We’ve spent the last five days engaged with animal health colleagues during the Global Animal Health week, KC Animal Health Corridor Homecoming and CVC Kansas City convention. Obviously, such activities reduce the time to curate materials for animal health pros. Our AHD Bulletin is shorter than usual this week. Many of the posts will be about the challenges of human … [Read more...]
Pig transformation changing with the times
In a fun and informative retrospective, Pork’s JoAnn Alumbaugh reviews the history of pig confirmation and the societal influences that shape a hog as we know them today. Source: Pork, August 10, 2017. Genetics, diet, marketing trends and once more, consumer tastes, continue to evolve so the composition of modern pigs evolves as well. Pig farmers now consider all of the … [Read more...]
National Relaxation Day; did you know?
Who knew? Sean Moeller founded National Relaxation Day in 1985 as a fourth-grader. In an interview with Valerie Monson in The Des Moines Register, he suggested people shouldn’t do anything of real value. Cleaning and real work are not part of relaxation. This series of articles will give you ideas for relaxing. Source: Bottom Line Insider, August 14, 2017. Here are some … [Read more...]
18th century racehorse champion born during solar eclipse
The world is buzzing about the coming solar eclipse. So, we share this story of a temperamental, spirited, fast steed that changed horse racing forever. The greatest racehorse of the 18th century was allegedly born during the 1764 solar eclipse, which tracked from Iberia to Scandinavia, at noon on April Fool’s Day. He was named, appropriately, Eclipse. Seventeen months later he … [Read more...]
A brief history of horses in music videos (videos)
Just for fun! Marjorie Wilkinson walks us through an interesting history of horses in videos, including a highly prolific period between 1929 and 1939. Source: Horse Network, July 17, 2017. Enjoy the video clips! … [Read more...]
Opinion – Tufts studies patient-therapy animal risk
This topic has taken a long time to surface. Personally, I’ve often wondered about zoonotic risks from taking therapy animals into hospitals and nursing homes. While human patients receive many benefits from animal visits, the reality is that facilities are not monitoring or managing the risks. Guidelines for safety, health and monitoring do exist, with one set from the AVMA … [Read more...]
New wolf pups captured on trail camera
Just for fun! Northern California has three new wolf pups. They were caught playing in front of a trail camera. Source: Atlas Obscura, July 7, 2017. Wolves are listed as endangered at the federal level and in California, but have been delisted in Oregon. About 110 wolves live in the state, while California’s population remains small—but growing. … [Read more...]
Audubon photo winners announced
Winners of the eighth annual Audubon Photography Awards were recently announced. You’ll find great foul photos at the links below. View them at full screen for maximum effect. Source: The Atlantic, July 11, 2017. Photographers entered images in three categories: professional, amateur, and youth. More than 5,500 images depicting birdlife from 49 states and eight Canadian … [Read more...]
No. Goats are not taking away human jobs
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
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...]
Sponsored Content: Addison Biological Laboratory featured
Congratulations to AHD sponsor, Addison Biological Laboratory, for being selected as a featured manufacturer for Spring 2017 by MWI Animal Health. The story featured Addison’s development of the first USDA conditional license for a commercial Moraxella Bovoculi Bacterin in early 2017. Moraxella bovoculi is frequently referred to as winter pinkeye. Source: Addison Biological … [Read more...]
The Kennel Club announces dog photographer of the year
You can’t resist looking at the photos in the 2017 United Kingdom-based Kennel Club Dog Photographer of the Year Contest. Source: The Kennel Club Dog Photographer of the Year, June 2017. No words needed. Simply enjoy the photos. INSIGHTS: Consider using this in social media posts. … [Read more...]
Couple saves baby kangaroos orphaned on Australian highway
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...]
Best puppy photos in 2017 from Gun Dog (photo essay)
Just for fun! Gun Dog readers love to share puppy photos. The annual Gun Dog reader puppy photo essay is one of the more popular features of the year. Source: Gun Dog, June 13, 2017. Here are some of the best puppy shots received for 2017. INSIGHTS: I’ll bet you grin at least once! … [Read more...]
Fetch horse, fetch (includes video)
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
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
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)
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
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
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
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
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)
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
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...]
Kim Allen, 35 years and still smiling
Kim Allen was introduced to me for the first time more than 20 years ago. Her demeanor was friendly, focused and it was apparent she was destined to be a leader in our industry. Today, Allen is keenly aware of helping the next generation of female executives within the industry. She is optimistic about a newly formed organization called Women in Leadership and Management in … [Read more...]
Editorial – Resist setting goals you don’t care about
Animal Health Digest was born out of my desire to serve the industry that has been my career home for more than 30 years. Frustrated that I never seemed to have enough time to read what was being published on animal health topics spawned this idea nearly two decades ago. Ms. Saunders explains why my passion to read for an industry gave birth to a key focus are that aligned with … [Read more...]
The white horses of Camargue
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...]
Sponsored Content – Here’s the deal with dewormers
Different horses have different deworming needs. The best treatment for any animal starts with a fecal egg count to determine if the horse is a high shedder, medium shedder or low shedder of eggs. This measurement helps determine how often a horse needs deworming and supports herd decisions. Source: Horse Network, February 6, 2017. For many years, horses were treated with a … [Read more...]
Editorial: Musings from WVC 2017
Returning home from the Western Veterinary Conference, I reflected that this year, the WVC was the comfortable veterinary conference. That is, comfortable compared to NAVC, which recently debuted in the vast Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. In past years, WVC seemed to tax our physical and time-management stamina. But, after the marathon hiking required during … [Read more...]
Editorial – Seeking truth among alternative facts
I present this as opinion because of political references in the content. The context of discerning the truth is the reason for posting it. Peter Peregrine presents compelling insights on the culmination of a long retreat from the scientific perspective on truth. “Because I said so,” is no longer simply a disciplining statement from a parent to a child it seems. Source: The … [Read more...]