At the beginning of 2020, the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) updated its guidelines for how dehorning should be done on dairy farms. The national organization first established guidelines for this practice in 2014. One significant update in the dehorning guidelines is the recommendation for pain mitigation.
Progressive DairyEditor Walt Cooley spoke with AABP’s Executive Director Fred Gingrich, DVM, about the changes and what they mean on-farm. 

 

 

Here is a breakdown of the episode:

Tell me about your experience as a vet working in the dairy industry. [0:15]

Explain what you do on a day-to-day basis for AABP. [1:00]

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Explain what guidelines AABP creates and the process for how they are created. [2:55]

How are AABP guidelines intended to be used in the industry? [4:30]

AABP has recently made changes to its dehorning guidelines. What should producers and vets be aware of? [5:30]

What instigated the need for these updates? [7:15]

Do you think we'll see more products labeled for pain mitigation at dehorning for calves? Is there a need for that in the market? [10:30] 

How well are these guidelines followed? [12:05]

What's been the feedback about the changes thus far? [13:55]

What's next on the horizon in this area of calf care? [16:50]

What’s the most meaningful conversation you’ve had this month? Why was it meaningful? [18:52]

What’s the best advice a dairy vet should be dispensing to his or her clients right now? Or put another way: If the vet isn’t talking about it, what should a producer be asking his or her vet about right now? [21:50]

 

To view the updated guidelines discussed in this episode, visit here.

 

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