Reading Time: < 1 minute The University of Calgary faculty of veterinary medicine (UCVM) and Alberta’s four poultry producer boards are partnering on a poultry diagnostic system. Formerly provided by Poultry Health Services, the program can test for diseases such as avian flu, E. coli, and other pathogens and microbes. Poultry Health Services of Airdrie, which serves the commercial poultry […] Read more
UCVM takes on poultry diagnostics
No light at the end of the tunnel for rural vet shortage
The number of vet school grads willing to work in a rural practice barely keeps up with retirements
Reading Time: 6 minutes Veterinarian Pat Burrage tried to retire back in 2018. But so far, he hasn’t had much luck. There just aren’t enough new vets out there to take up the mantle. “The veterinary shortage is the reason a geriatric like me has a job,” he said with a laugh. “Currently in Alberta, we’re producing graduate veterinarians […] Read more
There are several keys to getting a yearling on the proper path
Horse Health: Sound nutrition, plenty of exercise and social interactions are the foundation for the horse’s future
Reading Time: 4 minutes As the equine version of an early teenager, the yearling is a bit of a peculiarity within the modern-day horse world. Yearlings generally appear and act physically ungainly, have a naive mindset and are often emotionally raw. So pressure and haste are often placed upon the yearling to be more than it is and to […] Read more
Keep a close watch for these issues when calving
Recognizing the signs of trouble and acting quickly can be a true lifesaver
Reading Time: 3 minutes With spring approaching, I am going to attempt to summarize the many ways we can collectively (and hopefully) maximize calf survivability and productivity starting at calving time. Each of you will have different management styles, strategies, and numbers — but if there are one or two new things, techniques, or observations you can learn from, […] Read more
Cattle CSI: Big-time wrecks require careful sleuthing
Turns out that all four of the mysterious cases were examples of ‘minerals gone bad,’ says vet
Reading Time: 5 minutes Not all minerals play nice, and some can create serious health problems in cattle. “The thing that makes the phone ring the most are feed- or nutritional-related disease outbreaks,” Dr. Elizabeth Homerosky of Veterinary Agri-Health Services said at the recent virtual Red-Bow Ranching Conference. “The most common thing, especially this time of year, are downer […] Read more
The cause of lameness in cattle isn’t always straightforward
One of every two dozen animals are diagnosed with lameness, but you can lower that number
Reading Time: 3 minutes Not all lameness is caused by foot rot so getting a proper diagnosis is the key to determining the appropriate treatment and management. Lameness can affect any type of cattle including feedlot animals, breeding bulls, range cows, or animals confined to a corral. It limits an animal’s interest in eating, drinking, or breeding, resulting in […] Read more
Individual animal treatments are often worth pursuing
Beef 911: We focus on the herd, but it’s often worth it to treat problems specific to one animal
Reading Time: 3 minutes We focus on herd medicine, herd reproduction, production, biosecurity, animal welfare and marketing — and these, without a doubt, have a big impact on profitability as well as consumer acceptance. However, in cattle production there are still the individual cases which require our attention and can have favourable outcomes. Early detection and treatment increase our […] Read more
Pilot project expands animal disease diagnostics
Reading Time: < 1 minute The University of Calgary faculty of veterinary medicine is expanding its diagnostic service unit for enhanced animal disease diagnosis and welfare. A four-year pilot will add a clinical microbiologist, an anatomic pathologist and support staff to the unit. This will allow it to “support livestock producers through private veterinary clinics in rural Alberta, protect public […] Read more
A ‘cresty’ neck is an indicator of illness and should be addressed
Neck fat is associated with several health issues, including laminitis and obesity
Reading Time: 3 minutes The observance of a cresty neck in a horse indicates some level of metabolic sickness and reflects more than just a fat horse. Although the fat or obese horse is burdened with a form of metabolic illness, the appearance of a cresty neck signals further metabolic complications along the continuum of diseases associated with obesity. […] Read more
Montreal’s veterinary college to study eastward expansion
Province backs feasibility study for Rimouski-based program
With a eye on expanding livestock veterinary services in the Lower St-Lawrence and Gaspesie, the Quebec government is backing a feasibility study to bring veterinary studies to the region. The province on Thursday announced assistance of $627,946 for 2019-20 for a feasibility study making a business case to offer the Universite de Montreal’s veterinary medicine […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
