VetZone Podcasting

Learn the three types of scientific bias, how to recognize them, why they impact your perception, and, most importantly, what this all has to do with oysters!

What are the genetic mechanisms of a pandemic? Let's recap 2020, influenza, and our current pandemic virus.

Where do you like your drugs? Learn about how topical location affects absorption - whether skin cream, handling substances, or inadvertent pesticide exposure. Learn how this ties into Bicycle Day and whether you should celebrate it or not!

Thanksgiving is a great time of year but if foodborne illness is present, it is not fun at all! Learn the safe and easy tips to stay safe this year! 

This short podcast reviews Odds versus Probability and Odds Ratios versus Relative Risk. Learn why you should care!

In some parts of the country, fall has arrived.  Unfortunately, in South Texas, we never really make the transition to fall colors, pumpkin spice, or crisp sunrises.  What we settle for instead, is cooling weather and decreasing hordes of blood thirsty mosquitoes.  These aerial vampires not only cause intense irritation and itching from bites, they also transmit many serious diseases.

In our last podcast, we introduced our listeners to the basics of farmed Pacific white shrimp.  First reported this year, IHHNV was not the first shrimp FAD to occur in the US. 

When we discuss foreign animal diseases, we usually think of mammals, with the occasional bird outbreak.  But, in the field of veterinary medicine, we treat all species. 

Let's take a quick look into what p-values are and most importantly, what they can and cannot tell us. P-values help guide us on the path, make sure it truly the path you wish to go down. A must-listen for anyone reading scientific journals. 

Vacation season draws to a close.  School will soon start back.  Many people enjoyed a relaxing getaway, and perhaps stayed in a nice hotel.  In the recent outbreak of pneumonia in Atlanta, Georgia, we are reminded that occasionally people come home from vacation with more than a tan and some great memories.

After this podcast, you will want all of your DNA served with a light crop dusting as well! Learn about one of nature's ingenious safety mechanisms regarding DNA. It is fun and no fart sounds,  we promise. ;)

As one of Batman's enemies, Poison Ivy portrays an educational analogy on Cell Mediated Immunity (CMI), hapten toxins, and Type IV Hypersensitivity. Learn where Batman fits into this picture and much, much more.  

Algae live everywhere and are often harmless.  However, some cause severe disease in unsuspecting swimmers, anglers, and pescatarians. 

Most horse owners know to check their hay for quality, but do you also know to check for little striped, beetles?

Every civilization depends on clean drinking water.  Do you know the steps required for treating drinking water and wastewater?

Imagine a beautiful summer evening.  You are sitting in your chair, listening to the birds and watching deer move in.  Such a peaceful, serene, relaxing evening.  Now, imagine the same idyllic scene with no deer. 

There are hundreds of species of malaria. How many infect people? How many will it kill? How can Nietzsche help us? Learn all of this and more in the third installment of malaria vaccines!

The US is currently battling another foreign animal disease outbreak.  Last week, vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) was identified in two horses in south Texas and one in New Mexico.

In this second part to the new malaria vaccine, Mosquirix, we dive into some intricacies of the vaccine and review some common vaccine terms along the way. We even dispell a common veterinary vaccine myth. Fun stuff!

We are going to step back from the normal informational post and test your foreign animal disease (FAD) knowledge.  This post’s onus stems from my recent trip to Plum Island Animal Disease Center.  I was struck by each disease’s clinical signs, and how easily I would have inadvertently mis-diagnosed a FAD in practice.

What is a Go Bag? Can you and your pets leave your house in a disaster in 30 minutes or less? Why would you need to? Learn how to easily, quickly and inexpensively make you and your pet's Go Bag today! 

Lengthening days and warmer weather bring spring storms.  With tornado season upon us, now is the time to go through your Go Bag, update medications, swap out for warm weather clothing, and update documents.

Why did it take more than 50 years to make a vaccine against malaria? It kills hundreds of thousands of children every year, but solutions have been slow to manifest. In this quick intro, we will cover the lifecycle that makes vaccine generation a challenge. 

How to do you save the human race by vaccinating a species who can't make antibodies? Sound crazy? Two doctors from Finland have figured a way. 

Ever wonder about how clean a public pool or water park is? Even a nice looking one? Learn more here and while we're at it we will talk about Cryptosporidium.

Sand fleas and beach fleas, jigger or chigger? Red bugs or bed bugs. Who do you figure? Can ya tell ‘em apart just by who’s bigger? Not so easy, not so fast. To learn all about them, listen to our podcast!

What are the risks of petting zoos? Should you go and bring your children, or not? Let's explore the realistic risks and solutions regarding petting zoos.

Wondering how to evaluate vaccine efficacy? This is a MUST LISTEN! Learn about what preventive fraction is and why it is so important, helpful, and indeed flawed.

Beyond CDT and Rabies, there are so many to choose from? Which do I need? Any? Let's cover these optional and largely situational vaccines.

In our fourth and final installment of prion diseases, we will discuss probably the most familiar of the TSEs: bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).  Most cases occur in the United Kingdom, but the disease has been found in Japan, Canada, the US, and across Europe. 

In our third installment of prion diseases, we will discuss the oldest of the TSEs: scrapie.  First described in Great Britain in the 1750s, scrapie can now be found worldwide, expect for Australia and New Zealand.  Scrapie affects sheep, goats, and their close relatives.  Scrapie received its name from the intense pruritis that affected animals exhibit.        

White tail season closed last week.  Hopefully, the season was successful for those who endured endless hours of scouting, fine tuning scopes and bows, and freezing in blinds.  Many families rely on this meat through the winter.  Proper food handling practices make this a good source of protein.  However, in some areas of the US, there is a potentially zoonotic disease lurking in the deer population. 

Is vaccinating your backyard goats in the US today a waste of time and money? What exactly are the risks to rabies in the US? Let's jump into the VetZone and explore this important topic!

A family of diseases caused by a little known agent is making a steady march across the US.  One form of this disease is centuries old in Europe, while another is only a few decades old here in the US.  Only mammals are affected, which includes humans.  The disease can neither be treated or vaccinated against.    

This podcasts conclude the review on the core vaccine of goats known as CDT. Learn about tetanus and the vaccine used to protect us. 

It has been raining here for almost 36 hours.  This has been one of the wettest fall/winter seasons in recent years.  While good news for pasture regrowth, any livestock in confinement are at risk of foot rot.  Similar to thrush or white line disease in horses, foot rot in ruminants results from a wet environment contaminated with manure.

Hopefully after Dr. Lee’s series of Goatcasts, you are seriously entertaining the thought of adding goats to your operation. There are many benefits to having goats, ranging from pasture management to home-raised milk.  However, there is a particular zoonotic disease to remember.

What happens when equine feet are neglected, or environmental conditions are less than ideal?  The hoof is under constant assault from arid conditions, wet conditions, bacteria, fungi, and physical trauma.  We will continue to address common hoof diseases here.

An overeating vaccine? Sound too good to be true? Well, if you are interested in a way to reach your personal weight goal, it is too good to be true - this isn't for you. This vaccine can save your goat's life though - so for them and their producers, it is amazing. Learn about the "C and D" in the CDT vaccine. 

Can you really use St. John's Wort to tan your goats? Yes, but you shouldn't try it. Learn about this peculiar type of toxin and let's finish up on goat toxins with some miscellanous risks. 

What do mouse brains and hamster kidneys have to do with vaccines? Let's look take a look back at history as well as peak into the present day methods of vaccine production. 

Can I give my goat a sheep vaccine? Isn't it for sheep? Let's explore this common question as to why some vaccines can be 1) labeled for several species at once, 2) can be used in some species that aren't on the label, and 3) why you can use sheep vaccines in a goat but NOT a human.

A horse is only as good as the feet he has to travel upon.  Proper hoof care remains the foundation of soundness in any horse, no matter his occupation.  What happens when feet are neglected, or environmental conditions are less than ideal?  The hoof is under constant assault from arid conditions, wet conditions, bacteria, and physical trauma.  We will cover some of the basics of hoof disease in this series.

Few people have been affected first hand by disaster like the residents of California right now.  Because of the extremely rapid movement of the fires, not everyone was able to evacuate with their animals to safety.  Many pets, both large and small, have been rescued and treated for injuries and burns.  Some have been reunited with their owners.  Some still wait. Would you believe that there is a cheap, one-time insurance currently available to prevent this?  What is this small miracle?      

In the last segment, we introduced ICS.  In this post, we will cover the day-to-day workings of the ICP.  This is the facility where the Command and General Staff work.

No one wants to experience a disaster.  But, disasters happen every day.  A successful response aids the victims, while keeping the safety of the responders at the forefront.  None of this is possible without an organizational structure in place.  This structure is the Incident Command System (ICS). 

In part two of goat toxins, we look at alkaloids and their peculilar position in history and medicine: both poison and antidote. You probably ate a plant from this group of plants this week, but no fear - there are some edible portions to some of these plants. Learn more here. 

Sea lions in California are once again battling a debilitating and fatal disease.  This disease affects multiple species, including humans.  It may sound like the next zombie apocalypse heading our way, but in truth, it’s a very old disease.

May seem like a weird question but the answer is fascinanting. Learn about the goat toxin that links Nazis, van Gogh, cherry leaves, and Frankenstein! 

We have discussed many aspects of agriculture and food safety.  There remains one species of food producing animals who rarely get the credit they deserve.  This group forms the backbone of many sectors of agriculture, and often go unnoticed.  While they do give their lives to provide subsistence for humans, we do not eat them.  A highly infectious disease is sweeping across multiple continents, threatening the very existence of these animals.