As if HPAI isn’t enough, Asian long-horned tick ranges are expanding bringing the potential for an emerging infection risk from Theileria orientalis Ikeda. The protozoa invades the red and white blood cells of cattle creating clinical signs of disease like those of anaplasmosis including anemia, jaundice, weakness, and even death. Source: BEEF, June 6, 2024. Link. Producers … [Read more...]
Debunking fly spray myths
The authors address four common misconceptions about one keeping bugs at bay: More spray is better All fly sprays work the same way Fly spray applied to a wet horse won’t be effective Insecticides and repellents are all you need to protect horses from flies Source: EQUUS, June 5, 2024. Link. Fly sprays are a key part of any insect-control program, but they … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – June 6, 2024
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, May 30, 2024. Link. Most read post(s) from the May 30th AHD Bulletin – Glyphosate in dog food. Link. Microbial metabolites in feline anal glands aid cat communication. Link. Veterinary team advocacy helps pet owners choose pet insurance (2). Link. ===================================== She’s the … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – May 23, 2024
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, May 16, 2024. Link. Most read post(s) from the May 16th AHD Bulletin – Cheese by-product turned into plastic. Link. What do your customers value? Link. Biofilms affect animal health. Link. ===================================== Seven simple ways to improve your memory Source: Better Report, … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – May 16, 2024
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, May 9, 2024. Link. Most read post(s) from the May 9th AHD Bulletin – Advances in equine disease detection. Link. Differentiating mastitis from teat sealant residue at freshening. Link. Temple Grandin, PhD, joins Fear Free as director, animal well-being. Link. … [Read more...]
Benefits of insect-based pet food beyond nutrition
Tim Wall shares seven benefits pets derive from insect proteins and oils. He says black soldier fly larvae, crickets, mealworms and other species benefit pet health in various ways including: the gut microbiome allergy relief weight management Source: PETFOOD Industry, May 9, 2024. Link. Also see: Ÿnsect mealworm protein for dog food authorized in US, PETFOOD … [Read more...]
Asian longhorned tick now in 19 states
Asian longhorned ticks, described by USDA as “invasive pests that post a serious risk to livestock,” are now in 19 states. The CDC says that ALT have been found in Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West … [Read more...]
Alcohol ingestion stimulates mosquito attraction
Prompted by a past article in National Geographic <Link> we dug into the effect of beer and alcohol on mosquito attraction. And, yes, mosquitos choose alcohol drinkers over those drinking water but why is not known. Exhaled carbon dioxide is how mosquitoes lock onto you as a target, heat may be how they figure out where to bite you. Sources: Beer can make you a … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – April 25, 2024
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, April 18, 2024. Link. Most read post(s) from the April 18th AHD Bulletin – NAAVR launched to elevate, support veterinary client service pros. Link. Solitude. Link. Top beef cow counties in the U.S. Link. ===================================== Scientists say animal consciousness needs a … [Read more...]
American Heartworm Society updates heartworm guidelines
After thoroughly reviewing the latest research, the American Heartworm Society has updated its canine heartworm guidelines on heartworm prevention, diagnosis and treatment AND added a new section with "spectrum of care" information. Source: American Heartworm Society. Link. Download the summary here <Link>. AHS recommends annual antigen and microfilaria testing as well … [Read more...]
Insects on farm animal menus
Sharing her fascination for livestock innovations, Phibro’s Leah Dorman, DVM, writes about how insects may provide an alternate, sustainable protein source in livestock diets especially where soy is not easily grown. Source: Explore Animal Health, March 23, 2024. Link. INSIGHTS: Dorman is referencing controlled and mass-scaled production of insects for protein. Hobby … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – April 4, 2024
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, March 28, 2024. Link. Most read post(s) from the March 28th AHD Bulletin – Horse remains near Buckingham Palace reveal birthplace of jousting steeds. Link. Covetrus® adds next-generation, online Rx management solution to VetSuite. Link. The anti-meat discussion returns to rapid emissions reduction. … [Read more...]
The 5 Ps of biosecurity
The recent discoveries of HPAI in goats and cows have caused escalating discussions of biosecurity in livestock production. Swine and poultry producers have been dealing with this need for some time, but compliance to biosecurity measures remains challenging. Ann Hess shares some of the challenges and survey results she discussed with Pipestone’s Rachel Stika Jensen, … [Read more...]
Lyme vaccine. What dog owners may be reading.
As a veterinarian and dog owner, writes Jennifer Bailey, DVM, “I feel strongly that the canine Lyme vaccine is safe and effective enough for dogs who live in areas that are endemic for Lyme disease.” Sharing considerable history, the lack of full support by veterinarians, and the potential for side effects, she emphasizes vaccination based on lifestyle, geographic location and … [Read more...]
Emerging cicadas shouldn’t be a problem for most pets
Billions of cicadas from two broods will emerge from the ground weeks after the April total solar eclipse across large swaths of the U.S. Chances are good pets will run into the bugs. It will be the first time in 221 years that both broods are above ground simultaneously. The AVMA’s Rena Carlson, DVM, addressed potential pet concerns with the likely cicada … [Read more...]
Yes to testing! Yes to preventatives!
Commentary Resources from the American Heartworm Society include a waiver for when a client declines heartworm testing and heartworm prevention. Use this AHS form to educate clients when they won't choose prevention. Whether they sign or not, it provides an opportunity to educate them on how important heartworm prevention really is! And it is a role most veterinary … [Read more...]
Winter break? Not for parasites or control plans.
Commercial Content Some ectoparasitism slows in winter but parasites such as mites and lice prefer the cooler time of the year, writes Elanco’s David L. Prentice, DVM, MS. He reviews the five primary types of mites in cattle, two types of lice and offers tips for effective mitigation and control of mange and lice. Source: Progressive Dairy, January 19, 2024. … [Read more...]
Strategic anaplasmosis management needed this season
There are concerns that anaplasmosis is reemerging throughout the U.S. The transmission of bacteria from ticks and horseflies is the initial cause, especially during heavy tick and fly seasons. Beef producers may control the disease with strategic pest control methods, good husbandry practices and antibiotics, writes Gilda V. Bryant. Source: Progressive Cattle, February 7, … [Read more...]
Comprehensive overview of Lyme disease in horses (audio recording)
The clinical signs of Lyme disease in horses are controversial. Toby Pinn-Woodcock, DVM, DACVIM, provides a comprehensive overview of the disease, including clinical signs, testing recommendations, treatments and vaccination protocols. Source: EquiManagement, Disease DuJour, January 29, 2024. Link. (26:35) Borrelia burgdorferi in horses should always be a diagnosis of … [Read more...]
New livestock drug rules collide with rural vet shortages
The medical importance of GFI 263 is clear, despite large animal veterinary shortages, the required VCPRs and producer expectations. <GFI 263> puts pressure on both sides . . . to do things differently. The driving factor is that by working through GFI 263 together, both producers and veterinarians are doing their best for animals and humans in preventing antimicrobial … [Read more...]
Lone Star Tick added to label of revolution® PLUS (selamectin and sarolaner topical solution)
Complimentary Commercial Content The U.S. FDA recently approved a label extension for Revolution Plus (selamectin and sarolaner topical solution) for the treatment and control of tick infestations caused by Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick). It is good news for veterinary teams and cat owners alike. With this label extension, Revolution Plus, a simple-to-apply, … [Read more...]
Heartworm Society: a million pets infected annually, many go undiagnosed (infographic)
Heartworm preventative compliance remains a significant issue as we shared last week <Link>. An informative infographic from the American Heartworm Society shares alarming metrics and depicts the failures of pet owners to protect their dogs and cats. Source: American Heartworm Society, X (Twitter), November 3, 2023. Link. INSIGHTS: At this writing, there are ONLY … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – November 2, 2023
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, October 26, 2023. Link. Most read post(s) from the October 26th AHD Bulletin – The customer experience is the sales experience. Link. Body language. Link. How to know when it’s time to switch jobs. Link. Placekeeper: 2023 Veterinary Conferences provided by Galaxy … [Read more...]
Tyson Foods invests in insect protein production
Tyson Foods and Protix are investing to build an insect ingredient facility in the U.S. to take advantage of the growing popularity of insect proteins in poultry and livestock feed. Insect protein production occurs in a circular system with a smaller footprint helping to close water, nutrient and carbon cycles. Source: WATTPoultry, October 17, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
Heel flies and cattle grubs are still a problem
In some regions of the U.S., cattle grubs are making a comeback. Cattle grubs are the larval form of heel flies that resemble honeybees in size and shape but are colored like a bumblebee. Heel flies pester cattle, hovering and darting around their legs. Two species parasitize cattle: Hypoderma bovis and H. lineatum. Control of adult heel flies is nearly impossible as they … [Read more...]
Do adult cicadas actually feed on anything?
Cicadas are a curious insect and their exoskeletons were often found near cherry and apple trees in my childhood backyard. We’re sharing this for those who are curious, too. USDA-ARS researchers are trying to answer a long-standing question about cicadas. Beyond understanding their every-so-often emergence and sometimes deafening waves of escalating high-pitched chirps, the … [Read more...]
K-State nanotechnology takes a bite out of mosquitoes
Kansas State University entomologists have developed a way to couple silver, an antimicrobial, with zein, an agricultural waste product to kill mosquito larvae. If nanotechnology can be employed to control pests, it will greatly reduce the use of pesticides in the environment. And if researchers can find the right carriers for these nano-insecticides such as products that may … [Read more...]
New resource available: West Nile virus in U.S. Horses
Commentary West Nile virus may seem like just another preventable disease these days, but 24 years ago the story was quite different. For many animal health pros, WNV and the severe neurologic disease it causes was the biggest health threat the horse industry had seen in the 20th century. Not only a risk to horses, WNV affects many species, including humans. Stacey Oke, … [Read more...]
The expanding threat of tick- and mosquito-borne diseases in shelter dogs
A recent study from the University of Georgia suggests that shelter dogs in the eastern U.S. may be disproportionately affected by the relentless spread of ticks and mosquitoes to new regions. Climate change is a factor as carriers expand their ranges. The resulting risks affect dogs and humans alike. Source: Vet Candy, September 2023. Link. The study underscores the vital … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – September 14, 2023
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, September 7, 2023. Link. Most read post(s) from the September 7th AHD Bulletin – 7 dangers dogs may face in the fall. Link. Leading behavioral change. Link. Cryptosporidium parasite is endemic to even the tidiest dairy farms. Link. Health management of early weaned beef calves. Link. Views of this … [Read more...]