Have You Herd? AABP PodCasts

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Updates on Best Practices for NSAID use in Dairy Cattle – Sponsored by Merck Animal Health Nov 06, 2023

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Hans Coetzee, Professor and Head, Anatomy and Physiology at Kansas State University, and Dr. Lowell Midla, technical services veterinarian for Merck Animal Health.

Coetzee reviews why pain and fever management are important in cattle and the challenges associated with managing pain in cattle. He reviews the NSAID options that are available and the process for achieving FDA approval for a pain indication. We also discuss labor and human considerations for pain management and use of flunixin transdermal solution.
Midla discusses the recent FDA approval of Banamine Transdermal for a claim that gives dairy veterinarians a new NSAID option for lactating cows and the reasons Merck Animal Health brought this product to market. We discuss that routes of administration for flunixin products that are not on the label can cause severe tissue damage as well as lead to violative meat and milk residues. Banamine Transdermal received the claim for control of fever associated with acute mastitis in lactating dairy cattle with a 48-hour milk discard and eight-day preslaughter withdrawal period. Midla reviews the evidence for the rapid effectiveness and duration of the transdermal route of administration compared to the IV route. He also discusses reasons for not administering the product in periparturient cows and encourages veterinarians to thoroughly review product label information. Finally, he reviews some of the research demonstrating a reduction in fever in cows with acute mastitis compared to controls.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR BANAMINE® TRANSDERMAL. NOT FOR HUMAN USE. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. Milk that has been taken during treatment and for 48 hours after treatment must not be used for human consumption. Cattle must not be slaughtered for human consumption within 8 days of the last treatment. Not for use in replacement dairy heifers 20 months of age or older or dry dairy cows; use in these cattle may cause drug residues in milk and/or calves born to these cows or heifers. Not for use in beef and dairy bulls intended for breeding over 1 year of age, beef calves less than 2 months of age, dairy calves, and veal calves. Do not use within 48 hours of expected parturition. Approved only as a single topical dose in cattle. For complete information on Banamine® Transdermal, see accompanying product package insert.

LINKS:

BANAMINE® TRANSDERMAL | Merck Animal Health USA (merck-animal-health-usa.com) (click "View Product Label" when on this page)
Effects of a single transdermal administration of flunixin meglumine in early postpartum Holstein Friesian dairy cows: Part 1. Inflammatory and metabolic markers, uterine health, and indicators of pain

Schmitt et al JDS 2023

Effects of a single transdermal administration of flunixin meglumine in early postpartum Holstein Friesian dairy cows: Part 2. Milk yield, culling risk, and reproductive performance

Schmitt et al JDS 2023

The effects of periparturient administration of flunixin meglumine on the health and production of dairy cattle.

Newby et al JDS 2017

Oral Electrolyte Therapy for Calf Diarrhea Oct 16, 2023

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Geoffrey Smith, a Technical Services Veterinary for Zoetis and member of the AABP ad hoc Cattle Youngstock Committee. If you are interested in joining the Cattle Youngstock Committee, please go to the committee page and click the link to send an email with your request. Include a brief bio statement and your interest in the committee for your nomination to serve on the committee.

Smith discusses the key pathophysiologic changes that occurs in calves with diarrhea which can help veterinarians explain to producers what needs addressed with therapy. Calves with diarrhea lose electrolytes, especially sodium, and have an increased amount of D-lactate leading to acidemia. Most cases of neonatal diarrhea are not due to bacterial pathogens and therefore electrolyte therapy to correct dehydration, hyponatremia and acidosis is warranted more often than antimicrobials.
Smith suggests an oral electrolyte solution that contains sodium (90-130 mEq/L), an alkalinizing agent (sodium bicarb, acetate or proprionate 50-60mEq/L), glycine which can help sodium absorption in the intestine, and correct osmolality (avoid products with high osmolality in the 700 or higher mOsm/L range). Smith also suggests evaluating the strong ion difference in the products to determine how well it can correct acidosis in the calf by adding the positive ions and subtracting the negative ions for a goal of 50-60 strong ion difference.

One common question from producers is if electrolytes can be added to milk. Smith cautions that sodium bicarbonate interferes with milk absorption and the osmolality of the final product can increase the risk for abomasitis if total solids are greater than 14-16. Separating electrolyte therapy from milk feeding by at least 2 hours and continuing electrolyte feeding once a day until the diarrhea is resolved. Smith also discusses the indications for IV fluid therapy to rapidly correct acidosis, dehydration and hyponatremia. This can be done with 4 mL/kg of hypertonic saline solution over 2-3 minutes followed by oral electrolyte therapy. If the calf is unable to suckle or stand, rapid correction of acidosis is most important and can be achieved by IV administration of hypertonic sodium bicarbonate (8.4% of 84 g/L) at a rate of 5-10 mL/kg over 5 minutes.

Smith wraps up our conversation by discussing the key points for prevention of calf scours by ensuring a clean environment, proper nutrition, proper vaccination, and an adequate amount of clean, high-quality colostrum immediately after birth. Oral electrolytes can also be fed during the high-risk period for calf diarrhea for a particular farm based on history working with the veterinarian of record. One recommendation is to use the electrolytes that are diluted 1:3 to 1:4 from the treatment dose.

AABP members can see previous presentations from Smith on calf diarrhea and fluid therapy by accessing the AABP Online CE portal through the Kansas State Beef Cattle Institute or by downloading the free BCI Mobile Conference App from your device’s store.

56th AABP Annual Conference – Feedback and Wrap-Up Oct 09, 2023

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich provides a wrap-up from the 56th AABP Annual Conference, held in Milwaukee, Wis., September 21-23, 2023. We had a total of nearly 1,500 attendees at the conference including attendees, guests, students and exhibitor booth representatives which is consistent with our pre-pandemic attendance numbers. Gingrich offers a special thanks to AABP staff, the program committee, moderators, and the chairs of the conference which include Dr. Michael Capel and Dr. Dave Sjeklocha.

If you attended the conference, you can access your CE certificate by logging in to the AABP website, hover over your name in the upper right corner and select "My CE Certificates" where you can review, edit, print or save your certificate as a PDF document for your files.

All conference sessions are recorded and available at no charge to AABP members. Access recordings of all annual conferences, recent graduate conferences and webinars by clicking on the purple cow-head logo at the bottom of any AABP webpage after logging in or download the free "BCI Mobile Conference App".

Gingrich reviews some of the feedback from the conference including the rating from respondents for quality of the conference. 91% of attendees rated the conference 4 or 5 stars. He also thanks our sponsors of the conference, including the sponsors of our major meal and social events which includes Boehringer-Ingelheim, Diamond V, Zoetis, Vaxxinova-Newport Labs, and Endovac.

Nearly $100,000 was raised for the Foundation at the conference and we encourage members who still would like to give to the AABP Foundation and select one of the funds, please do so by visiting the donation link or contact the AABP office.

Gingrich also reviews some of the major board activities from the AABP Board of Directors meeting at the conference. The AVMA shared that over 50% of their PAC funds have been spent this year advocating for passage of legislation to maintain access to xylazine. Please support the AVMA PAC with a donation to ensure that AVMA has the resources to advocate for bovine veterinarians. If you are an AVMA member, visit the PAC site today and donate, send a letter to your Congressional representatives, or sign-up for advocacy updates.

The AABP board also provided advocacy for the establishment of a VCPR through in-person means only and supplemented though virtual or electronic methods and the support of utilizing credentialed veterinary technicians in bovine practice instead of the creation of an unknown mid-level practitioner. AABP has created the "Utilization of Credentialed Veterinary Technicians in Bovine Practice" task force to develop a guideline to advocate what veterinary technicians can perform in bovine practice, what skills should only be performed by a veterinarian, and defining direct and indirect supervision as it pertains to bovine practice. To review the background information for the task force, visit this link. AABP members interested in serving should submit a CV/resume and letter of interest to Dr. Fred Gingrich by emailing fred@aabp.org.

Planning for the 57th AABP Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio. September 12-14, 2024 will be completed on November 4, so if you have ideas and suggestions, please send to Dr. Gingrich or the conference chair, Dr. Dave Sjeklocha at david.sjeklocha@merck.com.

USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture – Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Sep 25, 2023

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Bob Smith, Dr. Kathy Bjork and Marlene Azvedo to discuss the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program administered by the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture. We start the conversation by describing the VMLRP history and funding. The VMLRP is a nationally competitive opportunity for qualified veterinarians to reduce their educational debt by agreeing to provide professional veterinary services for three years in designated, high priority, veterinary food supply shortage situations throughout the U.S. and its insular areas. Minimum new service contracts are for three years and for up to $75,000 in loan repayments, dispersed in quarterly payments. Successful applicants can also apply for renewal contracts. A fact sheet about the program can be found at this link. Our guests discuss the recently released Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Report, which can be found on this page. A total of 130 applications were received and 89 awards executed for an award rate of 64% for new applications and 100% for renewals applications. Total funding for the award was $8,926,394 and an additional $2,592,278 in federal tax funding. The average debt for new awardees was $163,576 and for renewal awards the average debt was $108,813. Cow-calf practice was identified as the species with the most needs in the designated shortage areas. Smith describes the process for state animal health officials (SAHO) to nominate shortage areas in their state and encouraged veterinarians to work with their SAHO to ensure their area is nominated if it qualifies. Our guests also provide information for potential applicants to consider when applying for the next funding cycle. The timeline for the next funding cycle can be found at this link.

For more information, please visit the USDA NIFA VMLRP page.

Comparison of Lidocaine Alone or in Combination with a Local Nerve Block of Ethanol, Bupivacaine Liposome Suspension, or Oral Meloxicam to Extend Analgesia after Scoop Dehorning in Holstein Calves Sep 18, 2023

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Miriam Martin, Director of Animal Health and Welfare and the North American Meat Institute, and Dr. Michael Kleinhenz, Clinical Associate Professor in Dairy Cattle Production at Texas A&M Vero for this episode to discuss the paper that was published in the Journal of Dairy Science that was the result of the cattle welfare research grant through the AABP Foundation.

This episode of Have You Herd? is brought to you by Merck Animal Health. When your clients come to you with a BRD issue, turn to the experts at Merck Animal Health. Merck Animal Health stands behind you, so you can stand behind your clients. With a broad portfolio of vaccines, antibiotic solutions, monitoring technology and a leading technical service team – they’re here to help you tackle BRD with confidence.

Visit this link to discover the Merck Animal Health portfolio of anti-infectives for your cattle health solutions.

We start our conversation by discussing a typical dehorning protocol on beef and dairy farms as well as methods for providing local anesthesia to the horn bud. The objective of this study was to determine if the duration of analgesia could be extended using additional anesthesia and analgesia protocols in calves that were scoop dehorned. All treatment groups received a cornual nerve block with lidocaine and the four treatment groups included an additional infiltration around the horn bud with ethanol, lidocaine alone, lidocaine with meloxicam, and a bupivacaine liposome suspension. Martin discusses the outcome variables they tested and walks us through how these measurements were performed by the investigators.

The results indicated that none of the treatments extended the duration of analgesia based on the outcomes measured, however it did emphasize that multimodal analgesic therapy with a local anesthetic and oral meloxicam is the gold standard by working synergistically and providing a longer duration of analgesia. Martin also discusses the opportunities for future research in pain management in cattle, including investigating products and procedures that are practical regimens to extend the duration of analgesia for a variety of painful procedures and conditions.

This project was funded by the AABP Foundation through the welfare research grant program. The AABP Foundation funds clinically relevant research that may not have the opportunity for funding through other sources. Please consider donating to the AABP Foundation research projects so that future projects that benefit cattle veterinarians, producers and cattle have the opportunity for funding. Please consider a donation to the AABP Foundation to help fund these research projects by visiting this link.

Comparison of lidocaine alone or in combination with a local nerve block of ethanol, bupivacaine liposome suspension, or oral meloxicam to extend analgesia after scoop dehorning in Holstein calves. Miriam Martin, Michael D. Kleinhenz, Abbie V. Viscardi, Shawnee R. Montgomery, Charley A. Cull, Kelly F. Lechtenberg, and Johann F. Coetzee

JDS Communications May 2022

https://doi.org/10.3168/jdsc.2021-0178

AABP Foundation Cattle Welfare Grant Funded Projects

AABP Foundation Competitive Research Grant Funded Projects

Special AABP Have You Herd? Podcast: 56th AABP Annual Conference – Evolving Expectations Sep 16, 2023

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich provides information and tips for those attending the conference in Milwaukee September 21-23, 2023. This episode of Have You Herd? is sponsored by Allflex. Find out more information by visiting this page.

The conference will be held at the Wisconsin Center District which is the convention center located at 555 Wells St, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There are parking garages next to the hotels and the downtown area is located 8 miles from the Milwaukee airport. The airport has Uber, Lyft or taxi service to downtown. When you arrive, go to the ground floor of the convention center to pick-up your registration pack and name badge if you have already registered and paid for your attendance. If you are registering on-site, please understand that some meal events may be sold out and it will take some time to process your registration and payment.

Gingrich advises attendees to review the conference website at https://aabp.org/milwaukee/default.asp to view the schedule, session descriptions, draft proceedings papers, committee meeting locations and agendas, Milwaukee visitors information, Slido links, exhibit hall information and the schedule for exhibit hall presentations called “Chute Side Chats”.

He offers top ten tips for enjoying the conference as well as how to access your CE certificate or listen to the recorded sessions after the conference. The AABP staff and volunteers on the program committee welcome you to Milwaukee and hope you enjoy all of the sessions and events that AABP has to offer our attendees!

Tips for Creating a Great Job Posting, Finding and Retaining Associate Veterinarians – Sponsored by Merck Animal Health Sep 11, 2023

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Wrenn Calcutt who graduated from Virginia Tech College of Veterinary Medicine in 2021.

This podcast is supported by Merck Animal Health and the Bovilis Vista Once SQ vaccine. To find out more information, visit this page.

Calcutt provides some guidance for veterinarians who are seeking new associates from the perspective of a student and a recent graduate looking for their next job. One thing that she discussed is the desire for millennials to have a job where they can make a difference and that is what she found attractive about food animal medicine. Veterinarians can learn from this and support and encourage students who do not have a farm animal or rural background but want to have a professional career in food animal medicine.

We discuss the job posting and details about what employers should include in a job posting such as where to post your job, what makes a good job description, providing a salary or salary range, and listing the benefits offered. The top three things Calcutt wants to see in a job posting are the species break-down the associate will see and cases seen, the number of doctors in the clinic and on-call schedule, and the salary and benefits spelled out clearly. She also encourages employers to reply promptly to an applicant and send an offer letter with details prior to the in-person interview so the potential associate can review it prior to arriving. We also discuss that after the job is accepted, employers should provide communication and a defined mentorship plan to improve the success of retention of the associate. Making sure that what was offered in the job is actually what the associate is doing on a day-to-day basis is an important part of job satisfaction.

AABP members can post available jobs for free at https://aabp.org/jobs/jobs/default.asp. Listing can be updated to reflect some of the tips available in this podcast!

Ep. 165 - Methods of Processing Recycled Manure Solids Bedding on Midwest Dairy Farms I: Associations with Bedding Bacteria Counts, Milk Quality, Udder Health and Milk Production - Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim Aug 29, 2023

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by AABP President Dr. Sandra Godden. This episode of Have You Herd is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim and their portfolio of 3600 mastitis coverage. Find out more at this link.

Dr. Godden was an author on the paper published in the AABP peer-reviewed journal, The Bovine Practitioner. The journal’s target audience is practicing cattle veterinarians, providing research that is clinically relevant, and is available open-access in a searchable format where you can download PDF’s of articles at this link.

We start our conversation by discussing recycled manure solids as a bedding for dairy cows and why producers may find this bedding choice attractive. Godden encourages veterinarians to get involved in the discussion to assist producers with their milk quality programs, including bedding choices and how to best make them work for that farm. This study investigated four different processing methods of recycled manure solids on 29 Midwest dairy farms: green, digested, mechanically drum composted and hot air drum dryers. Godden discusses the methods of this study and offered practical tips for veterinarians to submit bedding samples for quantitative cultures of pathogens of interest. The number one tip is to be consistent so you can compare your results.

This study looked at the relationship between recycled manure solids processing methods and bedding bacteria counts, bulk tank bacteria counts, udder health and milk production. This study identifies some of the potential risk factors associated with the various processing methods but Godden reminds us that mastitis is a multi-factorial problem and veterinarians should be familiar with complete investigations on farms to ensure that all factors, including bedding type, are included.

Links:

Godden, S., Royster, E., Crooker, B., Timmerman, J., & Peña Mosca, F. (2023). Methods of processing recycled manure solids bedding on Midwest dairy farms I: Associations with bedding bacteria counts, milk quality, udder health and milk production. The Bovine Practitioner, 57(1), 10–20. https://doi.org/10.21423/bovine-vol57no1p10-20
University of Minnesota Laboratory for Udder Health

Bedding culture submission and interpretation guide

The Differences in Antibiotic Therapies and a Deeper Look at Florfenicol – Sponsored by Merck Animal Health Aug 14, 2023

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Merck Animal Health Technical Services Veterinarian Dr. Deana Hardee for this episode to discuss uses of florfenicol in cattle practice. We start this episode with a brief overview of the different classes of antimicrobials used in cattle and how they might fit into a bovine respiratory disease (BRD) protocol. Hardee discusses how florfenicol might be used as a first-line treatment after following a post-metaphylactic interval that used a macrolide. Florfenicol is not used in human medicine and has a long history of use in cattle.

Hardee also provides some tips to help producers understand its use and the value of following protocols provided by the veterinarian of record. We discuss the importance of reviewing preventive herd health plans to prevent diseases such as BRD and decrease its risk although all cases are not preventable. Hardee reviews the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs)and their application for treatment of BRD and its effects on the animal. Florfenicol has other uses as well, such as treatment of foot rot in cattle. Finally, we review some of the research that Hardee has been involved with on antibiotic resistance and the judicious use of antibiotics on cattle operations.

AABP would like to thank Merck Animal Health for support of the Bovine Veterinary Student Recognition Awards providing 18 veterinary students with a $5,000 scholarship administered by the AABP Foundation at the AABP Annual Conference.

Links:

Nuflor Injectable Solution

Resflor Gold

Merck Veterinary Manual Use of Phenicols in Animals

Overcoming Challenges with Recruitment and Retention of Veterinarians in Bovine Practice Sponsored by Heritage Veterinary Partners Aug 07, 2023

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by veterinarians from Heritage Veterinary Partners which is a veterinary partnership specializing in large and mixed animal practices. Guests on this episode include Dr. Dan Cummings from Tennessee, Dr. Oliver Irons from West Virginia and Dr. Amanda Onan from Wisconsin. Cummings also serves as the chair of the AABP Membership Committee which has discussed the workforce shortages in rural bovine or mixed practice and developed initiatives for AABP to address this issue.

Our guests discuss the challenges of rural bovine/mixed animal practice and the evolving role of the veterinarian for beef and dairy clients and their experiences in deciding to join Heritage Veterinary Partners which has provide their practice benefits for their veterinarians and staff. We also discuss the initiatives that AABP has undertaken the past several years to provide resources to our members and especially our recent graduate members to improve retention. Cummings discusses a publication from a qualitative analysis of responses from small group meetings with members of the Membership Committee of recent graduates and what they want from bovine practice. Irons and Onan discuss how they have realized improvements in quality of life, business management, inventory management and networking with partners when they made the decision to join this collaboration of veterinarians.

Cummings invites attendees at the 56th AABP Annual Conference in Milwaukee, Wis., to visit them in the exhibit hall for more information.

Links:

Heritage Vet Partners website

Heritage Vet Partners Facebook page

What is happening in bovine practice and is it fixable – Dr. Fred Gingrich, Bovine Veterinarian, July 2023

Gibbons, P. M. S., Koziol, J. H., Schmidt, M., Cummings, D. B., Sacquitne, C., & Hake, M. (2023). Should I stay or should I go – a qualitative assessment of experiences of recent veterinary graduates in bovine practice. The Bovine Practitioner, 57(1), 35–40. Retrieved from https://bovine-ojs-tamu.tdl.org/bovine/article/view/8570

Gibbons, P. M., Wells, J. K., Watson, K. R., Weale, J. J., & Roberson, J. R. (2022). A mixed-method pilot study investigating challenges experienced by mixed animal veterinarians in practice and their private practice experiences prior to graduation. The Bovine Practitioner, 56(1), 18–28. https://doi.org/10.21423/bovine-vol56no1p18-28

Gilliam, G., White, B. ., & Dodd, C. C. . (2021). Factors influencing administrative personnel and veterinarian turnover and compensation packages in rural mixed-animal practices over a 5-year period . The Bovine Practitioner, 55(2), 108–114. https://doi.org/10.21423/bovine-vol55no2p108-114

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