The selection processes used to improve herd outcomes take many forms. As an industry, culling practices receive plenty of attention <Link>. In recent years docility, often discussed as a behavioral or management trait, is now known to be moderately heritable. Neogen’s Kirk Ramsey, DVM, offers a view of where docile cattle behavior plays out in herd development and how … [Read more...]
Understanding Theileria (“TIE-leer-ee-uh” (thī-ˈlir-ē-ə)
Complimentary Content Podcast guest Dr. Gregg Hanzlicek provides the latest information on the emerging disease theileriosis, a growing protozoan threat to thousands of cattle, their owners and those who care for the health of the herds. Most frequently associated with long horn ticks, it is often confused with anaplasmosis. Source: EAHAO podcast, Medgene, July 29, 2026. … [Read more...]
New World screwworm field guide now available
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service released a field guide for beef cattle producers to help guide operators through the detection, reporting, collection, submission, treatment and prevention processes. It is available online at AgriLife Extension’s New World screwworm resource hub at https://tx.ag/screwworm (4th bullet on the left). Fact sheets and the latest news about … [Read more...]
What milk can tell us about heat stress
New analysis suggests milk mid-infrared spectrometry could become an unexpected tool for selecting dairy cows that are better equipped to cope with heat stress. Rather than relying on environmental measurements such as temperature-humidity index, the approach estimates an individual cow’s physiological response using information collected through routine milk … [Read more...]
Popular X-ray contest closes August 2nd
Over the years, this highly anticipated contest has surfaced some of the most talked-about radiographs in the field: hardware, jewelry, toys, and everything in between. The deadline for submission is August 2nd to have those hard to believe radiographs entered. Source: Veterinary Practice News. Link. Here’s how the panel of veterinary judges scores each entry: 40 … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – July 30, 2026
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, July 22, 2026. Link. Most read posts from July 22nd, 2026 AHD Bulletin – Malone: The power of questions. Link. Nurses consistently ranked as America’s most trusted profession. Link. Pets are one of the most important relationships in people’s lives. Link. How sleep shapes canine behavior. Link. … [Read more...]
Agreement is about consensus. Alignment is about direction.
Good read Agreement is one of the most expensive things you can chase as a leader, writes Doug Thorpe. In this article, he differentiates agreement and alignment, noting how mixing them up costs teams momentum and organizations opportunities. The cost of chasing agreement instead of building alignment isn’t just internal friction. It’s market opportunity. Real alignment … [Read more...]
Signed, but misunderstood: the employment contract problem HR must fix
Good read A new survey <Link> found that 31 percent of respondents were unaware of specific provisions in their employment agreement, including non-competes, non-solicitation clauses, arbitration requirements and intellectual property assignment language, terms that can shape where they work next, how disputes get resolved and who owns their ideas. Whether the … [Read more...]
How sleep shapes canine behavior
Understanding why sleep affects dog behavior starts with understanding how they actually sleep, writes Colette Kase, citing a recent literature review. She covers sleep’s effects on behavior, what good sleep looks like, stimulation timing, environmental factors and how cognitive decline disrupts the sleep-wake cycle as dogs age. Kase’s article is written for veterinary … [Read more...]
How exercise can change a dog’s core strength and fitness
Complimentary The muscles that support the spine play an important role in overall movement, stability, and performance in especially active dogs. Cynthia M. Otto, DVM, PhD, DACVECC, DACVSMR, and her team at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center are examining how an exercise regimen changes core muscle structure and performance scores in healthy dogs in a Canine Health Foundation … [Read more...]
Cyber criminals hit Fairlife. Are your customers’ dairies next?
A cyberattack caused Fairlife to suspend all U.S. production operations on July 16. Fairlife owner, Coca-Cola, assures customers that existing products are safe. This Dairy Herd Management article highlights the reality that if hackers can break through Coca-Cola’s defenses, they’re able to get into most any dairy’s system. Based on this incident and recommendations from … [Read more...]
Finding hidden fly breeding sites (video)
Successful fly control starts long before producers reach for an insecticide, says David Prentice, DVM. “Fly populations are like icebergs. The flies that we’re actually seeing are only about 20 percent.” In this article, he discusses prioritizing premise and environmental management, different fly species and matching insecticide use to individual farm situations. Our July … [Read more...]
2026 is a reality check for swine health
2026 is proving that viruses don’t take vacations, writes Jennifer Shike. She shares a conversation with three swine health experts* who share their biggest health surprises of the year so far and the specific, high-stakes gaps in biosecurity that are leaving herds vulnerable. These topics are among those discussed: Early and repeated viral sequencing is an essential … [Read more...]
Sylvester.ai launches Connect to Care to help veterinary practices grow feline visits
Sylvester.ai is launching Sylvester Connect to Care. The new program is designed to help veterinary practices capitalize on feline growth opportunities. The program uses geo-targeted ads to reach local cat owners, encourages them to complete Cat Comfort Checks through the Sylvester app, and directs them to a participating veterinary practice to book an appointment if … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – July 23, 2026
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, July 16, 2026. Link. Most read posts from July 16th, 2026 AHD Bulletin – How the ‘Knowing-Doing Gap’ undermines even the best ideas. Link. What if the mid-level practitioner role wasn’t clinical at all? Link. Professional burnout. Link. If you think your cat is being nice, think again. Link. … [Read more...]
What if the mid-level practitioner role wasn’t clinical at all?
If you’re as comfortable seeing your nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant as you are with your doctor, this may resonate with you. We’ve not seen much recognition of this alternate concept to mid-level practitioners since April. See what you think. Registered veterinary technician Jodi Belongié suggests that the debate over mid-level practitioners in veterinary … [Read more...]
Professional burnout
It’s not whether we can train more veterinarians. We clearly can. The question is whether we are willing to change the machine before we build eight more of it. We have been trying to treat the wound. We have not touched the machine that makes it.” – Gershon Alaluf DVM, MBA, DBA Source: LinkedIn, June 25, 2026. Link. A person walks into veterinary school carrying something I … [Read more...]
Veterinary nurses want growth. Doctors want relief. Clients want better patient care.
Elevating veterinary nurse use directly impacts patient care, team morale and practice revenue, writes Kenichiro Yagi, MS, RVT, VTS. He shares the benefits of high-level veterinary nurse engagement, reviews barriers to using them at the "top of their license" and provides a responsible utilization formula. Yagi says responsible utilization means establishing a safeguarded … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – July 6, 2026
Passing on credit card fees? Yes or No? Check out the July webinars: Future proofing; Staffing systems On the road dates for IBPSA: SuperZoo, CANIS Conference Source: IBPSA, July 6, 2026. Link. Also see: Animal Health Digest Bulletin, July 2th. Link. Tick-borne diseases, when "we're like family" becomes a leadership problem, dog sunburns, and more! … [Read more...]
Study: Cats readily accept, digest cultivated hamster cell-derived meat diet.
A published scientific study conducted in collaboration between BeneMeat and Ghent University evaluated the acceptance and digestibility of a complete feline diet containing cultivated meat as a novel pet food ingredient. Source: PETFOOD Industry, May 28, 2026. Link. The feeding trial demonstrated strong acceptance of the cultivated meat diet in domestic cats and found … [Read more...]
What horse hair can tell us
This article shares the latest knowledge about what horses’ hair can tell us. It contains abundant information about their health, welfare, breeding, drug intake and even ancient history, writes Christa Lesté-Lasserre, MA. The discussion of cortisol levels in hair as a noninvasive way to assess stress and welfare over time is noteworthy. Source: The Horse, July 13, 2026. … [Read more...]
Hog numbers fall as pigs per litter increases to 11.87
Animal husbandry and improving genetics have raised the production bar from fewer than 10 pigs per sow per year in the 1930s to the current level north of 20 to 30 piglets per sow per year. Source: The Farmer, July 13, 2026. Link. The number of hog farms has diminished while the amount of production on those farms has improved in both quantity and quality. U.S. pork … [Read more...]
Monitoring medicator accuracy
Water medicators play a central role in delivering health products throughout swine production systems, yet their accuracy is often assumed rather than verified. This study highlights the substantial variations that can exist among medicators operating under commercial conditions and the implied costs of inaccuracy. Note: Only one in four medicators delivered within 10 … [Read more...]
Tick, tick-borne disease management requires an integrated One Health approach
A new review <Link> emphasizes that tick and tick-borne disease control in the United States now requires a coordinated One Health strategy that accounts for changing tick distributions, wildlife and domestic animal hosts, environmental conditions and human exposure patterns. Kristen Coppock Crossley, MA, shares the rationales in this article. The expanding range of … [Read more...]
Private equity ownership of clinics draws scrutiny (video)
Geoff Bennett sets the stage for this content, saying, “As veterinary care prices rise, attention is turning to a major shift in the industry: private equity firms and large corporations buying up veterinary practices across the country.” Commentary The dialogue here is yet another public-facing discussion of price, ownership and practice objectives that animal owners are … [Read more...]
Hormone Friendly Vetmed campaign from Vet Empowered, LLC
Complimentary Veterinary medicine has one of the highest proportions of women and assigned female at birth (AFAB) individuals in any professional workforce, and yet conversations about how hormonal health intersects with work performance, mental health and team dynamics remain rare or are dismissed entirely, writes Katie Ford, MRCVS <Link>. Silently ignoring these … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – July 6, 2026
In this week’s Fast Bites: Two webinars scheduled for July: Future Proofing Pet Care Facilities, July 15th Staffing Systems to Protect the Business, July 30th 16 new members added in 2-Q-2026 Congratulations to the members who earned a Species Certification in Q2. NOTE: The IBPSA email communications calendar is changing effective August 3rd Source: … [Read more...]
Handling the unruly patient
Commentary David Burger’s article reviews an apparent increase in fractious pets that increase injury risks for veterinary teams and pet owners alike. While “do more training” is advocated, it is clear that beyond veterinary teams adjusting their approach with problem pets, getting modern pet owners to establish basic behavior boundaries is difficult. Similarly, groomers … [Read more...]
Keep water clean on dairies for cows’ safety
Reinforcing the importance of clean water, Russ Cavanaugh addresses the potential of water as a fomite. He contrasts how most poultry and hog producers approach water treatment with a relative lack of water treatment systems on dairies. His article is a call to action for dairy operators to know what is in their water and to devise a treatment and monitoring system to ensure … [Read more...]
Start with foot baths to reduce lameness
Some dairy producers gauge the impact of lameness by the number of cows requiring treatment, but Abbie Goldenberg with Farm Inc. believes that measure misses the bigger picture. Experts say better hoof bath management is what keeps cows healthy in the first place as noted in this article about proper footbath design and maintenance. Aerica Bjurstrom with the University of … [Read more...]