Animal Health Digest

Curating useful content for animal health professionals

No. Goats are not taking away human jobs

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Western Michigan University rented a crew of 20 goats to clear brush and weeds this summer. This was met with a grievance from a chapter of the American Federal of State County and Municipal Employees. It stated the goats are taking jobs away from laid-off union workers. Christopher Ingraham’s analysis, albeit back of the envelope, says it’s not so. Source: The Washington … [Read more...]

1894 Edison video, feline boxing

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Thomas Edison was a connoisseur of strange short films, in addition to inventing the light bulb. The footage—one of Edison’s firsts—is considered the first cat video ever recorded. Source: Atlas Obscura, June 19, 2017. After inventing the kinetoscope, an early version of the film camera, Edison began to test the technology by recording a series of bizarre … [Read more...]

Couple saves baby kangaroos orphaned on Australian highway

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This piece will elicit innumerable “awes,” especially from those interested in animal rescue. Josephine and Terry Brenna-Kuss have run an orphanage for joeys on the lonely South Australian section of the long Stuart Highway since 2008. Most come from females that were struck by cars or trucks. The video clips will bring smiles, too. Source: New York Times, June 26, 2017 … [Read more...]

Fetch horse, fetch (includes video)

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Just for fun! Training your horse to fetch your beverage of choice out of the cooler is a handy trick for hot summer days. Hokey Pokey, a six-year-old Pinto learned the wine-fetching trick in six sessions. Source: Horse Channel, May 15, 2017. Rebecca Tasker, the New Zealand-based trainer behind Positively Together, uses clicker training to teach her equine charges using … [Read more...]

Seed-spitting goats

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Just for fun! The Argania trees of Morocco have a unique seed dispersal method: climbing, spitting goats. Some of the local goats have developed a distinctive approach to grazing during dry periods: They climb up in the thorny branches to get at the tree’s leaves and fruit, sometimes with help from herders. Source: Atlas Obscura, May 25, 2017. If the behavior is as common … [Read more...]

One-legged sleeping mystery solved

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Atlanta biologists Young-Hui Chang of Georgia Tech and Lena ting of Emory University wanted to find out how Flamingos can sleep standing on one leg. Their findings that were published in Biology Letters this week are surprising. Source: The Washington Post, May 24, 2017 (paywall). The duo began examining them, when something happened. Chang held one of the cadavers up by … [Read more...]

The art and humor of horseracing (includes videos)

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Just for fun! Triple Crown season stirs interest in a whole population of persons who are not yearlong enthusiasts. This article offers a different twist on what makes the perfect racehorse. Source: Horse Network, May 8, 2014. Veteran British collage artist and filmmaker John Stezaker’s 2012 work, “Horse,” offered a rapid succession look of every racehorse advertised for … [Read more...]

Squirrels were once one of America’s most popular pets

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Just for fun, we include this history of the pet squirrel. In the 18th and 19th centuries, squirrels were fixtures in American homes, especially for children. Ben Franklin and President Warren Harding were especially fond of their pet squirrels. Source: Atlas Obscura, April 28, 2017. From the 1920s through the 1970s many states slowly adopted wildlife conservation and … [Read more...]

ATV-UTV round-up for 2017

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Whether you farm, ranch, live on an acreage or play in the outdoors, the ATV-UTV is a workhorse to consider. See the lineup for 2017 in this “toys for boys” review. Girls love them, too! Source: Beef, May 2017, page 10. When it comes to getting around the ranch quickly and inexpensively, light-duty vehicles such as ATVs and utility vehicles are the perfect answer. … [Read more...]

Remake your commute time

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The average American worker has a commute of 25 minutes each way. Psychology researchers recently explained the key to a pleasant commute isn’t just finding ways to fill the time. A better strategy is to change the way you think about the time. A commute can be something you have to endure, or it can be what the researchers call a “pocket of freedom.” Source: Science of Us, … [Read more...]

There is no such thing as a lead pencil

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Just for fun! Pencils do not, and have never, contained lead of any sort. When graphite was first discovered, people called it black lead, because it resembled lead. Still, we call it lead, and think there’s lead in pencils. Caroline Weaver discusses pencil fact and fiction from her position as a pencil obsessive. Source: 99U, March 20, 2017. The first question you have to … [Read more...]

Hobby horse competitions real (includes video)

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Unlike other equestrian endeavors, this one does not require a big investment of money and time. Plus, safety risks are minimal. It does not even require an actual horse. Turns out, all you need is a stick…and a dream. Source: Horse Network, March 31, 2017. Welcome to the world of competitive hobbyhorsing. INSIGHTS: This looks like a good activity for a team building … [Read more...]

Test yourself: Define your sense of humor

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Just for fun! Psychology researcher Rod Martin took a different tactic to measure humor, an amorphous, multifaceted concept, in a scientific way. Modeling his approach after recently developed tests to measure anxiety, he focused not on the jokes themselves, but on how respondents used humor in everyday life. The end result would become his signature work: the Humor Styles … [Read more...]

The white horses of Camargue

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At some time in most animal health pros’ lives, a love of animals is born. It may have been a puppy or kitten, but for some, the horse was their inspiration. For renowned photographer Drew Doggett, a passion for horses developed, particularly with breeds that have overcome difficult circumstances or have an interesting lineage. The horses of Camargue fit that perfectly. We … [Read more...]

I love you – the farm/ranch way

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“I love you” may not be heard a lot by farm or ranch kids. Jenni Latzke with the High Plains Journal demonstrates why in her latest column. Source: High Plains Journal, February 20, 2017. To be fair, there’s not a lot of time for flowery words and overt display of affection. No one pauses mid-3 a.m. calf-pulling to look over at his spouse and say, "Margaret, you sure look … [Read more...]

Do you know your livestock breeds?

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Here’s a fun test from the folks at Ag Daily. Find out if you know your livestock breeds as well as you think you do. Source: Ag Daily, February 23, 2017. Can you tell the difference between a Chester White and a Berkshire pig? Or spot which herd is Simmental and which one is Limousin cattle? INSIGHTS: If you want to get a full view of livestock breeds around the world, … [Read more...]

Farriers, a necessary enigma

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Nancy Rich-Gutierrez shares 5 Reasons You May Need a New Farrier with a tongue-in-cheek, experience-based overview of inappropriate farrier behavior. Source: Horse Network, January 24, 2017. Here are some examples that resulted in Nancy finding a new farrier: He compares his siring ability to that of a well-known stallion He shows up drunk He’s too rough He … [Read more...]

Eagle gets cancer operation at 46

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Jess, a 46 year old wedge-tailed eagle, had a growth on his eyelid. It was considered harmless when discovered in 2015, but it recently flared up and required surgery. Learn how ophthalmologist Dr. Andrew Turner and his team operated and treated this squamous cell carcinoma. Source: The Age, January 16, 2017. There's a good chance Jess is the first wedge tailed eagle to … [Read more...]

Canis vertigus, the dog that powered kitchens

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In the 17th century, one breed of dog was created as a high-tech solution to a household need. The now-extinct turnspit dog, or Canis vertigus, was common in European kitchens from the 16th century until the mid-1800s. Source: Saveur, January 19, 2017. Turnspit dogs are described as “long-bodied, crooked-legged, and ugly dogs, with a suspicious, unhappy look about them. … [Read more...]

Study confirms that many animals fart

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Just for fun! As ridiculous as it sounds, scientists are studying flatulence, its causes and how to prevent it, especially in humans. Whether specific animals fart is apparently a question that zoo employees often receive from their youngest visitors. Therefore, a new hashtag is making the rounds through science Twitter: #DoesItFart. Source: Science of Us, January 11, … [Read more...]

American Pharoah is a dad

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Just for fun! American Pharoah was a racing phenomenon in 2015, when he won the Triple Crown. Bred to 208 mares in 2016, the first colt was born on January 3rd at Brookdale Farm in Kentucky. Source: HorseChannel.com, January 3, 2017. Like his dad, the colt is bay, but he’s got some chrome – white socks and a wide blaze. American Pharoah’s only white marking is a tiny white … [Read more...]

Obsessive blanketing disorder is real

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Jorna Taylor shares her #OBD in a whimsical fashion while reminding us of the need to protect horses and pets from the winter weather in a two-article series. Source: Horse Network, December 2016. I Suffer from OBD—Obsessive Blanketing Disorder (Part I) Because #OBD Is Real (Part II)   … [Read more...]

Ultimutt holiday gift guide 2016

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Just for fun! What else can we say? Source: Modern Dog, December 2016. Holiday gift ideas and irresistible finds for dogs & dog lovers. INSIGHTS: Our team found a couple items from the 48 shown that might be valuable for one of the four dogs in our collective households. Check out the onesie in slide 11 and the automatic ball launcher in slide 19. Just for fun! … [Read more...]

FFA launches celebrity and notable careers

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Angela Bowman shares a fun look at famous persons who wore the FFA blue and gold. Presidents, singers and actors are on her list. Source: Pork Network, November 22, 2016. What do Taylor Swift, Jordy Nelson and Jimmy Carter have in common? The answer: They were each former FFA members and grew up learning to recite the FFA creed, pledging their belief in the future of … [Read more...]

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Animal Health Digest, LLC is a content curation and aggregation service for animal health professionals. We continuously read and review more than 150 publications that produce articles, studies, reviews, white papers and other material for veterinarians, veterinary professionals, veterinary support staff, companion animal owners and livestock owners. Learn more.

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