Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, February 13, 2024. Link. Most read posts from February 13, 2025 AHD Bulletin – Managing hypothermia for newborn calves. Link. Building talent through delegation. Link. How multitasking drains your brain. Link. New guidelines set for degrees in infection prevention. Link. Time to review vaccine … [Read more...]
6 vet-verified essential nutrients cats need in their diets
Cats are obligate carnivores. They require nutrients from meat and other animal tissues to get eleven essential amino acids in their cat food. The author begins with protein to share six categories of nutrients cats need. Source: Catster, February 19, 2025. Link. Related: Understanding your cat’s appetite, Cat Food Advisor, January 27, 2025. Link. Image: Self.com … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – February 10, 2025
Dogs and bird flu?, small business opportunities, best AI vet tools, pet food recalls, reregistering Save This Life microchips, growing pet pampering market and more . . . Source: IBPSA, February 10, 2025. Link. … [Read more...]
Most usable natural remedies in veterinary practice
Natural remedies can offer benefits, but they should complement traditional veterinary care, not replace it. The author shares five natural remedies that can enhance treatment options: Milk thistle for liver support Chamomile for digestive relief Echinacea for immune support Probiotics for gut health Turmeric for inflammation Source: IVC Journal, February … [Read more...]
Omnichannel shopping evolution: “use whatever’s most convenient”
Omnichannel shopping for pets has taken hold among all generations in the U.S., according to survey responses, shares Packaged Facts’ David Sprinkle in an analysis of pet food and pet product sourcing choices made by multiple generations of pet owners. Sprinkle also explains the cross-shopping dynamics, summarizing shopping trends as a competitive reality in the pet product … [Read more...]
Managing hypothermia for newborn calves
The latest winter storm is descending on cow-calf locations and with it comes challenges for those whose cows are calving. Preventing hypothermia is vital to the survival of newborns, weather being responsible for more than 20 percent of early calf deaths. Lindsay Waechter-Mead, DVM, shares the importance of temperature regulation and ways to help hypothermic calves. Source: … [Read more...]
Sick sheep? Let us inspect their earwax.
Raye Walck, DVM, director of the Western Slope Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Colorado State University (CSU), shared a grim story with Lela Nargi. She recounts what Walck said happened in sheep from high-desert grazing lands in Grand Junction, Colorado. “I had a case a couple of years ago where these sheep came off the range and were brought into a dry lot situation, into … [Read more...]
Opportunities for retailers who focus on oral care products
Includes Commercial Content What’s that old saying? “It takes a community . . . “ Glenn Polyn shares ideas for pet retailers in this article. He notes the oral health retail sector has grown with innovative and easy-to-use products designed to help address dental health in dogs and cats. Polyn mentions cross-merchandising opportunities and the importance of training store … [Read more...]
2024 lessons inform pig farmers for 2025 (video)
The past two years have been challenging for U.S. pork producers. Jennifer Shike shares four ways experts behind the State of the Pork Industry Report grew from their experiences in 2024. They discuss their people, consumer choices, improving oversight and preparing for the inevitable ebbs and flows in the markets. Source: PORK, January 29, 2025. Link. [55:34] … [Read more...]
3 things nobody has ever told you about colostrum
There has been a lot of new research published in the past five years about colostrum and its role in the newborn's survival and health, writes Kalyn Waters. Despite cow-calf experiences, she was surprised to learn three new things about colostrum: Timing matters on the cow's side, too, as the chemical composition of colostrum in the udder changes by the hour. Colostrum … [Read more...]
FDA warns six sellers of unapproved seizure drugs for animals
Six companies selling unapproved products claiming to treat and control seizures in dogs and cats have been warned. The products named in the warning letters are not FDA-approved or conditionally approved and are being sold on the firms’ websites, social media pages and Amazon shops without a prescription or other veterinary oversight. Source: FDA, January 7, 2025. Link. The … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – February 3, 2025
Iconic brands entering pet space, understanding today’s pet owners, AI and automation for pet care businesses, FDA urging pet food companies to revisit safety amid bird flu outbreaks, diabetic alert dog tracks five blocs to find child with low blood sugar and more - Source: IBPSA, February 3, 2025. Link. … [Read more...]
Bird flu enters a new phase, meanwhile, the environment cannot be sterilized
The latest data from the CDC and USDA shows the continued devastating effects of bird flu outbreaks across the United States. New York Times writer Apoorva Mandavilli provides a relevant and updated situation analysis in the second article shared here. Not yet a serious human threat, she shares the expanding discoveries in mammalian species, including cats both wild and … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – January 30, 2025
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, January 23, 2024. Link. Most read posts from January 23, 2025 AHD Bulletin Managing your stress. Link. Johne’s disease no longer just a dairy disease. Link. 200 weeks and counting . . . the bull run continues. Link. ================================= Wings, turf, pigskin, cheese and more . . . … [Read more...]
Sugar solution found to fight metritis infection in dairy cows just as well as antibiotics
The research on alternatives to antibiotic therapies continues. Penn State researchers found a concentrated sugar solution could be just as effective as antibiotics at treating clinical metritis, a common uterine infection in dairy cows post-calving. Source: Feedstuffs, January 20, 2025. Link. … [Read more...]
Q and A: Why broodmares are prone to colic
When discussing colic in the broodmare, the cause of the pain can be broadly divided into two categories: pain originating from the gastrointestinal tract and pain originating from the reproductive tract shares, Katy Dern, DVM, MS, DACVS. She discusses gastrointestinal conditions seen before foaling and those seen in the post-parturient time period. Source: Paulick Report, … [Read more...]
Making the case for clinical obesity versus obesity in veterinary medicine
Veterinary medicine has the opportunity to avoid many mistakes human obesity medicine has encountered over the past three decades, including those related to nomenclature and communication strategies, writes Ernie Ward, DVM. By adding the modifier "clinical," healthcare professionals can also distinguish "obesity" from "fatness" and other stigmatizing terms. Source: Ernie … [Read more...]
NAVC’s 2024 VETTY Awards® recognize marketing excellence in animal health care
The 2024 VETTY Awards® winners represent the best in animal health care marketing worldwide. The winners will be recognized at the 42nd annual Veterinary Meeting and Expo, which takes place January 25-29 in Orlando, Florida. Source: PR Newswire, NAVC, January 20, 2025. Link. To view a complete list of winners, visit TheVETTYs.com/winners/2024-winners. … [Read more...]
Why cats love tuna
Scientists seeking to understand taste preferences in cats have discovered cat taste bud receptors are uniquely tuned to molecules found at high concentrations in tuna, revealing why they seem to prefer this delicacy over all others. Different than dogs that can taste sweets and umami, cats don’t taste sweets and crave the molecules found in umami. Source: Science, August … [Read more...]
FDA’s raw pet diet directive
Responding to multiple cases of H5N1 avian influenza in domestic and wild cats fed contaminated raw diets containing poultry, the FDA has issued a directive to pet food producers to ensure that their food safety plans address H5N1 influenza contamination issues. Scott Weese, DVM, discusses the directive and how to address pet owners who are inflexible about avoiding raw … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – January 20, 2025
Antibiotic-resistant Salmonella in household dogs, cats, bird flu, raw diets, human food trends effect pet food choices, members-only dog clubs, rescued shelter dogs helping rescuers in California fire region and more . . . Source: IBPSA, January 20, 2025. Link. Note these member benefits: New employee onboarding package Webinar: Comfort-driven enrichment for pet … [Read more...]
Reminder: Remove the wrappings before offering hay to cattle
Experts agree that the best strategy for herd safety and health is to remove all plastic wrap (and twine) before grinding hay or offering the hay to the herd.” Source: BEEF, November 12, 2024. Link. … [Read more...]
Cost of cow-calf production significantly influenced by operation size
NOTE: Understanding the economies of scale is important for animal health pros as we work with cattle producers to optimize production outcomes. Too frequently, the added cost of veterinary services and medicine fall subject to scrutiny despite them being de minimis in the mix of operating costs per cow and the level of production. There are more than 600,000 farms with beef … [Read more...]
What’s cold to a cow and what to do about it
Jason Warner and Justin Waggoner share environmental variables that change thermoneutrality for cows as they weather cold. Nutrition requirements also need adjustments as it takes increased energy to produce extra body heat. Warner and Waggoner provide data and offer points for producers to consider when managing cow herds through cold stress. The article is actionable as it … [Read more...]
Fecal water syndrome is not the same as diarrhea (infographic)
FWS is a condition where horses pass both solid and liquid material during defecation. It is likely not as severe as diarrhea but equally frustrating for horses and their owners. FWS management typically focuses on dietary management and stress reduction on a horse-by-horse basis. The infographic shared in the post is a helpful tool for veterinary teams to use to educate horse … [Read more...]
Dos and don’ts when choosing supplements for dogs and cats
Good marketing does not necessarily mean high quality. There are many choices in the market which require pet owners and their veterinarians to do their diligence. Theresa W. Fossum, DVM, MS. PhD, Diplomate ACVS, and Sean Ford share the dos and don’ts of choosing supplements in this article. Source: Animal Wellness, January 12, 2025. Link. Prioritize a Certificate of … [Read more...]
Reminder: Wood sugar, birch sugar, birch bark are the same as xylitol
There it was on a cough lozenge label . . . birch sugar. It took a minute to correlate birch sugar to xylitol despite knowing that sugar-free often means xylitol is an ingredient. So, since it is cough and cold season and many folks are dieting, it is a good time to share warnings with animal health pros and their pet owner networks that Xylitol is poisonous to dogs. Dogs … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – January 13, 2025
Active and empathetic listening skills, bird flu found in raw pet food, measuring stress in therapy dogs, luxury pet care segment growth, OSHA 300 reminder and more . . . Source: IBPSA, January 13, 2025. Link. … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – January 8, 2025
Animal Health Digest Bulletin Archives from December 2024. Link. AHD Archives from January 2024. Link. Scroll through articles and topics from last January as you renew efforts for 2025. ================================================ Real ID set to go into effect on May 7, 2025 Source: Daily Passport. Link. REAL ID is currently optional but it will soon be a … [Read more...]
Updated Beef Quality Assurance National Manual now available
An updated BQA National Manual has been released by by National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Information in the manual can help producers raise high-quality cattle. In addition to online availability, the manual and related resources, state BQA coordinators offer them at no charge. SOURCE: NCBA, December 19, 2024. Link. More than 30 cattle producers, industry leaders and … [Read more...]