Where passion for animals, science, and medicine lives…
In our fourth and final installment of prion diseases, we will discuss probably the most familiar of the TSEs: bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Most cases occur in the United Kingdom, but the disease has been found in Japan, Canada, the US, and across Europe. First diagnosed in the UK in 1986, BSE was brought to Continue Reading
In our third installment of prion diseases, we will discuss the oldest of the TSEs: scrapie. Scrapie affects sheep, goats, and their close relatives. Scrapie received its name from the intense pruritis that affected animals exhibit. First described in Great Britain in the 1750s, scrapie can now be found worldwide, expect for Australia and New Continue Reading
We covered the basics of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in our previous post. We will delve a little deeper into the three economically significant diseases in the remaining posts. White tail season closed last week. Hopefully, the season was successful for those who endured endless hours of scouting, fine tuning scopes and bows, and freezing in Continue Reading
A family of diseases caused by a little known agent is making a steady march across the US. One form of this disease is centuries old in Europe, while another is only a few decades old here in the US. Only mammals are affected, which includes humans. The disease can neither be treated or vaccinated Continue Reading
I have always undervalued vomiting. I hate vomiting. When I say “hate,” I am not using this in our culture’s overused version of the term. I really hate it. So much so that I have only vomited four times in my life: once while experiencing dysentery in Egypt, once when overeating watermelon as a child, Continue Reading
I remember being a small child and my father took me to the Los Angeles Zoo. Having been raised in the suburbs, livestock represented cute accessories to my finished, miniature Lincoln-Log cabins that I would construct. Small plastic sheep and goats would be set within the small green fence that I would make around the Continue Reading
Adult livestock tend to resist the effects of mineral deficiency better than young animals. Increased demands from growth and decreased body reserves put young animals at risk.
Nutrition remains a complex and fluid subject for most producers. Keeping livestock at peak production means providing the best nutrition possible. For ease of discussion, we will address nutrient requirements of each production phase. Clean water remains vital to keeping livestock healthy. Many contaminates can leach into surface water, or well water can contain unsafe Continue Reading
In the last post, we introduced the components of a livestock ration. Here, we delve a little deeper into what happens when the diet is deficient in one or more of these nutrients. The most common cause of energy deficiency remains cost. As we all know, livestock production margins often are so thin, producers barely Continue Reading
Giving up ultimate power for peace, gardening and cabbages The Roman emperor Diocletian helped demarcate the separation between the Roman and Byzantine empires. While not a new concept to the realm, Diocletian split the ruling of Rome into eastern and western regions. However, his decision to retire, struck his subjects as a new and perplexing Continue Reading