Sponsor Content with Commentary If one reads three or more of the articles* recently published about infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis or, pinkeye in cattle, they may be confused about a) what conditions predispose calves to infection(s), b) what vector(s) are responsible for disease transfer and c) what bacteria cause pinkeye infections or may be present as cofactors … [Read more...]
AHD reader shares concerns and feedback
Occasionally, we get an animal-owner reader response (that isn’t spam) to one of our posts <Link>. We’re sharing it here. Reader comments from AHD post on website As a pet owner I find that my costs at the vet have tripled and the time I see the vet is now about 10 minutes instead of 30 minutes even though the time slotted for me was 30 minutes. I feel that the … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – June 16, 2025
Pet industry sales normalizing but still climb post-pandemic, luxury lifestyles for pets booming in Japan, 100+ grants for small businesses, pet tech changing pet parenting, charity is promoting pensions for retired police dogs, franchising cat sitting and more . . . Source: IBPSA, June 16, 2025. Link. IBBY nominations are now open. They were established by the IBPSA to … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – June 19, 2025
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, June 12, 2025. Link. Most read posts from June 12, 2025 AHD Bulletin – Forbes, Can the veterinary industry help with the rising cost of care? Link. A crate training discussion. Cruel or kind? Link. Logic, emotions and decisions. Link. Cattle technology trends that continue to push boundaries. … [Read more...]
Forbes, How can the veterinary industry help with the rising cost of care?
Commentary We held this article for a few weeks trying to best present the content for consideration. Aimee Gilbreath, president of PetSmart Charities, wrote it. She shares metrics seen routinely in various media and calls the rising cost of pet care a full-blown pet healthcare crisis. I disagree. I believe we have a pet parent spending problem veterinary hospitals are … [Read more...]
Cattle technology trends that continue to push boundaries
Cattle producers are interested in technologies that improve efficiency, reduce labor and provide useful data. Beyond the normal optimism and skepticism, new high-tech tools must be practical, user-friendly and offer a solid return on investment before cattle producers invest. Bruce Derksen reviews six cattle technology trends in this article. Source: BEEF, April 22, … [Read more...]
Study: Seasonal effects on preweaned calves
The research shared in this article is relevant beyond the dairy calf environment in the southeastern U.S. While not the seasonal affective disorder we know effects our own health, weather metrics have a definite impact on calf growth, performance and wellness. Summarizing, Al Kertz, Ph. D., DIPL. ACAN, says, consistency in nutrition, feeding and management is critical for … [Read more...]
Dairy herds are made in the shade!
Research shows that dry cows and bred heifers are just as vulnerable to heat stress, even if the signs are less visible. When a dry cow or bred heifer experiences heat stress, her unborn calf does too writes Taylor Leach who shares the long term effects of heat stress on the dairy herd. Source: Bovine Practitioner, June 2, 2025. Link. While the lactating herd often gets the … [Read more...]
Poll reveals horse owner deworming behaviors
A June poll reveals how frequently a group of respondents deworms their horse(s). Information like this can help veterinary teams understand client behaviors and may provide opportunities to improve horse stewardship. The sponsored article below was linked with the poll results. In it, Christa Lesté-Lasserre, MA, shares what scientists are learning about equine parasite … [Read more...]
The business side of farriers and footcare
Data collected from the 2024 American Farriers Journal Business Practices Survey provides an interesting look into the business of equine footcare. In addition to what they charge and where they buy supplies, we noted how farriers communicate with their clients. The metrics on what work they are doing, the types of horses and metrics on laminitis and white line disease will be … [Read more...]
Review: Diagnostic testing for tick-borne diseases; recommendations, interpreting results
Ticks are making the news across the U.S. as resident populations bloom and areas experience new tick species migrating into a region for the first time. A large percentage of vector-borne diseases reported are vectored by ticks, with dogs acting as sentinels for human exposure to concerning bacterial, protozoal and viral agents. In this article, Doctors Schlemmer and … [Read more...]
Does it pay to castrate, wean and vaccinate?
Includes Sponsor Content Studying the USDA Market News reports, Andrew Griffith, PhD, says it is clear that a good number of producers still find it easier to sell bull calves instead of castrating them prior to selling them. He shares the economics of selling calves straight off the cow versus after preconditioning and applying management protocols in this article. During … [Read more...]
Website resource for when cat(s) stopping acting normally
Complimentaray Commercial Content Zoetis’ Cat Red Flags website advertisement caught our attention during a recent TV program on Nat Geo Wild. We’re sharing this in case you’re not aware of the website and it’s focus on behaviors that may indicate osteoarthritis or other issues that reduce cat wellness. Source: Cat Red Flags. Link. … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – June 9, 2025
Diminishing veterinary care blamed on rising costs, small businesses need to consider risk management, harnessing AI for small business, law maker activities and more . . . Source: IBPSA, June 9, 2025. Link. … [Read more...]
Training expert: Excessive digital learning overwhelms employees, creates compliance risks
While digital training platforms have made skill development more accessible than ever, companies are discovering that too much of a good thing can backfire spectacularly, says Allan Murphy Bruun, Founder of SimplerQMS. Teams that are constantly pulled into training sessions struggle to maintain their regular workflow, Bruun says. The cognitive load of switching between … [Read more...]
NOAA predicts above-average 2025 hurricane season
With 70 percent confidence, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting 13 to 19 named storms, 6 to 10 of which will become hurricanes, and 3 to 5 may grow to major hurricane intensity of Category 3 or stronger. The article includes concerns over staffing, which, beyond the political turmoil, should be fair warning for individuals and businesses to … [Read more...]
Why people attend the World Pork Expo (video)
Jennifer Shrike shares a look at why people make the trip to Des Moines every June and their recommendations on how to make the experience unforgettable. The weather can be searing hot, rainy or blustery on any given day so a poncho and sun shade headgear are considerations. Come hungry, be ready to learn and network with pork industry influencers, leaders and … [Read more...]
Stop doing cosynch
Cosynch is a management practice on dairies where GnRH treatments and artificial insemination are performed simultaneously. While labor-saving, Paul M. Fricke PhD, reviews the importance of timing in what is termed the ovsynch 56 protocol. In summary, the science does not support the cosynch approach. Source: Hoard’s Dairyman, June 2, 2025. Link. INSIGHTS: Articles like … [Read more...]
DocTalk. Discussing embryos and reproductive technologies.
Includes Commercial Content from DocTalk sponsors In this eye-opening episode of DocTalk, Dan Thompson, DVM, PhD, engaged Kosta Simintiras, PhD, to help us better understand the challenges in the complex process of bovine conceptus elongation, a critical phase in early pregnancy. Simintaras shares research on improving embryo transfer and artificial insemination success … [Read more...]
The importance of “pet-alized” dental care for older animals
Will Wetzel shares takeaways from a Fetch Nashville presentation by Heidi Lobprise, DVM, DAVDC, entitled, “They are NOT too old for dental procedures (usually).” Dental disease and chronic inflammation continue to build over time when routine oral care is ignored, which leads to further complications once the pet enters their senior years. We noted the reference to chronic … [Read more...]
Mental health care and dogs
Sponsor Content In a recent post, Wendy Hauser, DVM, shared what we need to know about the mental health care of our cats <Link>. In this parallel article from the ASPCA® Pet Health Program, Hauser addresses canine mental health care beginning with the three most common mental health issues dog owners experience with their dogs: a) anxiety, b) depression and c) … [Read more...]
Collars, harnesses and training for cats improve safety, well-being
Includes Commercial Content Seemingly every week we see articles sharing ways to improve the lives of our pets. Cats in particular benefit when their owners develop routines to engage with their owners such as play or walks outdoors. Understanding options for restraint will help cat owners wanting to expand their interactions with their cat(s). We’re sharing these articles … [Read more...]
The framework top CEOs use to scale
Bob Pearson’s opening sentence was enough to share this article with animal health pros. “Scaling a business doesn’t mean grinding longer hours, putting out fires all day, or spinning your wheels chasing growth. Top-performing CEOs don’t grow through chaos; rather, they scale through clarity, systems and accountability.” Source: Vistage, May 16, 2025. Link. This framework . … [Read more...]
Home health agencies dropping their telehealth programs
Perspectives for consideration. A new survey finds that home health agencies are abandoning virtual care due to complexity and inadequate reimbursement. Telehealth advocates the pendulum effect should wear off as both providers and patients understand the value of virtual visits and work toward a hybrid strategy that mixes in-person care and telehealth. BUT, the monkey wrench … [Read more...]
Vet tech instructor shares the importance of upskilling, strategic support
The veterinarian shortage is portrayed in myriad ways as our industry works to meet rising demand for qualified professionals. Deploying veterinary technicians at the top of their licensed skills is a common theme in shortage discussions. We were pleased to hear from Dr. Meghan Wells, DVM, MPH, who serves as an instructor for the Veterinary Technology program at Penn … [Read more...]
Wearable tech for cows to help dairy farmers improve herd management
Researchers from the University of Minnesota have been testing whether wearable tech — like a Fitbit, but for cows — can help farmers make smarter decisions about when to treat animals and, just as importantly, when not to. One of the biggest takeaways from the research is how to define a truly “healthy” cow in all the various settings cows can be tracked and … [Read more...]
Inflatable tube man as bird deterrent
Includes Commercial Content We noticed the comments about the inflatable tube men in the National Hog Farmer article here. We later found found additional information about using inflatable tube dancers to help control birds and deer from LookOurWay. The erratic movement of inflatable tube men gives birds and other pests no chance to adapt. Sources: Migratory birds … [Read more...]
Regenerative therapy options for horses with osteoarthritis
Some of the most mainstream and popular modalities currently used to manage osteoarthritis in horses are a) autologous conditioned serum, b) autologous protein solution, c) platelet-rich plasma and d) mesenchymal stem cell, explains Matt Leshaw, DVM. He explains how each of the methods is done and relates successes noting regenerative medicine is still in its … [Read more...]
How to determine the best approach to separation-related behaviors in dogs
Separation-related behaviors are non-specifics, writes Moira Hechenleitner DVM, CSAT. She explains the importance of determining the underlying cause before designing an environment and training protocol that sets the dog up for success. The objective is to allow the animal to feel safe and stay below its anxiety threshold. Source: Innovative Veterinary Care, May 23, 2024. … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – May 26, 2025
Expanding bans on pet sales ban in retail shops, vet triage AI platforms compared, Royal Canin to sponsor Raising the Perfect Pet a collaboration with Martha Stewart, tariff effect on pet care costs, hiring a summer intern and more . . . Source: IBPSA, May 26, 2025. Link. … [Read more...]