Summer is filled with international travel. For those who choose to bring pets along for the ride, this means testing to meet import/export requirements. Most countries require a canine brucellosis test for entry. It's critical samples are submitted with ample time for testing to ensure pending results don't put a halt to a travel itinerary. In this episode, Dr. Brandon Dominguez and Dr. Cathy Campbell chat with Serology Section Head Dr. Melanie Landis to cover the basics of canine brucellosis testing and how clients can ensure their travel plans take off smoothly.

Caseous lymphadenitis, otherwise known as "cheesy gland" is a bacteria mostly affecting small ruminants. Most often it's spread through tagging, shearing, or other skin injuries. The bacteria causes abscesses with thick, cheese-like pus in the skin, lymph nodes and the internal organs. In this episode, Dr. Brandon Dominguez and Dr. Alexis Thompson sit down with Bacteriology Section Head Dr. Narayan Paul to discuss the bacteria and how producers can submit samples for testing.

Many clinics have the methods and expertise to detect common small animal parasites, such as heartworms. But, what about those random one offs you don't see regularly in clinic? That's where TVMDL's experience can be an extension to your clinic's parasite detection methods. In this episode, Dr. Brandon Dominguez and Dr. Cathy Campbell chat with Clinical Pathology Assistant Section Head Mindy Borst to cover how TVMDL's diverse experience in parasite identification can assist small animal practitioners.

Many producers experience issues with pre-weaning calf diarrhea. Though common, it's important to determine the cause of diarrhea to ensure the calf stays healthy and hydrated. In this episode, Dr. Brandon Dominguez and Dr. Alexis Thompson speak with Nina Velasquez, a bacteriology and serology technician at the Canyon laboratory, to cover the testing options TVMDL offers producers and some of the infectious causes of diarrhea.

Oftentimes, the diseases and health issues TVMDL assists with are related to nutrition. Livestock can look like they are in good condition, but are actually deficient in important trace minerals that can affect their overall health and production. In this episode, Dr. Brandon Dominguez and Dr. Alexis Thompson discuss the importance of trace minerals and TVMDL's testing options with Analytical Chemistry Section Dr. Travis Mays.

Happy Heartworm Awareness Month! Heartworms are a relatively common issue among dogs, however cats are also a susceptible species. Timing is key to effective testing for heartworms in all species. In this episode, Dr. Brandon Dominguez and Dr. Cathy Campbell chat with Serology Section Head Dr. Melanie Landis on the testing options available at TVMDL and the benefit of following guidelines outlined by the American Heartworm Association.

In general, parasites are a nuisance for animal owners. However, for livestock, equine, and other hoof-stock owners the threat is broadly spread across a herd. Though difficult, managing the threat of parasites at a herd-level doesn't have to be tricky. In this episode, Dr. Brandon Dominguez and Dr. Alexis Thompson sit down with Mindy Borst, TVMDL's in-house parasitology expert, to discuss the agency's testing options.

Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) is a protein hormone produced by sertoli cells and granulosa cells in the testes and ovaries, respectively. Therefore, AMH is diagnostically useful in characterizing spay/neuter status, ovarian remnant syndrome, and cryptorchidism. In this episode, Dr. Brandon Dominguez and Dr. Cathy Campbell sit down with Dr. Malcolm Delovio to discuss AMH and the testing options available at TVMDL to assess AMH concentration levels.

For many Texas livestock exhibitors, January marks the beginning of "major show season". Texas is home to three major livestock shows and hundreds of county livestock shows. Many enlist the assistance of TVMDL to perform livestock drug testing services. In this episode, Dr. Brandon Dominguez visits with Analytical Chemistry Section Head Dr. Travis Mays to discuss the importance of drug testing for livestock shows and how the lab utilizes state-of-the-art equipment to drug test over 4,000 samples from around the United States each year.

Canine Herpes Virus is a significant concern for newborn puppies less than 3 weeks of age, especially those from a female dog that has not been exposed to the herpes virus and encounters the virus during the last few weeks of her pregnancy. The virus/infection can trigger abortion or neonatal loss shortly after birth as they may be exposed to the virus and lack maternal antibody protection from their immunologically naïve mother.  In this episode, Dr. Brandon Dominguez teams up with Dr. Cathy Campbell, veterinary diagnostician, and Dr. Mathias Martins, virology section head, to discuss the disease and the testing options offered at TVMDL.