Resurgence of an ancient fungus in Prairie grains that causes disease in animals is a reminder of earlier times, a backslide to the Middle Ages and before where it often changed how people lived and ate. Precipitated by cool, wet conditions through early stages of the growing season, ergot (Claviceps purpurea) is expected to be […] Read more
Ergot poisoning
IBR persists
Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) is caused by bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1). Other types of herpes viruses affect humans and cause diseases we know as chicken pox, cold sores, and shingles. One of the characteristics of herpes viruses is the ability to infect cells and then lie dormant for long periods before some stressful event lowers the […] Read more
Johne’s disease: Are we doing enough?
A chronic debilitating intestinal disease of cattle was recognized in Europe as early as 1826. By 1894 it was recognized as an infectious disease and characterized by Drs. Heinrich Johne (German) and Frothingham (U.S.). Johne’s disease was first described in the U.S. in 1908. Johne’s disease, also called paratuberculosis, is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium […] Read more
Off the fence
The heat was just turned up in the antimicrobial resistant debate, especially about agriculture’s potential involvement. For years agriculture sat on the fence about its role in the whole scenario claiming the feeding of low levels of selected antibiotics for growth promotion is safe with no implications for human health. Now in the wake of […] Read more
Uncertainty rides the wind
The unholy alliance between viruses and insect vectors like midges has become a signature of emerging diseases around the world. Culicoides, among the most abundant of bloodsucking insects, occur throughout most of the inhabited world. The tiny fly known as the biting midge, or no-see-um because of its diminutive size (one to four mm in […] Read more
Veterinarians must be stewards of animal welfare
Animal welfare is instinctive for veterinarians. While not always transparent, animal welfare has been an integral part of veterinary education and daily life in practice from the very beginning. It is the real reason many pursue veterinary medicine as a career. As society alters its attitude about animal care, veterinarians have much to do to […] Read more
Change begets change
A segment of the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association’s account of its history between 1991 and 2010 was a question to members about what they thought were the three most important things that changed veterinary practice during those two decades. The responses provided insight into how dramatically veterinary practice and the livestock industry has changed during […] Read more
Changing perspectives on prudent drug use
The theme of this year’s CanWest veterinary conference sponsored by the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association was prudent drug use and antimicrobial resistance. Approximately 750 veterinarians, animal health technicians and human health professionals attended. The meeting provided several key messages about antimicrobial use. First, this is a complex issue and there are no easy answers. In […] Read more
Helping old friends die — Part 2
Those involved in raising animals destined for food recognize disease and accidents are unfortunate realities and that euthanasia under these circumstances becomes a necessity. When end-of-life decisions must be made it’s important that they be carried out in a safe and humane fashion. Euthanasia is geared to irreversibly obliterate awareness, sensibility and consciousness by disrupting […] Read more
Helping old friends die
The veterinarian is the only practitioner in life sciences sanctioned to end the life of a patient. Parcelled with the professional responsibility to provide needed care for animal patients is the unassailable ethical obligation to relieve suffering, and ensure suffering ends humanely. Most would consider the animals we depend on for a living “friends” to […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
