Have You Herd? AABP PodCasts

• Epi. 263 – The Veterinarian’s Role in Managing Parasites in Cattle and Mitigating the Risk of Resistance

  AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Adriano Vatta, a clinical professor of parasitology at the Louisiana State University College of Veterinary Medicine. The three important parasite species in cattle include Ostertagia, Haemonchus and Cooperia, as well as liver flukes. Vatta reviews the importance of the life cycle of these parasites; the most important aspect of the life cycle is that most of it is on pasture. It is also important for veterinarians to consider climate, geography and season. Vatta explains that to mitigate resistance, we do not want to treat cattle when parasite levels are low on pasture which is contrary to what we have previously been taught.  Vatta reviews the major classes of anthelmintics available for treating internal parasites in cattle and the importance of ensuring accurate dosing to increase effectiveness as well as decrease the risk of resistance. A major factor in mitigation of resistance to anthelmintics is to utilize refugia in treatment and control programs. Refugia is the proportion of the worm population that is not treated. Utilizing fecal egg counts to determine when cattle need dewormed, as well as performing a fecal egg count reduction test to monitor resistance and efficacy, is an important service for veterinarians to offer beef cattle clients. Vatta walks through some practical tips for performing these tests as well as how to manage the number of animals selected for non-treatment as they enter the chute.  Vatta also discusses opportunities for future research to improve the practicality and compliance of performing fecal egg counts. Veterinarians have an excellent opportunity to ensure that producers are getting value from the anthelmintic products that they purchase.  Ray M. Kaplan, Matthew J. Denwood, Martin K. Nielsen, Stig M. Thamsborg, Paul R. Torgerson, John S. Gilleard, Robert J. Dobson, Jozef Vercruysse, Bruno Levecke,World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (W.A.A.V.P.) guideline for diagnosing anthelmintic resistance using the faecal egg count reduction test in ruminants, horses and swine, Vet Parasitol. 2023;Vol. 318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2023.109936 Fecal Egg Count Reduction homepage https://www.fecrt.com/   

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• Epi. 262 – A Pilot Study Investigating Consumption Patterns of Chlortetracycline-Medicated Mineral Supplement Offered Free-Choice to Beef Cows on Pasture

  AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Isaac Jumper, assistant professor and ambulatory clinician at Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Jumper was the first author on a paper published in the Bovine Practitioner online first edition. This peer-reviewed journal published by AABP is open access. The target audience for the journal is the practicing cattle veterinarian and there are no publication fees for submissions. Find the journal at this link.  The objective of this paper was to study the temporal consumption patterns of chlortetracycline (CTC)-medicated mineral supplement offered free choice to beef cows on pasture and test the effect of cow age on CTC-medicated mineral supplement intake. The study involved an adaptation period to acclimate cows to the SmartFeed units and a trial period to test the study objectives. During the 27-day adaptation period, 76% of cattle consumed any amount of the diet during the day and the average total intake was just under 8 kg per cow or 0.3 kg per day. During the 46-day trial period, 27% of cows across all pasture groups consumed any amount of CTC-medicated mineral with an average amount consumed of just under 41 grams per day. The average dose of CTC consumed was 0.53 mg/kg per day which is less than the labeled dose of 1.1 mg/kg. The authors identified variability between cows in consumption of CTC-medicated mineral. The mean number of consumption days was 12.5, the number of consecutive days the average cow visited the feeder was 1.6 and the average number of days between visits was 6 days. We discuss the implications for control of anaplasmosis with these results. The authors identified that in this study, feeding CTC-medicated mineral did not ensure that cows on free-choice pasture-based feeding programs did not consume the label dose of CTC. As the age of the cow increased, the frequency of visits decreased, and the total consumption of CTC-medicated mineral declined.  Veterinarians who are utilizing CTC for control of anaplasmosis should be familiar with FDA regulations on the Veterinary Feed Directive, including dosing, the difference between hand-fed labels and free-choice administration, and the prohibition of extralabel drug use for medically important antimicrobials administered in feed.  A pilot study investigating consumption patterns of chlortetracycline-medicated mineral supplement offered free choice to beef cows on pasture. (2025). The Bovine Practitioner, 60(1):1-11. https://doi.org/10.21423/bpj20269277 Questions and Answers: FDA Approved Free-Choice Feeding Options for Anaplasmosis Control in Cattle | FDA  

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• Epi. 261 – 9th AABP Recent Graduate Conference – Setting the Tone

  AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by the program committee for the 9th AABP Recent Graduate Conference which will be held in Lincoln, Neb., February 13-14, 2026. The program committee consists of Dr. Tracy Potter, program chair and AABP emerging leader; Dr. Monka Dziuba, dairy; Dr. Riley Jones, cow-calf; and Dr. Tanya Weber, feedlot. This conference is open to AABP members who have graduated between 2018-2025 and offers 15.5 hours of continuing education targeted to recent graduates. This conference also provides an opportunity to network and collaborate with colleagues and peers at the same stage of their veterinary career, fostering lifelong relationships and support to sustain and retain rural bovine practitioners. The committee walks through the sessions, beginning with the theme of “Setting the Tone” with Dr. Tera Barnhardt. Barnhardt will present  “Chubacabras in the Corrals”, a talk that will shine a light on the hidden monsters that creep into our early years as a veterinarian including imposter syndrome and self-doubt. Sessions throughout Friday and Saturday include clinical skills, mixed animal, dairy and beef. Preconference seminars are also offered on Thursday February 12 and include an additional eight hours of continuing education. This includes a dystocia and fetotomy seminar with wetlab, hoof trimming seminar and wetlab, and professional and personal finance seminar. Dr. Dave Smith is also offering a seminar that provides training on using data and is a two-day seminar funded by a USDA grant. Attendees at this seminar will be refunded $325 if they attend both days of the seminar and they will then only pay $50 to attend the two-day seminar and the Saturday sessions at the conference. Find all information about the conference at this link. Register for the conference here and book your hotel room on this page. The full schedule is on this page and preconference seminar descriptions can be found here. Would you like to connect with other attendees to share rides from the airport or share hotel rooms? If yes, enter your information and connect with others on this page. 

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• Epi. 260 – Neonatal Calf Scours

  AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Geoffrey Smith, dairy technical services veterinarian with Zoetis. Calf scours remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in beef and dairy calves. Smith reviews his presentation from the 2025 AABP conference in Omaha, Neb. and AABP members can view that presentation on the CE portal by going to this page.  Understanding the pathophysiology of neonatal scours can help veterinarians and producers understand the treatment goals. Calves with scours typically have a metabolic acidosis with hyponatremia, hypokalemia, hypoglycemia and dehydration. It is important to replace the sodium to rehydrate the calf. Smith reviews the IV fluid therapy options including lactated ringers, isotonic sodium bicarbonate, hypertonic saline solution, and hypertonic sodium bicarbonate. Calculating the base deficit can be done with bloodwork but can also be estimated with an estimate of 20 mEq/L in a down calf. Smith also reviews some guidelines for a good oral electrolyte solution which includes 90-130 mEq/L of sodium, glycine for an energy source and to help sodium be absorbed from the gut, an alkalinizing agent such as sodium bicarbonate or sodium acetate, a strong ion difference (sodium plus potassium minus chloride) of at least 60 which is an indication of the fluid’s ability to alkalinize the calf.  We also review some of the questions asked at the conference. As we prepare for winter and the next calving season, this episode will help veterinarians and your clients prepare for treating calf scours when our prevention efforts fail. 

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• Epi. 259 – Get to Know your AABP Vice President Candidates – Dr. Daryl Nydam and Dr. Eric Behlke

  AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by the candidates for the 2026 Vice President election, Dr. Daryl Nydam and Dr. Eric Behlke. Nydam is from Dryden, N.Y. and is currently employed at the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, and Behlke is from Okotoks, Alberta and is currently employed at Feedlot Health TELUS. Our candidates provide some background information, discuss the value of AABP to them and our members, initiatives they see as important to continue as well as develop, and what they like to do outside of veterinary medicine. In the spirit of collegial camaraderie, we also ask each candidate for positive words about their opposition. The election will close on December 11 at 5 pm eastern. AABP provides information for our members to learn about each candidate. This includes a candidate Q&A insert in the November newsletter, biographies, presentations at the annual conference in Omaha, and this podcast. You can find all of this information about the candidates on the ballot page here.  The candidate with the most votes will be seated as the AABP Vice President after the Annual Business Lunch in Minneapolis on August 29, 2026, and will ascend through all four offices of the Executive Committee. In addition to serving on the AABP Board, the Vice President manages preconference seminars for the 2027 conference, the President-Elect chairs the 2028 AABP Annual Conference, and the President represents the organization and chairs the Board in 2029. In 2030 they will complete their service and chair the Forward Planning Committee as Past President.  Cast your vote before December 11 at 5 pm eastern by going to this page.   

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