Have You Herd? AABP PodCasts

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Juan Piñeiro, Department of Animal Sciences at Texas A&M University and Dr. Gustavo Schuenemann, Department of Preventive Medicine at The Ohio State University, to discuss their paper published in the Journal of Animal Science in September 2025. This episode of Have You Herd is sponsored by Merck Animal Health, manufacturers of Resflor Gold®. Find out more information about Resflor Gold® at this link. 
 
Our guests discuss the rationale for this retrospective study to evaluate the effects of transportation times on newborn calves and the importance of this subject to our current industry practices. The study involved 15 farms, nearly 400,000 calves and evaluated transport durations of 0.5, 8, 17 and 24 hours in both dairy breed and beef x dairy calves. Data collected in the evaluation included birth weight, dystocia events, dam parity, gestation length, colostrum practices, passive transfer in a subset of calves, diarrhea and pneumonia events, mortality and average daily gain in a subset of calves. 
 
One of the key findings in the study was that cofounders were important to evaluate morbidity and mortality. Transportation length alone did not explain the differences in groups when evaluating cofounders and the authors suggest that evaluating transportation length alone misses other factors that could improve calf health and productivity. To improve preweaning calf health, veterinarians should work with clients on prepartum management to optimize fetal programming and immunity, maternity pen management and colostrum program, transportation practices, and preweaning calf management such as nutrition and housing. Ensuring that all calves being transported are fit for transport is important to optimize welfare and health.
 
Find the AABP Transportation and Fitness-For-Transport Recommendations for Cattle at this link or the Spanish translation here. 
 
Reference:Schuenemann GM, Piñeiro JM. Short- and long-distance transport: Health, survival and growth of preweaned dairy and dairy-beef cross calves. J Ani Sci. 2025;103:skaf341. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf341

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Travis Arledge, Pioneer Veterinary Clinic, Drs. Val Baumgart and Boone Schmitz, United Veterinary Services, and Dr. Melissa Detwiler from Heritage Vet Partners. This episode of Have You Herd? is sponsored by Heritage Vet Partners, the sponsors of the childcare room at the AABP Annual Conference. Find out more information about Heritage Vet Partners at this link. 
 
Arledge discusses participation with the Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine and their role in the distributive program. He was awarded the Excellence in Practice Partner Service from more than 150 participating clinics. Arledge discusses the benefits to his practice for finding associates from the students who complete their externships with him.
 
Baumgart was recently highlighted in Bovine Veterinarian Magazine for being the first female veterinarian at United Veterinary Services. She discusses her experiences and how it has shaped current relationships with students and associates, as well as the benefits of having a multi-generational team of veterinarians. Schmitz joined United Veterinary Services after graduating from the University of Minnesota in 2026. He describes his experiences as a student and how that developed his interest in joining this practice after graduation.
 
Detwiler discusses her experiences with students and the importance of identifying barriers for students in gaining rural practice experiences. Ensuring your practice is welcoming to all levels of backgrounds and experiences will improve recruitment and sustainability of rural veterinary medicine. 
 
Our panel encourages veterinarians to welcome students to their practice, demonstrate rural practice as a career path, and use externships to develop relationships with students to recruit your next associate.
 
Find out about the AABP externship grants here and list your practice on the AABP website by going to this page. AABP also asks members to serve as mentors in our mentorship program. You can sign up to serve as a mentor on this page.

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Jess McArt, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, and Dr. Jen Roberts, Senior Associate Director Professional Services Veterinarian for Boehringer Ingelheim. This episode is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim. Find more information about the product portfolio for cattle at www.cattlefirst.com. 
 
This episode explores the widespread, often invisible, impact of subclinical hypocalcemia on dairy herds, with a focus on economic consequences and fresh cow health. The conversation explores how veterinarians can guide producers beyond reactive treatment toward proactive calcium strategies during the critical fresh period. 
 
On average, 30-40% of multiparous cows in a herd have dyscalcemia during the transition period, but this varies significantly between herds. McArt explains that after calving, the demand for calcium doubles from what the cow typically requires. Roberts discusses how this affects cow performance and health. Suclinical hypocalcemia is often unrecognized and underestimated because it is silent but can have health, production and economic impacts downstream. We discuss strategies for veterinarians to screen cows for dyscalcemia and proactive solutions to this problem in fresh cows.

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Travis White, Chief Veterinary Officer for Endovac Animal Health. Endovac is the sponsor of the student reception at the 59th AABP Annual Conference in Minneapolis, Minn. Find information about Endovac and their portfolio of animal health products on this page. 
 
Gram-negative diseases remain a major challenge across beef, dairy, calf ranch and feedlot systems. White discusses these challenges and why the focus should not necessarily be on the organism itself, but thinking about endotoxin, immune stress and animal resilience. Endotoxin exposure drives the clinical signs associated with these disease challenges leading to inappetence, depression, fever and leukopenia. 
 
White reviews core-antigen technology and how this approach differs from a conventional multi-antigen bacterin. He also discusses Immune Plus from Endovac and how veterinarians should think about immune stimulation. This technology can fit into existing vaccine and herd health programs vs. replacing currently used tools. White also reviews a challenge study with Salmonella Dublin and the take-aways from this study to help veterinarians who want to build stronger Gram-negative disease control programs.

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Lisa Greenhill, Chief Organizational Health Officer for the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC).
 
This episode of Have You Herd is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim and Bovikalk. Is your fresh cow calcium supplement protecting dairy cows’ full potential? BOVIKALC® bolus contains the two critical forms of calcium for immediate and lasting performance with no filler ingredients. For more than 20 years, BOVIKALC has consistently delivered what fresh cows need—right when they need it most. Talk to your Boehringer Ingelheim representative to see why BOVIKALC boluses are designed for milking greatness. Find out more information about BOVIKALC boluses at this link. 
 
Enrollment at veterinary schools has doubled over the last 20 years and currently there are approximately 17,000 veterinary students in U.S. schools and another 3000-4000 U.S. students in foreign schools. Demographics of students has changes during that time period as well with females comprising 86% of students and 30% of students are non-white. Students now fill out a common application and each student applies to 5-6 schools. The national applicant:seat ratio is currently 2.4 but each institution applicant:seat ratio varies.
 
Greenhill discusses the gender disparity in veterinary schools and explains that the issues of fewer men in veterinary schools is due to fewer men obtaining a bachelor's degree. Only 37% of men in the U.S. complete a bachelor's degree compared to nearly half of women. Men also take longer to complete the degree compared to women. 
 
Students from rural communities comprise about 20% of veterinary students. AABP membership data indicate that 70% of our members grew up in rural communities. Nationally, 23% of adults in rural communities have a bachelor's degree or higher. Greenhill discusses some of the challenges and barriers for students in rural communities to seek out a veterinary education including changes to loan regulations and Pell Grants, lack of educational opportunities, and evaluation of rural mixed animal versus urban companion animal experiences. 
 
Find AABP survey information under the Member Resources page of the AABP website at this link.