Have You Herd? AABP PodCasts

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Epi. 263 – The Veterinarian’s Role in Managing Parasites in Cattle and Mitigating the Risk of Resistance Dec 08, 2025

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Adriano Vatta, a clinical professor of parasitology at the Louisiana State University College of Veterinary Medicine. The three important parasite species in cattle include Ostertagia, Haemonchus and Cooperia, as well as liver flukes. Vatta reviews the importance of the life cycle of these parasites; the most important aspect of the life cycle is that most of it is on pasture. It is also important for veterinarians to consider climate, geography and season. Vatta explains that to mitigate resistance, we do not want to treat cattle when parasite levels are low on pasture which is contrary to what we have previously been taught.

Vatta reviews the major classes of anthelmintics available for treating internal parasites in cattle and the importance of ensuring accurate dosing to increase effectiveness as well as decrease the risk of resistance. A major factor in mitigation of resistance to anthelmintics is to utilize refugia in treatment and control programs. Refugia is the proportion of the worm population that is not treated. Utilizing fecal egg counts to determine when cattle need dewormed, as well as performing a fecal egg count reduction test to monitor resistance and efficacy, is an important service for veterinarians to offer beef cattle clients. Vatta walks through some practical tips for performing these tests as well as how to manage the number of animals selected for non-treatment as they enter the chute.

Vatta also discusses opportunities for future research to improve the practicality and compliance of performing fecal egg counts. Veterinarians have an excellent opportunity to ensure that producers are getting value from the anthelmintic products that they purchase.

Ray M. Kaplan, Matthew J. Denwood, Martin K. Nielsen, Stig M. Thamsborg, Paul R. Torgerson, John S. Gilleard, Robert J. Dobson, Jozef Vercruysse, Bruno Levecke,

World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (W.A.A.V.P.) guideline for diagnosing anthelmintic resistance using the faecal egg count reduction test in ruminants, horses and swine, Vet Parasitol. 2023;Vol. 318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2023.109936

Fecal Egg Count Reduction homepage https://www.fecrt.com/

Epi. 262 – A Pilot Study Investigating Consumption Patterns of Chlortetracycline-Medicated Mineral Supplement Offered Free-Choice to Beef Cows on Pasture Dec 01, 2025

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Isaac Jumper, assistant professor and ambulatory clinician at Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Jumper was the first author on a paper published in the Bovine Practitioner online first edition. This peer-reviewed journal published by AABP is open access. The target audience for the journal is the practicing cattle veterinarian and there are no publication fees for submissions. Find the journal at this link.

The objective of this paper was to study the temporal consumption patterns of chlortetracycline (CTC)-medicated mineral supplement offered free choice to beef cows on pasture and test the effect of cow age on CTC-medicated mineral supplement intake. The study involved an adaptation period to acclimate cows to the SmartFeed units and a trial period to test the study objectives. During the 27-day adaptation period, 76% of cattle consumed any amount of the diet during the day and the average total intake was just under 8 kg per cow or 0.3 kg per day. During the 46-day trial period, 27% of cows across all pasture groups consumed any amount of CTC-medicated mineral with an average amount consumed of just under 41 grams per day. The average dose of CTC consumed was 0.53 mg/kg per day which is less than the labeled dose of 1.1 mg/kg. The authors identified variability between cows in consumption of CTC-medicated mineral. The mean number of consumption days was 12.5, the number of consecutive days the average cow visited the feeder was 1.6 and the average number of days between visits was 6 days.

We discuss the implications for control of anaplasmosis with these results. The authors identified that in this study, feeding CTC-medicated mineral did not ensure that cows on free-choice pasture-based feeding programs did not consume the label dose of CTC. As the age of the cow increased, the frequency of visits decreased, and the total consumption of CTC-medicated mineral declined.

Veterinarians who are utilizing CTC for control of anaplasmosis should be familiar with FDA regulations on the Veterinary Feed Directive, including dosing, the difference between hand-fed labels and free-choice administration, and the prohibition of extralabel drug use for medically important antimicrobials administered in feed.

A pilot study investigating consumption patterns of chlortetracycline-medicated mineral supplement offered free choice to beef cows on pasture. (2025). The Bovine Practitioner, 60(1):1-11. https://doi.org/10.21423/bpj20269277

Questions and Answers: FDA Approved Free-Choice Feeding Options for Anaplasmosis Control in Cattle | FDA

Epi. 261 – 9th AABP Recent Graduate Conference – Setting the Tone Nov 24, 2025

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by the program committee for the 9th AABP Recent Graduate Conference which will be held in Lincoln, Neb., February 13-14, 2026. The program committee consists of Dr. Tracy Potter, program chair and AABP emerging leader; Dr. Monka Dziuba, dairy; Dr. Riley Jones, cow-calf; and Dr. Tanya Weber, feedlot. This conference is open to AABP members who have graduated between 2018-2025 and offers 15.5 hours of continuing education targeted to recent graduates. This conference also provides an opportunity to network and collaborate with colleagues and peers at the same stage of their veterinary career, fostering lifelong relationships and support to sustain and retain rural bovine practitioners.

The committee walks through the sessions, beginning with the theme of “Setting the Tone” with Dr. Tera Barnhardt. Barnhardt will present “Chubacabras in the Corrals”, a talk that will shine a light on the hidden monsters that creep into our early years as a veterinarian including imposter syndrome and self-doubt. Sessions throughout Friday and Saturday include clinical skills, mixed animal, dairy and beef.

Preconference seminars are also offered on Thursday February 12 and include an additional eight hours of continuing education. This includes a dystocia and fetotomy seminar with wetlab, hoof trimming seminar and wetlab, and professional and personal finance seminar. Dr. Dave Smith is also offering a seminar that provides training on using data and is a two-day seminar funded by a USDA grant. Attendees at this seminar will be refunded $325 if they attend both days of the seminar and they will then only pay $50 to attend the two-day seminar and the Saturday sessions at the conference.

Find all information about the conference at this link. Register for the conference here and book your hotel room on this page. The full schedule is on this page and preconference seminar descriptions can be found here. Would you like to connect with other attendees to share rides from the airport or share hotel rooms? If yes, enter your information and connect with others on this page.

Epi. 260 – Neonatal Calf Scours Nov 17, 2025

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Geoffrey Smith, dairy technical services veterinarian with Zoetis. Calf scours remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in beef and dairy calves. Smith reviews his presentation from the 2025 AABP conference in Omaha, Neb. and AABP members can view that presentation on the CE portal by going to this page.

Understanding the pathophysiology of neonatal scours can help veterinarians and producers understand the treatment goals. Calves with scours typically have a metabolic acidosis with hyponatremia, hypokalemia, hypoglycemia and dehydration. It is important to replace the sodium to rehydrate the calf. Smith reviews the IV fluid therapy options including lactated ringers, isotonic sodium bicarbonate, hypertonic saline solution, and hypertonic sodium bicarbonate. Calculating the base deficit can be done with bloodwork but can also be estimated with an estimate of 20 mEq/L in a down calf.

Smith also reviews some guidelines for a good oral electrolyte solution which includes 90-130 mEq/L of sodium, glycine for an energy source and to help sodium be absorbed from the gut, an alkalinizing agent such as sodium bicarbonate or sodium acetate, a strong ion difference (sodium plus potassium minus chloride) of at least 60 which is an indication of the fluid’s ability to alkalinize the calf.

We also review some of the questions asked at the conference. As we prepare for winter and the next calving season, this episode will help veterinarians and your clients prepare for treating calf scours when our prevention efforts fail.

Epi. 259 – Get to Know your AABP Vice President Candidates – Dr. Daryl Nydam and Dr. Eric Behlke Nov 10, 2025

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by the candidates for the 2026 Vice President election, Dr. Daryl Nydam and Dr. Eric Behlke. Nydam is from Dryden, N.Y. and is currently employed at the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, and Behlke is from Okotoks, Alberta and is currently employed at Feedlot Health TELUS. Our candidates provide some background information, discuss the value of AABP to them and our members, initiatives they see as important to continue as well as develop, and what they like to do outside of veterinary medicine. In the spirit of collegial camaraderie, we also ask each candidate for positive words about their opposition.

The election will close on December 11 at 5 pm eastern. AABP provides information for our members to learn about each candidate. This includes a candidate Q&A insert in the November newsletter, biographies, presentations at the annual conference in Omaha, and this podcast. You can find all of this information about the candidates on the ballot page here.

The candidate with the most votes will be seated as the AABP Vice President after the Annual Business Lunch in Minneapolis on August 29, 2026, and will ascend through all four offices of the Executive Committee. In addition to serving on the AABP Board, the Vice President manages preconference seminars for the 2027 conference, the President-Elect chairs the 2028 AABP Annual Conference, and the President represents the organization and chairs the Board in 2029. In 2030 they will complete their service and chair the Forward Planning Committee as Past President.

Cast your vote before December 11 at 5 pm eastern by going to this page.

Epi. 258 – Managing Milk Quality in a High Throughput Parlor Nov 03, 2025

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by AABP Honor Roll member Dr. David Reid, a graduate of Kansas State University, who has dedicated his career to milk quality consulting on dairy farms. The dairy industry has experienced significant contraction over the past 30 years with a similar number of cows in the national cattle herd on a smaller number of farms. This means that we have larger dairies and farms need to get a larger number of cows milked in the allotted amount of time without sacrificing milk quality.

Reid states that general goals are five-and-a-half parlor turns per hour in side-by-side parlors and depending on the size of the rotary, seven to nine turns per hour. Two factors that influence throughput is the size of the parlor and the amount of labor the farm employees for milking. He states that the most important factor in improving throughput is getting cows to be a willing participant in the milking process and practicing good stockmanship by moving cows in a calm manner. This also results in cows moving slower, so they have less manure splash and are calm when they start the milking process. Reid suggests that veterinarians walk the path that cows walk from the home pen to the parlor to make sure there are not areas that are dirty or create issues for cow handling. Frequency of fresh bedding application is a critical question for veterinarians to review with producers to improve cow cleanliness.

Reid also discusses making sure that the milking routine is consistent from milking-to-milking and milking technician-to-technician. Forestripping every cow at every milking is a critical step that not only allows for detection of abnormal milk but improves milk letdown, milk flow rates and decreases unit on-time which is important for maximizing throughput. We also discuss some of the features in parlor that allow for the machine to strip the cow, but Reid cautions that this does not detect abnormal milk. Other tips Reid suggests for improving throughput are starting to prep the first cow as soon as she enters the first stall, shield field-of-vision areas where cows enter the parlor so they only see the cow ahead of them, and proper use of the crowd gate to train cows to the audible noise, then backing off.

Veterinarians play a critical role in monitoring milk quality and parlor throughput on their client’s farms. This includes monitoring milk per shift, turns per hour, walking the cow path to detect any issues, and visually inspecting milk filters.

To find milk quality resources on the AABP website, visit this page and select the Milk Quality and Udder Health Committee. If you are interested in joining the Milk Quality and Udder Health Committee, contact Dr. Fred Gingrich at fred@aabp.org.

Epi. 257 – The Effect of Salmonella Vaccination on Salmonella Dublin Blood Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay Results Oct 27, 2025

Show notes

AABP executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich reviews a paper published in The Bovine Practitioner with two of the authors. Joining today are Dr. Greg Habing, professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and Dr. Emily Nogay, clinical assistant professor at The Ohio State University Large Animal Ambulatory Services.

Salmonella Dublin is a host-adapted and zoonotic pathogen affecting many dairy farms. It can be associated with high morbidity and mortality and is often multi-drug resistant which elevates its importance to dairy farmers and veterinarians. Surveillance and diagnostics are an important aspect of managing diseases in our herds. Nogay reviews available diagnostic tests and the advantages and disadvantages of each one. The ELISA test has a sensitivity of 65%, but is used to screen herds for the disease. The objective of this study was to determine if the four U.S. commercially licensed Salmonella vaccines would result in a positive Salmonella Dublin ELISA test result.

We walk through the results of the paper and discuss some of the findings, including the impact of the vaccines on the serum ELISA results and some potential reasons for the ELISA results after vaccination. Habing discusses future opportunities for research on this disease, including the need for better diagnostic tests, including a PCR test to screen herds.

AABP’s peer-reviewed journal, The Bovine Practitioner, publishes original research studies, reviews, case series, and case reports intended to provide clinically relevant research to private practicing veterinarians. It is an open access journal and there are no publication fees for submitting authors. Read more about the journal at this link.

The effect of Salmonella vaccination on Salmonella Dublin blood enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay results. Bov Pract. 2025;59(2), 53-60. https://doi.org/10.21423/bpj20259266

Epi. 256 – Bovine Respiratory Disease – Are We Moving the Needle? - Sponsored by Merck Animal Health Oct 20, 2025

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by technical services veterinarians from Merck Animal Health, Dr. Jacque Fusilier and Dr. Dave Sjeklocha to discuss bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in beef cattle. BRD has long been a challenge in the cattle industry but today, we are taking a fresh look. From shifting market dynamics to evolving herd management practices, we explore what is driving BRD today and what steps we need to take to stay ahead.

This episode of Have You Herd? is sponsored by Merck Animal Health as part of their sponsorship package for the opening reception at the 2025 AABP Conference in Omaha, Neb. Merck is also the sponsor of the Merck Bovine Veterinary Student Recognition Award which is the AABP Foundation’s scholarship program providing nine students scholarships of $10,000 each.

Market influences can impact producers' willingness to provide interventions to manage disease risk. Merck Animal Health partners with Superior Livestock Auction to evaluate the economic impact of providing preconditioning programs for calves including the VAC45 and PrimeVAC programs. The data from 2024 indicates that this preconditioning program added $8.46/cwt compared to non-preconditioned calves.

We also discuss beef-on-dairy crosses and labor challenges in our industry that can impact disease risk. Good animal handling, management and ensuring adequate colostrum delivery and vaccination can decrease BRD risk. Our guests discuss evaluating the risk of arrival calves by calculating shrink, backtags, other tags and evaluating manure consistency. Sjeklocha has a goal of less than 6% shrink.

Technological advancements have also played a role in disease monitoring and improving calf health while optimizing labor resources. Veterinarians can play a key role in monitoring disease, providing goals, evaluating records, and training producers and caregivers how to manage stress and improve handling and management of calves.

For more information on the products available for BRD prevention, control and treatment, visit https://MAHCattle.com.

Epi. 255 – New World Screwworm Update Oct 13, 2025

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Chris Ashworth, Global Veterinarian for Zinpro Performance Minerals and Dr. Dave Sjeklocha, technical services veterinarian for Merck Animal Health to discuss New World Screwworm (NWS). Recently, the United States Animal Health Association and National Institute of Animal Agriculture hosted an NWS symposium in Kansas City which was sponsored by the American Veterinary Medical Foundation, Merck Animal Health and Elanco. Both of our guests attended and are providing an update from that symposium.

NWS was recently discovered in Nuevo Leon, Mexico which is 70 miles south of the U.S.-Mexico border. The infected animal was a feedlot steer that was detected with larvae upon arrival at the feedlot. Mexican authorities have restrictions on animal movements both at the point of origin and arrival.

The life cycle of the NWS fly is about 3 weeks. Fertilized eggs are laid in packets of 200-350 eggs that hatch in 12-21 hours with the emergence of larvae within 3 days. Two important aspects of the life cycle are that female flies mate and lay eggs once, then die and they lay eggs in fresh wounds, not decaying tissue like other fly strikes. The larvae burrow deep into wounds and cause significant destruction which can result in the animal dying of septicemia in 1-2 weeks. It is important to inspect for larvae and remove all of them, placing them in alcohol to kill them.

The USDA continues to work with Mexican authorities to protect the U.S. from this fly. Releasing sterile male flies works based on history of control of this pest, but the current production rate of 110 million per week is not enough to control the areas that have the fly. It is also important to remember that half of the sterile flies are females, although scientists are working to try to produce only male flies to increase production. The U.S. is also constructing a facility in Texas, but the timeline for completion to release of flies is 2-3 years.

The most important thing veterinarians can do is to inspect animals aggressively. Pay special attention to any wounds – superficial wounds or scrapes, foot rot lesions, open umbilical cords, wounds in the vulva from calving, castration wounds or dehorning sites. Veterinarians and producers should remain hypervigilant and report any suspicious wounds or larvae and contact their state animal health official. Treatment involves the use of avermectin products and doramectin has received emergency use authorization for NWS by FDA. Fly control and wound care is also very important for control of this infestation.

AABP members can also view the presentation from Dr. Bud Dinges at the 2025 AABP Annual Conference in Omaha by going to the NWS page on the AABP website (https://aabp.org) as well as other NWS resources.

Epi. 254 – AABP Member Survey Results Oct 06, 2025

Show notes

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich reviews some of the survey results available on the AABP website. Find all survey results under the Member Resources tab of the AABP website or directly at this link.

This episode of Have You Herd? is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim and the 360° coverage mastitis portfolio. From prevention to treatment options designed for judicious antibiotic use, the 360° coverage mastitis portfolio has the products you need to defend udders at every angle. Find out more information by visiting this link.

AABP administers a survey to graduating seniors to collect data on their job, debt, and obstacles they experience in job seeking since 2018 with an average response rate of 152 per year. In 2025, the average starting salary was $91,500 and 40% of respondents reported incomes over $100,000. The average debt reported was $150,431 with 17% reporting no debt. Of those reporting debt, the average debt was $180,000.

Respondents also report their obstacles or challenges to accepting a job offer with salary/compensation being the number one challenge (45%) 28% reporting poor work environment/human resources issues, 15% hours of work required and 12% gender or other bias.

AABP also has administered surveys asking what type of community members spent the majority of their childhood, with 630 responses. 70% of members reported growing up in a rural area, 25% suburban and 5% urban. This report is consistent across all graduation years including the 2025 graduating seniors.

Gingrich also reviews the results of the survey administered by the Mental Health and Well-Being Committee with 493 respondents. Highlights of this survey indicated that 57% identified mental health as important or very important, 40% have sought mental health therapy, 30% have sought guidance from a religious leader, 85% discuss stressors with family members and 45% discuss with work colleagues.

Gingrich invites members to consider joining a committee that interests them by going to the committee menu on the AABP website and submitting a brief bio to join. He also discusses other member resources including AABP-L, practice management workshops, online recordings of conference sessions and webinars, webinars and seminars. The 2026 Recent Graduate conference is also open for registration! Find out more information at this link. Open access to AABP publications is also available from the Publications menu of the AABP website. Specific articles of interest referencing improving recruitment and retention of bovine or mixed animal veterinarians are below:

Factors influencing job and career satisfaction in veterinarians 10 years or fewer from graduation

A mixed-method pilot study investigating challenges experienced by mixed animal veterinarians in practice and their private practice experiences prior to graduation

Factors influencing administrative personnel and veterinarian turnover and compensation packages in rural mixed-animal practices over a 5-year period

Incomes and satisfaction among bovine focused veterinary practitioners in the United States and Canada

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