Half a world away, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is an emerging human disease. It is a distant cousin to SARS, both are caused by coronaviruses that originated in animals. In 2012, people in Saudi Arabia developed a sudden and severe respiratory illness characterized by trouble breathing, pneumonia, fever and cough. In the last three […] Read more
Jamie Rothenburger, DVM
Stories by Jamie Rothenburger, DVM
Supply management and animal welfare
There is more to the issue of supply management in the Canadian dairy industry than simple economics. In a holistic view of the supply management system, the impact on animal welfare is worth considering. One of the major concerns about opening up Canada’s borders to imported milk is that most will come from the United […] Read more
New horse pulmonary disease has few treatment options
Equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis, a newly discovered respiratory disease in horses, severely affects the lungs and greatly reduces their ability to exchange oxygen. First described in 2007 in North America, this rare disease has since been found to affect horses in Europe, New Zealand and Australia. It is probably a disease that went unrecognized rather […] Read more
Alpaca and llama care presents unique challenges
With their long faces and even longer necks, llamas and alpacas have become a popular feature on farms and acreages across Western Canada. Many of the South American camelids are added to sheep, goat and cattle herds for predator control, while others occupy the pastures of hobby farms. Wool from alpaca fibre sells at a […] Read more
Virus hunters use metagenomics to find cattle disease
Scientists at the University of California Davis have discovered a new virus associated with brain inflammation in cattle. They had considered the usual causes when a yearling steer developed clinical signs consistent with brain and spinal cord inflammation, including rabies virus, herpes viruses, histophilus somni, listeria monocytogenes, which is the causative agent of listeriosis, and […] Read more
Veterinarians get weird to make horses feel good
Of all our four-legged companions, we likely subject horses to more than their fair share of strange treatments. Horses might not worry about wrinkles, but they may benefit from Botox. Veterinarians give injections to treat muscle-related diseases rather than reverse the signs of aging. The bacterium, clostridium botulinum, produces a potent toxin that causes temporary […] Read more
Ticks pose health risks for people and animals
While the lyrics of Brad Paisley’s song Ticks may seem like a cheesy pick-up line, checking for ticks is actually not a bad idea. Ticks are external parasites that are most closely related to spiders and can live on birds and mammals. Anecdotally, this year seems to be a good one for ticks. Weather has […] Read more
Bottle raising males is hazardous
Sometimes our best intentions can lead to disastrous consequences. This is the case when male orphans are bottle fed by people. With spring finally here, many farm animals and wildlife are giving birth. Unfortunately, some are bound to be orphans. “I want people to know of the dangers posed by bottle-raised males,” says Dr. Joe […] Read more
Team approach examines human, animal health link, safety
One Health is the name of a movement that is sweeping the health professions. It is founded on the idea that the health of animals, humans and their environment are intricately linked and endeavors to take an ecosystem approach. One Health focuses on infectious diseases, particularly the zoonotic ones that are transmitted from animals to […] Read more
Determining cause of diarrhea often difficult
Diarrhea in horses is recognized as liquid feces, man-ure-crusted tails, splattered stall sides and cow patty-type manure piles rather than well-formed fecal balls. While the signs of diarrhea are universal, the causes can be varied. Diarrhea is considered chronic if it has been ongoing for more than two weeks. The colon absorbs 90 litres of […] Read more
