Have You Herd? AABP PodCasts

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Frank White, Beef Cattle Technical Consultant with Elanco Animal Health. This episode of Have You Herd? is sponsored by Elanco Animal Health. As pastures transition into late fall and winter, forage quality and digestibility decline. White discusses what happens in the plant during this phase of pasture transition, especially in terms of digestibility of the forage, protein intake and mineral levels. This is a critical time for veterinarians to review the protein requirements of the cow to set her up for a successful calving season and providing nutrients for the calf through lactation. White states that “when the forage is brown, lay the supplement down” as a way to engage producers into evaluating supplementation needs.  Veterinarians should work with producers to body condition score cows to ensure they have a successful calving and breed back season. Producers should also utilize forage testing to determine how much and what type of supplement is needed to meet the protein, energy and mineral requirements for a successful calving and ability to rear the calf through weaning. White also discusses the role of stockpiling and rotational grazing to reduce winter feed costs and supplement where needed to conserve financial resources and maximize return on investment.  For more information or for assistance from the Elanco technical services team, visit https://www.elanco.com/us or contact your local Elanco representative.  

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Manuel Chamorro, Professor of Food Animal Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Auburn University. Chamorro was a lead investigator on a project funded by the AABP Foundation in 2023. Find all AABP Foundation funded projects at this link. The AABP Foundation funds projects that are clinically relevant to practicing veterinarians and are funded entirely by member donations. If you would like to support the AABP Foundation, go to this page. This podcast was developed by the AABP Beef Health Management Committee. AABP members who are interested in beef medicine are welcome to join the committee by going to this page. Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) continues to be a threat to animal health in the cow-calf and dairy industry. Early detection and removal of persistently infected (PI) calves is important. Exposure of PI calves to other herd animals can lead to reproductive losses and also increase the risk for infectious diseases such as bovine respiratory disease complex. While vaccination and biosecurity remain and important part of prevention programs, identification and removal of PI calves is important for herd health. Chamorro states that there is evidence that colostral immunity may impact the reliability of identifying positive animals depending on the age of sample collection and testing.Chamorro discusses the results of this project which demonstrated that high concentrations of BVD specific immunity derived from colostrum showed interference with test results if the test is performed at less than 7 days of age. The sample type can also influence test reliability in the face of colostral immunity. Serum samples at less than 7 days of age can have up to 100% false negative results on the BVD ELISA SNAP test, while ear notch samples can show up to 40% false negative rates depending on levels of BVD specific colostral immunity.  Chamorro states that the BVD ELISA SNAP test is an easy, reliable, fast and low-cost test that can be utilized in practice to identify PI calves. However, it is important for veterinarians to work with producers to develop testing protocols that address the timing of sample collection and testing to minimize the impact of colostral immunity on test reliability.  The AABP Foundation is currently accepting requests for proposals for the 2027 research grant funding. The application period closes on November 20 at 5 pm Eastern time. For more information, go to this link.  Citation:Saucedo, Miguel, Manuel F. Chamorro, Thomas Passler, Laura Huber, Shari Kennedy, Jenna E. Bayne, Paul H. Walz, Scott Silvis, Alice S. Becker, and Shollie Falkenberg. Colostrum-derived immunity reduces detection of calves persistently infected with bovine viral diarrhea virus by common diagnostic tests. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2026;264(2):202-210. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.25.06.0397  

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by the two AABP members on the ballot for the 2027 Vice President Election. Dr. John Groves is a private practice veterinarian from Missouri and Dr. Becky Funk is on faculty at University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Nebraska.  The ballot is open for voting members of AABP to cast their votes by December 18 at 5 pm eastern time. The candidate with the most votes will be seated as the AABP Vice President after the annual business meeting in Louisville, Kentucky on September 18, 2027.  The AABP Vice President will serve four years on the Executive Committee as a member of the Board of Directors and is the only national election for the organization. The Vice President plans the preconference seminars for the 2028 annual conference, serves as the program chair during the President-Elect year, serves as president for the organization in their third year on the Executive Committee and as past president the final year.  Please cast your vote, view candidate bios, and videos of their presentations at the 2026 Minneapolis conference on the ballot page at this link. 

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Rod Martin, an independent consultant and dairy nutritionist. Martin also has extensive experience as a technical support specialist with Protekta in the use of X-Zelit. This episode of Have You Herd? was developed by the AABP Nutrition Committee. Prevention of hypocalcemia in dairy cows continues to be important and Martin reviews the historical preventive strategies including feeding low calcium diets to prefresh cows and the use of dietary cation-anion difference diets (DCAD). X-Zelit is a phosphorous binder that uses a different approach to manage and prevent hypocalcemia. Martin reviews the primary considerations veterinarians should understand to help clients utilize X-Zelit in their pre-fresh diets including feeding rates, minimum and maximum days to feed, use in primiparous cattle, and monitoring.  If you are interested in beef or dairy nutrition, we encourage you to join the AABP Nutrition Committee. Find information at this link.  X-Zelit feeding chart: https://aabp.org/resources/2026/X-Zelit_Quick_Reference_2025.pdfWalter Grünberg. Phosphorus Metabolism During Transition. Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract. 2023;39(2):261-274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvfa.2023.02.002. Frizzarini W, Monteiro P, Campolina J, et al. Mechanisms by which feeding synthetic zeolite A and dietary cation-anion difference diets affect mineral metabolism in multiparous Holstein cows: Part I. J Dairy Sci. 2024;107:5204-5221.https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2024-24056 Frizzarini W, Campolina J, Vang A, et al., Mechanisms by which feeding synthetic zeolite A and dietary cation-anion difference diets affect feed intake, energy metabolism, and milk performance: Part II. J Dairy Sci. 2024;107:5222-5234.https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2024-24057 Kerwin A, Ryan C, Leno B, et al. Effects of feeding synthetic zeolite A during the prepartum period on serum mineral concentration, oxidant status, and performance of multiparous Holstein cows. J Dairy Sci. 2019;102:5191-5207.https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2019-16272   

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Doug Shane, Veterinary Technical Support with Sol-Vet and a state senator in Kansas. This episode is sponsored by Cornerstone Animal Health. Officially launched in 2026, CattleZen® is a new cattle stress management tool designed to help producers maintain calmer, healthier beef and dairy cattle. CattleZen is a proprietary blend of maternal bovine-appeasing substance and a calming pheromone that, when applied just above the muzzle, stimulates a calming effect. This patented blend of two pheromones delivers fast-acting and sustained calming through the animal’s sensory system to help cattle stay calmer during common stressors such as weaning, vaccination, transportation or weather changes. CattleZen also enhances cattle welfare, minimizing the impact of stressful events while improving safety for both animals and handlers. Its easy, single-site application features a higher concentration, lower-volume dose designed for strong detection and consistent results.  Dr. Shane discusses the use of this product and reviews the results of trials performed by SolVet to demonstrate some of the clinical applications that veterinarians can discuss with producers. For more information, visit the CattleZen home page at https://cattlezen.com/home. You can also download a technical brief on the use of CattleZen for beef-on-dairy calves at this link. 

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Aaron Pospisil to discuss the mental health benefits of spending time in nature. This episode was developed by the AABP Mental Health and Well Being Committee. If you are interested in joining the AABP Mental Health and Well Being Committee, please visit the committee page here.  This episode of Have You Herd? is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim and Pyramid® vaccines. When it comes to bovine respiratory disease — BRD — your calves need protection as soon as possible. Because calf health is everything, choose a vaccine as premier as your herd. PYRAMID® vaccines deliver relentless protection against the primary viruses and bacteria that lead to BRD — like BVDV Type 1b, BRSV and Mannheimia haemolytica — even in the face of maternal antibodies. Get Relentless Protection at PyramidVaccines.com. Pospisil shares his personal story of mental health struggles and burnout that led to suicidal thoughts. He discovered the Buckeye Trail in Ohio and set out a goal of hiking the trail and discovered the benefits to his mental health hiking with his family. We discuss some triggers that veterinarians may experience in practice, how these change over time and the generational differences regarding our veterinary medicine identity and stressors.  Pospisil reviews some of the published research on the benefits to our mental health of experiencing nature which is known as the biophilia hypothesis. There are multiple opportunities for ambulatory veterinarians to pause during the day to experience and appreciate their surroundings and the dose can be as low as 20 minutes per week to see benefits. Sharing favorite hikes and outdoor activities is a great way to collaborate and network as colleagues to support our mental health and well-being.  LINKS: Aaron Pospisil Photography Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/PospisilPhotography Jimenez, M.P.; DeVille, N.V.; Elliott, E.G.; Schiff, J.E.; Wilt, G.E.; Hart, J.E.; James, P. Associations between Nature Exposure and Health: A Review of the Evidence. Int. J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18:4790. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094790 Zhang, Z.; Ye, B.; Yang, W.; Gao, Y. Effect of Nature Space on Enhancing Humans’ Health and Well-Being: An Integrative Narrative Review. Forests. 2024;15:100. https://doi.org/10.3390/f15010100 Ruirui Zhu, Liyun Yuan, Yanting Pan, Yefan Wang, Danping Xiu, Weiyi Liu. Effects of natural sound exposure on health recovery: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sci Total Environ. 2024;921. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171052. Gaekwad JS, Sal Moslehian A, Roös PB, Walker A. A Meta-Analysis of Emotional Evidence for the Biophilia Hypothesis and Implications for Biophilic Design. Front Psychol. 2022;13:750245. PMID: 35693493; PMCID: PMC9186521.  https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.750245 The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier and More Creative by Florence Williams: https://florencewilliams.com/the-nature-fix/ 

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Jackie Graber, chair of the AABP Mental Health and Well-Being Committee and clinical assistance professor at Large Animal Field Services at Tufts University, and Dr. Laurie Fonken, a counselor and consultant in the area of health and well-being for veterinarians for over 35 years.  This episode of Have You Herd? is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim and Pyramid® vaccines. When it comes to bovine respiratory disease — BRD — your calves need protection as soon as possible. Because calf health is everything, choose a vaccine as premier as your herd. PYRAMID® vaccines deliver relentless protection against the primary viruses and bacteria that lead to BRD — like BVDV Type 1b, BRSV and Mannheimia haemolytica — even in the face of maternal antibodies. Get Relentless Protection at PyramidVaccines.com. The AABP Mental Health and Well-Being Committee developed two surveys, one in 2023 and one in 2025. Find the results of the surveys on this page. The goal was to understand how important mental health was to veterinarians, any stigmas associated with mental health, and challenges or obstacles to treatment that veterinarians encounter. Graber walks through some of the key findings in comparing the responses to both surveys. One notable point was that stigma as an obstacle to mental health treatment declined from 60% of respondents in 2023 to 42% of respondents in 2025. Access to care for mental health services and time available to seek care continues to be an obstacle for rural veterinarians and Fonken discusses opportunities with virtual care access in rural communities. We also discuss the apparent disconnect between employers and employees on mental health support in the workplace and solutions to addressing burnout in new graduates. The AABP Mental Health and Well-Being Committee continues to provide resources for AABP members and welcomes interested AABP members to join the committee. Anyone interested in participating can email [email protected] for information. Find the resources from the committee on this page. We also encourage donations to the mental health fund within the AABP Foundation. The fund is used to provide resources, speakers and CE opportunities about mental health and well-being. Donate to the fund, or any fund in the AABP Foundation, at this link. 

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich provides a report on the 59th AABP Annual Conference held in Minneapolis, Minn. August 27-29. This episode is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim and the Pyramid line of vaccines.  When it comes to bovine respiratory disease — BRD — your calves need protection as soon as possible. Because calf health is everything, choose a vaccine as premier as your herd.PYRAMID® vaccines deliver relentless protection against the primary viruses and bacteria that lead to BRD — like BVDV Type 1b, BRSV and Mannheimia haemolytica — even in the face of maternal antibodies. Get Relentless Protection at PyramidVaccines.com. Gingrich reports that there were 909 attendees at the conference including 269 students, 8 registered veterinary technicians, 56 accompanying persons and 18 families utilizing the childcare room. There were 79 exhibits in the trade show with nearly 300 booth representatives. Overall ratings and feedback for the conference was excellent with 90% of respondents reporting a great or good conference experience.  AABP members will have access to the recordings from the conference within the next few weeks through our members-only free CE portal found here. All upcoming CE events from AABP can be found under the continuing education menu of the AABP website. Attendees of the conference can still take the survey to provide suggestions for the 60th AABP Annual Conference held in Louisville, Ky. September 16-18, 2027. Planning will take place on November 14.  

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Meredith Jones, a 2008 graduate of North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. After spending time in emergency practice, Jones is now a certified financial planner and student loan consultant. This episode of Have You Herd? is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim, manufacturers of Pyramid ® vaccines.  On a beef operation, risk is everywhere. When it comes to bovine respiratory disease — BRD — your calves need protection as soon as possible. Because calf health is everything, choose a vaccine as premier as your herd. PYRAMID® vaccines deliver relentless protection against the primary viruses and bacteria that lead to BRD — like BVDV Type 1b, BRSV and Mannheimia haemolytica — even in the face of maternal antibodies.  Get Relentless Protection at PyramidVaccines.com. Jones discusses the first decision for borrowers to make is if they will enroll in a traditional pay to zero repayment plan or a loan forgiveness plan called Income Driven Repayment (IDR). There are several IDR plans and recent federal legislation changed these plans and we walk through each of them. Jones also offers financial advice such as saving for a potential tax liability on the forgiven portion of the loan, saving for retirement and not delaying major life plans while on a loan repayment program. She also offers advice for how to lower your monthly payment and how your tax filing status can also influence your monthly payment. Jones also discusses the opt mistakes she sees borrowers make when they are enrolled in a loan repayment program.  Borrowers should consider utilizing the expertise of a loan consultant and financial planner to help the navigate the plan best suited to their needs as well as receiving the benefits of financial planning. Jones can be contacted at one of the links below or search for the Veterinary Financial Podcast or the Facebook group Debt Free Vets.  Links:https://allvetfinancial.comhttps://vinfoundation.org/resources/student-debt-center/ 

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich provides details and logistics for attendees of the 59th AABP Annual Conference in Minneapolis, Minn. August 27-29, 2026. This episode of Have You Herd? is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim, manufacturers of BOVIKALC ®.  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. For more information, visit this link.  The theme of the conference, created by the program committee working under the leadership of AABP President-Elect Dr. Mark Hilton, is “Developing Practices of Excellence”. Gingrich provides information on the CE sessions and events that will take place at the conference. He also provides information on how to travel from the airport to the downtown hotel area, which is about 12 miles. Registration and conference sessions will be in the Minneapolis Convention Center. Committee meetings, clinical forum breakfast meetings, and preconference seminars will be in the Hilton Minneapolis downtown hotel.  Make sure to download the YAPP app before arriving to view the conference schedule and session descriptions or you can find them online under the Continuing Education menu at this link. The city of Minneapolis has also created an attendee information webpage found here. This includes information about taking the light rail to the hotel area and a restaurant guide.  Thank you to all our sponsors, volunteers and the AABP staff for your work in planning this conference.