Esco Buff, CF, APF, PhD, has started a unique, yearlong challenge to chronicle the hoof-care journey of Jackson, a 15-year-old Clydesdale cross gelding used primarily for trail and pleasure riding in the southeastern U.S. Supported by Triple Crown Nutrition, Buff expects to gain a deeper understanding of the collaborative nature of equine care and the dedication it … [Read more...]
When rescue isn’t rescue: The problem with saving horses from kill pens
There’s a lot to think about in Allison Bowling’s letter to the Paulick Report editor here. From her experiences with the differences in how horses are represented, she opines on comparing ethical rescue versus exploitation. In small animal rescue, she writes, euthanasia is a devastating but real consequence of the overabundance of unwanted pets met by limited capacity for … [Read more...]
Keeping arthritic senior horses comfortable
Early recognition of joint injuries and inflammation is a key to getting ahead of arthritis and degenerative joint disease in horses, shares Sarah Welk Baynum. She offers perspectives from three University of Pennsylvania veterinarians, including their thoughts on exercise, weight management, supplements and medications. Source: The Horse, September 2, 2025. Link. Similar … [Read more...]
House Rabbit Society offers training on best practices in rabbit medical care
Meeting a critical need in the rabbit-owning community, a dedicated medical team is working to ensure veterinary professionals across the globe can receive first-hand experience working with rabbits. The House Rabbit Society’s goal is for these professionals to return to their communities with enhanced skills and knowledge, leading to an increase in quality rabbit-specific … [Read more...]
Salmonella strain infecting cattle and people is highly similar
Researchers at Pennsylvania State University investigated how strains of the pathogen Salmonella Dublin are evolving and spreading across humans, cattle and the environment in the U.S. Taking a broader One Health approach, they examined genomic differences and stability across strains over time and from different yet related sources. S. Dublin can cause severe illness and … [Read more...]
Dung beetles combat flies; insecticide overuse harms beetles
Another conundrum in the war against flies. Insecticides often used to kill face flies on cattle can be effective. But, they may increase the problem by killing dung beetles that naturally control the flies. Cornell University researchers have been studying how differing ingredients in feed-through insecticides impact beetle numbers. They offer their perspectives and share … [Read more...]
The Bridge Club’s September events
Keeping the conversations moving, The Bridge Club is hosting these virtual events: Retired but not done yet? Doug Mader, DVM, MSc, DABVP, DECZM, will guide the discussion September 10th, 6:00 EST. Register for free <Link>. From Scrubs to Sustainability: Small Shifts, Big Impact. Join a CE approved community conversation in partnership with Mars Veterinary Health … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – September 4, 2025
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, August 28, 2025. Link. Most read posts from August 28, 2025 AHD Bulletin – KC Animal Health Corridor Summit and initiative posts. Link-1 and Link-2 July VetWatch® commentary. Link. Everyone’s a coach. Link. Recognizing the early signs of joint disease (video). Link. The joy of sharing life … [Read more...]
20th annual Summit showcases startups, industry leaders, future of animal care
Snoretox captured the 2025 Animal Health Summit’s Innovation Award for its promising therapy, modeled after Botox therapy, to treat brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, a condition that affects short-snouted breeds. The innovations panel spotlighted feline medicine, telehealth and AI as forces that will affect clinical practice and reshape veterinary care. Keynote … [Read more...]
KC Corridor launches campaign to attract new talent into animal health
The KC Animal Health Corridor unveiled a new Workforce Campaign at the annual Summit that addresses the talent shortage in the animal health industry head-on. The Workforce Campaign challenges the common misconception that animal health careers are limited to veterinary medicine. Commenting about the talent gap threatening our industry’s future, Kimberly Young, president of … [Read more...]
July VetWatch metrics
Commentary The July VetWatch® commentary indicates practices are doing a good job of managing visit revenue when presented with pets. It is no surprise that pet owners express concerns about rising veterinary services costs and pet food prices, especially when higher spending on essentials, affordability of healthcare and overall consumer prices keep rising (2.7 percent in … [Read more...]
The joy of sharing life with a dog or cat comes with a solemn responsibility
Commentary Routine diagnostic tests for dogs and cats are the secret arsenal to uncover hidden threats early and protect a beloved companion’s future, according to this article. Secret arsenal? Simply that “secret” is used should raise eyebrows among animal health professionals. Secret? . . . Whose fault is that? Can clients name the two or three diagnostic tests their … [Read more...]
ALEC adopts resolution in full support of veterinary telemedicine
The American Legislative Exchange Council adopted a resolution in full support of veterinary telemedicine. Notably, the resolution states: 1) veterinarians should be allowed to practice to the full extent of their professional training through telehealth, and 2) no laws or regulations should require a client and patient to meet a veterinarian in person before they receive a … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – August 25, 2025
2025 IBBY finalists named in six categories, Forum room block reservations extended through September 2nd, IBPSA staff announces weekly Zoom hours, more and more dogs and fewer and fewer children in Spain spawns luxury pet hotels, Mississippi is number 1 in heartworm infection rates, followed by Louisiana, Texas, Alabama and Arkansas. Plus the August 21st AHD Bulletin, which … [Read more...]
Doodle mania has become a billion-dollar business
Despite the assertions of people like Emma Milne, BVSc, FRCVS, to reduce extreme conformations in dog and cat breeds <Link>, the doodle craze continues to drive interest, breeding experiments and value. We’re sharing Allie Conti’s article sans graphics, which describes how crossbreeding poodles with other breeds has created a billion-dollar business. It’s a long read, but … [Read more...]
Recognizing the early signs of joint disease (video)
Complimentary Commercial Content Many owners mistake the early signs of joint disease for training issues or attitude changes, but arthritis could be causing poor performance. Sherry A. Johnson, DVM, PhD, DACVSMR, explains what to watch for and why early recognition matters in the informative video. Source: The Horse, August 20, 2025. Link. INSIGHTS: This article is … [Read more...]
Preconditioning pay$
A quote from a March 2022 post remains top of mind, “Preconditioning starts when the calf hits the ground.” It’s truly a “Begin with the end in mind” statement. Many preconditioning articles can be found in the AHD archives <Link>. It’s no surprise to see the topic in media several times a year and considering a calf’s economic value, it is no wonder. In this article, … [Read more...]
First lung transplant from gene-edited pig performed in China
A 39-year-old brain-dead person in China has become the first human to receive a lung from a pig. With consent from the person’s family, researchers took the organ from a CRISPR’d pig, trimmed it, and stitched it into the chest, where it remained for nine days. Experts stress there is a long way to go before pig lungs can be used in patients. Source: The Guardian, August 25, … [Read more...]
Emma Milne: The (many) problems with extreme conformation in dog and cat breeds
Commentary Kudos to Kristen Green Seymour, who took on the challenge to share the bent of several topics Emma Milne, BVSc, FRCVS, covers in this video interview. Like her, we recommend this article and video as “required” for all animal health pros. We found reading the article while listening to it was most helpful. It doesn’t matter which side you’re on. This discussion … [Read more...]
New tool helps clarify pet insurance decisions for owners
Animal Health Digest introduces a “Pet Insurance Guide,” a tool designed to save time, advance pet health insurance conversations, and highlight its benefits for clients, their pets, veterinarians, and their teams. The free, non-commercial PDF is available here. Link. AHD’s Pet Insurance Guide helps animal pros easily take pet owners through the “who, what, when, where, and … [Read more...]
Expert views on the importance of recordkeeping
Imagine a team meeting at a veterinary hospital. The leader says, “Today, let’s discuss our medical records, why, not how, we do them and make sure they are a positive element of the client’s experience.” The why needs to provide context as well as content. This article is a good resource for that discussion. Source: Clinician’s Brief, July 2025. Link. … [Read more...]
Anaplasmosis incidence growing
Lila Seidman’s article in The Los Angeles Times shares the growing threat of anaplasmosis in dogs in California. Anaplasmosis and Lyme disease are spread by western blacklegged ticks and can infect humans. A look at the Companion Animal Parasite Council map shows the anaplasmosis incidence across the country. Source: CAPC, The Los Angeles Times, August 18, 2025. … [Read more...]
Healing dogs with their own cells: The promise of regenerative medicine
Commentary Part of our curation commitment at AHD is to capture articles that may drive animal owner questions to veterinary team members. This article fits that profile. Consider sharing it with clinic teams as a discussion topic so they present a consistent position when asked about regenerative options. Source: AKC Canine Health Foundation, August 19, 2025. Link. … [Read more...]
Back to school: exciting for families, not so much for pets
This infographic appeared in the recent B2C Fear Free Happy Homes email. While many clinics, pet services businesses and shelters have adopted Fear Free practices, personnel may not be seeing what pet owners are receiving. We’re sharing it to help all animal health pros keep the Back to School narratives consistent. Source: Fear Free Happy Homes, August 15, 2025. Link. … [Read more...]
Improving the odds for successful rehab after tendon injuries
Rethinking the weeks of stall rest to rehabilitate horses with tendon injuries, equine veterinarians are now beginning to include rehabilitation plans based on controlled movement, rather than stall rest. The objective is to reduce the overzealous scar tissue and resulting adhesions. To find ways to support the rehabilitation process, the Schnabel Lab is researching to evaluate … [Read more...]
Researchers say long-term firocoxib use appears safe for horses
Firocoxib is often prescribed to manage chronic pain and inflammation in horses, and its long-term use appears safe based on bloodwork. The drug is for once-daily use for up to 14 days, researchers on this study suggest firocoxib might be suitable for extended treatment in appropriate cases. Source: The Horse, August 19, 2025. Link. Veterinarians should evaluate horses … [Read more...]
How often do farriers encounter laminitis?
Data from the 2025 American Farriers Journal Business Practices Survey shows more than one-third of farriers see laminitis monthly. The article also shares information about farriers’ charges, trimming and more. Source: American Farriers Journal, August 20, 2025. Link. Image: Link. … [Read more...]
I’m not hot, so the cows must be fine
This article is a good reminder about heat stress myths dairy producers hang on to year after year. Gabriela Maldini, PHD, MSc, shares some of the top myths she has encountered. Note her comments as they pertain to dry cows and seasonality. Source: Progressive Dairy, August 13, 2025. Link. INSIGHTS: Consider sharing this article with dairy producers via social media or … [Read more...]
Vets urge smarter parasite control to combat drug resistance
Commentary The topic of parasite resistance is not new to U.S. livestock production. However, the British Veterinary Association’s actions described in this article are important. Many foreign production environments are more condensed than those in the U.S. and can foretell future domestic production issues. The BVA’s new policy position warns that routine, blanket … [Read more...]
Veterinary team targets FAD hotspots to protect U.S. livestock
This article is informative and timely. The related article* linked at the end of this post describes how researchers found a gap between biosecurity perception and practice on farms, as well as a reliance on veterinarians for biosecurity-related advice. The health and protection of food animals from foreign animal diseases remains a significant concern and efforts to stay … [Read more...]