Food Animal Services
Food Animal Newsletters
Fall 2012
Spring 2013
Food Animal Services
The Food Animal Section in the Department of Large Animal
Clinical Sciences at Texas A&M University includes three
primary service sections; Food Animal Medicine and Surgery, Food
Animal Field Services, and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Veterinary Services. These services are supported by ten faculty
members, two full-time veterinary technicians, and nine house
officers including one food animal medicine resident. Clinical
services are offered through our in-house facility at the
Veterinary Teaching Hospital and through our ambulatory service.
Senior veterinary students participate in all of our food animal
service sections as part of their clinical training in the
veterinary curriculum. Our faculty members also teach numerous
classes and laboratories in the first three years of the veterinary
curriculum.
In addition to our clinical responsibilities where we provide
patient care to our primary and referral patients, food animal
faculty are also active in other aspects of food animal veterinary
medicine. Several of our faculty members provide consultation
services for producers and veterinarians throughout the state
addressing livestock nutrition and disease outbreaks. Members of
our faculty also are active in research programs including
infectious disease, environmental health, epidemiology, livestock
production, and patient centered research efforts. Our faculty are
recognized nationally for their expertise in their respective
fields and routinely participate in continuing education and
scientific programs throughout the state of Texas, across the U.S.,
and around the world.
Facilities
- The Food Animal Medicine and Surgery Service operates in one of
the finest hospital facilities of its kind. Faculty, house
officers, and students have all of the equipment and space
necessary to take the best care of your livestock including
processing chutes, tilt chutes and tables for lameness work-ups,
and surgery facilities for all livestock species.
Technicians
- C.W. Haynes
- Sheila Gibler
Research Programs
- Johne's Disease
- Drs. Roussel and Osterstock have an active research program in
Johne's disease in beef cattle. Johne's disease is a bacterial
infection of cattle caused by Mycobacterium avium
subspecies paratuberculosis. This disease is an
economically important disease to the beef and dairy cattle
industries and is characterized by progressive weight loss and
diarrhea. Cattle are generally infected as calves, but do not
develop clinical signs until much later in life. Current research
in Johne's disease includes collaborations with Texas A&M
University epidemiologists and geneticists including studies in
diagnostic test performance, risk factors for infection in beef
cattle, and genetic resistance to Johne's disease.
- Environmental Toxicology
- Food Animal Pharmacology, Small Ruminant and Swine Research
-
Dr. Washburn's research has been focused on pharmacokinetic
studies of antimicrobials labeled for use in livestock species, in
addition to efficacy and safety studies. He has also worked with
small ruminant lentivirus, primarily CAEV, in efforts to
de-contaminate colostrum by alternative means. He has done projects
in swine evaluating the effects on trace-mineral supplementation on
prevalence of lameness in adult sows. Currently, he is the
principal investigator in collaboration with Dr. Wesley Bissett, on
a small ruminant project evaluating a new treatment modality for
caseous lymphadenitis. He is also part of ongoing research projects
aimed at adding caprine to the label of a relatively new
antimicrobial (tulathromycin).
Clinical Services
-
The Food Animal Medicine and Surgery Service operates in one of
the finest hospital facilities of its kind. Faculty, house
officers, and students have all of the equipment and space
necessary to take the best care of your livestock including
processing chutes, tilt chutes and tables for lameness work-ups,
and surgery facilities for all livestock species.
Student Information
- Beef Cattle Teaching Herd
- The Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences has
established a beef cattle teaching herd. The herd was created
through contributions from Texas bovine veterinarians and cattle
producers including monetary donations and donated cattle.
Currently, new facilities are being designed to facilitate student
teaching supported by funds from the Department of Large Animal
Clinical Sciences. This herd is run by students from our local
American Association of Bovine Practitioners and is supported by
many local companies including DVM Resources, Champion Ranch, and
Global Resources International.