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washburn also devotes time to research projects that impact the cattle industry collaborating with partners in academia and industry to develop technology for detecting early signs of bovine respiratory disease (brd) which is responsible for more than 45 percent of cattle deaths in feedlots |
in one of those collaborative projects washburn is investigating whether consuming live yeast can prevent or reduce the severity of the brd |
ranchers have been supplementing cattle feed with live yeast for years to boost digestion; however the role of live yeast in mitigating brd had not been evaluated washburn explained that if active yeast is indeed immunoprotective adding it to cattle feed in feedlots could be hugely beneficial |
since feedlots are where cattle efficiency is most important thats when the addition of yeast could potentially oil the immune machinery so to speak washburn said |
more recently nonclinical bovine research has also caught washburns interest he is currently working on a collaborative project related to fetal programminga term used to describe engineering maternal and paternal genetics to produce genetically desirable traits in the offspring |
in cattle fetal programming can be used to select for traits such as rapid growth high weaning weight and lean muscle in calves |
it takes fewer generations to get what you want washburn said implying that fetal programming is faster and much more efficient than traditional crossbreeding methods |
washburns success as an instructor and researcher is reflected in the multiple awards he has won over the years in recognition of his contribution to food-animal medicinehis office is replete with award plaques medals and some informal tokens of appreciation such as a card from a former veterinary student that dons a colorful hand-drawn cow with moo-chas gracias written on it |
more than the accolades what really excites him is training future food-animal veterinarians forging new collaborations and pursuing novel research directions |
im very glad that i came to texas a&m on a tire-kicking mission and decided oh my goodness this is awesome he said |
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note: this story originally appeared in the 2019 spring edition of cvm today |
for more information about the texas a&m college of veterinary medicine & biomedical sciences please visit our website at vetmedtamuedu or join us on facebook instagram and twitter |
contact information: jennifer gauntt interim director of communications media & public relations texas a&m college of veterinary medicine & biomedical science; jgauntt@cvmtamuedu; 979-862-4216 |
when dr michelle coleman isnt teaching and collaborating with students she is devoted to her research which examines the effects of equine obesity and a condition that affects the larynx |
story by briley lambert |
as a young girl in greenville south carolina dr michelle coleman was always fascinated with the beauty and grace of the horse |
her longtime desire to one day enter the medical profession was reinforced by an infatuation with the science behind equine medicine which would spark a lifetime of intrigue and years of research in the field of veterinary medicine |
after graduating from veterinary school at the university of georgia and completing an internship in lexington kentucky coleman came to the texas a&m college of veterinary medicine & biomedical sciences (cvm) for a residency in large animal internal medicine she has now been with the large animal hospital (lah) in the cvm for 10 years |
while here she also completed a phd in biomedical sciences |
her knowledge in equine medicine has been put to great use at the cvm |
with the equine industry in texas ranking among the largest in the countryconsisting primarily of working horses and those owned as petscoleman and the rest of the equine team at the cvm stay busy year-round |
in addition coleman has focused her research on laminitis a condition affecting the foot of the horse |
her studies mentored by dr noah cohen have found that obesity is a risk factor for the development of laminitis; thus she has focused her attention on better understanding the physiological processes associated with obesity to improve the mechanisms for preventing or managing obesity and ultimately reduce the burden of laminitis |
what we know about obesity in people is that it is not just about what we eat and how much we exercise; its certainly important but it is not the whole picture she said better understanding the mechanisms of obesity will improve our ability to manage or prevent it our primary interests are in the role of the gastrointestinal tract and gut microbiota in the development of obesity |
another area of interest for coleman is nasopharyngeal cicatrix a devastating equine condition that causes scarring and often life-threatening constriction in the upper respiratory tract |
although epidemiological data are lacking clinical experience indicates that this disease is highly prevalent in central and southeast texas and is the most common disorder of the upper respiratory tract evaluated at the lah according to coleman |
despite the awareness of this condition since the early 1970s and the high morbidity rates in texas the cause of this devastating condition remains unknown making the research even more intriguing for coleman |
outside of her research projects coleman enjoys working alongside and collaborating with veterinary students at the cvm |
it is amazing to be around veterinary interns residents and students she said their questions are engaging and stimulating |
despite her focus on research coleman said teaching has become one of her favorite aspects of working here |
having students around keeps us honest and it keeps us fresh and enthusiastic about what were doing she said |
when she isnt breaking new ground in the world of equine medicine coleman enjoys spending time with her husbanddr canaan whitfield an assistant professor of large animal surgeryas well as their two children and their family peta miniature pony |
with her 3- and 6-year-old children and a veterinary school full of eager-to-learn students coleman said she looks forward to working with the cvm to shape the future of veterinary medicine |
we are dedicated to producing excellent veterinarians; beyond the knowledge of veterinary medicine they must develop solid communication skills and a passion for the profession she said |
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note: this story originally appeared in the 2019 spring edition of cvm today |
for more information about the texas a&m college of veterinary medicine & biomedical sciences please visit our website at vetmedtamuedu or join us on facebook instagram and twitter |
contact information: jennifer gauntt interim director of communications media & public relations texas a&m college of veterinary medicine & biomedical science; jgauntt@cvmtamuedu; 979-862-4216 |
the texas a&m veterinary emergency team serves the state through response but also through its outreach efforts dedicating a portion of its resources to traveling across texas to help communities develop their own disaster preparedness plans |
story by chantal cough-schulze |
every month the texas a&m college of veterinary medicine & biomedical sciences (cvm) veterinary emergency team (vet) gathers to learn and train the team needs to be preparedat any given moment they could deploy which requires members to do anything from decontaminating animals near a nuclear facility to treating a horse injured in an overturned trailer |
were an all-hazards team we train for the spectrum from wildfires to chemical plant explosions to infectious diseases said dr wesley t bissett vet director and associate professor of emergency management |
created in 2009 the texas a&m veterinary emergency team is the nations largest and most sophisticated veterinary medical response team providing statewide veterinary support equipped with a 15-vehicle fleet the almost 100-member team responds to disasters and trains veterinary students to do the same; members on the educational staff and students also work with communities in advance of disasters |
everywhere the team goes they encounter unique challenges |
what we deal with in college station is very different than what the panhandle deals with or orange texas or the rio grande valley bissett said |
in the panhandle the issues the vet assists with are affected by the sheer size of the animal population |
texas raises a lot of cattlethere are more cattle in texas than there are people in alabama arkansas and mississippi combinedand a large percentage of the nations cattle are fed in the texas panhandle |
when the cattle population is combined with the major swine operations in the panhandle the risks change the sheer volume of animals combined with such factors as global travel provides the potential for infectious diseases to cause major problems according to bissett |
the cattle are coming from all over the country when youve got thousands of animals in close proximity to each other the potential for the introduction of disease is pretty significant he said |
in addition to infectious diseases there are three other major disasters that communities and livestock face in the panhandle: wildfires tornadoes and winter weather in late 2015 winter storm goliath descended on dairy farms throughout west texas killing 30 000 head of dairy cattle across texas this past summer there were more than 890 wildfires |
in the panhandle there are far fewer houses typically speaking fewer houses means more animals in harms way thats a very unique challenge a lightning strike or a downed power lineand then a wildfire starts bissett said wildfires move incredibly fast and theyre incredibly destructive weve been on a lot of different deployments but wildfires are still one of the most challenging issues we face |
to help address challenges like those seen in the panhandle the vet helps communities develop local emergency management plans and regional resources in the communities with which the vet works the vet brings together local firefighters law enforcement private veterinarians and other animal professionals |
the community defines the problem they want us to solvean animal-related problem revolving around a disasterand we solve it jointly bissett said we do our homework on the community we understand what the numbers are and we figure out how to use their resources to solve the problem |
because of the scope of some disasters the vet often has to coordinate with different organizations and both county and state governments from across texas |
we have to understand that what may solve our problem may create a problem elsewhere we have to come up with solutions that are mutually beneficial bissett said |
understanding the nuances of disaster response isnt just beneficial for affected communities; its also a valuable learning experience for veterinary students |
fourth-year veterinary students are required to do a rotation with the vet in the nations only mandatory clinical educational experience in veterinary emergency response during the rotation five to seven students work with the vet each week training and deploying with the vet wherever they go |
when we go to the panhandle we go and stay bissett said well work all week come home on friday switch students and drive back |
wherever the vet goes whether for developing plans or responding to a disaster students are expected to participate when the students work with the communities they have to conduct themselves professionally analyze the problems and clearly communicate solutions |
the situations that veterinary students learn about are as diverse as the vets deployments one emergency plan the vet has worked on is with the pantex plant a nuclear weapons facility in carson county more than 6 000 people live in carson county along with more than 20 000 cattle |
the operation at the pantex plant requires special plans for how to deal with the animal component if they have had an accident its a fascinating problem set for our students to solve bissett said |
even though the training focuses on emergency management the work is relevant to all veterinary students |
whether students are going into livestock management or becoming practice owners the vets approaches apply bissett said its all about problem solving and critical thinking |
the vet rotation also gives students the opportunity to get to know other regions of texas along with all of their unique environments emergencies and people |
we get our students out of college station and into the far reaches of texas our students get exposed to a broad range of environments and see whats out there meet the people understand them and understand what their problems are we get to open students eyes to a lot of things |
as the vet works to expand its impact more students and communities will benefit from the teams work in the future soon the vet will be sending a field service vehicle to west texas a&m university where longtime vet partners dr dan posey and dr dee griffin will use it to support veterinary needs in the panhandle; that unit was made possible by a donation from the texas equine veterinary association (teva) |
the vehicle is a truck with a veterinary box on it and will be outfitted with our cache of pharmaceuticals for both large and small animals bissett said well manage the whole logistics side of it theyll use it for delivering veterinary medical care for their recruiting trips and for working on school animals |
the vets work from their field service vehicle support to their disaster response and community collaboration has far-reaching impacts |
but the benefits arent just economic helping communities prepare for wildfires tornadoes and disease outbreaks like those seen in the panhandleand teaching a new generation of veterinary students to do the samehas important psychological impacts as well |
whenever we help a community theyre better able to serve their citizens and their animals bissett said the reality is and i dont care what species youre talking about they all matter a herd of cattle is not just a financial investment; it is an emotional investment a historical investment there is a relationship there that is much more than financial it is a familys and a communitys hope for the future |
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note: this story originally appeared in the 2019 spring edition of cvm today |
for more information about the texas a&m college of veterinary medicine & biomedical sciences please visit our website at vetmedtamuedu or join us on facebook instagram and twitter |
contact information: jennifer gauntt interim director of communications media & public relations texas a&m college of veterinary medicine & biomedical science; jgauntt@cvmtamuedu; 979-862-4216 |
jenny goods art is a representation of how she views the worldshe says it is who she is and not just something she does she uses pieces that would not necessarily go together to create something that can be asymmetrical but balanced at the same time she said |
because of her deep love of animals good said that she started playing with drawings using old maps and old ephemera to add texture to her artwork her love of collage work really came alive when she started using photos of animals and old maps that are often indicative of where the animals live |
one of her pieces is a cow from bastrop county she used old maps and land surveys of the state of texas from the 1940s she likes to pull in something more personal that connects her art to the subject shes working on or to the people or land and personalize it that way |
after looking at photos of the cow she began to see the final product in her head the pieces kind of fell together while i was scanning images like old maps and old sky charts that they used for ship navigation she said i just start seeing the images of the animals in the shapes and colors within the maps they just kind of come together they piece themselves and then i create |
although her artwork has been a main focus in her life good also has loved animals since she was a young child and often found comfort in the presence of her animal friends she has been around horses for as long as she can remember horses have been a part of my life since before i could walk theyve provided joy adventure solace and hope they represent every good thing in my life as most of the animal kingdom does good said |
a horse full of love |
in 2007 as good was struggling with various difficulties from her past a couple from brenham heard about her and wanted to help they strongly believed in the power of the human-animal bond and decided to donate indy a 7-year old medicine hat paint horse as a therapy horse for her good appreciated the gesture as indy helped her deal with her ptsd and childhood trauma when the owners gave indy to good they told her that theres nothing like a horse looking back at you with no judgment in their eyesto accept you just as you are and where you are that moment in your life |
indy is 17 years-old now and their words still ring true good said i cant imagine life without him |
for good indy has always been much more than a pet hes a gift what makes indy so special is that hes a survivor too hes also a clown and an instigator hes a lovable rogue his antics make him appear much younger than his 17 years she said |
before being placed with good indy was in an accident that left him with a deep cut in his leg he was brought to the texas a&m large animal hospital (lah) and the couple from brenham paid for his treatment and cared for him years later good brought him back to the lah because of a severe infection that left his throat paralyzed |
her local veterinarians had done all they could to help him; good was told that he may starve to death because his whole throat was paralyzed and he couldnt swallow they told her to take indy home and that his will to live would determine whether or not he would survive |
good returned home where indy would have to fend for himself |
hes voracious as far as never giving up he had the will to live but that wasnt good enough for me she said it was too much of a struggle and i wasnt ok with the prognosis that hell either starve to death or hell somehow make it through on his own so thats when i took him back to texas a&m |
she was in awe as she drove up to the lah |
i knew that this was a place we would get help this place made the difference between 鈥榡ust getting by and a full recovery good said |
the veterinarians who worked with indy assured good that he would be in capable hands the team included an equine endocrinologist who was his primary doctor they were so kind and reassuring to me that he was going to be safe that people would be constantly checking on him and i could feel ok leaving him she said |
because his illness caused his throat to be paralyzed he had lost a great deal of weight however the life-saving work of the veterinary team at texas a&m helped him gain weight and improved his quality of life |
to have a group that was concerned with improving his quality of life was so important when i got him back home i could see his old spark again good said i knew that he was going to be ok he just continued to put on weight he got frisky again and hes been healthy ever since |
good is grateful for the veterinarians at the lah |
indy is a gift to me that i rely on every day she says texas a&m veterinarians protected that gift for me |
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note: this story originally appeared in the 2019 spring edition of cvm today jenny goods art served as the cover image |
for more information about the texas a&m college of veterinary medicine & biomedical sciences please visit our website at vetmedtamuedu or join us on facebook instagram and twitter |
contact information: jennifer gauntt interim director of communications media & public relations texas a&m college of veterinary medicine & biomedical science; jgauntt@cvmtamuedu; 979-862-4216 |
hayley morgan |