Crystal Heath, DVM

If my instructors had added a little more discussion about the corporate corruption, bailouts, cover-ups, bullying, and retaliation of veterinarians, maybe I would have paid more attention!

#h5n1 #Onehealth #animalwelfare

BREAKING: H5N1 Bird Flu Spreads California Reports Its 773rd Infected Dairy Herd; US Total Reaches 1,083 Across 18 States

I mean, it's the US military. They aren't exactly bastions of effective tactics and training that will create a more courageous and efficient, One Health-aligned world.

If veterinarians want to be respected as much as human doctors, we should train veterinary students to respect their patients.

#nomv #vetmed #vetschool #veterinarian #vetstudent #animalwelfare

The National School Lunch Program accounts for roughly 7.5% of U.S. fluid milk sales.

A 2017 peer-reviewed study found that among younger elementary students, 45.5 % of milk offered was wasted over the course of the week.

#onehealth #vetmed #vetstudent #veterinarian #vetschool #gotmilk

A recent review of oral stereotypic behaviours in farm animals reports that in one observational trial of dairy cows, tongue-rolling was found in ~29% of cows (2,365/8,158).

73% of dairy revenues come from some form of subsidy.

A U.S. abstract reports that ~29% of cows (2,931 animals) were observed tongue-rolling at least once during a milking in a large U.S. herd (also noted ~6% had more frequent behaviour).

A recent global review states that the clinical form of mastitis “affects … about 22 % of the North American population (cows)”.

A general veterinary text states: “All dairy herds have cows with subclinical mastitis; however, prevalence of infected cows varies from 5 % to 75 %, and quarters from 2 % to 40 %.”

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service “Dairy 2007” study looked at herd-level prevalence of contagious mastitis pathogens: e.g., 43 % of operations had herds testing positive for Staphylococcus aureus contamination in bulk-tank samples.

According to the National Mastitis Council (cited via a multistate project summary), “approximately **38 % of dairy cows in the United States experience clinical signs of disease [mastitis]”.

An extension article summarizing U.S./North American data reports that in one slaughter-plant audit dairy cows had ≈ 48.6% lame (vs 16.2% beef cows) in that dataset.

What made you become a conscientious objector to the dairy industry?

Some dairy industry facts:

The average lifespan of a U.S. dairy cow is 2.5 lactations.

A 2014 study of 45 herds in the U.S. Northwest found that 21% of cows had a gait abnormality (clinical lameness ~4%) in those herds.

YouTube video by Crystal Heath What PLURIBUS, School Milk, Tuskegee and Bird Flu Have in Common? We talked about them on 90.1FM

Please support local radio that talks about Pluribus, the National School Lunch Program, bird flu, salmonella, and meat packing plant inspection issues... You won't find this discussion anywhere else except on 90.1 FM KPFT Houston.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dipJ...

#vetbills #vetmed #vetschool #cats #dogs #vetstudent #veterinarian #animalrights #animalwelfare

To push for a system rooted in courage, effectiveness, and accountability.

And if that makes executives uncomfortable?
Good. Discomfort is where change begins.

Our patients don’t get a voice in these boardrooms.

But veterinarians do.

Progress has never been driven by comfort. It has always been driven by those willing to disrupt broken systems.

I chose this profession to protect animals — not corporate margins.

To advocate for evidence-based medicine — not investor returns.

I will not apologize for supporting policy that ensures everyone has access to care, no matter their socioeconomic status.

I will not apologize for being “too opinionated,” “too radical,” “too idealistic,” or for causing “infighting.”

Things I will not apologize for as a veterinarian:

I will not apologize for criticizing the private equity takeover of veterinary medicine.

I will not apologize for exposing corporate crimes against animals.

This dairy has tested positive for avian influenza in the past.

What would you do?

#onehealth #h5n1 #vetmed #veterinarian #animalwelfare #publichealth

I drive by this facility about once a month, and every time I see something horrible. We've filed complaints with Kern County Animal Services regarding animal welfare concerns and with the water board regarding bodies being dumped. So far, nothing has changed.

Kind stranger takes injured kitten to shelter—heartbreak at what unfolds “I am so sorry, that humans and our money system failed the kitten. By its facial expressions it’s in a lot of pain," a user said.

www.newsweek.com/kind-strange...

I'm so disturbed that we don't have better resources and a safety net for humans and animals. I did my best to respond to this tragic story. Let me know if you think I should have said anything better or different for this story.
#onehealth #accesstocare #publichealth #animalwelfare #animalrights

YouTube video by Crystal Heath Vegan vs. Reducetarian: Where Do You Stand?

The night I got back from the Reducetarian Summit, I immediately took to the FM airwaves (90.1 KPFT) to spill all the tea. ☕

Tune in to hear my unfiltered thoughts on “reducetarianism,” and what it all means for the animal movement.

🎧 Listen here → www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFWx...

This administration can sure use someone like you, asking the questions that need to be answered for ensuring biosafety.

But, as you know, it's not going to happen because they are already full of bull....

What about the workers? What about nearby poultry facilities? Aerosolized milk particles are everywhere in milking parlors. The recent study showed virus is everywhere on facilities. Dairy production represents a biosecurity threat that is impossible to contain.

No bones about it as star chef sets vegan milestone in French fine dining Celebrated French chef Alain Passard has become the first three Michelin star chef in France to switch to an entirely plant-based menu, opening a new chapter in the world of luxury dining.

In other news… www.rfi.fr/en/france/20...

Could 1mL of raw, H5N1-infected milk potentially infect 10,000 to 100,000,000 turkeys?

Obviously, these lab titers don’t translate cleanly into real-world transmission because dose, route, strain, host species, and environmental factors all matter...

But still...

So, I'm just thinking out loud here, say raw milk has on the order of 10^4 to 10^9 virus particles per mL, and it takes fewer than 10 virus particles to infect 50% of turkeys—assuming similar strain, lab, and host conditions...

Could 1mL of raw, H5N1-infected milk potentially infect 10,000 to 100,000,000 turkeys?

Obviously, these lab titers don’t translate cleanly into real-world transmission because dose, route, strain, host species, and environmental factors all matter...

But still...