Ringling Bros. announced the closure of its circus earlier this year and the Big Apple Circus filed for bankruptcy in in 2016. Janet M. Davis, a professor of history and American studies at the University of Texas at Austin, debunks five myths about the circus and offers a perspective of how animal rights activity has affected the industry and society in general. Source: … [Read more...]
Top 5 diseases of domestic ferrets
Ferrets are playful, curious and relatively docile — characteristics that have made them popular as pets. Because of their curious nature, unique biology and increased lifespan due to improved care, ferrets are prone to diseases that can be debilitating. Source: Clinician’s Brief, February 2017. Ferrets are likely to encounter one or more of these clinical problems in their … [Read more...]
Bugs chickens love and hate
Insects are everywhere! Learn which flyers and creepers keep chickens happy, and which to watch out for. The information provided will help backyard chicken raisers better understand what to do and not to do when it comes to bugs. Source: Hobby Farms, March 15, 2017. When it comes to chickens, flies are a double-edged sword. On the positive side, chickens love to eat flies … [Read more...]
Ceva becomes Sustaining Sponsor of AHD
Our team at AHD is pleased to announce Ceva has committed to a Sustaining Sponsorship for 2017. You will note that we have exchanged Ceva’s logo for their Double Defense Heartworm Protocol program logo. Double Defense represents Ceva’s approach to fighting the rising incidence of heartworm infection in dogs. The Double Defense approach, which includes using … [Read more...]
Bumblebees will return
Jeff Whitworth, Kansas State University associate professor of entomology, said bumblebees are not headed for extinction. Bee declines have been attributed to a variety of factors, including parasites, pesticides and urbanization, as well as fungal, bacterial and viral diseases. Source: Feedstuffs, January 27, 2017. Whitworth predicted that bee populations will continue to … [Read more...]
Eagle gets cancer operation at 46
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...]
Texas expands fever tick quarantine zone
Fever ticks carry Babesia protozoa, which cause cattle fever. It is characterized by acute anemia, high fever, and enlargement of the spleen and liver, ultimately causing death for many infected cattle. Last summer, animal health officials confirmed that the fever ticks, which can carry the protozoa Babesia bovis or B. bigemina, have spread outside the permanent quarantine area … [Read more...]
Know which products need a VFD before time runs out
The veterinary feed directive (VFD) takes effect January 1, 2017. Here’s a handy list of products affected by the new rule compiled by the National Pork Board and the University of Wisconsin. Source: AGDAILY, November 10, 2016. A VFD can only be issued from a licensed veterinarian, based on a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship, before a producer may use feeds … [Read more...]
Engineers study how hummingbirds hover
Mechanical engineers at Stanford University are studying the biomechanics of hummingbird hovering flight. The combination of technology and biology shown here is fascinating. Animal health pros will appreciate the video and the direction of the research presented. Source: bioGraphic, October 18, 2016. Hummingbirds are true masters of flight. As the tiny birds move from … [Read more...]
Elephant footprints create microhabitats
Just for fun! A recent study of footprint impressions of the African elephant revealed the water-filled imprints can host mayflies, leeches, tadpoles and more. Source: Scientific American, November 2016. Researchers at Germany's University of Koblenz-Landau and other institutions analyzed the contents of 30 footprint pools in Uganda. They found that at least 61 different … [Read more...]
Elks shop at strip mall
Just for fun! Wildlife and human interactions are more common each day. With rut season approaching full swing, this bull elk followed his harem through a strip mall recently in Estes Park, Colorado. Source: United Press International, October 21, 2016. Shocked shoppers can be seen stopping to gawk and take photos as the animals calmly walk past the stores and pause to peek … [Read more...]
Wildlife comedians make you hoot and howl
The finalists for the second annual Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards have been announced. Check out this fun slide show and the captions. Read the rules – no PhotoShop was allowed. Enjoy. Source: NPR, the two-way, October 21, 2016. A grinning owl. A fish slapping a bear in the face. An unfortunate interaction between a buffalo and a bird. At least two eagles with very … [Read more...]
Long-forgotten research unearths new mystery about Lyme disease
Nearly two years before Willy Burgdorfer discovered the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, he stumbled upon another obscure tick-borne bacterium, Rickettsia helvetica, which he called the Swiss Agent. But, Burgdorfer put those results aside. His 1980s-era papers on the forgotten research were recently discovered, raising new questions about the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme … [Read more...]
Fly control essential to pinkeye prevention
Fall’s short days and cool nights combined with the grouping of cattle, increases the risk of pinkeye. Fly control is essential to reduce the risk of pinkeye, says A.J. Tarpoff, Kansas State University beef veterinarian. Effective fly control plans may include insecticide sprays, special ear tags or cattle rubs. “Flies work to cause pinkeye in two different ways,” he said. … [Read more...]
Screwworms in Florida after 30-year absence
Some of us have vivid memories of screwworm larvae burrowed into the flesh of livestock. A full-grown screwworm looks like any other fly. It is an insect small in size, dark, six-legged and compound-eyed. Its life cycle is quite different than other flies, however. A pregnant screwworm seeks out the bodies of much larger animals. Upon finding an open wound or other fleshy … [Read more...]
Raccoons pose roundworm threat
The roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis,) can be found anywhere raccoons live in the U.S. People, especially children, can be infected by it. Infection with Baylisascaris procyonis can have severe outcomes such as, blindness and death if not treated promptly. Source: Medical Research, September 12, 2016. Humans become infected with Baylisascaris procyonis by ingesting … [Read more...]
Dogs not a reservoir for Zika virus – so far
There is no indication that dogs harbor the Zika virus which might allow a mosquito to pick it up when it bites a dog and then inject the virus into a person. To date,, there are no reported cases of Zika virus in dogs or other animals in the U.S. This may change as continued research and testing is completed. Zika virus is related to the West Nile virus. Source: Capital … [Read more...]
Tick warning from up north
Cooler weather is ahead or here. Veterinarians from Prince Edward Island reminded pet owners that fall is clearly still tick season. You should warn your clients, too! Source: CBC.ca (Canada), September 15, 2016, via AVMA SmartBrief. The cooler weather may have some pet owners thinking they can ease back on flea and tick treatments for their animals. But P.E.I. … [Read more...]
Sponsored Content – Videos help explain mosquito control and heartworm prevention
AHD sponsor CEVA created a video series in which parasitology experts discuss vector control and the multimodal approach to heartworm prevention. Presenters in the videos share results from studies by John McCall, MS, PhD, which examine the effects of topical repellent-insecticide plus oral heartworm preventive on development of heartworm disease. Videos like these are … [Read more...]
It’s a lousy time of year
Cooler weather brings a greater risk of lice. The USDA estimates that U.S. livestock producers lose $125 million each year to it. Protecting cattle includes understanding the life cycle of lice, recognizing the potential damage and using effective methods of control. If not controlled, a single adult female in September can result in approximately 1 million lice by … [Read more...]
Equine WNV Diagnoses Increasing
Horses in three states recently tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV): two in New York, one in Oklahoma and five in Wisconsin, according to officials at the Equine Disease Communications Center. Source: The Horse, September 13, 2016. In addition to vaccinations, horse owners also need to reduce the mosquito populations and their possible breeding areas. Recommendations … [Read more...]
4 surprising flea-transmitted diseases you need to know
Unlike ticks, fleas don’t seem all that threatening. Mostly, we see the tiny bloodsuckers as a nuisance for pets and for us, not a serious threat to anyone’s health. Don’t dismiss them. Learn how fleas can transmit a surprising number of diseases to animals and humans. Source: Pet MD, September 12, 2016. Fleas can cause serious harm to you and your pet’s health through … [Read more...]
Control feral hogs successfully
There’s more focus on wildlife control as we continue to encroach on remote areas. Much attention is given to elk, whitetail deer and other species. Yet, feral hogs are terribly invasive. They also pose a serious disease threat to domestic livestock operations, pets and people. A coordinated effort in Missouri seeks to eradicate feral hogs. New technology is promising … [Read more...]
Apiary owners must bee ready for VFD
New Veterinary Feed Directive regulations are will apply to beekeepers’ apiaries. Yes, bees are considered livestock by the federal government. European foulbrood is a bacterial disease that affects honeybee larvae before the capped state and is characterized by dead and dying larvae in the hive. It is treated with oxytetracycline sold under the trade name Terramycin and is … [Read more...]
Mosquitos and horse health from AQHA sponsors
The AQHA Daily health archive contains two articles about mosquitoes and West Nile virus provided by AQHA sponsors. Horse owners should read these. Animal health pros who interact with horse owners should be familiar with information like this. Source: AQHA Daily, July 2016. Equine west nile threat increases during peak mosquito season, July 31, 2016. What horse … [Read more...]
Anaplasmosis becoming more prevalent across the U.S.
Anaplasmosis, associated with the bacteria Anaplasma marginale, is a tick-vectored disease that can be spread by biting insects, such as flies and ticks, and mechanically from syringe needles. Infection occurs through blood transfer, primarily from ticks, which serve as the primary vector. The disease has spread from its traditional area in the Gulf coast into the Midwest and … [Read more...]
Anthrax spreads from reindeer to humans in Siberian heat wave
For the first time since 1941, there is an anthrax outbreak. One child has died, and almost 100 other persons have been hospitalized, with dozens of confirmed cases. More than 2,300 reindeer have succumbed to the disease. “There is no epidemic in Yamal. Only a small area was quarantined,” the region’s governor told the Associated Press. Yamal is a subdivision of … [Read more...]
Canadian wood bison reproduced in vitro
Four wood bison calves were born at the University of Saskatchewan Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s Native Hoofstock Center in July. Three of the calves were born using in vitro fertilization. The fourth calf was produced from a frozen embryo that was taken from a bison cow in 2012 and transferred to a surrogate mother in 2015. Both are reproductive firsts for the bison … [Read more...]
Drones dispense M&Ms to help endangered ferrets
The U.S. government is set to unleash drones that fire vaccine-covered M&Ms in a bid to save the endangered black-footed ferret. It faces a plague epidemic across America’s great plains. Both black-footed ferrets and prairie dogs are susceptible to the sylvatic plague, a flea-borne disease spread from rats that were introduced from ships arriving in California in the … [Read more...]
Snakebite a risk for horses and cattle
All grazing animals are at risk of snakebite in areas where snakes are present. Rattlesnake venom has two types of toxins, myotoxins and hemotoxins. Myotoxins create rapid swelling, pain and bleeding at the bite site and muscle necrosis, while the hemotoxins damage blood vessels, destroying red blood cells and hindering blood clotting. Veterinarians with snakebite experience … [Read more...]