The scene? Urban Boston where One Health researchers sought to better understand the risks from leptospirosis. Rats, being typically asymptomatic carriers of leptospirosis, can be an important source of exposure to humans (and pets) in urban environments. Since the organism is shed in the urine, common methods of exposure include direct contact with rat urine or with … [Read more...]
Financial strain often shapes horse owners’ veterinary decisions
A University of Kentucky study motivated by frequent references to the challenges of keeping equine practitioners in the profession confirms that financial constraints affect decisions about veterinary care. Nearly 50 percent of respondents reported being able to accommodate unexpected medical expenses of $5,000 or less. Source: Veterinary Advantage, June 2025. … [Read more...]
It’s (past) time to rethink gun use when handling cattle (video)
Trey Patterson shared 2022 National Beef Quality Audit data that revealed a significant problem: 100 percent of non-fed slaughter plants reported finding foreign objects in beef, with half experiencing customer complaints about items like shotgun pellets. This is an all-cattle issue happening predominantly in the production phase, whether it be cattle gathering techniques or … [Read more...]
Beware of blue-tinted pig tissue, an indicator of rodenticide contamination
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife urges hunters to always use caution when harvesting game animals and be aware of potential risks. Wildlife can be inadvertently exposed to rodenticides either by eating rodenticide bait or by eating other animals that have ingested rodenticides. Rodenticide baits often contain dye to identify them as a poison. Blue-colored … [Read more...]
Dairy calf production practices offer insights to beef calf producers
Comparing the management approaches between beef and dairy calves, Kansas State University experts revealed opportunities for beef calf producers to learn from how dairy calves are raised. Regardless of the production system, early digestive development is key to future performance, shared Billy Brown, MS. “Whether a calf is on pasture or in a hutch, getting the rumen … [Read more...]
Essential tips to optimize cow comfort in the holding area
If you get uncomfortable waiting in line for a concert or sports event, think about cows doing something similar two or more times per day. The importance of crowd gate management cannot be overstated, writes Shaun Hardtke. Cow flow should be smooth and calm, with no unnecessary crowding or rushing in the holding area. He reminds us that cow comfort is the ultimate priority … [Read more...]
CDC ends emergency response to H5N1 bird flu
“As reports of animal infections with avian influenza A virus have declined and no human cases have been reported since February 2025, CDC’s H5N1 emergency bird flu response was deactivated to transition back to regular program activity on July 2, 2025.” Source: CNN, July 7, 2025. Link. Surveillance, readiness and response for influenza, including H5N1 bird flu, will … [Read more...]
Buzz off! Deer flies irritate horses and pester riders, too!
Gina Fortunato, MBA, shared a recent horse riding experience with disruptive, biting deer flies that aggravated her horse despite fly shields. She shares her experience and some facts about deer flies, including feedback horse owners offered via social media. Gina (right) and a friend are pictured with their horses. Source: Gina Fortunato, Animal Health Digest, July 28, … [Read more...]
Tight nosebands associated with reduced stride length
Noseband tightness is a welfare concern with equestrians. A new study published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Equine Veterinary Science provides an informative perspective of a new issue caused by tight nosebands. The study found that not only do tighter nosebands increase pressure on the nasal bone, but they also cause a significant decrease in stride length when compared to … [Read more...]
Timing BRD vaccines likely improves calf health, performance
A comprehensive review article published in Applied Animal Science examines vaccination strategies across three critical phases of cattle development: maternal vaccination during pregnancy, early calf vaccination from birth through branding (60 to 120 days of age), and vaccination timing around weaning (approximately 205 days). The study found that current vaccination … [Read more...]
“If we wait, we lose.” Screwworm coming for U.S. beef
Fresh on the heels of bird flu, the New World screwworm is rattling Agriculture Department officials and livestock producers more than any threat in 50 years. This is because few believe we’re equipped to handle an outbreak of screwworm. Once eradicated from the U.S., screwworm has returned, similarly as has measles. A natural barrier and sound management practices once kept … [Read more...]
Synthetic bait, insecticide designed to attract adult screwworm flies being deployed
Swormlure-5, created using modern science and built upon previous versions, is a potent synthetic attractant that mimics the scent of open wounds, drawing adult screwworm flies to the bait, where they die, according to Sid Miller, Texas agriculture commissioner, who is quoted in this article. Source: Bovine Practitioner, July 2025, 2025. Link. The attractant only impacts … [Read more...]
AVMA elects new volunteer leaders for 2025-2026 term
Dr. Michael Q. Bailey was elected to serve as President of the AVMA at the 2025 AVMA Conference and is the first African American to serve in the role. Dr. Jennifer Quammen was selected as the president-elect by the AVMA board of delegates. Each individual brings considerable experience to their roles. Source: AVMA, July 21, 2025. Link. Veterinarians are vital to community … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – July 21, 2025
Forum registration ends August 21st, thunderstorm aversion research, cats in Indonesia dictating the size and shape of the pet food market, pet custody legislation, scaling veterinary telehealth startups, small business grants available and more . . . Source: IBPSA, July 21, 2025. Link. Cats rule and dogs follow in Indonesia, owning 77.5 percent of the total pet food market … [Read more...]
Hunter ticks and pathogen transmission variables
The quest to better understand ticks continues. We shared longhorned tick information in the July 17 AHD Bulletin <Link>. Speaking at the AVMA conference last week, Susan E. Little, DVM, PhD, DACVM, shared a range of tactics that affect how quickly ticks can spread disease. The overview differentiates the methods tick species use to find a host and factors that influence … [Read more...]
County fair, starter calf, high school friends. It takes community
Here’s a feel-good story where friends, animals and lending a hand come together. Memphis Luginbill, who is 18 years old and 17-year-old Cooper Steele are good friends. Memphis has cerebral palsy, but he wanted to raise a calf to show at the county fair. This year, Cooper helped make it happen. Source: Wane 15, July 21, 2025. Link. Memphis placed first in his division and … [Read more...]
Cats love their concrete
Bruce Kornreich, DVM, PhD, ACVIM, shares why cats and concrete go together. Whether for scent marking, a scratching surface, or temperature regulation, cats enjoy concrete. Cat owners might consider adding a concrete block to catios. Source: Popular Science via AVMA SmartBrief, July 17, 2025. Link. Image: Link. … [Read more...]
Toxic plants cat owners must avoid
Animal health pros can help cats avoid getting poisoned by plants by sharing this article. On the list of outdoor plants are lilies and tomato plants, which are blooming or producing fruit in backyards across the U.S. now. Source: Paws and Tails. Link. Image: Link. … [Read more...]
Camel walks again with prosthetic leg
A camel in Pakistan is learning how to walk on a prosthetic leg developed by workers at an animal shelter. It is thought to be the largest animal in the country to get a prosthetic limb. Source: BBC, July 20, 2025 (short video) Link. … [Read more...]
Enteroliths in horses: Causes and prevention
Enteroliths develop when mineral deposits form in concentric layers around a central nidus, such as a piece of wire, small stone, twine or other foreign body in the large colon, writes Alicia Long, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, Dipl. ACVECC. She shares what is known and what is not known about these strange rocks that form and could weigh up to nine pounds*. Each article here discusses … [Read more...]
Use of flank laparoscopy in the standing horse as a diagnostic aid in horses with chronic abdominal pain
Advances in laproscopy equipment allow veterinarians to view and explore potential causes of abdominal pain in horses. Exploratory laparoscopy is a well-established, minimally invasive diagnostic tool in horses. Researchers of a recently published study sought to report indications, findings and outcomes of equine exploratory laparoscopy in a case series to support its … [Read more...]
Calving difficulty and earlier age at first calving reduce milk yield
Commentary Production research and measurements are tedious and fascinating. Research often allows producers to fine-tune their animal management processes to optimize production and animal welfare. With a little help from veterinarians and animal health pros, dairy producers will appreciate learning about the research shared here. Two takeaways stand out. Heifers … [Read more...]
Dealing with pasture lameness
Producers are well into the summer grazing months when many “turn ‘em out to let them grow.” Among the things that need monitoring are grass height, fly load, supplement availability and lameness. J. Tarpoff, DVM, MS, reviews some of the common causes of lameness and the key differences between the clinical signs in this article. The estimates of 88 percent to 92 percent of … [Read more...]
H5N1 bird flu takes major toll on dairy herds
Managing different elements of production on dairies occupies a lot of content in livestock and veterinary publications. Like fine-tuning a race car, multiple factors affect production outcomes. In this article, Laura Reiley shares how H5N1 affects cows gleaned from a new paper published by a team of Cornell researchers. Bird flu causes severe mastitis and decreased milk … [Read more...]
4 ways feral hogs cost farmers and ranchers
It’s easy to know if feral hogs are on one’s land, according to Curtis Larson, Noble Research Institute ranch manager. “You can see exactly where they’re rooting up the pasture, going for stuff in the ground, grub worms and such,” he says. The critters cause an estimated $1.5 billion in damage yearly to land across the U.S. They now number about nine million in 36 states. … [Read more...]
New World screwworm webinar to take place July 30
The National Institute for Animal Agriculture Council of Animal Disease Issues and Emergency Management is hosting a webinar at 2:00 p.m. CDT on July 30 to explore the threat of NWS as a public threat. Dr. Anne Strailly, veterinary medical officer with the Centers for Disease Control and Dr. Sarah Speth, a board-certified preventive medicine veterinarian, will be the key … [Read more...]
FDA approves Merck’s northern fowl mite treatment for poultry
The FDA has approved Merck Animal Health’s EXZOLT™ (fluralaner oral solution), a parasiticide for chickens that treats and controls northern fowl mites (Ornithinyssus sylviarum) in production houses. Safe for laying hens and replacement chickens EXZOLT™ is a first-of-its-kind product which can be administered in drinking water. Source: FEEDSTUFFS, July 18, 2025. Link. … [Read more...]
IMPORTANT! Animal health references missing in World Health Organization’s pandemic agreement
Viruses jumping from animals to humans are increasing around five percent annually, meaning these pathogens are forecast to cause four times the number of spillover events in 2050 than in 2020, according to article authors Carel du Marchie Sarvaas and John de Jong. Zoonotic disease incidence represents 60 percent of infectious diseases in humans. Although much of the world … [Read more...]
Half of moms in the sandwich generation say they’ve left jobs due to caregiving roles
A May 29 report from Motherly and the University of Phoenix Career Institute reveals the challenges employers face to support and retain mothers. Two-thirds of women with dual caregiving responsibilities said the benefits offered by their employer aren’t enough to meet the needs of their adult caregiving responsibilities, and 68 percent said the same about childcare. Source: … [Read more...]
Tips for preventing ear infections in dogs after swimming
A summer outing at the lake or beach is fun for pets and their people. Many dogs enjoy swimming in backyard pools as well. But those romps often result in swimmer’s ear problems or otitis externa. This Dogster article shares the importance of getting dogs’ ears dry and protected from potential infections. It also offers tips on avoiding infections caused by swimming. Source: … [Read more...]