Urine-sampling options make it easier to evaluate gilt and sow health.

This is how urine-sampling options make it easier to evaluate gilt and sow health. Urine samples are an effective but underutilized diagnostic tool for evaluating the nutritional, physiological and health status of gilts and sows. The challenge is how to collect quality urine samples efficiently and reliably on the farm. The free-catch option, where a person collects a free-flow urine sample from the animal, is challenging and time consuming. These are other methods of urine collection proposed for speed and accuracy and the catch there is the means of collection did not alter values of calcium, phosphorus and creatinine. 1) The tampon technique : a super-sized, unscented tampon with a plastic applicator and umbrella absorbency was used. Once inserted into the gilt’s or sow’s vestibule, the exterior string was secured to the outside of the animal with waterproof tape. Following urination, the tampon was transferred to a urine cup. 2) The Whirl Pak® technique: a 24-ounce bag positioned around the vulva was used and secured with elastic tape. Following urination, the bag was removed and the sample was transferred to a urine cup. The urine samples were analysed including the samples from the free catch and it was observed that there was no significant difference between the results for the calcium, phosphorus and creatinine ratios between the three sampling methods. The samples were also analysed for blood, bilirubin, urobilinogen, ketones, protein, nitrite, glucose, leukocytes and ascorbic acid, as well as pH, specific gravity and sediment and there was no significant difference.

Three-step approach for spotting sick sows .

A three-step approach for spotting sick sows. A three-pronged approach to observing sows can help identify illness, lower mortality and increase productivity. When more attention is given to pigs,taking a closer look during farrowing, gestation and lameness can reveal potential problems before they become serious.When staff are trained to look and respond to signs of sickness quickly, producers can improve animal well-being and their bottom line in one move. Farrowing watchfulness. Farm staff should regularly check to see how the gilt or sow adjusts to being in a farrowing crate and whether she is eating and drinking, cleaning the feeder, or is in distress. Most operations have someone in the room during the farrowing process, checking the sow regularly. If too much time passes between pigs being born (more than 20 or 30 minutes), someone should manually check the sow. Post-farrowing care. Make sure all the afterbirth has passed and that the sow is well and eating normally — especially during lactation,also check that sows are comfortable and monitor their body condition, especially at warmer times of the year. At some farms rectal temperature is checked routinely at 24 hours post-farrowing to make sure there is no residual complications and that she’s properly cleaned. Uterine infections will show up on temperatures of 103 degrees or more. If a sow has a high temperature, it will be put off from eating and drinking, which will affect milk production. Eliminate lameness. More than 50% of sow deaths are caused by lameness, but early intervention and aggressive treatment could reduce that figure significantly. In a 2,500-sow operation if you’re not treating 8 to 10 sows on a daily basis, you’re probably not treating enough. Lameness can be caused by housing, diseases, injury, nutrition, environmental issues or genetics. Check for sows that have difficulty standing or rising, and if animals shift their weight or tap their feet, look for swelling, cuts or bleeding. If an animal avoids the group or is walking slowly thats an indicator to check them out more closely.

Amazon Nipping at Its Heels, Petco Becomes a Digital Ninja.

Amazon Nipping at Its Heels, Petco Becomes a Digital Ninja. The pet industry is upwards of a $60 billion market just in the U.S., and the competition by brands to woo and win over pets and their humans has never been more fierce. It’s estimated by the ASPCA that approximately 44% of American households have at least one dog and 35% are cat households, for an estimated 78 million dogs and 85.8 million cats in the pet category. Cue Petco, which is stepping boldly into the fray and evolving the very notion of a pet store. Beyond the requisite kitty litter and dog toys, it’s now offering veterinary services, life stage-focused subscription boxes and e-commerce strategies, appealing to pet owners and creating a buttress against competitors PetSmart and king of kings, Amazon.

Pet Project: The advantages of mobile veterinary care.

Pet Project: The advantages of mobile veterinary care. Mobile veterinary services are becoming much more commonplace among busy pet owners and provide an attractive alternative to traditional brick and mortal hospitals.


Historically, mobile veterinarians attended to the health care of horses and farm animals, but now there is a need and want for examinations of our dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and other small animals in their home environment.

There is evidence that in-home care can lessen stress and provide other physiological benefits for your pet. Mobile veterinary services do have their limits when it comes to more urgent care that requires hospitalization or surgical procedures that require the sterile environment of a hospital.


The following are several reasons for why mobile veterinary services are becoming popular and may be the right choice for your pets: Less stress: Many pet owners often feel guilty when transporting their pets to the veterinary hospital because of the stress it often causes. There are several animals that experience car sickness or show outward signs of stress, including panting, salivating or vocalizing while being placed in a carrier or in the car.


 A home veterinary visit will often alleviate many of these unwanted stress symptoms and lessen the guilt pet owners experience. A 2015 study published in the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association showed that veterinary visits performed in the home proved to result in lower blood pressure readings, body temperature readings, respiratory rates and pulse rates.

This is beneficial in many cases especially with animals that are being evaluated for conditions involving high pressure or having heart disease that need adequate readings of blood pressures, respiratory and pulse rates. .

It is important to those animals that are diagnosed with diabetes. At-home glucose testing and monitoring will often help in receiving more adequate blood glucose readings because stress can frequently attribute to an increase in these values.

Elderly pets with severe or debilitating arthritis may also benefit from home visit as to not further cause injury or discomfort by transporting the animal to the hospital.

 Following an appointment in the home an animal is free to leave the room, hide in a safe location or go out in their own backyard. The pet is not forced back into a cage or car for a designated period of time while the owner takes care of the payment and drive home.

The 25 Most Innovative Ag-Tech Startups.

The 25 Most Innovative Ag-Tech Startups. “The ag tech space right now is in a very unique position. You can’t ignore the fundamentals,” says vice president of Business Development at AgTech Accelerator Corp., Corey Huck. “You have to produce a lot more crop on limited acres, and 70% of fresh water is already being used in agriculture. We have to do more with less at the end of the day and the only way you can do that is with technology.” From irrigation hardware engineered to beat the drought to biotechnology startups cultivating future cash crops,

The Next Agricultural Revolution: Smart Farming.

The Next Agricultural Revolution: Smart Farming. Seasoned farmers, young entrepreneurs and conscious consumers are working together to create local food systems that are both sustainable and humane. These passionate people are finding fresh ways to bring local and nutritious food back onto the table. The localization of food systems is perhaps the most radical step we can take toward creating more sustainable and just communities around the world.

Nasir Yammama Is Using Mobile Phones To Bring Agricultural Information To Rural Farmers.

Nasir Yammama Is Using Mobile Phones To Bring Agricultural Information To Rural Farmers.In developing countries like Nigeria, while rural farmers account for the greater part of the population, they also tend to lack access to basic knowledge and information that would help them achieve maximum agricultural yield. In a bid to solve this problem 27-year-old Nasir Yammama created Verdant AgriTech – a social enterprise created to support rural farmers with mobile technologies for sustainable farming and improved food production. Verdant offers personalized agricultural information and market intelligence to crop farmers in Nigeria through a mobile application that acts as an all-round companion for the farmer from the pre-planting period to harvest and beyond. Using low-end phones, SMS and voice services, rural farmers can easily interact with the system.