Side of Chute and Handedness does not Affect the Sensitivity of Tritrichomonas foetus Sample Collection in Bulls

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AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Dr. Jennifer Koziol, a board certified theriogenologist from Texas Tech University, to discuss the publication in The Bovine Practitioner on sample collection for Tritrichomonas foetus. This project was funded by the AABP Foundation Competitive Research Grant. The AABP Foundation funds clinical research for beef and dairy cattle projects that may not be eligible for funding elsewhere and provide evidenced based medicine for practicing veterinarians. These projects are funded entirely by donations and if you would like to support projects such as this, please go to this link to donate today.

This project evaluated whether the side of the chute and right or left handedness influenced the sensitivity of detecting Tritrichomonas foetus. We discuss the importance of this venereal pathogen in the beef industry and the challenges for controlling its spread. Koziol walks us through the appropriate way to collect these samples and the new methods of detection that increase the sensitivity of the test versus previous diagnostic testing methods. She discusses the objectives and designs of the study. The results of the study indicate that the side of the chute and collector’s handedness do not influence the sensitivity of detecting the organism. This can have implications on ergonomics and long-term physical health of veterinarians. Physical health and injury prevention were identified as important aspects of retention of recent graduates in bovine practice, based on a study Koziol co-authored. These results can be utilized by cattle veterinarians performing this diagnostic test to allow them to appropriately implement control measures for their clients.

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Koziol, J. H., Gibbons, P. M., Fritzler, J. M., & Boggan, S. (2023). Side of chute and handedness does not affect the sensitivity of Tritrichomonas foetus sample collection in bulls. The Bovine Practitioner, 57(2), 25–28. https://doi.org/10.21423/bovine-vol27no2p25-28

Gibbons, P. M. S., Koziol, J. H., Schmidt, M., Cummings, D. B., Sacquitne, C., & Hake, M. (2023). Should I stay or should I go – a qualitative assessment of experiences of recent veterinary graduates in bovine practice. The Bovine Practitioner, 57(1), 35–40. https://doi.org/10.21423/bovine-vol57no1p35-40