Research about BVDV and management practices continues. Although we have good working knowledge of BVDV, losses remain substantial across the production channels. Julia Ridpath, PhD, studies BVDV and related pestiviruses at the USDA’s National Animal Disease Center (NADC) in Ames, Iowa. Webinars presented by her are available through the American Association of Extension … [Read more...]
VFD point-of-sale tool available
The veterinary feed directive (VFD) takes effect January 1, 2017. Owners of smaller livestock operations, or those who keep food animals as pets, may not have established relationships with veterinarians. Farm Foundation, NFP and the Animal Health Institute have partnered to develop a point-of-sale tool that retailers can use to help customers understand the VFD. It is … [Read more...]
Get Smart About Antibiotics Week
Four educational programs are available on VetFolio during the November 14-20, 2016 antibiotics week. An annual one-week observance promoted by the Centers for Disease Control, the objective is to raise awareness of the threat of antibiotic resistance and the importance of appropriate antibiotic prescribing and use. Source: VetFolio, November 12, 2016. Learn more about the … [Read more...]
New canine blood bank to serve DFW metroplex
When dogs undergo surgery or get hurt in accidents, they sometimes need emergency transfusions. Canine Blood Heroes is opening its first Texas location. It will operate from the Animal Emergency Hospital of North Texas in Grapevine. Once stocked, the facility will serve animal hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Source: pressreader, November 12, 2016 and Dallas Morning … [Read more...]
Know which products need a VFD before time runs out
The veterinary feed directive (VFD) takes effect January 1, 2017. Here’s a handy list of products affected by the new rule compiled by the National Pork Board and the University of Wisconsin. Source: AGDAILY, November 10, 2016. A VFD can only be issued from a licensed veterinarian, based on a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship, before a producer may use feeds … [Read more...]
6 stinky dental recommendations
In a presentation at a recent convention, Karen Felsted, CPA, MS, DVM, CVPM, and Barden Greenfield, DVM, DAVDC, warned against serving up lame, lukewarm dental and wellness recommendations. She modeled better language by offering a do-this-not-that approach when talking about dental care and infections. Source: DVM 360, October 28, 2016. Don't say: "Looking at Linus’ … [Read more...]
Knowledge gap looms on FDA antibiotic rules
With big changes to rules governing antibiotic use in animal agriculture pending at the end of this year, producer opinions range from cautious support to skeptical opposition. Some are taking a wait-and-see approach. John Maday, Bovine Veterinarian editor, shared producer survey feedback that indicates the education process is far from finished. Source: Bovine Veterinarian, … [Read more...]
Dogs dig pot, dude
Voters in eight states are voting on various forms of marijuana legalization next month. No matter your position, keep your pets in mind. Veterinarians are seeing more dogs suffering from highs from marijuana smoke and edibles. It’s not pretty, either. Source: The Boston Globe, October 21, 2016. 'With the increase in all these recreation products, we saw the number of … [Read more...]
More controversy over dog kisses
Mouth to mouth dog kisses may feel like the ultimate display of affection, but when it comes to such kisses, several experts caution: beware of dogs. Source: New York Times, October 21, 2016. Dr. Nandi, University of Pennsylvania, says a dog’s saliva has proteins that may help cleanse or heal its own wounds, but in a paragraph titled “Why Not to Make Out With Your Pet,” he … [Read more...]
Backyard flocks are big risk for spreading Gumboro in U.S. chickens
Infectious bursal disease (IBD), commonly known as Gumboro, is an immunosuppressive disease in chickens caused by infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV). A wide range of IBDV pathotypes exist in nature. They have been generally classified into subclinical IBDV (variant), classic virulent IBDV and very virulent IBDV (vvIBDV) groups. Although vvIBDV does not exist in some … [Read more...]
Fall can be hazardous for pets
Sarah Young reminds us that fall weather also brings some seasonal hazards for pets. These simple reminders make good material for newsletters, posts and websites. Source: Consumer Affairs, October 12, 2016. Before heading outdoors, pet owners should keep in mind that fall brings with it certain risks to dogs. Some of these risks are made by mother nature while others are … [Read more...]
Be cautious around horses
Equine veterinarians have higher rates of injury than other occupations, including those in construction, the prison service, and firefighters. Further, an Australian study data reported that while there have been significant decreases in injury and death in workplaces traditionally viewed as dangerous, such as mining and construction over the past several decades, there has … [Read more...]
East meets West with cancer care acupuncture
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatment modalities such as, acupuncture, massage techniques, nutritional counseling and dietary supplements are used in human medicine to complement conventional cancer care. They are commonly integrated into treatment plans to decrease pain, anxiety and fatigue and to combat side effects of chemoradiation therapy. As research … [Read more...]
Dr. Leah Dorman talks about antibiotics
Dr. Dorman shared a few insights on how producers can effectively talk with consumers about antibiotics ahead of the 6th Annual NIAA Antibiotics symposium. Her comments provide reasoning for handling antibiotic discussions. Source: NIAA, September 29, 2016. Dorman is the Director of Food Integrity and Consumer Engagement of Phibro Animal Health. In this role she provides … [Read more...]
AVMA Blood test video helps pet owners understand
Help pet owners understand the importance of blood work and dispel anxiety that can be associated with it. Dr. Joyce Ashamalla covers the basics of why blood tests are needed and what they help find in this AVMA TV video. Source: AVMA, September 12, 2016. Blood tests for pets. Even though the thought of your pet being stuck by a needle can be scary, blood work is an … [Read more...]
Prepare to be powder-free
It is inevitable that powdered gloves will join the dinosaurs of animal health SKUs, based on a pending FDA ruling. Whether it takes affect this year or is delayed into 2017, it is time to try out alternatives, writes Laura Thill. To see the FDA’s proposed ban, visit https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FDA-2015-N-5017-0001. Source: Vet Advantage, August 2016, page … [Read more...]
Antibiotics in feed: a brief history – Sponsored Content
Ask anyone who has worked in animal health for 10 years or more what the hottest topics are, antibiotic resistance will be one of their first answers. Our world is rapidly adapting our approaches to food production, animal wellness and human health to be less dependent on antibiotics. While viewing this video, I reflected on the how the scientific method* brought us to where … [Read more...]
OUCH! Prevent needle sticks.
The Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center says more than 80 percent of U.S. farmworkers have accidentally stuck themselves with a needle while vaccinating animals. A study in Australia published in 2009, showed around three quarters (75.3 percent) reported suffering at least one needle-stick injury (NSI) in the previous 12 months, while 58.9% reported suffering … [Read more...]
New resource helps people understand expanded feed directive
Human and animal health experts agree that antibiotic resistance is a public health concern. This is why some agriculture groups, including the Animal Health Institute, National Pork Producers Council, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Animal Agriculture Alliance launched a new educational website, togetherABX. It offers information about how the Food and Drug … [Read more...]
Don’t kiss your chickens
Backyard chicken raising continues to grow. Owners love these chickens, too. In fact, they may love them too much. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last week that an emerging public health trend in the form of increased outbreaks of salmonella. Source: The Washington Post, September 14, 2016. It doesn’t help that, according to the available data, a … [Read more...]
Booster vaccinations for beef calves questioned
Proven protocols, even booster vaccinations, are under full scrutiny these days. As vaccine technology advances, the need for these vaccinations is being questioned. Most protocols developed by marketing programs and manufacturers continue to include booster vaccinations as standard practice. However, more of today’s vaccines do not offer label instructions to repeat … [Read more...]
Tail docking on the way out
The National Milk Producers Federation has confirmed that tail docking will not be permitted under the National Dairy FARM Program (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) as of January 1, 2017. The American Association of Bovine Practitioners has opposed the practice for 20 years and California banned it in 2009. Yet, some owners still engage in it. The Journal of Dairy … [Read more...]
All U.S. poultry is ‘antibiotic-free’
All poultry meat that enters the U.S. food supply is, by definition, antibiotic-free or, more specifically, it is free of antibiotic residues by the time it reaches consumers — regardless of how the birds were raised. “There is absolutely no nutritional difference in meat from poultry raised without antibiotics compared to poultry that receive antibiotics,” says Mike Lacy, PhD, … [Read more...]
X-rays tell the story
The headline says it all, “They ate what?” The honorable mention images from the 2016 x-ray contest give a view of the challenges created when animals ingest things not intended for their consumption. We think you’ll enjoy the cases shown and could use some of them in client education as well. Source: Veterinary Practice News, September 2016, page 30. … [Read more...]
Wilting black (wild) cherry leaves pose livestock risk
As little as 1.2 to 4.8 pounds of wilted black cherry leaves could constitute a lethal dose for a 1,200 pound dairy cow, says Rory Lewandowski, Ohio State University Extension educator. Recent storms in Michigan and across the country make this reminder valuable. Veterinary teams and retailers can offer this information in posts, websites and newsletters for customers in areas … [Read more...]
Keep pets safe during Labor Day fun
Labor Day is this weekend. It’s great to include pets in the festivities, but remember to take precautions to keep them out of harm’s way. The folks at Pet Poison Helpline offer straightforward safety tips. Source: Pet Poison Helpline. Many people will gather with friends and families and enjoy games, picnics and BBQs outdoors. As always, our furry family members are … [Read more...]
Catheters suspect in hospital-acquired infections
Hospital-acquired bloodstream infections most commonly originate from IV catheters and should be suspected in any patient with an IV catheter that develops systemic inflammatory response syndrome without an extravascular infection source. Adoption of hospital-cleaning protocols and standard operating procedures for clinical tasks enables all members of the veterinary team to … [Read more...]
Pinkeye remains a challenge in the fall
The main cause of pinkeye in cattle is the ever-changing bacteria, moraxella bovis. Many subtypes of the bacteria can be found even in one infected animal. This can make it difficulty to treat and preventing. Pinkeye can rob producers of weight gain in addition to the labor costs of treatment. Source: Drovers CattleNetwork, August 17, 2016. Vaccination, fly control, … [Read more...]
AAEP risk-based vaccinations
This article provides a refresher for equine veterinary teams. Veterinarians are uniquely positioned to understand the risks posed to individual horses because of where they live, the lifestyles to which owners expose them and the diseases that are active in a practice area. Reviewing the facts about equine diseases that can be prevented or minimized through vaccination is … [Read more...]
Sponsored Content – The importance of mosquito control and repellency
Phase 2 of a study by John McCall, MS, PhD, further supports using a topical parasiticide to repel and kill mosquitoes, rather than relying solely on an oral heartworm preventive. His two studies combined send a powerful message regarding the efficacy of a double defense protocol. Ceva’s campaign website FightHeartwormNow.com now includes a series of videos featuring key … [Read more...]