! !

Barnyard!Banter!!
Notes!from!your!veterinarian!
!
August&2018& Volume&1,&Number&3&

In!This!Issue! !
• Summer!is!almost!over!!! Summer&is&almost&over!"!
• Social!media!on!the!rise! !
• Recommendations!for! Time!is!flying!by!when!you!are!having!fun.!In!my!case!it!also!passes!way!
feeding!the!pet!pig! faster!when!you!are!busy!with!veterinary!practice!and!with!your!fourF!and!
• Caprine!!arthritis!&!
twoFlegged!family!members.!!
encephalitis!virus!infection!in! !
goats! I!am!very!excited!to!inform!you!that!I!am!actively!looking!for!a!veterinary!
• Vaccine!handling!&!storage!
assistant!for!my!practice.!If!you!know!someone!who!is!motivated,!a!hard!
Part!I! worker,!smart,!!has!integrity!and!good!communication!skills,!please!let!
them!know.!!The!position!is!open!until!filled.!Any!potential!candidate!is!
• Inappropriate!use!of!
prescription!drugs! encouraged!to!check!out!my!webpage!for!more!information.!Here!is!the!
link!to!the!job!description!and!the!how!to!apply.!
• Use!of!antibiotics!!in!CA!
http://www.goldcoastveterinaryservice.com/jobFopenings.html!
livestock!
I!hope!the!position!will!be!filled!within!a!couple!of!months.!Once!filled!I!
! will!update!you!on!the!few!changes!that!will!occur!to!increase!your!
! positive!experience!and!improve!the!care!to!your!herd,!flock!or!individual!
! animal.!!
!
!
I!hope!you!enjoy!this!issue!of!Barnyard!Banter.!If!there!is!any!subject!or!
! question!you!like!to!have!answered!in!the!next!issue,!please!don't!hesitate!
! to!contact!me!and!I!will!address!it!!!Please!send!your!suggestion!or!
! question!to!anitavargadvm@gmail.com!
!
!
!
! All!the!best!from!my!barn!to!yours!!!
!
!
!
Dr.!Anita!Varga!
!
!
!
!
!

!
!
! Social'Media'on'the'Rise!"!
! !
! Thank!you!to!everyone!who!follows!me!on!facebook!!Gold!Coast!Veterinary!
! Service! has! 1000! likes! and! I! am! striving! to! reach! more! people! who! are!
! interested!in!my!daily!life!as!a!veterinarian.!!
!
If! you! have! not! followed! me,! please! find! Gold! Coast! Veterinary! Service! &!
! Consulting! and! like! the! page!! I! also! appreciate! any! positive! review! you!
! could!leave!on!my!page!!Thank!you!very!much!in!advance!!
!
!
Recommendations"for"feeding"pet$pigs!
! By#Luba#Djonev,#UCD#Animal#Science#Student#
! #
! Pot!belly!or!any!other!pet!pigs!require!careful!consideration!of!their!diet!to!
make! sure! they! are! receiving! adequate! nutrients! and! not! being! over! or!
!
underfeed.!!Some!of!the!following!information!can!help!you!as!a!guide!to!
! properly! feed! your! little! friend.! For! instance! don't! feed! other! pet! foods,!
! such!as!dog!or!cat!food!to!your!pig.!Also!stay!away!from!commercial!swine!!
! feed.!They!are!designed!to!increase!the!weight!of!the!pigs!rapidly!and!are!
certainly! counterproductive! since! we! don't! want! an! overweight! pet! pig.!
!
There! are! specific! diets! that! are! designed! for! young,! growing! pet! piglets!
! and!maintaining!adult!pet!pigs.!
! ! Many! companies! make! feed! for! pot! belly! pigs! for! instance! Mazuri,!
! Manna!Pro,!and!Peak!Performance,!just!to!mention!a!few.!Check!your!your!
local! feed! stores! what! is! available! near! you! or! you! can! ordered! online,!
!
depending!on!the!brand!you!wish!to!feed!to!your!pig.!!
! ! As! an! example,! Mazuri! makes! three! different! feeds! for! pot! belly!
! pigs.! Mini! Pig! Youth! is! for! young! pigs! from! weaning! (5F6! weeks)! until!
! about!4!months.!Younger!pigs!might!have!difficulty!with!the!pellets,!so!the!
food!can!be!soaked!in!water!to!make!it!softer!and!easier!to!consume.!Mini!
!
Pig! Active! Adult! is! for! maintaining! adult! pigs! and! can! be! fed! starting!
! around! 4! months.! This! can! be! fed! the! rest! of! the! pig’s! life,! but! if! weight!
! becomes! a! problem,! Mini! Pig! Elder! can! be! fed! after! 1.5! years! of! age.! The!
!
elder!feed!is!designed!for!lower!activity!pigs!and!can!help!with!weight!loss.!
It! can! be! switched! to! as! necessary.! When! the! feed! is! being! changed,! it!
!
should! be! switched! slowly! by! mixing! the! two! feeds! together! and!
! progressively!increasing!the!amount!of!the!desired!new!feed.!
! ! All!feeds!are!different!so!look!at!feed!labels!for!feeding!instructions.!
Generally,!piglets!should!have!open!feedings!and!be!allowed!to!eat!as!much!
as! they! want.! After! 8! weeks! of! age,! feed! pigs! about! 3%! of! body! weight.!
When!the!pigs!reach!adult!size,!around!4F6!months,!start!feeding!1F2%!of!
their! ideal! body! weight.! Feed! should! be! divided! into! at! least! two! meals.!
Feeding!calculations!should!incorporate!all!feed,!not!just!pellets,!so!make!
sure!to!incorporate!treats!and!grazing.!!
Mini! pig! formulated! feeds! are! the! most! common! feed! for! pet! pigs!
! because! it! is! easy! and! formulated! with! all! the! nutrients! and! supplements!
! the!pig!needs.!However,!owners!may!opt!to!replace!part!of!the!diet!with!a!
more! natural! diet.! This! means! that! you! must! try! to! meet! all! the! nutrient!
!
requirement! with! the! additive! feed.! This! is! best! be! done! by! providing! a!
! variation!of!different!feed!such!as!beans,!nuts,!seeds,!fruits!and!vegetables.!
! A! pig! that! is! already! overweight,! or! on! the! edge! of! becoming! to! heavy,!
! should! receive! low! calorie! vegetables! and! not! fed! fruits! that! are! high! in!
sugar.!In!these!cases!it!is!appropriate!to!feed!tomatoes,!cucumbers,!green!
!
beans!and!green!salad.!Pelleted!feed!is!reduced!in!these!cases.!!
! ! Pigs!are!omnivores!and!are!typically!constantly!hungry.!Therefore,!
! healthy! pigs! will! have! forage! in! their! diet! to! keep! them! busy! and! eating.!
!
Outside! pigs! will! spend! their! time! grazing! and! rooting.! If! pigs! are! mostly!
inside,!green!salads!or!even!hay!can!provide!this!necessary!forage!in!their!
!
diet.!Treats!can,!also,!be!provided.!Treats!should!be!used!mainly!to!reward!
! good! behavior! and! can! be! a! great! tool! to! train! your! pig.! Great! treats! for!
! pigs! are! most! vegetables! and! unsalted! popcorn.! Fruits! can,! also,! be! given!
!
but,!as!previously!mentioned,!should!be!limited!because!they!are!higher!in!
sugar.!Most!seeds!and!pits!should!not!be!fed!to!pigs!since!they!could!lead!
! potentially! to! GI! upset,! obstruction! or! even! toxicity.! Some! toxic! feed! that!
! should! be! avoided! include! too! much! salt,! tomato! leaves,! the! leaves! and!
! seeds!of!many!fruit!(apples,!peaches,!cherries,!etc),!and!many!more.!Simple!
carbohydrates,!such!as!potatoes,!bread,!and!processed!foods,!should,!also,!
!
be! avoided! since! they! will! lead! to! increased! weight! gain! and! poor!
! nutritional!value.!A!complete!list!of!adequate!and!toxic!foods!for!mini!pigs!
! can!be!found!on!the!American!Mini!Pig!Association!website.!
! Pigs! should! be! monitored! closely! to! ensure! they! are! growing! in!
healthy!way!and!not!becoming!too!thin!or!too!fat!since!both!scenarios!can!!
!
create!health!issues!that!shorten!the!life!of!your!pig!tremendously.!If!you!
! are! not! sure! if! your! pig! is! too! thin,! adequate! or! too! big,! please! don't!
! hesitate! to! contact! us! for! a! wellness! visit.! ! Each! pig! is! different,! so,! feed!
! needs! to! be! adjusted! based! on! how! the! pig! looks! to! maintain! a! healthy!
weight! for! that! particular! individual.! In! summary! when! feeding! your! pet!
!
pig! consider! all! food! offered! and! make! sure! the! pig! has! a! balanced!
! nutrition!covering!its!needs!for!growth!or!maintenance!and!enough!forage!
! and!vegetables!in!the!diet!to!keep!the!pig!busy!during!the!day!and!avoiding!
! the!formation!of!potential!gastric!ulcers.!
If! you! have! any! questions! or! concerns! regarding! feeding! your! pig,!
!
please!contact!Dr.!Varga!to!schedule!a!wellness!exam!and!feeding!plan.!!
! !
!
!
!

!
!
!
! Caprine(Arthritis(&(Encephailits((CAE)(virus(
! infections)in)goats!
! !
! More!and!more!goat!owners!becoming!aware!of!this!devastating!infectious!
disease.!CAE!can!have!detrimental!effects!on!the!health!and!well!being!of!
!
your! animals! and! once! it! is! within! your! herd! it! is! difficult! to! eradicate.!!
! Most! of! my! goat! breeders! have! enrolled! in! my! CAE! eradication! program!
! that! leads! to! the! establishment! of! a! close! herd.! This! is! helping! to! raise!
!
healthy!and!robust!animals.!!
!
!
CAE!is!a!viral!disease!!that!affects!goats.!It!!can!lead!to!chronic!arthritis!and!
! in! rare! cases! to! an! encepehalitis! (inflammation! of! the! brain! and! brain!
! stem)!in!goat!kids!under!6!months!of!age.!In!some!cases!it!also!can!lead!to!
!
mastitis!(also!called!“hard!udder”)!and!pneumonia.!The!virus!infects!white!
blood!cells!and!there!for!is!shed!in!all!secretions!that!contain!blood!cells.!!!!!
! Many! infected! goats! will! never! show! any! clinical! signs! of! infection.!
! However! if! an! animal! becomes! clinical! you! might! observe! a! slowly!
! progressing! lameness! in! your! animal.! Often! the! knee! and! carpal! joints!
become! distended! and! painful.! Due! to! the! lameness! the! goat! might! loose!
!
weight! because! of! less! time! spent! browsing! or! walking! to! get! to! the! feed!
! bunk.!!
! !
! Route&of&Transmission&&
Transmission!occurs!mainly!through!colostrum!intake!of!the!newborn!kid.!
!
However,! any! instruments! or! equipment! (needles,! dehorners,! etc)! that!
! could! be! contaminated! with! blood! can! spread! the! disease! to! another!
! animal.!
! In! some! cases! intensive! contact! with! an! infected! animal! can! lead! to!
transmission!though!the!respiratory!tract.!
!
!!
! What&means&a&positive&CAE&test?&
! A! positive! CAE! test! indicated! that! the! goat! has! been! infected! with! virus.!
! The!positive!tested!goat!is!regarded!as!potentially!contagious!for!the!virus,!
especially! if! lactating.! Antibody! production! against! CAE! does! not! protect!
!
the!animal!and!infectious!virus!can!still!be!spread!in!milk!and!blood!of!this!
! animal.! In! many! circumstances! as! many! as! 90%! of! positive! goats! may! be!
! free!of!clinical!signs!of!the!disease,!and!remain!so!for!years!or!life.!A!young!
! goat! not! infected! with! CAE! virus! which! has! received! heatFtreated!
colostrum! containing! CAE! antibodies! may! also! test! antibody! positive! for!
!
several! months! because! of! passive! transfer! of! maternal! antibodies! from!
the!colostrum.!A!positive!kid!should!be!retested!after!six!months!of!age!to!
determine!the!true!infection!status.!!!
!
What&means&a&negative&CAE&test?&
A! negative! result! means! that! this! goat! is! either! not! infected,! or! has! been!
recently! infected! and! is! producing! amounts! of! antibody! too! low! to! be!
detected.!While!the!latter!case!does!not!appear!to!be!common,!it!is!a!good!
! reason!to!retest!all!negative!goats!when!not!in!a!closed!herd.!Goats!that!are!
! negative! should! be! periodically! tested! (twice! a! year! for! the! 1st! year,! and!
annually! thereafter).! In! some! goats,! seroconversion! may! be! delayed! for!
!
months!after!exposure.!These!"silently"!infected!animals!test!negative!for!
! antibody!until!the!viral!infection!is!activated!by!stress!or!other!factors.!It!
! has! not! been! determined! whether! these! goats! were! infectious! to! other!
! goats!during!the!time!they!harbored!the!virus!but!remained!seronegative.!!
&
!
Is&it&ok&to&drink&milk&from&CAE&positive&goats?&
! Yes,! there! is! no! evidence! that! this! disease! is! transmissible! to! humans.!
! However! if! you! drink! raw! goat! milk,! other! serious! human! pathogens! can!
!
be!transmitted!to!humans.!!
&
!
Which&animals&should&I&test&for&CAE?&
! All!new!animals!entering!the!herd!should!be!tested!for!CAE.!Goats!that!are!
! used!for!milk!production!should!be!also!tested!for!Johne’s!Disease,!caseous!
!
lymphadenitis! and! Brucella.! Let! me! know! if! you! need! more! information!
regarding!these!diseases!and!testing!methods.!!
! !
! Can&I&heat&treat&colostrum&to&prevent&spreading&of&CAE?&
! Yes,! heat! treating! colostrum! will! inactivate! the! CAE! virus.! Heat! treating!
will!prevent!that!kids!become!infected!from!their!dam.!Colostrum!from!any!
!
doe!may!be!heated!to!between!133!degrees!and!138!degrees!F!(56!to!59!
! degrees! C)! and! held! at! that! temperature! for! one! hour! to! inactivate! the!
! virus.!An!accurate!thermometer!is!important.!It!is!recommended!to!use!a!
! water! bath! or! double! boiler! to! regulate! the! temperature! more! closely.! A!
large!batch!may!be!heatFtreated!and!frozen!in!small!feeding!size!portions!
!
for!later!use!(about!one!pint!per!kid).!If!heated!higher!than!140!degrees!F,!
! the!usefulness!of!the!colostrum!will!be!greatly!reduced!due!to!denaturing!
! of! beneficial! proteins,! including! antibodies! to! other! infectious!
! microorganisms.!
!
!
What&else&can&I&do&to&limit&spread&of&the&disease&though&my&herd?&
! Negative! tested! does! should! be! milked! prior! to! milking! positive! does.!
! Young! animals! should! be! milked! before! older! animals.! Chose! a! negative!
! tested!buck!to!breed!to!your!test!negative!does.!Clean!instruments!such!as!
tattoo! tools,! hoof! shears,! dehorners,! etc.! between! positive! and! negative!
!
animals.!!!
! !
! How&often&should&I&test?&
! It!is!recommended!to!test!twice!a!year!initially!and!later!once!a!year!in!
herds!which!are!primarily!negative.!!
!
New!goats!should!be!quarantined!and!tested!twice!before!introducing!into!
the!herd.!It!is!recommended!to!wait!at!least!30!days!between!testing.!!
!

! !
!

Vaccine'Handling'&'Storage'F!PART%1!
& By##Karina#Sanchez=Espinoza,#UCD#Animal#Science#Student#
#
Vaccines!are!an!integral!part!of!preventing!diseases!in!animals.!The!
&
proper! handling! and! storage! of! vaccines! play! an! important! role! in!
protecting! against! serious! diseases.! If! the! integrity! of! the! vaccine! is! not!
& maintained! it! could! jeopardize! the! immune! response! resulting! in! poor!
protection!against!the!disease!of!interest.!Another!factor!to!consider!is!the!
costly! need! to! revaccinate! if! the! administered! vaccine! was! compromised.!
& Here! are! a! few! simple! tips! if! followed,! will! maximize! the! vaccine’s!
potential.!
Controlling!temperature!fluctuation!is!a!key!component!in!avoiding!
&
loss! of! potency! and! effectiveness! in! a! vaccine.! Environments! that! are! to!
cold! or! to! hot! result! in! compromised! vaccines.! Don't! leave! any! vaccines!
& exposed! to! outside! temperatures! if! not! used! not! immediately,! especially!
during!hot!summer!days.!Within!minutes,!the!vial!can!increase!numerous!
degrees! and! even! the! slightest! elevation! can! result! in! detrimental! effects!
& and!loss!of!efficacy.!!Vaccines!are!fragile!and!there!is!no!apparent!way!to!
determine! if! they! have! been! compromised.! There! are! indeed! many!
& strategies! that! can! be! implemented! in! order! to! insure! proper! storage!
practices! and! decrease! the! risk! of! compromise! an! inappropriate!
protection.!!
& First! and! foremost,! temperature! must! be! monitored! within! the!
& refrigerator!where!the!vaccines!are!stored.!!This!can!be!achieved!by!using!
& a!thermometer.!A!food!or!household!mercury!thermometer!will!do!the!job.!
& The! goal! is! to! keep! the! temperature! within! the! range! of! 2F8°C! (36F46°F).!
&
Ideally,! 5°C! (41°F)! is! what! you! ultimately! want! the! thermometer! to! read.!
&
Be!sure!to!constantly!check!that!the!thermometer!is!working!properly.!The!
&
& last! thing! you! want! is! a! refrigerator! full! of! vaccines! unknowingly! out! of!
& temperature!range!for!any!period!of!time.!In!case!of!a!faulty!thermometer!
& a!back!up!should!be!in!stock!to!avoid!any!doubts.!!
& Location!does!in!fact!matter!when!storing!vaccines.!It!is!best!to!have!
!
vaccines! towards! the! center! of! the! refrigerator! if! possible.! If! shelves! are!
being!utilized,!wire!or!ventilation!holes!are!preferred!over!glass!shelves!in!
!
order! to! facilitate! better! ventilation! and! less! temperature! fluctuations.!
! Under! no! circumstances! should! vaccines! be! put! on! shelves! usually! found!
! on!the!door!of!the!refrigerator.!The!reason!for!avoiding!door!shelves!is!the!
!
constant!exposure!to!ambient!temperatures!that!they!present.!Due!to!the!
temperature! sensitive! nature! of! vaccines,! following! these! simple! tips! will!
! minimize!the!risk!of!compromising!their!integrity.!!
Although,!having!to!vaccinate!your!animals!is!inevitable,!making!the!
process!a!smooth!one!is!feasible.!As!fragile!as!vaccines!are,!following!these!
simple! tips! not! only! will! make! life! easier! but,! is! critical! for! optimizing!
animal! health! and! welfare.! Vaccines! are! the! most! important! resource! to!
protect! health! and! for! disease! prevention! after! all.! If! you! have! questions!
regarding! the! handling! or! storage! of! vaccines! it! is! always! best! to! contact!
your!veterinarian!before!making!any!uncertain!decisions.!
! !
!
! Inappropriate*use*of#prescription#drugs!
!
! In!the!last!few!months!I!have!noticed!the!incorrect!use!of!over!the!counter!
medications! as! well! as! prescription! drugs.! Please! be! reminded! that!
!
anything! you! apply! topically,! by! mouth! or! injection! can! and! will! have! a!
! withdrawal!time!for!meat!or!milk.!In!some!cases!the!product!you!are!using!
! may!even!lead!to!a!slaughter!ban!of!the!animal.!!
! Furthermore! I! have! also! noticed! “sharing”! of! prescription! drugs.! A!
medication!that!has!been!prescribed!by!a!veterinarian!to!your!animal!or!to!
!
your!herd!can!only!be!used!for!that!animal!or!the!herd.!It!cannot!be!used!
! for! friends,! neighbors! or! acquaintances! animals! or! herd.! Please! do! not!
! share! prescription! drugs! since! this! will! lead! to! inappropriate! use! of!
!
medications,! possibly! increased! meat! or! milk! withdrawal! times! and! it! is!
against! current! laws.! ! Please! read! below! article.! It! explains! some! of! the!
!
rules!and!regulations!in!CA.!This!summary!has!been!written!by!Dr.!Busch!
! who!is!the!Veterinarian!Specialist!for!Antimicrobial!Use!and!Stewardship!
! at!the!California!Department!of!Food!&!Agriculture.!If!you!have!a!question!
!
or!any!concerns!about!the!proper!use!of!drugs!in!livestock!animals,!!please!
do!not!hesitate!to!contact!me!or!Dr.!Busch.!
!
!
! Use$of$Antibiotics$for$CA$Livestock$!
By# Rosie# Busch,# DVM,# Veterinarian# Specialist,# CDFA# Antimicrobial# Use# &#
!
Stewardship!
! !
! The! new! California! law! states! that! as! of! January! 1st! of! 2018,! over! the!
! counter! injectable! and! all! other! medically! important! antibiotics! must! be!
administered! with! a! prescription! or! veterinary! feed! directive! (VFD)!
!
ordered!by!a!California!licensed!veterinarian!through!a!valid!veterinarianF
! clientFpatient!relationship.!
!
Current&Availability&
! Currently! there! are! only! 12! different! classes! of! medically! important!
! antibiotics!available!for!use!in!livestock.!While!recently!the!FDA!approved!
!
a! new! class! of! antibiotic! for! use! in! human! medicine,! it! is! safe! to! say! that!
new!classes!of!antibiotics!may!not!be!available!for!use!in!livestock!any!time!
! soon.! All! antibiotic! use! can! lead! to! the! development! of! antibiotic!
! resistance,!making!it!so!important!to!recognize!and!eliminate!unnecessary!
! or! inappropriate! uses! of! antibiotics.! Take! charge! by! implementing! an!
antibiotic!stewardship!plan!with!your!veterinarian!in!order!to!preserve!the!
!
efficacy!of!these!medications!essential!to!animal!health.!
Limitations&on&Preventative&Use&
According!to!the!Livestock:!Use!of!Antimicrobial!Drugs!law!(FAC!§!14400!–!
14408),! effective! January! 1st,! 2018,! a! medically! important! antimicrobial!
drug! (MIAD)! can! be! used! to! prevent! disease! in! livestock! if! under! the!
professional! and! clinical! judgment! of! a! veterinarian! there! is! an! increased!
risk!of!developing!an!infection.!MIADs!cannot!be!administered!in!a!regular!
! pattern!to!prevent!disease,!unless!they!are!necessary!in!relation!to!surgery!
! or!a!medical!procedure.!This!means!MIADs!may!not!be!administered!to!a!
healthy! animal! continuously! beyond! therapeutic! need! or! employed! as! an!
!
imprudent,!habitual!management!practice.!
!
Access&to&Veterinary&Care&
! Your! industry! representatives! worked! very! hard! to! make! sure! that!
! increased!regulations!on!antibiotic!use!would!not!have!a!negative!impact!
! on! animal! health.! As! of! January! 1st,! 2018! veterinary! oversight! will! be!
!
required!with!the!use!of!medically!important!antibiotics.!Veterinarians!are!
dedicated! to! safeguarding! animal! health! and! welfare! needs,! and! making!
! sure!that!necessary!medications!are!available!and!administered!in!a!timely!
! manner!for!treating,!controlling,!or!preventing!disease!in!livestock.!Cattle!
! will! still! receive! antibiotics! when! there! is! a! clear! indication.! Establish! a!
relationship! and! work! with! your! veterinarian! to! ensure! that! the! animals!
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under!your!care!receive!the!medical!attention!they!need,!when!they!need!
! it.!
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! For!additional!information,!please!visit!our!website:!
! https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/AUS!
! Please!email!questions!to:!CDFA_AUS@cdfa.ca.gov!
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!
Contact&:&
&
Dr.&Anita&Varga&
530P771P7150&
anitavargadvm@gmail.com&
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