Last week’s most read post Gen Z wants this more than flexibility at work. Link. Last week’s AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, March 10, 2022. Link. =================================== Delta variant of COVID-19 found in cat Source: My Vet Candy, March 11, 2022. Link. This apparent interspecies transmission is the first published example … [Read more...]
When a chicken tests positive for diseases
The context shared in this Hobby Farms article is the testing of show chickens. However, the information is relevant as animal health pros monitor avian flu risk and incidence. Birds whose rapid whole-blood plate tests yield positive results are called reactors and are subject to quarantine, including the whole flock. Even if a chicken looks perfectly healthy, it still … [Read more...]
Avian flu on the move, discovered in 3 new states
HPAI has now hit nearly 1.9 million chickens and turkeys across the country. New reports in South Dakota, Missouri and Maryland elevate the numbers of birds effected by avian flu. HPAI has now been confirmed in all North American flyways <Link> The USDA is encouraging consumers to fully cook poultry and eggs to 165˚F to kill bacteria and viruses. . . No human HPAI cases … [Read more...]
How mosquitoes avoid pesticides designed to kill them
Scent memories could make mosquito populations trickier to manage.” Source: Science, February 23, 2022. Link. Researchers exposed hundreds of mosquitoes to five common pesticides at doses strong enough to knock them down but not kill them. After one day of recovery, the experienced mosquitoes didn’t enter pesticide-laced areas even when tempted with food. INSIGHTS: Will … [Read more...]
Toxicologists debunk common myths about pet poisons
The internet, word of mouth and possibly breed correlations spread inaccurate information about toxins says Renee Schmid, DVM, DABVT, DABT. Pet proofing helps. Safety checks of homes and garages needs to be done every year to remain pet friendly. Schmid recommends veterinary professionals let clients know where they can find reliable information, like the poisons list … [Read more...]
2022 CAPC annual pet parasite forecast
Confirming many concerns about disease discovery in new areas, CAPC says ticks and mosquitoes remain the principal transmitters of pet and human vector-borne diseases. The 2022 CAPC forecast warns that vector-borne diseases will all pose higher-than-average risks across much of the country this year. CAPC’s 30-day Pet Parasite Forecast Maps complement the annual forecast and … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – March 3, 2021
Last week’s most read post Alert! Highly pathogenic avian influenza now identified in 13 states and counting. Link. Last week’s AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, February 24, 2022. Link. =================================== Fake meat is bleeding money Source: PORK, February 23, 2022. Link. “Beyond Meat has been lauded as a disruptor … [Read more...]
Pet ownership linked to slower cognitive decline
In a study thought to be the first to consider the effect of duration of pet ownership on cognitive health, pet ownership was especially beneficial for working verbal memory, such as memorization of word lists. Owning household pets for five years or more produced the most benefit, delaying cognitive decline by 1.2 points over the six-year period of the study compared with … [Read more...]
Deer strains of SARS-CoV-2 might be emerging
Scientists estimate that more than six of every 10 known infectious diseases in people can be spread from animals, and three out of every four new or emerging infectious diseases in people come from animals <Link>. In a recent Worms and Germs blog, Scott Weese, DVM, shares details and speculation about SARS-CoV-2 infections in the highly susceptible deer population. … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – February 24, 2022
Last week’s most read post Customers speak with their wallets; beef producers can’t ignore the results. Link. Last week’s AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, February 17, 2022. Link. =========================== UK’s veterinary workforce crisis deepens; registrants drop by over two-thirds Source: British Veterinary Association, … [Read more...]
New study says opossums DO NOT like eating ticks
From websites to publications to social media, the idea that opossums help save humans from tick-borne ailments is broadly proliferated. Bret Collier, PhD refutes the tick vacuum designation citing study methods from a 2009 study versus a 2021 Hennessy and Hild study of wild opossum stomach contents. Source: Field and Stream, January 5, 2022. Link. INSIGHTS: Like the … [Read more...]
Tear down the walls
Highlighting facts that as many as half of U.S. pets won’t visit a veterinary practice this year, Bob Lester, DVM, says the veterinary profession risks becoming a service available only to wealthy animal owners. He shares a list of 15 current or near-future models that would help more families and their animals benefit from veterinary care. A spectrum of care approach might … [Read more...]
Alert! Highly pathogenic avian influenza now identified in 13 states and counting
Opinion It can be hard to know how to react to disease incidence reports. Animal health pros tendency to to ignore reports until we see a disease is a concern, yet HPAI continues to show up in poultry and non-poultry birds. The next HPAI incident may literally fly over your location today . . . the time to ACT* is NOW!” – Kirk Augustine In Maine, a new case reported was … [Read more...]
What’s killing the chickens?
Wildlife predators are keeping close to dens in February as they anticipate new litters in March and April. Backyard poultry locations and pet food bowls left outside are easy targets for sustained nutrition during gestation and after litters are born. Gail Damerow shares ways to examine where, how and when a bird turns up dead or missing. Missing eggs are often an early … [Read more...]
February 2022 is Responsible Pet Owners Month
Responsible Pet Owners Month highlights the key components of responsibility about pet ownership and how owners meet their animals’ needs including*: Food quality and portions Getting enough exercise, love and attention Proper identification Pet proofing and safety in home and yard Socialization beyond the home Regular veterinary check-ups * Our additions … [Read more...]
Anti-mink farming bill should concern poultry, confined animal production industry
OPINION It’s easy to forget about mink production, especially if you live in a region where mink have never been raised, writes Roy Graber. The fact that a provision that would outlaw commercial mink farms in the U.S. made it into a larger legislative bill should be concerning to anyone involved in animal agriculture, he says. Animal agriculture has been under intense … [Read more...]
Urban wildlife and SARS-CoV-2 variants
Scott Weese, DVM, has kept information and perspective on SARS-CoV-2 updated and fresh over the past two years. He writes, “While control of the pandemic at this stage is pretty much still solely dependent on addressing human-to-human transmission, as things slowly get more controlled in people, other sources of infection and other sources of variants become more relevant. The … [Read more...]
All about bees
The veterinary feed directive put bees prominently into the mix of animals veterinarians must consider with specific products. We’re sharing a link to the special edition of Successful Farming that features six articles about bees and beekeeping. They are good resources to learn more about beekeeping from crops to insemination to mead wine made from honey. Source: Successful … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – February 10, 2022
Last week’s most read post Catching up or just back to normal? Link. Last week’s AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, February 3, 2022. Link. =========================== It’s coyote mating season, and in my neighborhood that means trouble Source: Los Angeles Times, February 5, 2022. Link. The reign of terror in my Northridge neighborhood … [Read more...]
Raising emus and emus as pets (video)
Sharing her experiences with raising emus, Alexandra Douglas found that emus make the best pets when they are young. Emus are very dangerous if you do not understand them, she says. Male birds are friendlier at least until breeding season. Emus are sociable creatures, they like water and do best with at least one other emu in their flock. Source: Backyard Poultry, February … [Read more...]
Are deer in Covid’s crosshairs?
Active monitoring of deer herds to detect and understand chronic wasting disease began in the 1970s and has ramped-up across the country as more of it has been found. New studies document the potential zoonotic disease transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from captive deer to free-ranging white-tailed deer. A less ‘human-centric’ perspective on Covid transmission and the need to … [Read more...]
Tips for pet parents with full-time jobs
Published pre-pandemic, this article indicates the issues of work, life and pet balance have always been with us. Various media have covered the challenges of returning to work and leaving a pet behind as we transitioned through the challenges of 2020 and 2021. Alex Haslam shared sound tips to help owners and pets make smooth transitions to new schedules. Taking care of a … [Read more...]
Guinea pig might be coming to a high-end restaurant near you
While the concept might make us cringe, there are parts of the world where guinea pigs are seen as something to be farmed instead of an adorable furry house pet. Cuy (guinea pig) is popular in South America and is described to taste more like a game hen, with dark and stringy flesh. Considerations beyond edible pet concerns include factory farming-like development and carbon … [Read more...]
APHIS reports more wild birds with avian flu
Following our January 18 post <Link>, APHIS confirmed two additional cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild migratory birds in the coastal Southeast. High path bird flu can spread rapidly and wipe out a flock so poultry raisers are urged to review and enhance their safeguards against the viral disease. Source: Successful Farming, January 19, 2022. … [Read more...]
USDA grants emergency-use authorization for RHDV2 as virus spreads
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Center for Veterinary Biologics recently granted emergency-use authorization for an experimental RHDV2 vaccine produced by Medgene Labs, a biotechnology company in Brookings, South Dakota. Since then, the vaccine has been cleared for distribution by animal health officials in 32 states. Source: VIN, October 15, 2021. Link. Also see: … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – January 20, 2022
Last week’s most read post Lyme-carrying ticks live longer. What? Link. Last week’s AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, Jan 13, 2022. Link. =========================== The world’s largest wildlife crossing could have a spring groundbreaking Source: LAist, January 13, 2022. Link. The Liberty Wildlife Crossing has been impressive since its … [Read more...]
Bird flu confirmed in wild duck in South Carolina
A wild American wigeon, a species of dabbling duck, was discovered with the highly pathogenic Eurasian H5 variant avian influenza. The virus was considered to pose a low risk of infection to humans, but APHIS issued warnings to poultry producers. Anyone involved with poultry production from the small backyard to the large commercial producer should review their biosecurity … [Read more...]
White-tailed deer can get Covid-19
A recent series of studies have showed white-tailed deer can become infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. Other studies show wild white-tailed deer can also become infected. Samantha Wisely, professor of wildlife ecology at the University of Florida, details how to keep disease transmission from deer to humans low. Source: University of Florida Extension, … [Read more...]
2021 year in Review: Animal disease awareness
“Storm clouds on the horizon” might best summarize this overview and it’s not all about bugs or viruses. Covid-19 isn’t the only disease creating problems for the global meat and poultry industry. Major reportable animal diseases made industry news headlines throughout 2021. African swine fever and avian influenza continued to spread, and atypical and classical bovine … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – January 13, 2022
Last week’s most read posts Workplace bullying, a growing concern for HR departments. Link. To hug or not. Tools to solve the conundrum. Link. Last week’s AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, January 6, 2022. Link. =========================== So you cried at work Source: Harvard Business Review, January 4, 2022. Link. To minimize the impact of … [Read more...]