After our week of summer in March it seemed to take forever for real spring/ summer to arrive. Well it has come, as always, much to my delight. I don’t even care that the Senators are not playing hockey now. This is my favourite time of year, lengthening days with crops now in and aggressive farmers cutting hay. It wasn’t until I reviewed my correspondence file that I was reminded of the issues covered in the past few months. Following is a sample….we’ve been busy. At our last Executive meeting, George MacNaughton talked about DFO requirements necessary for producer reinstatement after shut-off due to SCC violation. Presently, veterinarian involvement is required in order that a producer be reinstated. George wanted this requirement removed and the Executive agreed. We felt that veterinary involvement should be optional. This would likely give a better result than if both parties were forced together. Following is our letter of support to the DFO. “At an Ontario Association of Bovine Practitioners (OABP) Executive meeting, April 17,2012, George MacNaughton presented the current requirements necessary to reinstate a DFO licensed producer that has been shut off due to SCC violation. Among those requirements were veterinary recommendations to be followed prior to and subsequent to re-instatement. It was suggested that veterinary involvement be removed as a necessity for re-instatement. A producer desiring veterinary help is always able to make contact with a veterinarian if they feel it necessary. Any commitment between producer and veterinarian will likely be much more amicable if DFO is not mandating this requirement. We, the Executive, of OABP support DFO’s decision to remove required veterinary involvement from SCC re-instatement.” In March, our position statement regarding VNHP’s was endorsed by the CABV. This was great news and allowed us to proceed with their support to our next step. This letter was sent to Ms. Nicole Sillett, National Program Coordinator of the CQM program. As mentioned in our last newsletter, we felt that it would be best to send this to Nicole who could then forward it on to the CQM-Technical Committee for review. I have received confirmation from Nicole that the Technical Committee has received the letter. We hope to hear back from them in the near future. The CVMA has asked membership for comments on their position statement regarding the own use importation (OUI) loophole. The original intent of OUI was to allow humans access to pharmaceuticals in the States and bring back three months worth under the Own Use clause. It was never meant to include livestock medications. The CVMA statement: Importation of Veterinary Products, and OABP’s letter of support with one point of concern to background statement #2, can be found on page 4 of this newsletter. (continued on page 2) June 2012 PRESIDENT’S mEssage— Dr. David Douglas Inside this issue: Quote of the Day Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what has to be done and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. -George Patton Ontario Association of Bovine Practitioners 2012 OABP Executive 2 President’s Message (cont’d) 2 Editor’s Notes 2 President’s Message (cont’d) 3 CVMA Statement 4 Support of CVMA Statement 4 OABP Fall CE 6 CQM Update 6 OVC Research Summary 7 4-H Calf Club Health Initiative 8 CABV Update 8 Adventures From The Field 9 Appreciation 10 Calendar Dates 10 Visit OABP online at www.oabp.ca UPDATE UPDATE
Transcript
After our week of summer in March it seemed to take forever for real spring/summer to arrive. Well it has come, as always, much to my delight. I don’t even carethat the Senators are not playing hockey now. This is my favourite time of year,lengthening days with crops now in and aggressive farmers cutting hay.
It wasn’t until I reviewed my correspondence file that I was reminded of theissues covered in the past few months. Following is a sample….we’ve been busy.
At our last Executive meeting, George MacNaughton talked about DFOrequirements necessary for producer reinstatement after shut-off due to SCC violation.Presently, veterinarian involvement is required in order that a producer be reinstated.George wanted this requirement removed and the Executive agreed. We felt thatveterinary involvement should be optional. This would likely give a better result than ifboth parties were forced together. Following is our letter of support to the DFO.
“At an Ontario Association of Bovine Practitioners (OABP) Executive meeting,April 17,2012, George MacNaughton presented the current requirements necessary toreinstate a DFO licensed producer that has been shut off due to SCC violation. Amongthose requirements were veterinary recommendations to be followed prior to andsubsequent to re-instatement.
It was suggested that veterinary involvement be removed as a necessity forre-instatement. A producer desiring veterinary help is always able to make contact witha veterinarian if they feel it necessary. Any commitment between producer andveterinarian will likely be much more amicable if DFO is not mandating thisrequirement.
We, the Executive, of OABP support DFO’s decision to remove requiredveterinary involvement from SCC re-instatement.”
In March, our position statement regarding VNHP’s was endorsed by the CABV.This was great news and allowed us to proceed with their support to our next step.This letter was sent to Ms. Nicole Sillett, National Program Coordinator of the CQMprogram. As mentioned in our last newsletter, we felt that it would be best to sendthis to Nicole who could then forward it on to the CQM-Technical Committee for review.I have received confirmation from Nicole that the Technical Committee has receivedthe letter. We hope to hear back from them in the near future.
The CVMA has asked membership for comments on their position statementregarding the own use importation (OUI) loophole. The original intent of OUI was toallow humans access to pharmaceuticals in the States and bring back three monthsworth under the Own Use clause. It was never meant to include livestock medications.The CVMA statement: Importation of Veterinary Products, and OABP’s letter of supportwith one point of concern to background statement #2, can be found on page 4of this newsletter.
(continued on page 2)
June 2012
PRESIDENT’ S mEssage— D r . D a v i d D o u g l a s
Inside this issue:
Quote of the Day
Never tell peoplehow to do things.
Tell them what hasto be done and they
will surprise youwith their ingenuity.
-George Patton
Ontario Association of
Bovine Practitioners
2012 OABP Executive 2
President’s Message (cont’d) 2
Editor’s Notes 2
President’s Message (cont’d) 3
CVMA Statement 4
Support of CVMA Statement 4
OABP Fall CE 6
CQM Update 6
OVC Research Summary 7
4-H Calf Club Health Initiative 8
CABV Update 8
Adventures From The Field 9
Appreciation 10
Calendar Dates 10
Visit OABP online at www.oabp.ca
UPDATEUPDATE
P A G E 2
Editor’s notes— D r . A d a m H a i g h t
I would like to start by welcoming Dr. Cynthia Miltenburg to the newsletter team! As always, if you have anycomments, questions, or suggestions, please contact myself, Cynthia, or Ruth Cudmore ([email protected]).
In this issue we have included a new section to the newsletter entitled, “Adventures from the Field...”. Ourfirst contributor was Dr. Stephen LeBlanc who spent a 5-month sabbatical in New Zealand. If you or one of yourcolleagues have spent time travelling, working, or volunteering on a food animal related project somewhere far awayor close to home, please submit a story which will be included in this section of the newsletter.
Finally, please find enclosed with this newsletter a report that was presented to the OABP Executive fromGeorge MacNaughton of the Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO). It highlights the current issues and challenges thatDFO is facing and has implications/information for bovine practitioners. - Adam
20 12 oabp executive
President: Dr. David Douglas1st Vice-President: Dr. Phil Meadows2nd Vice-President: Dr. Kelly BarrattSecretary: Dr. Ann GodkinTreasurer: Dr. Rob WalshPast-President: Dr. Lance Males
Directors: Dr. Jason Brownridge Dr. Adam Haight Dr. Cynthia MiltenburgDr. Chris Church Dr. Geert Jongert Dr. Tom WhealDr. Randy Graham Dr. Stephen LeBlanc Dr. Rob WalshDr. Kelly Haelzle Amanda Topp (OVC Student Representative)
PRESIDENT’ S MESSAGE ( c o n t ’ d )
We have initiated dialogue with the OSPCA. It is felt that there have been issues between the OSPCA and thelivestock industry related to protocol and inspector knowledge and training when investigating large animalcomplaints. Our discussions were initiated due to a request by one OABP member who felt that a particular case washandled poorly. Following is a portion of the letter which we wrote to the OSPCA. Parts of the letter pertaining to thecase have been omitted.
“Particular to the case in question is whether OSPCA inspectors are properly trained to assess varioussituations that might be encountered when assessing a large animal situation. We understand that the majority ofsociety, including OSPCA inspectors, are far removed from large animal agriculture and as such are unable toconsistently make informed decisions as to the state of animal health on farm. Inspectors need to understand theirlimitations, and utilize proper back-up when confronted with “unhealthy” livestock. We feel that if a veterinarian withknowledge of large animal husbandry was included to assist, before an order of compliance is issued, then potentiallyunnecessary orders and bad press could be avoided. A large animal veterinarian should be called to help eachinspector, when necessary, assess the conditions presented and offer opinion on the care and state of health of theanimals in question. At this point an order of compliance might or might not be issued.
We understand that training all inspectors to be equally competent in all aspects of livestock husbandry to bevery difficult. This would be due to the various backgrounds and ideals each inspector brings with them. It is ourhope that this letter brings the OSPCA to address potential problems and a thorough review of protocol. We believethat the OSPCA plays a critical role protecting the welfare of animals. At the same time each inspector’s experienceand training is different and it should be understood that the assessment of situations on farm may requireexperienced additional opinion directly from people involved more intimately with the industry. The Memorandum of
(continued on page 3)
P A G E 3J U N E 2 0 1 2
PRESIDENT’ S MESSAGE ( c o n t ’ d )
Understanding with the Dairy Farmers of Ontario is a great step in the right direction for farms with milk licenses.Farms with other livestock deserve the same consideration. We believe that inspector training and protocol should bereviewed and addressed. Thank you very much, in advance, for your attention to this matter. I hope this will furtherdialogue between our organizations.”
This letter was sent to the OSPCA Chief Inspector, Connie Mallory; the Executive Board; and finally The Hon-ourable Madeleine Meilleur, Minister of Community and Correctional Services. This Ministry oversees the OSPCA. Iheard from Connie immediately. Our discussion was good and Connie expressed a desire to improve relations withveterinarians and the OSPCA. We discussed inspector training which is mandatory. There is a large animal husbandryfive-day CE given to inspectors at the University of Guelph, Animal Science Department.
Connie proposed that she give a presentation to our Executive. This would cover protocols, OSPCA role, andsome myth-busting. We now feel that this meeting should be held with other groups including, equine, swine, poul-try, and small ruminants. This would allow for more feedback from a broad spectrum of the large animal veterinarysector. Our next Executive meeting will deal with this topic in more detail. One issue will be the role, if any, betweenOABP and OSPCA inspector training.
There has been some parliamentary pressure to create change in the OSPCA related to its power. One pri-vate members bill presented by Jack MacLaren was defeated in March. It does seem that the OSPCA is under intensescrutiny and now is a good time to be involved with discussions regarding change.
Finally, thanks very much to the CE committee for the great program presented at the year’s spring meet-ing. It takes a big commitment by all to put this together. And, thank you Ruth, our super behind the scenes co-ordinator.
“It’s said that all Scots have a sense of humour - it’s a free gift” - Dave
P A G E 4J U N E 2 0 1 2
CVMA Statement: Importation of Veterinary Products
PositionThe Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) holds that public health, food safety, animal health andanimal welfare are the priority considerations for determining which veterinary products can be imported andused in Canada.
The CVMA supports the licensing and approval process of veterinary products through Health Canada'sVeterinary Drug Directorate or the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
The CVMA supports the original intention of the Health Canada "own use importation" (OUI) policy that allowsfor importation of a 90-day supply of human-use drugs for personal use. The CVMA holds that the importationof unapproved Schedule F Part 2 veterinary drugs by livestock producers using a 'non-inclusionary loophole' ofthe OUI policy carries inherent risks.
The CVMA does not support the importation of veterinary products using the OUI policy loophole and their usewithin the confines of on-farm food safety or quality assurance programs (1-3).
BackgroundHealth Canada requires that all veterinary pharmaceuticals imported for sale, sold or advertised in Canadamust have a valid Drug Identification Number (DIN). The CVMA supports this federal regulation as it providesregulatory oversight for these products and contributes to public health, food safety, animal heath and animalwelfare.
The OUI policy was established to support human health by permitting individuals to import a 90-day supply ofa drug for their own personal use. Livestock producers access veterinary products through a 'loophole' in theOUI policy inferred by the "non-inclusionary" wording. The CVMA recommends legislative change that closesthe loophole in the OUI policy. Provisions should accommodate animals that are being imported and areaccompanied by an appropriate supply of properly labeled pharmaceuticals restricted to the use in theimported animals.
The CVMA supports the full enforcement of the Food and Drugs Act and associated Regulations. The Health ofAnimals Regulations require that veterinary biologics (vaccines, antibody products, diagnostic test kits) must besourced directly from a regulated manufacturing facility and imported under a Canadian Food Inspection ImportPermit. Veterinary biologics cannot be legally imported under the OUI policy.
The CVMA encourages a heightened awareness by the Canadian Border Services Agency as to the illegalimportation of Schedule F Part 1 (prescription) veterinary drugs.
Support of CVMA Position Statement—OUI
The Ontario Association of Bovine Practitioners (OABP) fully supports the CVMA position statementof the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) concerning the Importation of Veterinary Productsand the Own Use Importation exemption.
As pointed out in the CVMA Position Statement, the original intent of Own Use Importation (the OUIclause) was to allow the importation of small quantities of pharmaceuticals for human use. It was neverintended to allow the importation of pharmaceuticals for animal use. Importation of products for animaluse, for exceptional circumstances, is adequately covered by the Emergency Drug Release (EDR) program.
(continued on page 5)
When livestock producers use animal health products approved by Health Canada according to labelinstructions, it is with the assurance that meat and milk safety has been rigorously evaluated by Health Canada.Products imported through the OUI loophole have not undergone Health Canada scrutiny and as such posepotential risks to the meat and milk industry both in food safety and consumer confidence.
At present, Ontario is enrolling dairy producers in the Canadian Quality Milk program. The role of thisprogram is to help ensure Canadian consumers that the dairy products they purchase are safe and of highquality. Ontario veterinarians have confidence in animal health products purchased in Canada bearing DrugIdentification Numbers (DIN) issued by Health Canada. Such is not the case with products purchased andbrought into Canada through the OUI loophole.
We are concerned with the statement in the CVMA position statement "Provisions should accommodateanimals that are being imported and are accompanied by an appropriate supply of properly labelled pharmaceuti-cals restricted to the use in the imported animals". We feel that this statement leaves room for abuse to occur.The statement should be rephrased to make it clear that only individual companion animals, returning fromextended stays in another country or permanently entering Canada, may enter Canada with accompanyingprescribed animal drugs licensed in a country other than Canada, in sufficient amount to cover a reasonable timeperiod until they can access product from a Canadian veterinarian.
It is the strong opinion of OABP that steps should be taken to close the OUI "loophole", which currentlyallows products not licensed in Canada to be imported and used in Canadian food producing animals and horses.
Sincerely,Dr. David DouglasOABP, President
P A G E 5J U N E 2 0 1 2
The CE committee is in the final stages of planning the fall meeting. Our theme will becentered on technologies like robotic milking and pregnancy diagnostic testing. We hope tocontinue the popular student case competition as well. We will have the complete line-up ofspeakers and topics ready for the September newsletter. Watch for more details in the comingmonths as we finalize the meeting agenda.
Mark November 14th and 15th on your calendar. See you in November!
P A G E 6J U N E 2 0 1 2
Canadian quality milk (CQM) update—D r . K e l l y B a r r a t t
We are now over six months into the CQM roll-out in Ontario. So far, 683 producers havereached their assigned validation date. Of these, 74% passed on their validation date. Thissuccess rate is consistent with Ontario’s historical Grade A compliance rate. Just five producershave been penalized for not becoming CQM validated. None of the producers that were underpenalty had received any training about the program. DFO attributes this high success rate inpart to the work done by veterinarians both as CQM Advisors and in their general support of theCQM program. Keep up the great work!
To date, the main reasons producers are accumulating demerits include:
Failure to record all corrective actions relating to the Time Temperature Recorder (TTR); Not following the label directions for medications or not having a veterinary prescription to
allow the extra- label use of medications on the farm; Not having a sufficient Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for medicated feed, and Not having a sufficient Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the shipping of treated
animals or those with broken needles.
These deficiencies may give you an idea of areas to examine carefully with other producers asthey prepare for their validation.
With regards to program administration, to better meet the needs of veterinary CQMAdvisors, the OABP Executive has developed a committee to deal with any issues that may arisewhile navigating through the logistics of the CQM program. This committee will act as a liaisonbetween veterinarians and the DFO to resolve issues related to payment, access to generalinformation relating to the program, further training opportunities, etc. If you have anyquestions, concerns, or suggestions regarding the CQM Program and the role of veterinaryadvisors, please contact one of the following committee members:
OABP Fall continuing education meeting— D r . P h i l M e a d o w s
P A G E 7J U N E 2 0 1 2
OVC research summary
Risk factors and effects of postpartum anovulation in dairy cowsDubuc J, Duffield TF, Leslie KE, Walton JS, LeBlanc SJ.Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph
AbstractThe objectives were to identify risk factors for and to quantify the effect of postpartum anovulation on reproductive performancein dairy cows. Data from 2,178 Holstein cows in 6 commercial herds enrolled in a randomized clinical trial were used. Data on peri-parturient disease incidence, calving history, and body condition score were collected. Cows were examined at wk 5 postpartumfor reproductive tract disease; cytological endometritis was defined as ≥6% polymorphonuclear cells in endometrial cytology, andpurulent vaginal discharge was defined as the presence of mucopurulent or purulent vaginal discharge. Cows were followed until300 d in milk (DIM) for reproductive performance. Serum nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) concentration was measured once
during the week before expected calving.Serum β-hydroxybutyrate, NEFA, andhaptoglobin were measured at wk 1, 2,and 3 postpartum. Serum progesterone(P4) was measured at wk 3, 5, 7, and 9postpartum. The end of the postpartumanovulation period was defined as the firstsampling time at which P4 was >1 ng/mL.Statistical analyses were performed usinglogistic regression models and Coxproportional hazard models. Theprevalence of anovulation was 72, 44, 26,and 17% at wk 3, 5, 7, and 9, respec-tively. Cows were classified according totheir ovulatory status as having lutealfunction at 21 DIM (Cyc21), as having lowP4 at 21 DIM but having luteal function atleast once at 35 or 49 or 63 DIM (Cyc63),or being anovulatory at 63 DIM (Anov63;no samples with P4 >1 ng/mL). Factorsassociated with early ovulation (Cyc21)included season, parity, decreasedhaptoglobinemia, and decreased serumNEFA concentration before and afterparturition. Risk factors for prolongedanovulation (Anov63) included cytologicalendometritis, increased haptoglobinemia,and greater serum NEFA concentrationsbefore and after parturition. Cowsclassified as Anov63 had an increasedmedian time to first breeding comparedwith Cyc63 (74.1 vs. 73.2 d). The effect ofprolonged postpartum anovulation onmedian time to pregnancy was conditionalon parity group; a detrimental effect waspresent in cows of parity ≥3 (129 d forCyc21, 151 d for Cyc63, and 180 d forAnov63), but no effect was observed incows of parity ≤2. Overall, these findingssuggest that postpartum anovulation wasassociated with indicators of energybalance and uterine inflammation, andwith detrimental effects on reproductiveperformance.
P A G E 8J U N E 2 0 1 2
Following joint meetings between representatives from OABP, 4-H Ontario, EastGen and OntarioHolstein, a calf health subcommittee of OABP members met in March and April to develop calf healthguidelines for 4-H calf clubs. The objectives of the calf health initiative are to ensure that only healthycalves are used for 4-H projects, achievement days and calf shows and that education about a standard-ized health policy is disseminated across Ontario. For 2012, education about the health policy is intendedto prepare participants for more stringent enforcement. Committee members are Rex Crawford, ChristieMorrow, Tim Henshaw and Ann Godkin.
Three documents were developed from the committee’s recommendations. The documents,approximately six pages, are being included in EastGen’s 2012 show information packages. EastGen is themajor sponsor of 4-H championship shows across Ontario. The three documents can also be found on the4-H website under “May 2012 Policy Updates” at http://www.4-hontario.ca/file.aspx?id=a7c51644-1408-4a93-aafb-c1801254fb1e
We would like to encourage OABP members to become familiar with the calf health policy and toassist local 4-H leaders by giving presentations about calf health to 4-H calf club participants. 4-Hparticipants need to learn to recognize common conditions, understand why calves with those conditionsshould not be brought to shows or mixed with calves from other farms, and to plan now for remedies toproblems like ringworm, warts and lice. The policy also strongly recommends that all club calves bevaccinated well ahead of the show season according to the herd veterinarians’ recommendations.
There is a prepared PowerPoint on the OABP website (posted as a PDF file) to give you back-ground and help you to prepare any presentations you might be asked to give. The actual PPT file isavailable from Ann Godkin. The PowerPoint is too large to send by email, however if you send an email toAnn she will arrange for it to be transferred to you over the internet using a file transfer protocol.
We hope OABP members will be able to provide a wide network of knowledgeable experts foreducating potential 4-H show participants and their leaders about basic biosecurity measures and the needto control contagious disease prior to mixing cattle.
4 -H calf club health init iat ive for summer 20 12— D r . A n n G o d k i n
cabv UPDATE— D r . P h i l M e a d o w s
The CABV Executive is in the process of providing feedback to the Canadian Veterinary MedicalAssociation (CVMA) on their position statement regarding Own Use Imports (OUI). This document will besent from the CVMA to the appropriate Federal government agency and the Border Patrol Agency.
The CVMA National Issues Committee will be sending comments back to CFIA regarding the MeatInspection Regulation changes, in particular the section that allows for anti-mortem inspection and killingof compromised/fractious animals on farm and then transport to Federal plants for processing. The CVMAhas invited the CABV to also comment on these regulation changes. We will be formulating a responseover the coming weeks.
Remember, the CABV website contains some CQM information and documents including a currentlist of Acceptable Animal Health Products. Follow this link to directly access this: www.cabv.ca/cqmprogramm.php?id=29.
For more details about our activities, please visit our web site at www.cabv.ca.
P A G E 9J U N E 2 0 1 2
Kiwi Veterinary ExperienceDr. Stephen LeBlanc, Population Medicine, OVC
As part of a sabbatical I had the privilege to live and work in New Zealand for five months last year.My family and I lived in Morrinsville, just east of Hamilton, in the heart of the dairy industry. With 4.5 milliondairy cows in NZ, they slightly outnumber people, and the dairy industry is a major economic force in thecountry. Production is almost entirely seasonal, with Spring calving (mid-July into September) and heavyreliance on perennial ryegrass pasture. About 95% of dairy production is for export. Producers are paid formilk solids (fat and protein only; last year was their best ever at about $8 NZ per kg of solids (= $6.40 CAN) –in bad years the price can be $5-6 NZ/kg). The cows are smaller than ours (Friesians and Jerseys) and cross-breds are common. Good peak production may be 2 kg solids/cow/day. Producers tend to consider produc-tion per hectare of pasture as well as per cow. Pastures are managed intensively and cows move at leastevery day to a new paddock. The target is to put cows in with about 2800 kg DM/hectare and have the cowseat it down evenly to 1500 kg/ha. Depending on the weather and grass growth, the “rounds” are about 4weeks or so until the paddock is grazed again. Most farms grow a small amount of corn silage and makewrapped round bales of pasture silage when the growth rates are more than the cows can eat (usually inOctober).
Veterinary work reflects the seasonal system. There is no routine herd health in the way that we knowit. Well managed herds may do preg checks twice a year (12 weeks after the start of AI) and again 5-6 weeksafter the bulls come out. However, there are recent but well established national reproduction, udder health,and lameness health management and benchmarking schemes from which we could learn and borrow. Otherthan in urban centres, most vets are at least mixed practitioners and many do all dairy. There are several verylarge practices on both the North and South Islands focussed on dairy practice, including the one where I wasbased: Anexa Animal Health had 10 clinics and 36 vets, mostly doing dairy. To illustrate the density of farmsand concentration in the seasonal system, as part of a research trial, we Metrichecked over 16,000 cows in 2.5weeks and never drove more than 30 minutes to get to a farm. Clinics often run a “Calving Cup” during calvingseason with points earned for progressively undesirable jobs: pulls, torsions, prolapses, and “Caesars”. Afterdealing with calving and “metabolics” (hypomagnesemia and milk fever), work shifts to pre-mating Metricheck-ing and treatment, and treatment of non-cyclers (no heat detected during the 3-4 weeks before the start ofmating, using tail paint) with synchronization and a progesterone device for timed AI at the first day of AI.Once the 4 to 6 week AI period starts (first week of October), things settle down for the vets until preg testingstarts just before Christmas. Average herd size on North Island is 300 cows (and up to 800), and herds on theSouth Island are larger on average, and preg testing means all the cows at once, standing on a platform in theparlour. So, kiwi vets routinely use arm-out ultrasound (probe on a simple rod that goes in rectally) to scanand stage pregnancies. Confirmations and final checks after the end of the 10 to 12 week mating period wrapup by the end of March and cows are dry by early May. In fact, once-a-day milking later in the milking seasonis reasonably common for thin cows or if grass growth ispoor.
New Zealand lacks: barns for cows, fat cows, self-locking head gates, displaced abomasums, udder prep ofany kind for milking, straight roads, guard rails on roadswith sheer drops, hockey (real hockey, not field hockey!),and Tim Hortons. New Zealand has an abundance of:beautiful scenery, hills, beaches, mountains, rugby, can-dospirit, and the kindest most unpretentious people you willever meet.
Promoting bovine medicine for theVeterinary Practitioners of Ontario
ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OFBOVINE PRACTITIONERS
We’re on the Web!
www.oabp.ca
P A G E 10
July 11 to 14 64th Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) Convention,Fairmont the Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montreal, Quebec.www.canadianveterinarians.com
September 20 to 22 45th Annual Conference of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, MontrealConvention Centre, Montreal, Quebec. www.aabp.org/meeting/conference.asp
October 13 to 16 CanWest Veterinary Conference, Banff, Alberta. Hosted by the Alberta VeterinaryMedical Association. www.canwestconference.ca
October 24 to 26 Dairy Cattle Welfare Symposium, Delta Hotel and Conference Centerand University of Guelph, Guelph. www.dairycattlewelfaresymposium.ca
October 25 & 26 Central Canada Veterinary Association Fall Conference, Strathmere Inn, North Gower,Ontario. Contact Jan Shapiro at [email protected]
November 14 & 15 OABP Fall Continuing Education Meeting, Holiday Inn, Guelphwww.oabp.ca
Dates to mark on your calendar….. .
appreciation
Thank-you to the Bovine Education Trust for providing thisfunding to help with the costs associated with external elec-tives! My classmates and I found all found external electivesprovided us with tremendous learning opportunities, and ap-preciate your efforts to make them less cost prohibitive. Iused the stipend to attend the Cornell Milk Quality Electivein Ithaca, New York. This 2 week rotation was composed oflectures, laboratory work (microbiology and Dairy Comp305), farm visits and presentations. A major component ofthis rotation was completing a milk quality work-up for alarge herd, where we used farm visits to evaluate the milkingequipment, the parlour routine, teat ends etc., in addition toDairy Comp 305 data. I enjoyed this rotation immensely,and felt very lucky to be able to learn from some of the lead-ers in area of milk quality. Thanks again for the financialsupport to be able to attend this elective, it provided me withsome excellent cased based learning experiences, skills,and knowledge. Thanks again!
