Western Veterinary Perspectives

WeCAHN Cattle Health Update: Foreign Animal Disease Planning and Prevention for Cattle

Dr. Karin Orsel, a professor in epidemiology and infectious diseases from the University of Calgary, has some up close and personal experience with the impacts of bovine infectious disease outbreaks for some diseases of cattle that currently don’t exist in Canada. These foreign animal diseases, such as foot and mouth disease, are kept out of Canada only by the strength of our farm biosecurity and through the ongoing monitoring and reporting of any signs of concern to veterinary regulators for further investigation. Her experiences highlight the importance of vigilance and traceability in the cattle sector to ensure the health of our cattle and the security of our food systems.

WeCAHN Cattle Health Update: Beef cow-calf vaccination planning and decision tools

Dr. Joyce Van Donkersgoed, a beef veterinarian and epidemiologist, shares recent results from producer and veterinarian surveys regarding beef cattle vaccination. She also provides a number of beef health vaccination planning resources and decision-making tools developed by a research team of cattle experts to support the valid veterinary-client-patient relationship.
Links of Interest:
Vaccinating Your Beef Herd (Full playlist)
Administering Vaccines 
Vaccination Protocols and Records
Cleaning Equipment
Types of Vaccines and Mixing
Vaccine Transport and Storage
Vaccine Disposal
 

WeCAHN Swine Health Update: Biosecurity for Small Swine Herds

Dr. Jessica Law reviews biosecurity protocols that anyone raising backyard pigs can utilize to protect their livestock from disease. Dr. Law is a swine veterinarian who works with Prairie Livestock Veterinarians and she provides care and consultations for many backyard swine producers in western Canada.

WeCAHN Small Flock Poultry Health Update: Biosecurity Basics for Avian Influenza Prevention

Dr. Gigi Lin reviews simple steps that anyone raising poultry can put in place to protect their flocks from diseases, including avian influenza. Dr. Lin is a poultry veterinarian who works with Canadian Poultry Consultants and she provides care and consultations for many small flock poultry producers across the country. Whether you have 5 chickens in your backyard or 200 turkeys on farm – these tips on simple steps to protect your birds will be helpful now and in the future.

WeCAHN Small Ruminant Health Update: Zoonotic Diseases of Sheep and Goats

Dr. Fabienne Uehlinger, an Associate Professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan, provides an update  covering diseases of small ruminants that can be spread to people (zoonotic diseases). These diseases and their clinical signs should be on the radar for anyone working regularly with sheep or goats - producers and veterinarians alike. 

WeCAHN Cattle Health Update: Zoonotic Diseases of Cattle

Dr. Sylvia Checkley, veterinarian, epidemiologist and associate professor in ecosystem and public health at the University of Calgary, discusses the diseases of cattle that can be transmitted to people (zoonotic diseases). These should be on the radar for anyone working regularly with cattle or calves - producers and veterinarians alike.

WeCAHN Small Flock Poultry Health Update: Infectious Laryngotracheitis

Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) is an important disease that commonly affects backyard poultry flocks leading to significant illness and potentially mortalities within flocks. Dr. Teryn Girard, a poultry veterinarian, speaks with us to provide some excellent information on ILT, including common clinical signs, how to diagnose this disease, and some ways to prevent this infection and other diseases from infecting poultry.
Dr. Girard works with Prairie Swine Health Services and spends a significant portion of her time providing veterinary support to the poultry group within Cargill Animal Nutrition in Western Canada.  
Links of Interest: 
WeCAHN Smallholder resources
WeCAHN Poultry Network
WeCAHN Overview ILT Regulation and Diagnostics by Province

WeCAHN Swine Producer Update: Disease Threats and Maximizing Swine Health in Alternative Production Settings

If you are raising backyard pigs, heritage pig breeds, or swine in any type of alternative production setting, you need to tune into this WeCAHN swine producer update! Dr. Jessica Law, a swine veterinarian in Alberta, shares tips on disease threats that are specific to pigs raised in alternate production systems, how to set up a biosecurity and herd health plan for your herd, and how to connect with veterinary experts to help you raise healthy pigs from the start. You'll also learn about a major disease that threatens all pigs in Canada, and ways you can protect your pigs from this infection - African Swine Fever.