Potts. Source: Drovers, March 25, 2024. Link. HPAI cannot be transmitted to humans by eating <properly prepared> meat or poultry products.” … [Read more...]
HPAI confirmed in Texas, Kansas dairy cows
Unpasteurized, clinical samples of milk from sick cattle collected from two dairy farms in Kansas and one in Texas, as well as an oropharyngeal swab from another dairy in Texas, have tested positive for a strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza. The USDA said that affected dairy cows do not appear to be transmitting the virus to other cattle within the same herd. Source: … [Read more...]
The anti-meat discussion returns to rapid emissions reduction
Commentary The next big climate deadline is for meat and dairy, writes Kenny Torella sharing information from the December 2023 United Nations Climate Change conference. He quotes Harvard’s Helen Harwatt who says, “We need to see major changes in livestock production and consumption . . . really deep and rapid changes over the next decade.” Beyond the obvious reduction in … [Read more...]