Latest News From Veterinary - General

Hay, Feed, Fencing Supplies Needed to Support Panhandle Wildfire Victims
Hay, Feed, Fencing Supplies Needed to Support Panhandle Wildfire Victims

Donations of hay, feed, fence supplies, cow feed and milk replacer are needed to support livestock owners impacted by the wildfires that have scorched ranchland across a large portion of the Texas Panhandle.

BVDV-Resistant Calf Created Through Gene Editing
BVDV-Resistant Calf Created Through Gene Editing

Gene editing has been used experimentally to produce polled calves and calves with lighter-colored haircoats. Now, USDA researchers, have produced a calf with reduced susceptibility to bovine viral diarrhea virus.

Are You Ready For the Polar Plunge? Some Areas Could See Temperatures Plummet to Negative 40 Degrees
Are You Ready For the Polar Plunge? Some Areas Could See Temperatures Plummet to Negative 40 Degrees

From 40 degrees above zero earlier this week in parts of the Great Plains to now forecasts for temps to fall 40 degrees below zero, ag meteorologist Drew Lerner says the frigid conditions will be dangerous for livestock.

Developing a Center for Rural Veterinary Medicine
Developing a Center for Rural Veterinary Medicine

Oklahoma State University's College of Veterinary Medicine will to create a Center for Rural Veterinary Medicine to address challenges in rural communities including impacts to veterinary medicine and animal agriculture.

The Best Livestock-Themed Christmas Trees Full of Memories and Meaning
The Best Livestock-Themed Christmas Trees Full of Memories and Meaning

One of the things I love most about Christmas trees is the power they evoke to simply remember. Here are some special livestock-themed Christmas trees filled with memories to last a lifetime. 

Johne’s Disease: What You Need to Know
Johne’s Disease: What You Need to Know

Johne’s disease is gaining greater attention among beef cattle producers and veterinarians who work with beef cattle. Here's an in-depth look into the disease and how to best avoid it.

Vaccination Cattle Vet
Optimize Cattle Health: A Producer's Guide To Vaccine Handling And Storage

Even experienced producers can inadvertently overlook crucial principles during the preparation and administration of vaccines and other animal health products. Here's a few considerations to note.

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Where Do The Sharps Go?

Animals receive shots for various reasons throughout their life, just like people. Regardless of why the animal received a shot, it is important to dispose of the needle in a safe way.

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Unrustled – Thieves Return 48 Sheep to Wyoming Ranch

Rancher doesn’t know whether it was rustler’s remorse or publicity that gave the bandits cold feet about trying to sell the sheep that prompted their return.

Strategies for Employing Whole Genome Sequencing and Its Benefits
Strategies for Employing Whole Genome Sequencing and Its Benefits

Dr. Troy Rowan with the University of Tennessee discussed sequencing strategies to enhance the next generation of genetic evaluations during the Beef Improvement Federation Symposium July 4 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 

How to Handle and Dispose of Sharps and Unused Vaccine Products
How to Handle and Dispose of Sharps and Unused Vaccine Products

Kansas State University beef cattle veterinarians share tips on disposing products, needles and syringes that are a risk to humans.

Understanding the Latest Changes to Over-the-Counter Antibiotics and Beef Implants: Insights from Dan Thompson, DVM
Understanding the Latest Changes to Over-the-Counter Antibiotics and Beef Implants: Insights from Dan Thompson, DVM

Still unclear about the recent changes to over-the-counter antibiotics or beef promoting implants? Dan Thompson, DVM, host of Doc Talk TV, shares details about the new livestock antibiotic and implant regulations.

Ghost Manure Digesters Scheme Sends California Man to Prison
Ghost Manure Digesters Scheme Sends California Man to Prison

A California man has shown that ghost cattle are unnecessary to create a Ponzi scheme, just ghost manure. Or, at least, ghost manure digesters.

Plan Your Budget-Friendly Cookout: AFBF Reveals Insights on 2023 Independence Day Food Prices
Plan Your Budget-Friendly Cookout: AFBF Reveals Insights on 2023 Independence Day Food Prices

Families can expect to pay $67.73 to host an Independence Day cookout for 10 people, the American Farm Bureau Federation reports, a decrease of 3% year over year, yet 14% higher than two years ago.

Preparing for Prescription-Only Antibiotics in Livestock Industry: Important Changes Ahead
Preparing for Prescription-Only Antibiotics in Livestock Industry: Important Changes Ahead

While another month has come and gone for the 2023 production year, if you haven't already heard, June will hold some significant changes for the livestock industry in the area of antibiotics.

Atypical BSE Case Confirmed at South Carolina Slaughter Plant, No Trade Impacts Expected
Atypical BSE Case Confirmed at South Carolina Slaughter Plant, No Trade Impacts Expected

USDA announces an atypical case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), a neurologic disease of cattle, in an approximately five-year-old or older beef cow at a slaughter plant in South Carolina.

How Rendering Works: Boiling Down the 'Invisible Industry'
How Rendering Works: Boiling Down the 'Invisible Industry'

While everyone looks forward to the main course, there’s an entire industry focused on the “leftovers.” On April 21, celebrate the "invisible industry" through National Rendering Day!

A Story of Old Ben: The Biggest Beef Ever
A Story of Old Ben: The Biggest Beef Ever

Beef producers are always looking for an efficient steer to feed. Perhaps none was better than a calf raised near Kokomo, Ind. 

Why You Need to Pay Attention Now to EPA’s Proposed Rodenticide Mitigation Measures
Why You Need to Pay Attention Now to EPA’s Proposed Rodenticide Mitigation Measures

EPA is proposing changes to rodenticides that would result in canceling products and uses, adding more requirements to labels, and reclassifying some products to restricted use pesticides. Here's what you need to know.

Iowa Governor Announces Funding for ISU Veterinary Diagnostic Lab
Iowa Governor Announces Funding for ISU Veterinary Diagnostic Lab

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced $40 million in funding to help complete Phase 2 of Iowa State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Here's why it matters to all of animal agriculture.

Kevin McCarthy Finally Won the House Speaker Gavel, Now What?
Kevin McCarthy Finally Won the House Speaker Gavel, Now What?

After four days and 15 rounds of voting, McCarthy’s wait to become Speaker of the House has ended. During his first year as Speaker, he will need to raise the debt limit and fund the government.

AAVMC and Merck Award Close to $100,000 in Diversity Scholarships
AAVMC and Merck Award Close to $100,000 in Diversity Scholarships

The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) has awarded nineteen scholarships to students enrolled in AAVMC member institutions, totaling close to $100,000.

Senators Propose Eliminating Tax Liability for IRA Assistance for Distressed Farmers
Senators Propose Eliminating Tax Liability for IRA Assistance for Distressed Farmers

The Family Farmer and Rancher Tax Fairness Act would remove the tax liability for distressed farmers for the assistance provided in Sections 22006 and 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Over-the-Counter Antibiotics Are Going Away: 5 Tips to Prepare Your Ranch
Over-the-Counter Antibiotics Are Going Away: 5 Tips to Prepare Your Ranch

On June 11, 2023, over-the-counter antibiotics will no longer be available through traditional retail channels. Instead, these antibiotics will now require a prescription from a licensed veterinarian.

Sustainability is not Going Away. What are You Going to do With It?
Sustainability is not Going Away. What are You Going to do With It?

Check out the "Easy Button" offered by the USRSB for starters. It's a quick self-assessment tool, with options for cow/calf and feedyard operations. You're probably already using some of the recommended practices.

Abby Kornegay-Animal Agriculture Alliance
Activist Threats Aren’t Just on the Farm Anymore

Grocery stores have become a battleground for extremists pressuring retailers to remove meat, milk, poultry and eggs from shelves. Recent trends have shown an uptick in store protests, demonstrations and food tampering.

Easier Said ... But It Must Be Done
Easier Said ... But It Must Be Done

If we, who believe animal-derived proteins are good for people, do not share animal agriculture’s story, those who wish to diminish or eliminate animal agriculture from the food system will lead the conversation.

Beat the Summer Heat
Beat the Summer Heat

As outdoor temperatures increase, so does the possibility of heat stress or even heat stroke. But there are ways to avoid getting “overheated” this summer, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts.

Farm Journal and the National Institute for Animal Agriculture Team Up to Help Animal Ag Share Its Story
Farm Journal and the National Institute for Animal Agriculture Team Up to Help Animal Ag Share Its Story

Consumers are interested in how animal agriculture affects health and wellness, environmental stewardship, animal welfare and worker safety. Now is the time for a more robust and meaningful conversation.

Over-The-Counter Access to Antibiotics is Going Away
Over-The-Counter Access to Antibiotics is Going Away

Access to livestock drugs through over-the-counter (OTC) channels was curbed considerably starting in 2017. Soon, OTC antibiotics may no longer be available through traditional channels at all.

How Does Iowa State Research on Swine Sire Fertility Impact Cattle, Humans?
How Does Iowa State Research on Swine Sire Fertility Impact Cattle, Humans?

By adding one more pig to a litter, the U.S. pork industry could increase production by an estimated $120 million annually. To do that, Karl Kerns says we need to learn what influences the capacity of sperm to fertilize.

Steve Cornett
Cornett: 'What Does the End of Beef Mean for Our Sense of Self?'

While we were busy exploring whether the government should make laws mandating how cattle are marketed, The New York Times has been writing beef's eulogy. Indeed, "beef is the Kiev of foods, besieged on all fronts."

Begin Planning Drought Management Strategies
Begin Planning Drought Management Strategies

With the low amount of moisture that ranchers have received over the winter, the experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute said now is the time to think about management strategies for a drought.

Iowa State Forms Strategic Alliance with Merck Animal Health to Drive New Innovation
Iowa State Forms Strategic Alliance with Merck Animal Health to Drive New Innovation

A new strategic alliance will bring together industry and academia to speed up the exchange of ideas and to booster innovative solutions to animal health challenges in the U.S. and around the world.

Greg Henderson
Colorado's Kessler Out At State Vet Board After Calling Ranchers 'Lazy'

Ellen Kessler proved a lightning rod on Colorado’s Board of Veterinary Medicine from the moment she was appointed by Gov. Polis in 2020. Her service came to an end last week after an "unprofessional" social media post.

EXCLUSIVE: Dr. Fauci on COVID Pandemic — "It Will End"
EXCLUSIVE: Dr. Fauci on COVID Pandemic — "It Will End"

Rural communities are likely to see an outbreak of the COVID-19 variant omicron later than big cities but Chief Medical Advisor to President Biden, Dr. Anthony Fauci says the pandemic will eventually end.

From the Flames: A Lesson in Thanksgiving from a Man Who Survived a Raging Oklahoma Wildfire
From the Flames: A Lesson in Thanksgiving from a Man Who Survived a Raging Oklahoma Wildfire

When nearly 300,000 Oklahoma acres burned in April of 2018, Terry Burleson found himself caught in the wind-driven flames. His escape is nothing short of a miracle.

Here’s What You Need to Document on Drug Treatment Records
Here’s What You Need to Document on Drug Treatment Records

If you or an employee treats an animal with a drug, it’s important to keep adequate and updated treatment records.

Non-Profit Focuses On Mental Health Needs Across Rural America
Non-Profit Focuses On Mental Health Needs Across Rural America

Addressing mental health is a significant challenge in rural America due to unique barriers. Rural Minds™ provides education and resources to confront the stigma of mental illness.

Advanced Animal Diagnotics: Live From NCBA
Advanced Animal Diagnotics: Live From NCBA

Advanced Animal Diagnostics’ QScout® BLD is a rapid, on-farm diagnostics tool providing livestock producers with the information they need to make informed management and treatment decisions.

Field of Art: An Ohio Farmer's Life-Size Tribute to 9/11 is Planting Seeds of Unity for 20th Anniversary
Field of Art: An Ohio Farmer's Life-Size Tribute to 9/11 is Planting Seeds of Unity for 20th Anniversary

From an American flag one year to a POW tribute the next, Wilber Meyer's field artwork has grown. And for the 20th anniversary of 9/11, this year's tribute is by far the biggest, extending beyond the Ohio farm field.

How to change the face of agriculture
How to change the face of agriculture

It’s no wonder Michael Smith wasn’t comfortable with pursuing a career in agriculture when he started college at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo.

California Launches Team to Provide Aid to Livestock and Domestic Animals During Emergencies
California Launches Team to Provide Aid to Livestock and Domestic Animals During Emergencies

The California Veterinary Emergency Team will be overseen by the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and will support and train a network of government agencies and organizations to aid animals during emergencies.

'We've Struck a Deal': Biden Announces Agreement on Bipartisan Infrastructure Spending Plan
'We've Struck a Deal': Biden Announces Agreement on Bipartisan Infrastructure Spending Plan

After months of negotiations, President Biden and announced Thursday a deal was reached on an infrastructure spending plan. The news came after a meeting with a bipartisan group of senators Thursday.

Cargill Joins U.S. CattleTrace to Support Development of National Disease Traceability System
Cargill Joins U.S. CattleTrace to Support Development of National Disease Traceability System

Cargill is the second beef processor to invest in the effort formed by multiple state cattlemen’s organizations to develop a national infrastructure for animal disease traceability in the U.S. cattle industry. 

The Road to Becoming a Better Manager
The Road to Becoming a Better Manager

While the road to becoming a better manager isn’t any easy one, there are a few steps you can take to not only improve your work performance, but your team’s performance as well.

Celebrate the Grit and Grace of America’s Farmers
Celebrate the Grit and Grace of America’s Farmers

Need a little inspiration? From facing an F-5 tornado to battling cancer and beyond, these producers share stories of how they’ve overcome big challenges with grit and grace.

Biden Administration: Fully Vaccinated People Don’t Need Masks
Biden Administration: Fully Vaccinated People Don’t Need Masks

The CDC recently announced new protocols for fully vaccinated people. Chip Flory discusses these new measures Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, Senior Advisor to the White House COVID-19 Response Team.

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Feedyard Consultants to Host Team Growth & Education Workshops

Production Animal Consultation and Midwest PMS will host a series of workshop training events in Kansas and Nebraska during the month of June for feedyard managers and employees.

FAQs on COVID-19 Vaccination with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy
FAQs on COVID-19 Vaccination with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy

“We know rural areas are different from urban areas, people are more spread out, it's not always as easy to travel to one location that's close to everyone to get a vaccine," Dr. Murthy says.