With the beef-on-dairy market booming, dairy farmers using a beef-on-dairy program must seize every opportunity to market their crossbred calves effectively, writes Taylor Leach. This means ensuring the highest health and nutrition standards, plus maintaining detailed health and vaccination records. She shares what is important and what should be recorded. Source: Dairy Herd … [Read more...]
Biosecurity planning for secure beef supply
Foot and mouth disease fears have driven transdisciplinary approaches to biosecurity across livestock industry segments. The current issues with high-path avian influenza in dairy cattle underscores the importance of biosecurity planning as it is the leading protection against diseases. The Beef Checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance program proactively established … [Read more...]
Palace of Versailles to host 2024 Paris Equestrian Olympics (video)
Kim MacMillan shares the history of the Palace of Versailles located south of Paris where the 2024 Equestrian Olympics will take place. The venue is sure to provide visitors, participants and TV viewers a breathtaking backdrop to the events. Source: Horse Illustrated, July 17, 2024. Link. … [Read more...]
Overcoming head shyness improves safety for horses, handlers
Horses can be head or ear shy for reasons such as preexisting pain or fear. Ruling out physical issues is the first course of action. Katie Narvarra shares how trainer Shawna Karrasch addresses head shyness in this article. Head shyness can be difficult to address and often puts horse and handler at risk.” Source: The Horse, July 4, 2024. Link. True systematic desensitization … [Read more...]
Treating guinea pig health problems
Adrienne Kruzer, BS, RVT, LVT, shares common guinea pig diseases along with signs, treatment and ways to prevent guinea pigs from getting sick. Source: The Spruce Pets, June 12, 2024. Link. … [Read more...]
Handling the threat of ticks
While animal health pros may discuss the same topic multiple times daily, individual animal owners may only hear about the risks from mosquitoes, fleas and ticks once or twice a year and ignore the topic in their online streams or feeds. Dana Kneese, DVM, reminds us that animal owners need to know the types of ticks and what diseases they carry and understand the basics of … [Read more...]
Cultivated meat, microbial protein enter the pet food conversation
The potential for alternative proteins is gaining steam as cultivated meat and other novel proteins begin appearing as actualities in pet food formulas, rather than as hypotheticals, writes Lisa Cleaver. Source: PETFOOD Industry, July 2024. Link. With increasing pressure on the supply chain of animal-derived protein ingredients, <cultivated products> differentiate the … [Read more...]
Catnip. How and why it works on some cats
Cats get high off catnip by inhaling nepetalactone, the organic compound found in catnip which scientists believe their brain interprets as cat pheromones. Catnip sensitivity is hereditary, develops when cats mature to about three to six months and is inherited in only about 50 percent of cats. Source: Happy Puppy Tips. Link. INSIGHTS: Consider this for social media posts … [Read more...]
Understanding FIP in cats
JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM, shares information for cat owners about feline infectious peritonitis, a viral disease caused by a mutated form of the feline coronavirus. She clarified the feline coronavirus is not related to the Covid 19 coronavirus. Since this article was published, a treatment for FIP has been making news <Link>. Jeanette L. Maucher, DVM, shares Stokes … [Read more...]
The long reach of rat poisons
Supertoxic rodenticides are building up inside unintended targets, including birds, mammals, insects and potentially our pets. While the full scope of the rodenticide problem remains elusive, scientists want to understand the damage and limit it. Recent research suggests second-generation compounds that may remain in tissues for nearly a year are more widespread in food webs … [Read more...]
Help save Monarch butterflies
We saw a sign like this one recently. It led to uncovering Lynn Coulter’s article on the importance of planting pollinator-friendly plants and Monarch waystations. Many veterinary hospitals and pet services locations have areas large enough to include a pollinator focus in landscape maintenance, so we’re sharing this information. Source: HGTV. Link. Monarch Watch recommends … [Read more...]
Peanut butter. Good for dogs or not?
Most experts agree that peanut butter is safe for most dogs in moderation. Jennifer Lesser shares facts on why moderation is warranted. Considering that myriad brands now exist, she shares the importance of reading labels and, whenever possible, avoiding ingredients like sugar or corn syrup, artificial sweeteners like xylitol, or other potentially harmful preservatives. Also, … [Read more...]
6 ways to bring strategy into work every day
David Lancefield shares six ways to incorporate strategy into daily practices instead of switching on autopilot and defaulting to habits that keep us focused on the familiar. He reminds us to be aware of our personal limitations and practices which prevent us from translating intent into strategic actions. Source: Harvard Business Review, July 12, 2024. Link. We have more … [Read more...]
Thriving leadership
Self-leadership is the foundation that qualifies you to lead others. The author shares five tips to strengthen your self-leadership. Source: Giant Leap Consulting, July 2024. Link. At their core, arrogant leaders are fearful leaders which requires exploring what’s driving the fears and working through it. What good have I done today? - Benjamin Franklin’s end-of-day … [Read more...]
Zoonotic web exposes complexity of disease transmission
As humans, animals, and wildlife coexist, there’s a lot to consider, including the zoonotic risks of cross-species disease transfers. This article provides a comprehensive picture of naturally occurring zoonotic interactions, sure to expand how animal health pros view zoonotic transmissions and risk management. A major challenge for the One Health community is quantifying … [Read more...]
Brush, don’t shave to keep animals comfortable during heat waves
Speaking with NPR, Sandra Faeh, DVM, comments about the practice of shaving pets during hot summer days. Shaving their fur does not help. Their fur makes them comfortable and protects them from sunburn. Brushing dogs removes the hair that they would have shed so that they have their normal coat which makes them so much more comfortable.” Source: NPR, July 10, 2024. … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – July 11, 2024
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, July 3, 2024. Link. This edition contains links to archived content in the Worth a Glance section plus links to previous years’ full editions as well as topic tags. ===================================== How to cope with post-vacation blues Source: Harvard Business Review, July 9, 2024. Link. Feeling drained … [Read more...]
2024 Animal Health Summit set for August 26th and 27th
Don’t forget to save your spot for two days of unparalleled networking, exclusive 1:1 business partnering sessions, thought-provoking industry leaders, dynamic panels and groundbreaking emerging company presentations. Source: KCAHC. Link. Register at this link. … [Read more...]
Facility tips to help manage the impact of flies on cattle
Sponsored Content Got flies? Choosing fly control products is important, but proper facilities management along with product rotation and application are even more crucial for effectively controlling fly populations. Note: The management tips shared here also apply to anywhere flies and animals exist such as kennels, animal shelters, stables and backyard poultry … [Read more...]
Keep the colostrum coming
New research studies suggest there are health and developmental benefits to feeding calves colostrum or transition milk well beyond the first day of life, writes Maureen Hanson. She shares an overview of study results focused on extending colostrum feeding and the merits of feeding transition milk. Source: Dairy Herd Management, June 8, 2024. Link. … [Read more...]
Preconditioning: Worth the input or not?
Cindy Mansfield’s surprising article title made me read her review of the value cattle producers receive when committing the time, effort and expense to pre-condition their cattle. She reviews the economics, importance of vaccination, timelines and benefits to a producer’s reputation as advantages from preconditioning. Source: Progressive Cattle, July 4, 2024. Link. Also … [Read more...]
Could we eliminate PEDV from the U.S. swine population?
The U.S. swine industry has effectively been able to attack PEDV. Herds are getting cleaned faster thanks to the progressive mindset of producers, pig production companies, their teams and practitioners. The declining prevalence has swine scientists and industry leaders considering whether the pathogen can be eradicated. Source: National Hog Farmer, July 9, 2024. Link. … [Read more...]
Panel of DVMs discusses the greatest swine disease challenge in 2024
Outlining surprises and challenges facing pork producers and their veterinarians, Jennifer Shike shares responses from practicing swine veterinarians. PRRS remains the greatest challenge and it underscores the importance of biosecurity and prevention strategies. No biosecurity measure is too small to implement . . . but they take repetitive discipline and everyday management … [Read more...]
Poultry basics and diets for veterinary teams
The increased number of suburban and metro backyard flocks present challenges for companion animal practices. Keeping chickens, ducks and geese healthy goes beyond production animal paradigms as the birds are often considered pets. Veterinary teams will benefit from the upcoming VetFolio basics webinar and the article on poultry diets linked here. Sources: The science … [Read more...]
Meat goat demand continues to rise
About 90 percent of the U.S. goat inventory is raised for meat and herds average 20 animals. Goats can be found in urban, suburban and rural areas. They are an excellent biological tool to graze land that is overgrown or has the potential for wildfire. Although the overall number of meat goats has decreased over the last several years, demand for the meat continues to … [Read more...]
Reassuring findings about prednisolone
While concerns about glucocorticoids and laminitis are not completely unfounded, an English study shows that the commonly used drug prednisolone does not appear to make horses more susceptible to laminitis. Prednisolone is an extremely useful drug in equine medicine but use the drug with caution in horses with a history of laminitis.” - Victoria Jordan, MA, VetMB, … [Read more...]
Reading the vast, varied signs of equine gastric ulcer syndrome
Commercial References included It has been said that equine veterinary medicine is often more an art than science. While neither can be separated from the other, the gastric ulcer signs a horse might show are highly variable between individuals and might even change within an individual over time. Natalie DeFee Mendik, MA shares the behavioral, diagnostic and treatment … [Read more...]
Choosing the right cat bowl
Food bowls are a consideration when addressing cat acne <Link>, so we’re sharing an article that explores the most recommended type of bowls for individual cats. Whiskers are one of the considerations when choosing a bowl. Source: Cat Food Advisor, May 15, 2024. Link. INSIGHTS: Consider this article for kitten kits, social media posts or newsletters. … [Read more...]
Addressing common nutrition misperceptions
Discussing pet diets is fraught with challenges created by common myths, misconceptions and marketing jargon. These include an excessive focus on the concept of natural ingredients, the effects of processing on pet food and the assumption that cost directly represents quality. Ultimately, the cornerstones of feeding pets are safety and nutritional balance, and these concepts … [Read more...]
Updated fluid therapy guidelines from AAHA
The new 2024 AAHA Fluid Therapy Guidelines for Dogs and Cats, provides a detailed refresher on the basic principles of fluid therapy while also guiding veterinary professionals through common fluid therapy scenarios and empowers an animal-specific, individualized approach. . . . if a practice doesn’t approach fluids as a drug prescription that necessitates accurate … [Read more...]