Jan K Shearer, Melissa N Hempstead, Paul J Plummer
{"title":"Ensuring the Welfare of Ruminants During Euthanasia, Humane Slaughter, and Depopulation.","authors":"Jan K Shearer, Melissa N Hempstead, Paul J Plummer","doi":"10.1016/j.cvfa.2025.07.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvfa.2025.07.007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Humans bear a moral responsibility to ensure the welfare of ruminants during euthanasia, slaughter, and in animal health emergencies, which may warrant depopulation. In each of these, death comes quickly by way of an immediate loss of consciousness, which leadsss to respiratory and cardiac arrest. Coupled with compassionate care and handling in the moments leading up to euthanasia, it is possible to assure the welfare of ruminants in end-of-life situations.</p>","PeriodicalId":49381,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary Clinics of North America-Food Animal Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145087722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kathryn L Proudfoot, Emily K Miller-Cushon, Maria Vilain Rørvang, Rebecca K Meagher
{"title":"Environmental Enrichment for Farmed Ruminants Within a Positive Animal Welfare Framework.","authors":"Kathryn L Proudfoot, Emily K Miller-Cushon, Maria Vilain Rørvang, Rebecca K Meagher","doi":"10.1016/j.cvfa.2025.07.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvfa.2025.07.006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Environmental enrichments include modifications to living spaces that allow animals to express highly motivated behaviors and experience positive welfare. In this narrative review, we describe the work to date and propose areas for future research on enrichments for farmed ruminants within a framework of positive animal welfare. The review is organized by the outcomes expected from access to enrichments, including rewarding experiences, choice, and control, as well as the development of long-term competence and resilience. We end with considerations for future research that will advance our understanding of enrichment as a component of ruminant welfare.</p>","PeriodicalId":49381,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary Clinics of North America-Food Animal Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145087725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Evolution of Cattle Welfare over the Past Few Decades.","authors":"Temple Grandin","doi":"10.1016/j.cvfa.2025.07.008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvfa.2025.07.008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fifty years ago, the US livestock industry associations were mainly concerned about reducing economic losses from bruises and deaths during handling and transport. Today it is essential to prevent cruelty, pain, and suffering, but it is also important for a farm animal to have a positive emotional experience. In the past, the ability of animals to feel fear was questioned and today, research clearly shows that animals have emotions. Another change is that animal activists groups altered their emphasis from reforming the livestock industry to advocating against eating meat.</p>","PeriodicalId":49381,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary Clinics of North America-Food Animal Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145076436","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Current Trends and New Developments in Assessing and Managing Pain in Cattle.","authors":"Eduarda M Bortoluzzi, Johann F Coetzee","doi":"10.1016/j.cvfa.2025.07.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvfa.2025.07.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Effective pain management in cattle and small ruminants remains a significant challenge due to a combination of regulatory constraints, financial considerations, and the inherent difficulties associated with pain assessment in livestock. Despite growing recognition of the need for pain mitigation, particularly during routine husbandry procedures such as castration, tail docking, and dehorning or in medical conditions like dystocia and lameness, the availability of FDA-approved analgesics for ruminants remains limited. Studies suggest that veterinarians are more likely than producers to utilize analgesia, particularly in older cattle, yet gaps persist in the consistent implementation of pain relief strategies across the industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":49381,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary Clinics of North America-Food Animal Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145056064","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Heather W Neave, Gosia Zobel, Sue McCoard, Joao H C Costa
{"title":"Improving the Welfare of Ruminants Around Weaning: Transitioning from Milk to a Solid Diet.","authors":"Heather W Neave, Gosia Zobel, Sue McCoard, Joao H C Costa","doi":"10.1016/j.cvfa.2025.07.004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvfa.2025.07.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Weaning is a critical transition for young ruminants, involving nutritional, behavioral, and environmental changes that can compromise welfare. This review evaluates the effects of weaning age (earlier vs later) and milk removal method (abrupt vs gradual) on the welfare of calves, lambs, and goat kids. Later and gradual weaning generally improve stress responses and growth, though evidence remains mixed, especially in small ruminants. Practical strategies to ease weaning include supporting solid feed intake, maintaining social stability, and avoiding concurrent stressors. Veterinarians play a key role in guiding the implementation of weaning practices that improve welfare and productivity.</p>","PeriodicalId":49381,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary Clinics of North America-Food Animal Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145041736","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Assessing Ruminant Welfare on Farm.","authors":"Jennifer B Walker","doi":"10.1016/j.cvfa.2025.07.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvfa.2025.07.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Animal welfare assessments on farms have been used to enforce minimum standards to maintain market access but have delivered limited improvement in the overall welfare of farm animals. Veterinarians are uniquely positioned to incorporate animal welfare assessment into practice as a diagnostic tool for continuous improvement promoting the welfare of animals in production. Practical assessment of welfare does not have to emulate or duplicate audits that may already be done by outside parties to meet supplier contracts. A practical assessment, done correctly and consistently, incorporated into a herd health program can provide valuable insight to inform and prioritize efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":49381,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary Clinics of North America-Food Animal Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145001695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Implications for Lameness Control in Cattle.","authors":"Nigel B Cook, Murray Jelinski, Sarah E Erickson","doi":"10.1016/j.cvfa.2025.06.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvfa.2025.06.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Themes common to beef and dairy cattle in the prevention of claw horn lesions are enhancements to comfort, flooring, and handling practices, and careful use of hoof trimming to unload pressure on the claws, without the removal of excessive amounts of horn. Infectious lesion control emphasizes the role of individuals in the herd infected with active lesions and the need for close contact and moist underfoot conditions for spread, providing a role for well-managed pen conditions and potential utilization of footbathing and disinfection practices, as well as enhancements to skin integrity and animal immunity.</p>","PeriodicalId":49381,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary Clinics of North America-Food Animal Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145001763","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Nutritional Challenges Related to Animal Welfare in Feedlot and Dairy Cattle.","authors":"Tim McAllister, Terry Engle","doi":"10.1016/j.cvfa.2025.06.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvfa.2025.06.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The current article describes select nutritional metabolic disorders that can impact the health and well-being of beef and dairy cattle. These include: Subclinical or clinical acidosis that can lead to rumen, hind gut, or systemic acidosis. Acidosis can disrupt epithelial barrier function in the rumen and hindgut, enabling bacteria to enter the portal vein and form liver abscesses. If rumen acidosis is severe, rumen contractions can be inhibited, or objects may block the esophagus, leading to free-gas bloat. Frothy bloat can occur in cattle fed high grain or legume diets, where froth in the cardia region prevents eructation and the rumen expands to the point that the lungs cannot inflate. Reduced blood Ca levels as a result of milk fever can also impair rumen contractions and is often mistakenly identified as bloat. Reductions in intake as a result of acidosis can lead to an energetic deficit in dairy cows, with heightened metabolism of fatty acids leading to ketosis. Water quality can also impact animal health and welfare, where elevated levels of sulfate in the water can induce polioencephalomalacia as a result of the production of H2S or thiaminases leading to thiamine deficiency. These conditions can occur currently or precipitate a number of other metabolic disorders including lameness, dystocia, uterine prolapse, retained placentas, metritis, abomasal displacement, and mastitis. Ensuring that the nutrient requirements of the host are satisfied and that diets are fed appropriately in an optimally processed form, with high quality water being readily available, are key to avoiding most of the nutritionally linked health and welfare issues in feedlot and dairy cattle.</p>","PeriodicalId":49381,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary Clinics of North America-Food Animal Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145001766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Inmaculada Cuevas-Gómez, José María Sánchez, Bernadette Earley
{"title":"A Review of Disease Related to Transition Between Production Phases.","authors":"Inmaculada Cuevas-Gómez, José María Sánchez, Bernadette Earley","doi":"10.1016/j.cvfa.2025.06.003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvfa.2025.06.003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Transitions between production phases are critical periods marked by physiologic, nutritional, and environmental challenges. These challenges increase the risk of diseases that significantly affect welfare, animal performance, and farm efficiency. This article presents an overview of the existing understanding of diseases linked to transitional phases, including their associated risk factors and preventive measures. Additionally, it examines future research directions in the context of diagnostic tools, microbiota modulation, and genetic selection for disease resilience. By focusing on these areas, the article aims to promote health and welfare while fostering efficient and sustainable cattle production systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":49381,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary Clinics of North America-Food Animal Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144976150","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Michelle S Calvo-Lorenzo, Mariana Guerra-Maupome, Kurt D Vogel, Arlene Garcia-Marquez
{"title":"Livestock Veterinarians' Evolving Role in Enhancing Human Animal Interactions.","authors":"Michelle S Calvo-Lorenzo, Mariana Guerra-Maupome, Kurt D Vogel, Arlene Garcia-Marquez","doi":"10.1016/j.cvfa.2025.06.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvfa.2025.06.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Research on the quality of human-animal interactions (HAIs) supports that there are direct and indirect impacts to HAIs, which can exert positive or negative effects on ruminant behavior, productivity, reproduction, and welfare. Ensuring that positive HAIs are employed is critical to positively influence animal welfare and stockperson well-being. Veterinarians are regarded as highly influential educators and a key source of knowledge regarding animal health and welfare by stockpeople. Therefore, veterinarians have a unique opportunity to influence stockpeople attitudes, behaviors, and skills to strengthen positive HAIs, ultimately benefiting animals, stockpeople, and veterinarians, ensuring alignment with evolving societal expectations.</p>","PeriodicalId":49381,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary Clinics of North America-Food Animal Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144976170","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}