Have You Herd? AABP PodCasts AABP

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Pat Gorden and Dr. Michelle Buckley from Iowa State University to discuss two publications from the Bovine Practitioner Volume 57 Number 2, 2023. Links to the published papers are at the end of the podcast show notes. 
Our guests review the use of internal teat sealants and some of the challenges with producer use of internal teat sealants. We also review the importance of equivalence studies for practicing veterinarians, who are the target audience for papers in the Bovine Practitioner. The first study discussed was an equivalence study comparing two different internal teat sealants. The take-home message from this study for practicing veterinarians is that both products studies demonstrated equivalent results when comparing the outcome variables studied. 
The second paper evaluated the persistence of the internal teat sealant in the mammary gland during the dry period. This paper was from one herd and looked at migration of the teat sealant from the teat into the cistern of the mammary gland using radiographs as well as strip yields after freshening. The authors also investigated if location of the internal teat sealant impacted risk for new intramammary infection during the first 120 days in milk.  
Both of these studies are relevant to the practicing dairy veterinarian as they work with clients to implement dry-off protocols to decrease the risk of mastitis and improvements in milk quality. 
 
Links to publications: 
Buckley, M. P., Bayne, J., Tomazi, T., Miller, B. E., Godden, S. M., Silva, G. S., & Gorden, P. J. (2023). A randomized equivalence study evaluating the efficacy of two commercially available teat sealants in dairy cows. The Bovine Practitioner, 57(2), 36–50. https://doi.org/10.21423/bovine-vol27no2p36-50
Buckley, M. P., Bayne, J., Tomazi, T., Miller, B. E., Silva, G. S., & Gorden, P. J. (2023). Evaluation of internal teat sealant persistence in the mammary gland during the dry period. The Bovine Practitioner, 57(2), 51–59. https://doi.org/10.21423/bovine-vol27no2p51-59

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Gerard Cramer, Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota and current chair of the AABP Lameness Committee. This podcast is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim and their 360 mastitis portfolio. What’s in your cattle tool care kit? Experience the power of complete mastitis care at choose360coverage.com.  
The topic of the discussion is to walk through a research project that was funded by the AABP Foundation to investigate a model for inducing sole ulcers in dairy cattle. Sole ulcers are one of the major causes of lameness in dairy cattle and yet we still have much to learn about the pathogenesis of this disease to improve prevention and treatment strategies. Cramer discusses the importance of proof-of-concept studies to benefit future research and how they approached the welfare implications of this study. Three induction model challenges were implemented in this study included lying time restriction, dry matter intake restriction and a lipopolysaccharide challenge. Cramer reviews the results of the study and the difficulties in successfully inducing sole ulcers in this group of cows.  
We also discuss some of the limitations of this study and future research opportunities to improve our ability to prevent and treat sole ulcers in dairy cows which can improve the welfare of cows. The AABP Foundation supports advancements in the health, well-being and productivity of cattle through scholarship programs, educational opportunities, and applied clinical research that benefits present and future cattle veterinarians. Research projects that are funded by the AABP Foundation must be applicable to practicing cattle veterinarians, have limited opportunity for funding elsewhere, and can serve as seed money for future larger-scale projects. The AABP Foundation research projects are supported entirely by member donations. Please support this type of research by donating today at this link.  
Publication: 
G. Cramer, E. Shepley, W. Knauer, B.A. Crooker, S. Wagner, L.S. Caixeta, An iterative approach to the development of a sole ulcer induction model in Holstein cows, Journal of Dairy Science, Volume 106, Issue 7,2023, https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2022-22726.
 
 

In this episode, Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by AABP members Dr. Michelle Barrett and Dr. Becky Funk. Both guests have served on the Amstutz Scholarship Committee and Funk is the past-chair of the AABP Foundation. 
Our guests discuss the scholarship application process, how scholarships are reviewed, and offer tips for filling out the application. Students who qualify for a scholarship should consider applying using the links on the Students menu of the AABP website. We discuss the requirement for a CV/resume for some scholarships, and what to consider including in that document. Questions are also asked for all of the scholarships and answering these questions is part of the review process. 
Letters of recommendation are also considered by reviewers. Tips for asking for a reference as well as how to provide a good letter of reference for a student are great pointers for those applying. Finally, we remind students to make sure to not wait until the deadline date and time to finalize your application. This includes making sure your dues are renewed well in advance of the deadline and checking the scholarship/grant portal to make sure your letters of reference are submitted by the deadline. Incomplete applications are not reviewed. 
A special thank you to all of the donors to scholarship funds and AABP member volunteers from committees who review the scholarship applications. If you are interested in joining a committee, please contact fred@aabp.org. Donate to the AABP Foundation scholarship funds at this link.  
Links:
Join AABP and pay dues at this link. It can take 3 business days to renew your dues, so if you are applying for scholarships this year, please renews your dues in advance of the deadline! Students, make sure to have your application complete, including reference letters submitted online, by the deadline of May 31 at 5 pm Eastern. Check the status of your application at this link.  
Scholarship opportunities: 
Amstutz Scholarship – AABP Foundation premier scholarship for AABP student members graduating in 2025 or 2026. 
Zoetis Foundation Scholarship – Funded by the Zoetis Foundation this $7,500 scholarship is for AABP student members graduating in 2025. 
Merck Bovine Student Recognition Award – Funded by Merck Animal health, this $10,000 scholarship is for AABP student members graduating in 2025 and 2026. 
Francis Welcome Future Dairy Practitioner Scholarship – Funded by the Welcome Family and AABP member donations, this $2,000 scholarship is for a 3rd year veterinary student with an interest in dairy medicine after graduation. 
Edwin Robertson Memorial Scholarship – Funded by the Robertson Family and AABP member donations, this $1,000 scholarship is for students at Auburn and Lincoln Memorial University to fund an advanced reproduction experience. 
James H. Bias Scholarship – This $5,000 scholarship is funded by AABP members and is awarded to 3rd year veterinary student with a graduation year of 2025 from an underrepresented ethnic and or racial background. The scholarship also provides travel and lodging to the 2024 AABP conference and a free registration to an AABP Recent Graduate conference within the first three years of graduation. 
 
 

In this episode of the AABP Have You Herd? podcast, AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich provides an update for AABP member resources. The AABP dues renewal season is now open. We welcome all cattle veterinarians, veterinary technicians and veterinary students to join AABP or renew their dues by going to this link. AABP is primarily funded by membership dues and we utilize dues revenue to provide resources to our members.  
Gingrich reviews three major buckets of activity from the organization:
1.      Continuing Education. This is our major member resource. Historically, AABP has hosted an annual conference. In recent years, we have greatly expanded our CE offerings to include a recent graduate conference, webinars, podcasts, online recordings of all conference sessions and webinars, seminars outside of the annual conference, and online publications. In 2024, AABP will add even more CE for our members by hosting an additional virtual conference, one for beef veterinarians and one for dairy veterinarians. All AABP CE sessions, seminars and webinars are submitted for RACE approval which is an additional member benefit added recently. 
2.      Advocacy. In 2023, AABP was very involved in several important issues for cattle veterinarians. This includes supporting the establishment of a VCPR through in-person means and advocating against allowing a virtual VCPR to be established. AABP also has advocated against a mid-level practitioner that could provide services that are currently under the domain of veterinarians. In addition, we have worked with the AVMA to ensure we still have access to xylazine and the ability to use it in our normal course of practice.
3.      Support of the AABP Foundation. The AABP Foundation provides support to students through scholarships, externship grants and research grants. The AABP Foundation also supports clinically relevant research projects. In 2024, the AABP Foundation will award over $425,000 in funding with support from our members and industry partners. Visit http://aabp.org/foundation/ to learn more about the AABP Foundation and make a donation. 
AABP members are from private practice, academia, government, industry, farm staff veterinarians, retired veterinarians, technicians and students. Our members are beef veterinarians, dairy veterinarians and mixed animal veterinarians, but the one thing we have in common is our passion for cattle and the producers and caregivers we work for every day. Please continue to support our mission by renewing your dues or joining us today!

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Juan Rodrigo Pedraza, AABP member and Zoetis Technical Services Veterinarian. This episode is brought to you by the AABP Milk Quality and Udder Health Committee. Pedraza starts by explaining what is parlor efficiency and throughput and why it is important for dairy farms. He cautions that recommendations to improve parlor efficiency should not sacrifice quality milk production and veterinarians can consult dairy clients on steps to improve both. 


There are many factors that we should consider when evaluating parlor efficiency. These include loading speed, pulsation rate and ratio, teat end vacuum, mouth piece vacuum and automatic take off settings. Pedraza explains that although specialized testing equipment is needed for some of these assessments, observing parlor procedures, timing and milk flow at the end of milking can be a first step in assisting producers with parlor efficiency. 


Pedraza also points out how veterinarians can work with employees in the milking parlor to improve procedures, emphasizing the importance of explaining why we are implementing procedures and delivering messaging appropriately. Veterinarians can play a valuable role in parlor procedures and fine-tuning milking equipment to improve parlor efficiency and milk quality.  


Find AABP resources from the Milk Quality and Udder Health committee resources page. A previous podcast on the importance of pre-milking stimulation that is reference in this podcast can be found here.  


Erskine RJ, Norby B, Neuder LM, Thomson RS. Decreased milk yield is associated with delayed milk ejection. J Dairy Sci. 2019 Jul;102(7):6477-6484. doi: 10.3168/jds.2018-16219. Epub 2019 Apr 25. PMID: 31030923.
 
 
 
 

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by AABP member Dr. Keely Shine in this episode to discuss the importance of physical health and activity to improving sustainability in bovine practice. Shine graduate from the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2022 and immediately opened her own mixed large animal ambulatory practice. She is also the owner of a CrossFit gym and is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and currently serves in the Navy Reserves. 
Shine defines functional fitness and the importance of having both cardiovascular exercise and strength training as part of your total physical health program. Physical fitness can also be an important aspect of mental health and well-being. Shine also describes how she manages her nutrition program and suggests that ambulatory veterinarians plan their meals to prevent the traps of eating unhealthy snacks or lunches during the day. As a coach, Shine describes how she welcomes members to her gym and provides tips on how to take that first step in your fitness journey and prioritize daily exercise in our busy lives.