Oh, bother!” – Winnie the Pooh Nearly 100 years since he was created, Pooh’s simple wisdoms still make us think about the importance of friendship, love and courage. Karen Nimmo shares the best of Pooh-isms still relevant in 2021. Source: Medium, January 21, 2021. Link. Could be worse. Not sure how, but it could be.” — Eeyore … [Read more...]
34 percent of Americans take daily naps – here’s how they can help
Research shows power naps are great stress buffers. They boost the immune system and reduce the level of cortisol in your blood, refreshing you and refueling your engine. 81 percent of employees experience the afternoon crash an average of 3.2 days per week” Source: Forbes, March 13, 2021. Link. Studies at the Salk Institute show that brain activity, memory, and the power … [Read more...]
March is National Sleep Month
Take this month to think about your sleep habits. Consider how much they affect your well-being and take a step to improve them. Sleep is an essential component of wellness, and there are innumerable factors that influence sleep and sleep patterns. Few things impact mental health more than sleep. Sources: National Sleep Foundation. Link. Sleep Foundation, One Care Media … [Read more...]
A year into the pandemic, the profession is feeling the strain
NOMV stands for Not One More Vet, the largest veterinary support group in the world. It has more than 28,000 members worldwide who provide peer-to-peer mental health support and suicide awareness. AAHA’s Tony McReynolds shares discussions following several recent suicides in the veterinary community. . . . the veterinary profession had significant struggles prior to the … [Read more...]
Study shows test results for PI BVDV calves not affected by age
Detection of persistently infected animals is an important control measure for bovine viral diarrhea virus, but persistence of maternal antibodies are thought to result in false-negative test results. New study findings suggest that testing for PI calves can be undertaken at any age. Source: Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, March 5, 2021. (abstract only) Link. … [Read more...]
Managing parasite resistance; ‘set it and forget it’ no more
Ron Popeil popularized the 'set it and forget it' phrase in TV infomercials. The phrase could have been used to describe parasite control methods from past decades. Cattlemen and those who work with and educate them can no longer trust a one-and-done parasite control plan. Not unlike antibiotics, our industry needs to use parasite control products judiciously as a component … [Read more...]
Will removing dairy cows help stop climate change?
Researchers from Virginia Tech and the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently tested this hypothesis: Eliminate U.S. dairy cows and you’ll lessen climate issues. They found that if the dairy herd were somehow removed from the U.S., greenhouse gas emissions would only be reduced by about 0.7 percent. Milk production contributes approximately 1.3 percent of all U.S. GHG … [Read more...]
Knock out ketosis
Ketosis contributes to wide ranging losses. A single case of ketosis costs dairy producers an average of $298. The most common metabolic disease in cattle, two common, differing etiologies of early lactation ketosis are in play: the animal’s inability to adapt to an early lactation energy deficit – one to two weeks limited energy intake – three to six weeks The use … [Read more...]
Don’t play chicken with your health
The new influx of chicken flocks has put humans, as well as the poultry they care for, at risk of salmonella sickness. It is alarming that 28 percent of the reported salmonella infections are from children younger than 5 years of age. Seventy four percent of reported salmonella cases involved contact with poultry. Source: Hobby Farms, March 3, 2021. Link. The primary key to … [Read more...]
Colorado State University offers foaling course for owners, managers and students
Foaling and Foal Care is a continuing education course designed to provide horse owners, broodmare managers and foaling attendants an overview of normal foaling, dystocia, routine care of the newborn foal and other important topics. Recommended participants are those responsible for attending pregnant mares through the birth process. The virtual curriculum provides guidelines … [Read more...]
Legal guide to horse care for horse owners
There’s more to owning a horse than feed, water and housing. Horse care administration and documentation is also important. By having accurate and available emergency information, by having appropriate vaccination and health policies, by confirming insurance coverage, and by keeping a medication logbook, horse owners, barn owners, and trainers can protect themselves and their … [Read more...]
Equine asthma, taking their breath away
Equine asthma is an umbrella term to cover previously diagnosed conditions of inflammatory airway disease and recurrent airway obstruction. It is a non-infectious inflammatory disease of the lungs of horses and a lifelong condition for individual horses. The role of infectious diseases in equine asthma is still under review. Source: Veterinary Advantage, February 2021. … [Read more...]
National Pet Dental Health month is over. What’s the message now?
Opinion A leading veterinary professional is focusing on oral care at home. But are clients getting the message? A recent experience indicates oral care is not top of mind*. Johnathon R. (Bert) Dodd, DVM, FAVD, DAVDC, shares the importance of oral health care for pets. He focuses on gingivitis, daily oral care at home and annual teeth cleanings by veterinarians. . . . … [Read more...]
Temple Grandin, PhD, MS, featured in NEWStat about dogs, fear, and socialization
"Dogs today have more fears than they’ve ever had.” – Temple Grandin, PhD Tony McReynolds shares parts of a discussion with Grandin. Her comments about dog socialization form important considerations for the modern dog. Source: AAHA NEWStat, March 4, 2021. Link. … [Read more...]
Antimicrobial resistance effort has new PCR tool
Complimentary Commercial Content The major drawbacks to generic PCR testing in the clinical setting are lack of pathogen viability indicators and no method for assessing antibiotic sensitivity of the offending agent. Outsourcing PCR testing often delays test results by four or more days. Vetranomix brings the first quantitative PCR testing capability for a broad range of … [Read more...]
Pig flu antibodies could guide human flu treatment
The Pirbright Institute has generated the first pig antibodies against swine influenza that protect against infection and recognize the same parts of the flu virus as human antibodies. This work reinforces the use of pigs as powerful models to predict human responses in infection and vaccination, according to Professor John Hammond. Source: PORK, March 5, 2021. Link. … [Read more...]
How tuberculosis reshaped our immune systems
Tuberculosis has killed more people in the past 2000 years than any other disease, and it has sickened many more, writes Ann Gibbons. Archaeogenetic research helps identify which TB pathogens that have changed our DNA and made us more resilient. “Infectious diseases are the strongest evolutionary pressure humans have to face. . .” Source: Science, March 4, 2021. … [Read more...]
Beyond burned out and beyond self-care
Today’s level of burnout is the result of an existing problem made exponentially worse, says Jennifer Moss. The pandemic was an accelerant. Combating burnout may feel like an impossible task, especially after months of emotional fatigue, but if you’re armed with the right tools, it can be easier than you might think. Despite how massive the burnout problem is, it’s never too … [Read more...]
All segments of industry should agree – cruelty, neglect are NEVER acceptable
This blog post by Temple Grandin, PhD, MS, Colorado State University animal welfare specialist, is worth your time, no matter which segment of the industry you represent. It is time for us all to agree on these issues. Animal welfare and neglect are important considerations for all animal health pros regardless of the animal species involved.” It needs to be made very clear … [Read more...]
Preparing for future disruption
Whether we have another Covid-19 surge or not, veterinary practices can use the experiences of the last year to prepare for what is ahead. Many of the adjustments made are likely to become part of normal services. MWI Animal Health provides an outline of items to consider. Hybrid service models using digital tools are predicted to continue in animal health as in human … [Read more...]
How to respond when an employee discloses a mental health condition
It takes a lot of courage for an employee to disclose they have a mental health condition. Navigate the conversation carefully. Start by thanking them for telling you, but don’t make a big deal about the disclosure. It’s important to treat it like you would any other medical issue. It’s important to keep in mind that the employee likely had to overcome a lot of fear to talk … [Read more...]
Use data to drive commercial herds of the future
Complimentary Content from recent NEOGEN® Table Talk NEOGEN’s genomics team recently led an expert discussion aimed at educating producers about the benefits of Igenity® Enhanced, a data management tool designed to promote genetic predictions to improve herds for generations. Source: NEOGEN®. Link. This is an opt-in event at no charge. The Table Talk speakers cover: … [Read more...]
Map shows what’s slowing the vaccine rollout where you live
In some areas Covid-19 vaccines are getting into arms slowly. Factors that include poor healthcare systems, low internet access and vaccine hesitancy are keeping people from getting the vaccine. This article shares a map showing where those issues need to be addressed to end the pandemic. Check your own area. Source: Fast Company, March 2, 2021. Link. … [Read more...]
Frozen ground? Jacket the calves.
A commonly used rule of thumb is to put jackets on dairy calves as another level of protection when the ground is frozen. They help insulate them from winter temperature swings at least until their rumens develop and generate heat from fermentation activities. Source: The Bullvine, March 1, 2021. Link. Calf jackets are most useful for calves under 3 weeks of age and … [Read more...]
3 tips to prevent clostridial diseases on dairies
Mark van der List, DVM, shares information that refreshes our understanding of clostridial diseases. These insidious bacteria are opportunistic and may lie dormant for years before showing up usually in the form of a dead animal. van der list shares three key management practices to help combat the clostridial nemeses: Vaccination Maternal antibodies for calves … [Read more...]
Are farmers teaching cows bad habits?
It could be that slug feeding methods are forcing dairy cattle to eat too much too quickly causing a negative impact on the rumen environment. Management plays a role in feed bunk behavior, as farmers don’t have to just think about what feed animals consume, but also the manner in which they eat it. Source: Hoard’s Dairyman, February 25, 20212. Link. Factors to consider when … [Read more...]
Don’t forget the heifers when managing mastitis
Heifers can be forgotten on the dairy farm. They live away from the main farm where they are not cleaned and bedded as often as the milking herd. This can cause huge mastitis issues when they become a productive member of the milking string. The author presents the easiest ways to control the spread of contagious mastitis bacteria to calves and heifers and shares tips to … [Read more...]
Detecting transition cow problems
Overall production problems can usually be traced back to a cow’s dry/transition period. Virginia A. Ishler says it is helpful to know if that is really the issue before solving the problem. She shares information from the DHIA 202 summary report to help determine if a problem is occurring related to transition. Source: Dairy Herd Management, June 8, 2020. Link. If two out … [Read more...]
Effects of a mastitis treatment strategy with or without on-farm testing
We respect the assessment of hands-on experience in real daily farm settings that was part of this study. We’ve shared an excerpt of the summary verbatim. Using on-farm tests in farmers' decision-making process resulted in more treatments in accordance with the etiology of mastitis than without on-farm testing. A diagnosis and treatment strategy with on-farm testing is … [Read more...]
How to save wildlife by changing a cat’s diet
Researchers have found an alternative way to prevent cats from decimating wildlife. It starts with dietary changes and increased object play. Nutrition seems to have some bearing on a cat’s tendency to kill things, and some cats that hunt may need something extra.” - Robbie A. McDonald, study ecologist Source: Pet Business, March 2, 2021. Link. INSIGHTS: Based on these … [Read more...]