SHIC/AASV Webinar on October 13 to Address Uptick in Lameness

Veterinary diagnostic labs (VDLs) at Iowa State University and the University of Minnesota both report an increase in submissions related to swine lameness. This industry chatter prompted a webinar sponsored by the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) and American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) set for October 13, 2020, beginning at 1:00 pm CT. The latest in a series of webinars responding to industry events, this will include a discussion on what makes a good and complete investigation of lameness. Webinar participants include swine practitioner Dr. Mike Eisenmenger of the Swine Vet Center, along with diagnosticians Dr. Mike Rahe, Iowa State University VDL, and Dr. Stephanie Rossow, University of Minnesota VDL. To register for the webinar, which is required for participation, visit this link: https://iastate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Qr2qiSeDQ4iszAvd9W-Mjw

Practitioners are seeing lameness which impacts herd productivity and consequently submit tissues for evaluation at VDLs. If no obvious answers are found, questions arise. Was the lameness related to joint issues? Could there have been nervous, muscular, and/or nutritional problems? Does arthritis have a role? To answer these questions, timely sampling and appropriate tissues are needed. During the webinar, Drs. Eisenmenger, Rahe, and Rossow will review possibilities, protocols, and their experience dealing with lameness in swine herds, providing insight for producers and their practitioners.

Previous webinars in this series have addressed viral myelitis, tracheitis, and most recently, coccidiosis. Ideas for future webinars are invited. Please contact Dr. Paul Sundberg, SHIC executive director, with your suggestions at [email protected].

As the world deals with the COVID-19 pandemic, SHIC continues to focus efforts on prevention, preparedness, and response to novel and emerging swine disease for the benefit of US swine health. As a conduit of information and research, SHIC encourages sharing of its publications and research. Forward, reprint, and quote SHIC material freely. SHIC is funded by America’s pork producers to fulfill its mission to protect and enhance the health of the US swine herd. For more information, visit https://www.swinehealth.org or contact Dr. Sundberg at [email protected].