Dr. Colin Yates thought he had a good idea when he launched VETSon, a telemedicine platform for farm animals in 2022. The brainchild of Yates and his father, veterinarian Dr. Glen Yates, VETSon delivers livestock services using an AI-powered virtual health care platform. In this report from Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, Yates tells RealAgriculture’s Bernard… Read More
Category: Animal Health
With the changing leaves of fall comes thoughts of cozy sweaters, cups of hot chocolate and… winter feed. Livestock producers across the country have spent time throughout the summer making feed plans; whether those plans entail sourcing hay and silage or putting it up themselves, it is important to know what nutrients that feed holds… Read More
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says as of July 16, 2024, no traces of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus have been detected in Canadian dairy retail products. The CFIA has tested 911 samples total from across Canada, split into four regions: Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, and Western Canada. All tests have been negative for… Read More
Each livestock group in Canada has a Code of Practice for Care and Handling that producers must follow. These codes, guided by the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC), follow a review process on a rotating schedule. Currently, the beef cattle, equine, pig, and poultry codes are being updated, and now the latest code up… Read More
What are dairy farmers looking for when they source sawdust bedding for their cows? Some farmers want it fine and others prefer a coarse product, but everybody wants dry sawdust, says Pat Liew, business development director of Ecostrat, which markets the cow bedding to farmers across North America. The company’s been in the paper, plastics… Read More
With everything coming back to life after a long winter, producers are eagerly anticipating putting cattle out to grass and ending the daily feeding required of wintering livestock. With the shift in season often comes question of how early is too early for turnout and what mineral package — if any — needs supplied early… Read More
The American Association of Bovine Practitioners will now refer to highly pathogenic avian influenza in cattle as bovine influenza A virus, or BIAV, and is encouraging everyone to do the same. In an open letter dated April 8, 2024, the AABP says that though caused by the same virus, the disease presents very differently in… Read More
Editor’s note: As of April 8, the Association of Bovine Practitioners is referring to an HPAI infection in cattle as BIAV: bovine influenza A virus. For the first time, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in dairy cows. Cattle in the Texas panhandle first tested positive for the virus, but more dairy cattle… Read More
Editor’s note: Updated with CDC confirmation of a human HPAI case in Texas. U.S. animal health authorities say they cannot rule out cow-to-cow transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) after detecting bird flu in dairy herds in another three states. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) has confirmed the presence… Read More
There’s a growing problem in rural and remote areas of Ontario. A lack of large animal veterinarians is looming for the region, and the problem will only get worse without strategies to address the impending issue. Already, farmers and ranchers have identified that large distances and too few vets makes proper veterinary care expensive. Now,… Read More