Innovation within veterinary medicine has come into its own in recent years, with more boundaries being

pushed, as it is increasing obvious that animal health goes hand in hand with public health. The need for
traceability and sustainability has never been more apparent in the light of recent health outbreaks. With a
changing, warming climate we are being challenged in multiple ways, and science has had to provide solutions
to ensure whole health. Expectation from clients to provide substantial care to their pets, who are valued family
members, has driven forward new therapies as veterinary medicine techniques align with those in human
medicine.

Health Innovation

Be it avian flu, swine flu, or a bat in a wet market – we are more aware than ever that animal health has a direct
impact on human health. Disease in livestock has huge knock-on effects to the mental, physical and financial
wellbeing of humans. Reducing the threat of disease with improved prevention strategies and effective treatment
has resulted in some breakthrough advancements being made.

 Vaccines

Vaccines are essential in protecting against deadly and debilitating diseases. An effective vaccination strategy
relies on enough of the population being vaccinated, so ensuring vaccines are cost effective and easy to use and
store are paramount.

mRNA vaccines can be produced at a lower cost than standard vaccines. Heat resistant vaccines enable the vials
to be kept at room temperature – a huge breakthrough for vaccines in developing countries, and ‘custom’
autogenous vaccines which target specific strains of pathogen on individual farms, are all now on the market,
making big differences to populations.

 Antimicrobials

The threat of antimicrobial resistance is very real. Bacterial infections are currently treated with antimicrobials
(also known as antibiotics) but as more strains of bacteria become resistant to more types of antimicrobials,
alternative treatment options are becoming a necessity.

While veterinary professionals take great care with antibiotic use, other alternatives are being developed which
show great promise. These include - ambient cold plasmas, immunotherapy, antimicrobial peptides and
bacteriophages.

 Traceability

When faced with an outbreak of a disease it is essential to be able to trace individuals to stop further spread.
Livestock have strict identification and movement tracking rules in place, systems which were tested throughout
the foot and mouth pandemic. While many domestic animals in the UK have microchips, actually tracing
individuals is difficult, and this was brough to attention following the recent equine herpes outbreak.

The evolution of digital tracking has led to Weatherby’s e-passport for all thoroughbreds in the racing industry.
The FEI have developed HorseApp which offers traceability and monitoring of horse health of FEI horses.
Equitrace is an app which shows an equine’s identification, location and health status, and is available for
owners and veterinarians. This is likely to be just the start of portable, digital tracking of animals.

Pain Relief Innovation

With over 51 million pets in the UK alone, the role of the cat and dog has changed over the past few decades.
Our pets are now valued members of the family, with many owners willing to spend more money and try more
options to keep their pet healthy and happy. No owner likes to see their pet in pain, and alongside pain relief
medication many are looking to alternative therapies and technology to help improve their companion’s
comfort.
  Targeted Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (tPEMF) Therapy

A non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical option to stimulate the body’s own anti-inflammatory mechanisms. tPEMF
works by increasing endothelial Nitric Oxide which activates anti-inflammatory cascades. Nitric Oxide also
stimulates pathways which result in increased tissue repair.

Assisi have developed a ‘loop’ which emits tPEMF technology and can be used over specific areas of concern,
such as joints in the case of osteoarthritis, or over surgical sites to encourage healing.

 Monoclonal Antibodies

Monoclonal antibodies are man-made antibodies that bind to a specific antigen. They are extremely targeted in
that they are only effective against one particular substance. Widely used in human medicine, including for
some cancers, monoclonal antibodies are now being used to treat osteoarthritic pain in dogs.

Bedinvetmab, a canine monoclonal antibody, targets Nerve Growth Factor (NGF). The inhibition of NGF
mediated cell signalling has demonstrated to provide pain relief from osteoarthritis. Cats are being treated with
frunevetmab, which woks via similar pathways.

 Stem Cell Therapy

A form of regenerative medicine, stem cell therapy can help repair damaged tissue and heal musculoskeletal
injuries, hence improving quality of life. The procedure takes specific cells from the animal and harvests them
to be reinjected into damaged sites. Due to the type of cells used - mesenchymal cells, these can develop the
characteristics of the cells needed for the repair of tissue. Used widely in dogs and horses, stem cell therapy can
provide great results when used in joint, tendon and ligament injuries.

Technology Innovation

As the world we live in continues to expand its technological and digital prowess, it is fitting that the veterinary
world is also harnessing the advantages of technology progress. With increasing options available in monitoring
and communication, opportunities for more efficient and precise treatment are arising. Increasing data collection
aids in early diagnosis of conditions and offers individual care to large groups of animals.

 Wearable Devices

It is increasingly common to see ‘smart watches’ on our wrists. Clever devices that track our steps, heart rate
and more. Wearable devices are now becoming more popular in animals too. Such devices can track the
animal’s vital statistics such as heart rate, body temperature, their activity and behaviour. Used in cattle these
allow individual animals with health issues to be identified before they affect the rest of the herd.

In pets, smart collars are being used to monitor activity, location and can even be used to monitor their sleep,
temperature, body positions, pulse and heartrate variability.

 Biomarkers

Identifying parameters that are important in identifying certain disease, and monitoring them, can help predict
which animals may suffer from the condition and allow for early intervention. This personalised and predictive
process puts emphasis on preventative care over reactive care.

RenalTech have done just this – six laboratory parameters have been identified for cats at high risk of chronic
kidney disease development. Using a blood or urine sample, coupled with the cat’s age, RenalTech uses
artificial intelligence to compare data and indicate the cat’s likelihood of developing chronic kidney disease.

 Telemedicine
Ways that we communicate have evolved at a rapid pace over the past decade, with the recent pandemic further
showcasing how digital correspondence can play a vital role in medical communication. In an online, instant
world where consumers expect rapid service at their fingertips, these demands are also being placed onto
veterinary care. Clients expect and want more, and multiple telemedicine companies have adapted to offer just
this, impacting on how veterinary services are delivered.

Telemedicine is the use of digital communication to provide veterinary advice remotely. Various apps are on the
market, which allow for correspondence with a vet via a smartphone or tablet - live chats and video calls are
available over this platform. Telemedicine also covers instant messaging, phone calls and text messages.

Nutrition Innovation

As our understanding of how nutrition and gut health has an impact on immunity, the way we address nutrition
is changing. More research is needed to fully understand this relationship but there is great promise and
potential in using diet to manipulate gut health to improve immunity and reduce the need for other medicines
such as antibiotics.

Using precision nutrition to improve animal health results in increased productivity, making the use of novel
feeds an attractive option to livestock farmers.

 Probiotics

Already used widely in humans, probiotics are keen favourites in the equine world, with their use also gaining
popularity in pets. The use of pre and pro biotics can help to influence the gut flora, promoting the presence of
‘good’ bacteria while reducing the ‘bad’ bacteria.

Creating a healthy intestinal environment is also beneficial to the environment. A lab in America has developed
a probiotic ‘Fortis’ which reduces enteric methane formation in ruminants by 50%.

 Phytogenic Feed Additives

Phytogenic feed additives are substances of plant origin which are added to an animal’s diet with the aim of
improving health and performance. Known to have a range of biologically active properties including
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, they show promise in promoting intestinal health and improving feed
efficiency.
The Innovations Changing Animal Health

From artificial intelligence to the next generation of vaccines, we bring together

five innovations shaping animal health.

1. Artificial Intelligence in dairy farming

Dairy farmers pride themselves on being able to identify each and every one of
their herd. But could a piece of software be even better at recognizing cows’
faces? And why would we need it?

An Irish startup has developed a platform that can identify animals by their
features in seconds, matching their profile to data on their movements, water
intake and behaviour.

Artificial intelligence then produces analytics to drive on-farm decisions around

production, reproduction and overall health.

Cainthus, the startup that has developed the software, recently received an
undisclosed equity investment from multinational Cargill, suggesting we may
soon see this innovation in practice.

2. Diagnostics

There aren’t many of us who’d think of fresh urine as ‘liquid gold’. But
that’s exactly what it is to the emerging field of on-site analysis, according to
one leading diagnostic company.

Urine contains vital clinical information on the health of an animal, but begins
to decompose just 30 minutes after collection. And so, point-of-care analysis
promises accurate evaluation and a higher standard of veterinary care.

A diagnostics speciality firm has developed technology which automatically

analyses urine samples in just a few minutes.

Sophisticated software makes use of machine learning and databases to deliver

a comprehensive analysis that inform the animal’s care, quicker than ever
before.
3. Extreme vaccines

Advances in vaccine technology are allowing this essential veterinary tool to

reach ever more remote communities.

Belgian biopharmaceutical company, ViroVet has developed a technology

platform that takes cold chain distribution out of the equation.

These vaccines, which can be stable for weeks at temperatures of up to 50°C,

could help overcome some of the major disease challenges in Africa and the
Middle East, such as Rift Valley Fever and PPR.

The possibilities could expand even further with the introduction of vaccines in
tablet format. Currently in development, these highly portable medicines will
dissolve into an easily-administered liquid that eliminates the need for syringes.

4. Innovation in gut health

Gut health has long been a fixture of human wellbeing, but what if it could be
used to build the immunity of chicks before they’ve even hatched?

One HealthforAnimals Member has initiated a partnership with a feed

technology company to develop a product that utilises an egg antibody as part
of an animal’s feed.

As well as enhancing the animal’s own gut health, the technology may mean
hens are able to pass antibodies to their offspring and reduce their vulnerability
to pathogens.

Nutrition is one of the most lively areas of innovation in animal health; sensors,
data and real-time feed analytics are already offering producers the opportunity
to optimise feed (and by extension, animal health). It’s a shift that looks set to
continue as this technology becomes more affordable.

5.Genetics

Breeding disease-resistant animals may be the ultimate aim of much genetic

research, but this fast-moving field is also helping to improve medicines.
An international team has investigated immune system responses at a genetic
level in pigs infected with different strains of African swine fever virus. The
hope is that this understanding will be the starting point for an efficient vaccine.

Meanwhile, Pirbright researchers have genetically modified the virus itself, and
believe this modified strain could be utilised as a vaccine. One benefit of this
technology is that it allows a vaccine to work more harmoniously with the
host’s immune system.

It isn’t just livestock that could benefit from genetic research; UK researchers
say they have created a ‘reverse genetics’ vaccine for equine disease AHS that
all but eliminates the usual risk factors. It mimics a virus in entering host cells
and triggering an immune response.

Diagnostics are the crucial link between the two key strategies for good
health, prevention and treatment.

Veterinary diagnostics are critical for animal health, identifying health issues
before they are otherwise able to be detected and supporting faster diagnosis
and treatment planning.

Traditional diagnosis analyzes blood, tissue, urine or stool to detect proteins,

antibodies, disease presence or general indicators of overall health. Lab-based
testing ensures accurate, quality results while point-of-care diagnostics enable
real-time decisions that can ease concerned animal owners. These analyses are a
cornerstone of veterinary care.

Digital diagnostics unlock the preventative power of the technology by

identifying trends in wellness data that human experts may overlook, creating
new possibilities for early disease detection. Artificial intelligence and other
cutting-edge approaches mean greater opportunities to detect risk patterns in
growing volumes of data.

Diagnostics offer ‘untapped potential’ in the global animal health landscape.

These technologies can play a fundamental role in any preventative strategy by
offering disease tracking and tracing, allowing for actions like surge
vaccination.

Expansion of reliable, effective diagnostics can drastically improve our

understanding of disease and strengthen the health of animals around the globe.
The fact that veterinary medicine is looking to the allied human medical
professions for inspiration is a very good thing. After all, the drive to heal
humans — not animals — has been the overriding force behind the
development of medical innovations since the dawn of time. That’s why
“creative mooching,” as I like to call it, affords a way for veterinary medicine
to improve animal health by taking lots of its high-tech (and not-so-high-tech)
cues from its sister professions.

Read on to learn about 10 newfangled things modern veterinarians are currently

adopting from human medicine.

1. Transplant medicine. In addition to blood transfusions, dialysis and skin

grafts, we’ve set our sights on bringing kidney, liver and heart transplants to
our veterinary patients. But only because we’ve learned how from human
medicine.

2. Checklists. As I intimated earlier, not every item on this list is a high-tech

adaptation from human medicine. This one’s actually an engineering solution
that arrived by way of human medicine and was popularized by Dr. Atul
Gawande in his seminal book, The Checklist Manifesto.

The idea is that medicine’s become so technologically complex that mistakes

are happening at a higher rate. Just like a fighter pilot checks off points on his
checklist before every flight, so too should veterinarians employ checklists for
everything from anesthesia management to laboratory techniques, and even
new puppy/kitten visits. (Who can remember everything one needs to talk about
during these critical visits?)

3. Antinausea medication. Nausea is not necessarily second to pain when

alleviating animal suffering. It’s a really big deal. In fact, without nausea
medication, I probably would’ve lost last week’s pancreatitis patient.
Thankfully, increasingly effective iterations of these drugs are becoming more
widely available to animal medicine.
In large part, I’m told, this increased availability has to do with the prevalence
of chemotherapy in humans and the need to address the extreme nausea these
protocols too often elicit. As drug companies cycle through the drugs they find
effective, many of these medications are being conscripted into veterinary
service.

4. Radiation technology. It may sound crazy to you, but in South Florida, where
I live, my patients have access to three linear accelerator machines dedicated
full-time to irradiating tumors in pets. Cool, right? More so when you consider
that plenty of facilities are now starting to offer the Gamma Knife, an even
more precise radiation therapy tool for pets with brain tumors.

5. Better [animal] living through chemicals. The rise in drugs used to treat
mental health in humans has led to a similar spike in their use among pets.
Though ethical questions persist (as they should), some pets are clearly
benefiting from the science behind these medications.

6. Low-level laser therapy (aka, cold laser therapy). By using low-power lasers
to interact with tissues, this technology is thought to help accelerate wound
healing and alleviate pain. Although still mostly considered an alternative
therapy in human medicine, the technology’s relative safety, along with the
wide availability of units once destined for human use, have opened the doors
for veterinary medicine.

7. Stem cell therapy. The point of stem cell therapy is to take immature cells
and put them in a location where they can then “teach” existing cells what to do.
As with the cold laser, this is a human medical adaptation that’s gaining ground
in animal medicine and has been approved by the FDA for some indications in
pets.

8. Chemotherapy. Newer, more effective protocols are slowly making their way
toward animals as veterinary oncologists continue to make smart, tactical
decisions adapted from human protocols.

9. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Being exposed to oxygen-saturated air at a high

pressure for prolonged periods of time has been shown to reduce inflammation
and improve tissue healing. This used to be unavailable for animals. It’s now
almost common practice for expensive racehorses and is finally making its way
toward pets.

10. Online medical records. Though we hardly consider the Internet high-tech
anymore, the truth is that we’ve got a long way to go before we realize this
medium’s full promise. Online medical record keeping is one of the Internet’s
Holy Grails. While human medicine has made some crucial strides, the
veterinary profession’s freedom from certain privacy laws may mean that
veterinary medicine can take this baby and run with it.

4 ways innovation is changing veterinary care as we know it

Digital technology has been transforming the veterinary profession over the past decade, and the
coronavirus pandemic has only accelerated this transformation over the past year. But how many
changes that AI, big data, and virtual reality have brought us are here to stay?
That was the main question leading veterinary professionals addressed at a virtual session on the
future of veterinary consults hosted by The British Veterinary Association and Mars Petcare as part of
the Vet Show Autumn Series.
In case you missed the session, here is a short summary of the debate.

#1. Big data and AI are helping veterinarians bust myths and shed light on the “unknown
unknowns”

Participants agreed that big data and AI will play an even bigger role in the future, given their ability
to advance precision veterinary medicine: veterinarians are already regularly making evidence-based
recommendations on procedures and treatments for common conditions in pets.
Dr. Dan O’Neill, founder of the VetCompassTMveterinary surveillance project argued that evidence-
based veterinary care can help veterinarians ask the right questions about pets’ health. Data can reveal
insights that can set both researchers and veterinary professionals on the right course for further
investigations. “Search the data, see what you find, and you may well bust a myth”, Dr. O’Neill noted.
A good example of how data can contradict common perception is a recent VetCompass TMstudy that
analysed the risk factors of heat-related deaths in UK dogs. Despite the notion that being shut inside a
vehicle on a hot day is the situation most likely to lead to overheating in dogs, looking at veterinary
records of over 900,000 UK dogs found that in 75% of cases, the heatstroke trigger was, in fact,
exertion. Over-exercising dogs – especially dog breeds prone to heat-related illness – proved far
deadlier than leaving dogs in overheated cars. These insights highlight the need to accurately inform
pet owners about all the risk factors of heatstroke in dogs.

#2. Veterinarians teaming up with tech developers = win-win

Dr. Timokleia Kousi, founder of The Vet Futurist, stressed that veterinarians have an opportunity
to partner with tech developers to test and improve pet wearables. Ensuring they’re fit for
purpose is paramount, given the potential these emerging technologies have in measuring a pet’s
lifelong health. Dr Kousi added that veterinarians should embrace technologies already validated and
contribute to their development, considering the value wearables can bring everyone involved: pets,
their owners, clinicians, and developers.
The panel argued AI-driven diagnostics will play an increasingly important role in the vet consult
room of the future. Future practice management systems will be much more than just a diary: machine
learning systems will interpret clinical signs and suggest potential diagnoses to help refine further
tests or treatments. This means clinicians will need access to the right, compatible tools that can
enable them to interpret data and make evidence-based care recommendations. Veterinary practices
using several digital tools to fit pets’ personalised care needs will also be more likely to embrace
future innovations, Dr O’Neill added.

#3. Continuous education, critical for tech adoption

Dr. Chris Queen, author of The Nerdy Vet, predicted big data advancements would have an impact on
veterinary practice sooner than other technologies like virtual reality. But how can practitioners gain
expertise in analysing and understanding the value of big data? Continuous education was a key topic
of debate, and panellists acknowledged that university curricula will need to stay up-to-date with
innovations that are already starting to change veterinary care as we know it.
Dr. Queen indicated virtual reality holds huge potential for veterinary students’ practical training,
especially during the current period of remote learning. Virtual reality can also help improve seasoned
veterinary professionals’ skills. Dr. Queen noted that vet students will first need to experience and
understand the value this technology can bring before we can see a considerable uptake in VR-based
training.
The panel also recognised the concerns of some of those in the veterinary profession that technology
might pose a threat to clinicians’ job security but adding that embracing the right technology will in
fact enrich their skillset. By allowing technology and big data to deliver insights into pets’ health,
veterinarians can better focus on interpreting the findings and building efficient care pathways for
every pet.

#4. Towards an era of relationship-based veterinary care: engagement, support, and

collaboration

Dr. Dan O’Neill added that continuous veterinary education also involves a mindset change. Thanks
to pet care innovation, Dr. O’Neill argued we are now entering an era of relationship-based
veterinary care, where pet owners, veterinarians, and researchers collaborate on equal footing. Pet
owners embracing digital technology are becoming collaborators, providing veterinarians with the
data they need to make personalised care decisions. This collaboration can help veterinarians give
powerful evidence-based advice, which will in turn strengthen the partnership with pet owners.
The panel also felt strongly that veterinarians will play a crucial role in helping owners navigate
through potential information overload and in guiding them to reliable sources. By creating digital
resources owners can access before bringing their pets to the clinic, veterinarians can ensure owners
are well equipped for a constructive conversation about their pet’s health.
With the number of US pet owners touching 70 percent, the need for quality
veterinary services, coupled with advanced technological innovations for pets,
is at an all-time high. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the
employment of technicians and veterinary technologists is expected to grow by
15 percent between 2020–2030.

Over the last decade, vets have been using technologies such as ultrasound,
MRI, and laparoscopy, once solely meant for human use. The aim for using
these innovations is to offer better care, outcomes, and medications to pets.

Here are the must-have technological innovations that increase life expectancy
and improve the care of pets in the long run.

1. Wearable Devices

The use of wearable medical devices, such as GPS trackers, motion sensors,
Bluetooth transmitters, accelerometers, and much more, is rising. These devices
are used to keep track of heart rate, body temperature, pH levels, respiration
rate, oxygen levels, sleep cycles, etc., thus, resulting in better treatment
procedures for pets.

For instance, Whistle, a manufacturer of pet monitoring and tracking devices,

announced the launch of the Whistle 3 product. This device keeps track of a
pet’s exercise and can locate a lost pet, as well. The device tracker and mobile
app create a safe space for the pet to wander around vacation spots, homes, or
offices.

As per the Association of Pet Obesity Prevention, approximately 100 million

cats and dogs are obese or overweight. Wearable fitness trackers equipped with
temperature, pulse, and respiratory sensors collect data to measure a pet’s
physical activity; therefore, aiding veterinarians to diagnose and recommend
diet charts for pets.

2. Telemedicine

According to a study, 52 percent of cats in the US have not been taken to a vet
in the past year. This number can be reduced with virtual care through
telemedicine platforms.
For implementing telemedicine, a vet requires a legal VCPR (Veterinarian-
Client-Patient Relationship), as recommended by the AVMA (American
Veterinary Medical Association). VCPR enales vets to prescribe medication,
diagnose, and treat any animal via telemedicine platforms. Note that
veterinarian telemedicine laws differ from state-to-state.

As per a study conducted by the University of Tennessee, 50 percent of

participants felt moderately positive towards veterinary telemedicine. A digital
experience that aligns with the lives of pet owners is driving the need for
telemedicine today.

Telemedicine services via email, website, or text messages enable vets to

provide better advice, thus building relationships with clients. For
instance, Chewy, an e-commerce platform, launched its telehealth services for
pets, through which owners can get online guidance in real-time.

A telemedicine application furnishes better care post-surgeries. For example, an

owner can send images of incisions, and vets can track the healing process, thus
preventing infection or sepsis.

A veterinarian can use social media, messaging, or calls to inform clients about
telemedicine services. Case-by-case method is used by vets to evaluate which
animals require telemedicine consultation and which ones need treatment at
clinics.

3. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

According to the National Academy of Medicine, AI can revolutionize medical

care and provide opportunities to improve clinical outcomes, patient care, and
decrease expenses. Vets use AI technology to detect certain diseases in pets and
treat them accordingly.

Dr. Krystle Reagan, veterinary internist at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical

Teaching Hospital, helped to create an algorithm to diagnose Addison’s disease
in dogs, with an accuracy of 99 percent.

Blood samples from over 1,000 dogs were used to train artificial intelligence
algorithms to detect the complex patterns of the disease. This program was then
used to detect Addison’s disease in new dogs.
“Radiography is another field where AI is successfully used. Complex
algorithms are proving to be accurate in detecting patterns for imaging data,”
says Erin Downes from Paoli Vetcare.

For instance, Vetology, a leader in veterinary teleconsulting, provides AI

scrutiny of radiographs of organs such as lungs, heart, and thorax in dogs. The
results are available in five minutes, and the accuracy rate equals that of a live
vet radiologist.

4. 3D Printing

3D printing technology is useful for surgical procedures in animals. For

example, Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, Indiana, and
UIUC College of Veterinary Medicine are utilizing 3D printing technology to
educate the next generation of surgeons about bone fixations.

This technology provides real-time data on the muscles and bones of animals to
be operated on. 3D printing creates animal bone models through data gathered
from tomography scans. At Penn State, faculty and students are using 3D
technology to make models that replicate deformities or injuries of animals.

Owners are educated through 3D models about their pets’ physiology and
anatomy. Furthermore, this technology also aids the manufacturing of
prosthetics for animals. For instance, researchers from the University of
Pennsylvania used 3D technology to print a parrot’s prosthetic leg, which was
torn by a fox.

Speed, unlimited designs, savings, and flexibility are reasons for the growing
popularity of 3D technology. Nowadays, in addition to nylon, metal, stainless
steel, and ceramics, vets can print using natural tissue, which is filled with fluid.

5. Biomarkers

A biomarker (biological marker) is a quantifiable measure that indicates a

biological process. It’s a growing trend in both veterinary and human medicine.
A biomarker is a molecule such as a surface receptor or a hormone that’s
detectable in tissues or blood, and reflects the disease or health of patients or
animals.

Biomarkers are useful for monitoring diseases during and post-treatment,

including early detection of diseases. For example, cardiac troponin is a
sensitive marker for myocardiocyte injury, and high concentration of the marker
can identify cardiac HSA (a blood vessels cancer) in dogs.

Biomarkers are essential for evaluating clinical responses, animal physiology,

and therapeutic decisions. They can be obtained from sweat, urine, plasma, etc.

6. Laser Therapy

Laser therapy uses light waves of wavelength 600-1070 nanometers to alter

tissues or cells. Laser therapy is used in veterinary practice to treat animals
suffering from:

Surgical incisions

Chronic arthritis

Traumatic injuries

Tendon and ligament injuries

However, laser therapy works best for pets with few medical options such as:

Pets allowed a few pain killer medicines

Animals suffering from liver diseases that cannot take medicines

Exotic pets where medications are difficult to administer

Older animals with hampered organs

Final Thoughts

The medical community has struggled with philosophical and moral issues, and
veterinary is not an exception. These technologies help to strengthen outcomes,
care, client relationships, and detect diseases. In the coming years, it’s
technology that will be most closely linked to the efficacy of a veterinary
practice.
Top-10 Innovations in Vet Med in the Next Decade

My thanks to my colleagues at Trupanion Pet Insurance for posting the following

Tweet on their handle @Trupanion: "What do you think is the most innovative
advancement in vet medicine in the past decade?" Sadly, the four choices (Twitter
only allows four on their polling app) were: (1) labwork that was advocated when I
graduated from vet school 18 years ago; (2) a technological advancement that
eventually trickled down from human medicine; (3) a specialty surgical procedure
with a questionable benefit:cost ratio; and (4) an animal drug manufactured by a
company with a less than stellar reputation among veterinarians. I thought to myself,
"Is this the best we can do?" If so, the veterinary profession needs to pick itself up by
it's bootstraps. Another decade like this one is sure to spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E for animal
health.

Here is my wish list for veterinary innovations in the coming decade (in no particular
order):

1. Implantable medical devices - If I had a dollar for every time a client asked me if
there was another way to check a pet's temperature than rectally, I'd be a very rich
man. Can't someone develop a cost-effective microchip that transmits body
temperature to a wireless device? While we're at it, let's have the chip also measure
blood sugar to monitor diabetics and have a GPS device so we can easily track Fido
when he runs away. Any other functionality would be gravy!

2. Neon-colored skin suture - Anyone who has placed stitches in a pet with dark fur
will attest to the difficulty in seeing black or dark blue suture with that backdrop. I
have two words for veterinary suture manufacturers: HOT PINK. Ok, for the male pets
hunter orange would be nice too. Or lime green. Anything besides BLACK. Please.
Thank you.

3. Lifelong duration of immunity studies - This is the holy grail that has been
promised since the vaccine debate erupted 15 years ago. We know that most of the
core vaccines last longer than a year in dogs and cats. But how much longer? Vaccine
manufacturers have rightfully pointed out that following a colony of dogs or cats
from infancy to natural death is cost-prohibitive if we want to keep vaccine prices
affordable. But surely a veterinary teaching college or a non-profit animal welfare
group would be willing to fund research with such far-reaching health implications.
I'm a firm believer in comprehensive immunizations to benefit herd health. We've
eradicated some horrible diseases over the years through aggressive vaccination. But
now we also know that some breeds and individuals suffer consequences from too
many injections. It would be a huge blessing to know whether the initial puppy and
kitten series was all the vaccines that a pet will ever need for protection from major
diseases.
4. The perfect diet for dogs & the perfect diet for cats - One of the most talked
about issues in animal health in the last ten years has been pet food. Dry vs. canned.
Raw vs. preservatives. GMOs vs. Organic. Grain-free vs. balanced. You get the idea. I
am not a nutritionist but I am a pragmatist. Buy the best pet food that you can afford
and that fits your lifestyle. After that, it's anyone's guess. Keep in mind that dogs are
scavengers. Their GI tract is set up to digest whatever they can find. If it's wild-caught
natural salmon, that's great. But they can also *gag* digest the unfortunate possum
that crawls into the backyard. On the other hand, cats are obligate carnivores. In the
wild, they hunt and eat small prey. I've never seen a mouse that looks like a small bag
of kibble. The point is, that in metabolism we tend to get out about the same quality
that we put in. I would be very grateful if an unbiased nutritionist would discover the
diets that best suit the canine and feline constitutions.

5. Single-dose treatment for ear infections - Fortunately, our friends at Bayer seem
to have cracked this code. A new product called Claro was FDA-approved in 2015 for
use in dogs with otitis. As with any medical treatment, Claro needs to stand up to
real-world conditions and peer review. However, a product like this that can be
applied at the vet, last two weeks, and require no additional work at home by the pet
owner is truly innovative. Well done.

6. One product that prevents heartworms, intestinal worms, fleas, and ticks - I
grant you that we are so much better off in this area than when I was a newly minted
veterinarian. I remember the days of flea dips and daily heartworm prevention (am I
that old?). These days, the main problem is TICKS. The little buggers are hard to kill.
And the FDA is really not a fan of products that combine several therapeutic agents
in one dose. I get it --- if pets have an adverse reaction to a medication, we need to
know which ingredient is causing the problem. But I bet a large number of cases of
heartworm disease, intestinal parasitism, and vector-borne (flea & tick-caused) illness
are because of pet owner confusion.

Wife: "Did you give Shadow his heartworm pill?"

Husband: "I put that stuff on his back."

Kids: "Mom, my iPhone won't download this app."

Wife: "Shadow, get out of the garbage!"

Shadow: [Runs away with a chicken bone.]

You get the idea. A single product that wipes out all major parasites for at least 30
days would be a huge step forward. Three or six-month duration, even better.
7. Gender and wage equality in veterinary medicine - According to the 2015
AVMA Employment Survey the national mean annual earnings for female
veterinarians was $71,714, while men had mean annual earnings of $83,538. This
difference amounts to a wage gap of 16.5 percent. The AVMA went on to "control for
factors other than gender" and came up with an actual wage gap of 8.6%. Either way,
female vets are not compensated the same as their male counterparts in a profession
whose recent graduates are nearly 90% women. NOT. GOOD. When we take into
account that the current average student loan debt for new graduates is more than
$150,000, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that conditions in the profession are
unsustainable. I graduated with a debt:income ratio of 1.2:1 and it took me 14 years
to pay off my student loans. If we can somehow walk back the current ratio from 2:1
to, say 1.7, that means that either the debt needs to fall to $125,000 or annual
earnings need to increase to nearly $90,000 then keep pace with inflation. To their
credit, the AVMA is working on the problem, but it is going to take hard work and
tough choices to get us where we need to be in the coming decade.

8. Veterinary imaging centers - How many of you have had children that needed x-
rays for a broken bone? Or had to have a routine colonoscopy? Or have annual
mammograms? Did you go to your primary care physician to have the imaging
done? Most of the time the answer is no, because the imaging equipment utilized for
these procedures is highly specialized and very expensive. Yet most veterinary
practices have their own x-ray equipment. An increasing number of specialty
veterinary hospitals have not only x-ray equipment, but advanced imaging like
computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well. This
technology has vastly improved the standard of care in complicated cases, but it has
also dramatically increased the cost of advanced veterinary care. Since the
technology is expensive to purchase and maintain, the only way to significantly drive
down the cost per test is to use the machines a lot more often. Enter regional
veterinary imaging centers. We may never get to the point of centrally located x-ray
centers, but if vet med could offer MRI at a fraction of the current price, we would
see more pet owners consent to it and more patients benefit.

9. Easy, reliable test to measure animal pain - Assigning pain scores in veterinary
patients can be very challenging. A rule of thumb that I use a lot of the time is that if
something is painful to me, then it is probably painful for other mammals as well
(keep in mind I can't stand pain). But if you've ever seen a yellow Labrador Retriever
bounce out of the hospital just after being spayed, you know that not all individuals
react the same way to painful procedures. Veterinary medicine would really benefit
from an objective test that corresponds to the true level of discomfort in an
individual. That yellow Lab may have a pain score of "3" post-op and only needs a
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory to be comfortable. But a Chihuahua under the same
scenario may score a "7" and require a combination of stronger pain relievers. We
can't rely on pets to tell us what hurts and how badly, so a reliable test would be
outstanding.
10. Gizmo like Dr. McCoy had in "Star Trek" - Alright, I know this one is far-
fetched, but a vet can dream, can't he? Wouldn't it be amazing if I could walk up to a
patient, wave a little vibrating wand over its body, and say with confidence, "Mrs.
Jones, Fluffy has mild Hansen Type-II Disc Extrusion at L2-L3. With a few days rest
and medication she should be just fine." Instead I'm presented with a dog that
trembles uncontrollably on the exam table, yelps whether I touch her on the head or
the tail, and has completely normal labwork and x-rays. Truth is, in a situation like
this I'm almost as clueless as the pet owner about what's wrong with the dog. One of
the great blessings of veterinary medicine is that our patients often improve clinically
no matter what we do. Animals are wonderfully resilient --- thank goodness that
doesn't need to change at all in the next decade.

What are the innovative ideas as a veterinary?

Over the last decade, vets have been using technologies such as ultrasound,
MRI, and laparoscopy, once solely meant for human use. The aim for using
these innovations is to offer better care, outcomes, and medications to pets.2

What are the advances in veterinary medicine?

Top 10 Breakthroughs in Veterinary Medicine 2023

Gene Editing. One of the most promising breakthroughs in veterinary medicine

is gene editing. ...

Stem Cell Therapy. ...

Immunotherapy. ...

Nanotechnology. ...

Microbiome Manipulation. ...

Advanced Pain Management. ...

Artificial Intelligence. ...

Improved Reproductive Technologies

What kind of technology is used in veterinary medicine?
Already, AI—including “machine learning”—is being used in veterinary medicine to
detect, delineate, or classify certain features in radiograph, ultrasound, CT, and MRI
images. As explained in a March 2022 JAVMA article on AI, this is possible because
much of the data, including the related reports, are in digital form.

What is the future for veterinary?

The future is decidedly bright for veterinary medicine based upon its societal
contributions, including animal welfare and wellbeing, biomedical research, food
animal health and production, safeguarding the health and role of companion
animals in our society, and conservation of species

As technology and medicine continue to advance, the field of veterinary

medicine is no exception. Every year, breakthroughs in veterinary medicine are
discovered that can help improve the health and well-being of our beloved pets.
This article will discuss the top 10 breakthroughs in veterinary medicine that are
expected to impact in 2023 significantly.

Gene Editing
One of the most promising breakthroughs in veterinary medicine is gene editing.
This can be used to introduce beneficial traits such as disease resistance or
improved meat quality.

Gene editing can reduce the need for painful treatments by improving disease
resistance and producing larger, more efficient animals with fewer resources.
This can improve animal welfare and reduce environmental impact.

Stem Cell Therapy

Stem cell therapy is already being used in humans to treat various conditions,
and in 2023 it is expected to become more widely available for pets as well. It
could treat various conditions, including arthritis and kidney disease.

Stem cell therapy treats various conditions in dogs, cats, and horses. For
example, stem cell therapy is being used to treat osteoarthritis in dogs, a
common condition that causes joint pain and stiffness.

Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a promising new treatment for cancer in pets. In 2023, we can
expect more pets to receive this treatment as it becomes more widely available.
Immunotherapy also has the potential to prevent infectious diseases altogether.
Vaccines are a form of immunotherapy that exposes the immune system to a
harmless version of a pathogen to recognize and fight off it if it is encountered
again. Veterinarians can use immunotherapy to develop new vaccines for
infectious diseases in animals.

Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology has revolutionized drug delivery by offering a precise and
effective way to target specific cells and tissues within the body. In veterinary
medicine, this technology has significant potential to improve drug efficacy and
reduce harmful side effects.

Nanotechnology has already been used to develop various treatments, including

pain management drugs, anti-cancer therapies, and treatments for infectious
diseases.

Microbiome Manipulation
The microbiome is a collection of microorganisms that live in the gut and play an
important role in overall health. Microbiome manipulation involves altering the
balance of microorganisms in the gut to improve health outcomes.

By manipulating the microbiome, veterinarians can improve immune system

function and decrease the risk of infectious diseases.

Advanced Pain Management

Traditional pain management techniques, such as opioids, can have undesirable
side effects and be challenging to administer accurately. However, recent
breakthroughs in pain management techniques have the potential to improve
animal comfort while reducing the need for opioids.

Advanced pain management techniques, such as nerve blocks and local

anesthesia, can provide targeted pain relief with fewer side effects than opioids.
These techniques block pain signals from reaching the brain, effectively reducing
pain without systemic medications.

Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a valuable tool in veterinary medicine
for diagnosing animal diseases. This breakthrough technology has the potential
to revolutionize the way veterinarians diagnose and treat animals, leading to
faster and more accurate diagnoses and better treatment outcomes.

AI has a significant impact on treatment planning. By analyzing data from a wide

range of sources, including animal health records, imaging studies, and
laboratory results, AI algorithms provide veterinarians with more comprehensive
and detailed information about the animal’s condition.

Improved Reproductive Technologies

Recent breakthroughs in reproductive technologies have allowed great control
over animal breeding and reproduction. These advances can potentially improve
animal welfare, increase production efficiency, and aid in the conservation of
endangered species.

Reproductive technologies can play a key role in the conservation of endangered

species. In vitro fertilization, for example, can be used to breed endangered
species in captivity and increase their population numbers.

Precision Nutrition
Precision nutrition is a new approach to animal feeding. Precision nutrition can
improve animal health and performance, reduce feed costs, and contribute to
sustainable agriculture. This breakthrough involves using advanced analytics
and machine learning algorithms to create personalized nutrition plans for each
animal.

Precision nutrition also positively impacts sustainable agriculture by reducing

the environmental impact of animal agriculture.

Targeted Cancer Therapies

Targeted cancer therapies use specific drugs to target and kill cancer cells
without harming healthy cells. Targeted cancer therapies are becoming more
common in human medicine and used in veterinary medicine.

Some targeted cancer therapies are being developed for dogs with lymphoma,
common cancer in dogs. These therapies are designed to specifically target
cancer cells in the lymph nodes, which can help reduce the side effects of
treatment and improve outcomes.

Why are cows used for biotechnology?

The technologies of transgenesis and gene editing used in cattle are responsible
for generating news characteristics in bovine breeding, such as alteration of
nutritional components of milk and meat enhancing human health benefits, disease
resistance decreasing production costs and offering safe products for human food ...

Cows as Bioreactors for the Production of Nutritionally and Biomedically

Significant Proteins

Dairy and beef cattle make a vital contribution to global nutrition, and since their
domestication, they have been continuously exposed to natural and artificial
selection to improve production characteristics. The technologies of transgenesis and
gene editing used in cattle are responsible for generating news characteristics in
bovine breeding, such as alteration of nutritional components of milk and meat
enhancing human health benefits, disease resistance decreasing production costs
and offering safe products for human food, as well as the recombinant protein
production of biomedical significance. Different methodologies have been used to
generate transgenic cattle as bioreactors. These methods include the microinjection
of vectors in pronuclear, oocyte or zygote, sperm-mediate transgenesis, and somatic
cell nuclear transfer. Gene editing has been applied to eliminate unwanted genes
related to human and animal health, such as allergy, infection, or disease, and to
insert transgenes into specific sites in the host genome. Methodologies for the
generation of genetically modified cattle are laborious and not very efficient.
However, in the last 30 years, transgenic animals were produced using many
biotechnological tools. The result of these modifications includes (1) the change of
nutritional components, including proteins, amino acids and lipids for human
nutrition; (2) the removal allergic proteins milk; (3) the production of cows resistant
to disease; or (4) the production of essential proteins used in biomedicine
(biomedical proteins) in milk and blood plasma. The genetic modification of cattle is
a powerful tool for biotechnology. It allows for the generation of new or modified
products and functionality that are not currently available in this species.

Innovations in Cattle Farming: Application of Innovative Technologies and Sensors in

the Diagnosis of Diseases
Precision livestock farming has a crucial function as farming grows in significance. It will help
farmers make better decisions, alter their roles and perspectives as farmers and managers,
and allow for the tracking and monitoring of product quality and animal welfare as
mandated by the government and industry. Farmers can improve productivity, sustainability,
and animal care by gaining a deeper understanding of their farm systems as a result of the
increased use of data generated by smart farming equipment. Automation and robots in
agriculture have the potential to play a significant role in helping society fulfill its future
demands for food supply. These technologies have already enabled significant cost
reductions in production, as well as reductions in the amount of intensive manual labor,
improvements in product quality, and enhancements in environmental management.
Wearable sensors can monitor eating, rumination, rumen pH, rumen temperature, body
temperature, laying behavior, animal activity, and animal position or placement. Detachable
or imprinted biosensors that are adaptable and enable remote data transfer might be highly
important in this quickly growing industry. There are already multiple gadgets to evaluate
illnesses such as ketosis or mastitis in cattle. The objective evaluation of sensor methods and
systems employed on the farm is one of the difficulties presented by the implementation of
modern technologies on dairy farms. The availability of sensors and high-precision
technology for real-time monitoring of cattle raises the question of how to objectively
evaluate the contribution of these technologies to the long-term viability of farms
(productivity, health monitoring, welfare evaluation, and environmental effects). This review
focuses on biosensing technologies that have the potential to change early illness diagnosis,
management, and operations for livestock.

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems develops
innovative solutions to problems with livestock production and animal-
source food consumption. It has created five one-page fact sheets on
innovations developed for the prevention and control of livestock diseases.

Each innovation is based on active or recently completed research projects

we funded in the respective country. The innovations are widely applicable
for smallholder farmers and stakeholders across the developing world.

Five innovation summaries

 Pathasure kits for diagnosing pathogens causing diarrhea in calves:

This adapted technology uses a proven diagnostic test (Ethiopia).
 Training approach to strengthen the detection of public good
livestock diseases: This adapted approach supports adult learning
regarding livestock diseases (Ethiopia).
 Technology package for prevention and control of mastitis in dairy
animals: This adapted technology provides a package of best
practices to address livestock udder inflammation (Nepal).
 Smartphone app for livestock disease reporting: This new technology
uses an app to empower rural women to detect and report livestock
diseases (Nepal).
  Best management practices for milk production and handling: This
adapted practice provides a package for optimal management of
healthy cows and milk (Rwanda).

1. Introduction
The increased world population is demanding more reliable quality livestock
products the number of farms is decreasing but the number of animals for per farm
and animal production are increasing In addition to this trend livestock production
problems also increasing [1]. The solution of these problems comes from
multidisciplinary studies from very different fields such as technology. In large
enterprises it is not possible to obtain the expected performance without using
technology and automation systems from animals with very high genetic values.
Daily work on livestock farming is simple in and standard application routinely
Data monitoring in the modern dairy farm enables the ongoing control of
production, animal health, and welfare [2]. However, as the number of animals
increases, error burden and work load increase. Successful livestock farmers will
be capable of rapidly adapting their infrastructures to exploit changes in
technology for better production. Mechanism and automation systems offer options
in front of the user in intense competition for convenience. Currently, most data is
extracted manually, yet manual observation is gradually being replaced by many
milking systems by automated recording (milk yield, milk conductivity, activity
recording and body weight measurements) leading to better data, both in quantity
and quality. The number of farms automation systems has increased rapidly since
1980. Almost any medium- to large-sized farmers can benefit from enhanced
automation [1, 2]. There are many opportunities for facilities in automation
technologies and systems. Today livestock farmers increasingly use robots on
production or algorithms to optimize their farm management decisions.
Technological developments are creating a new automation system in which
smarter and more flexible work possibilities in livestock production [3]. The
automation of animal husbandry and integration of on-farm systems and processes
have a key role to play in facilitating the process of meeting each of important
challenges for competitive market [4]. The main technology are electronic
recording, milking, heat detection auto-weighing, auto-drafting, genetic
improvement, feeding, barn optimization, and health monitoring, livestock housing
and equipment designs. These technologies provide to dairyman many
opportunities to make easier and more convenient their decisions about dairy future
plans. This chapter deal with valuable information on the latest challenges and key
innovations affecting the animal husbandry aspect of milk, meat production and
reproductive performances of the herds. Also, innovative approaches to dairy
cattle, beef cattle breeding, and reproductive performance characteristics are tried
to be summarized with detail research results. This chapter provides an
introduction to systematic reviews and discuss the result of innovative research
results in animal husbandry, animal welfare, animal health. The aim of this chapter
is to present a review of the current scientific viewpoints about the concept and
definition of animal husbandry innovations. The use of systematic reviews to
address questions about intervention effects, usage, economy, positive and
negative points of technology and innovations are discussed. The need of
interaction among different disciplines is stressed, as well as the need to
scientifically assess innovation using validated indicators. This chapter starts with
examining technology requirements in animal production for getting better and
good quality animal products and the role of innovation. Also, current innovative
technologies and equipment’s possibilities usage results were reviewed using most
detailed research results. After these section chapter then examines the different
technologies that use to obtain more convenient production knowledge and
technologies usage level at farm level. Lastly, the chapter uses worldwide research
results to assess the overall level of innovation of animal production. In addition to
benefits of the innovation, some suggestions and implications about unintended
side effects in its production and application will be summarized.

2. Current technology applications

The benefits of new technology are plentiful and include increased cost efficiency,
improved animal welfare, improved working conditions, better production
monitoring (e.g. remote monitoring, access to real-time data) and improved
provision of important production data. The new technology means producers can
work easier and improve cattle welfare, production efficiency, and profitability.
Technologic developments provide more efficient, profitable and fast solutions for
farmers to get on time process using management and direct manipulation
possibilities. Continuous monitoring of disease, and its careful management is
essential for the well-being of an animal management [5, 6]. This can be achieved
through the detection of early stages and, subsequently, the detection and treatment
of the infection [7, 8]. Automation today is super-sophisticated technology and
software as well as complicated machinery. A number of computer-assisted image
analysis applications are being developed for more convenient animal husbandry.
The latest computer programs can identify and classify sounds of animal for
specific situations. Many research concluded that these applications could be used
to monitor the welfare of animals and provide early identification of disease,
physiologic status, and abnormality [9, 10].

The main technology that livestock farmers requirements met is electronic records,
milking, heat detection walk-over-weighing, auto-drafting, genetic improvement,
feeding, barn environment optimization, and health recording etc. Some sensors
are currently available for this purpose, but they do not fulfill all demands. Also,
with advances in proteomics and genomics, new biomarkers are being discovered,
allowing the disease to be detected at earlier stages. This will lead to assays with
higher sensitivity, which can provide additional quantitative information on the
level of inflammation ‘on-site’ and ‘on-line’ and which is also faster and less
expensive. These technologies provide to dairyman many opportunities to make
easier and more convenient their decisions about dairy future plans.

3. Breeding and genetics

In dairy farms which very high genetic value of breeding animals cannot get the
expected performance without the use of latest technology. Dairy cattle herd
management programs if can be used as effectively, dairy farming will have many
advantages for consumer, farmer and also animals. Genetic information and type
evaluation of herd members and bulls are particularly suitable for expanded
electronic updating. However, to obtain these advantages from this system required
to have knowledge of the functions and effective use of the functions. The large
amount of data in the obtained on many issues related to animals, herd
management, and an individual unless used in decisions about animals, ensuring
the heavy data flow, record keeping or assessment will not give the expected
results. Breeds in animal husbandry has changed a lot with the use of breeding and
gene technology. Till 1980s livestock products demands have been met by breed
substitution, cross-breeding, and within-breed selection. But these demand in
future is to be met using new techniques such as such as artificial insemination and
more specific selection techniques. Genomic selection provides more possibilities
for the more high rate of genetic gain in the livestock sector. After all genomic
breeding values will be calculated from the genetic marker, rather than from
pedigree and phenotypic information in near future. The genome maps for poultry
and cattle is completed and these developments provide new opportunities for
animal breeding and animal models [11]. Leakey [12] reported that DNA-based
tests for genes or markers affecting traits that are difficult to measure currently,
such as meat quality and disease resistance, will be particularly useful. But genetic
resources still important for helping livestock adapt to changing the climate [13].
Native breeds are to genetic insurance against future challenges. In combination
with modem reproductive technologies, there is potential to use frozen and stored
germplasm (genetic resource banks) to support conservation measures for the
maintenance of genetic diversity in threatened species. Besides the direct
application of technologically advanced reproductive procedures, modern
approaches to non-invasive endocrine monitoring play an important role in
optimizing the success of natural breeding programs [14]. A separate progeny-test
category may be developed for farms that collect all data electronically and have
those data monitored closely. Automated data collection along with parentage
verification offers substantial opportunities for genetic improvement of overall
economic merit. Nowadays biological samples are sent laboratory for genetic
analysis to identify the relevant genes responsible for productive parameters. Also,
selective breeding can reduce the need for alternative methods.

4. Computer and internet usage

New technology in computers, biotechnology and scientific discoveries regarding
ruminant nutrition and genetics provide the basis for accelerated progress in milk
production for those dairy farmers that adopt these technologies. 10 years ago most
dairy farmers focused their attention solely on animal husbandry practices. The use
of computers for farm management in dairy sector started in as early in 1990s in
many developing countries. As personal computer was developed and the price has
dramatically declined, more and more farmers began to use computers by
themselves in the last decade. But generally, computers have been used by
producers with larger farms. Small-scale farmers bypassed the technology because
of its cost and their lack of knowledge about computer use in farming. Many
computer programs were described, by which data on data in dairy herds may be
processed. The some computer software is designed for timely and direct
convenience to farmers. Thus, the breeder can evaluate the monthly lots of data
using many formulas with high accuracy using these software. It can also be
programmed for annual report for detail evaluation of herd evaluation. In addition
to all these, daily milk yields feed consumption, pregnancy check, inseminated
cow list can be programmed for daily work routine. In recent years there is a form
of high interest to cattle breeding and this is leading to the establishment of
intensive farms. The only criteria for the life cycle continuity of these intensive
farms would be on maximum profitability and competitiveness ability on market.
This concept mainly related to forceful usage of knowledge, technology and
management at intensive farms and small enterprises and cattle breeding
organizations. Whenever the farmers meet any problem in order to refer to an
organization for learning to new solutions and the absolute result most probably
they prefer to share with farmers who are more experienced for them [15]. But
developed countries heavily use computer and internet that is the main way to
reach information [16, 17]. Meanwhile in undeveloped or developing countries,
several reasons limit using computer and internet these are listed as high financial
cost, difficulties to use technology, loss of knowledge to economic benefits,
hesitate to use new technologies, lack of education, strict personality, poor
infrastructure, lack of personal experience and not enough time to spent [18]. On
the other hand, the country wide effect of the communication instruments extends
to 80% and this is enough to eliminate most of the reasons which are mentioned
above. If the farmer evaluates the benefits of using computer and internet they will
replace this technology in farm management.
5. Electronic identification
The Electronic identification system is started 1970s. However, current laws deal
with the visual, readable markings that are placed on the animal (EU Directives
92:102:EEC and EU Directives 820:97:EC) [19]. There are numerous animal ID
technologies available to livestock producers. Radio frequency identification
(RFID) will likely be used to identify cattle. These devices have an electronic
number that will be unique for an individual animal and link that animal to the
database [20]. Electronic ear tags, injectable transponders and boluses with a
transponder, inside in the reticulum are the latest technology for animal
identification technology [18]. Many types of RFID tags (boluses, ear tags,
injectable glass tags) are used subcutaneous placement for animal identification.
These systems work using radio frequency for sending data. Boluses retain in the
first two stomachs of the ruminants and accepted as safe for animal health [21].
They can be administered even to lambs after weaning at the fifth week and the
retention rate can reach 100% [22]. The injectable transponders, on the other hand,
can be applied easily after birth [23], while the preferable locations differ in each
animal species [24, 25, 26]. These technologies (implants, ear tags, and rumen
boluses) are available on the market for cattle farmers. All these devices has
special chip system for sending data for the base computer for evaluation. These
devices has some specific components on their system regarding storing and
evaluating data used for evaluating herd data. Some electronic tags has reader
which can be receive and store the required many data for evaluation. Some of tag
works transferring the number to another storage system for another evaluation
stage. Data sends using antenna for transfer data on the system [27]. From a
technological point of view, RFID tags can be grouped in two categories according
to the carrier frequency band: LF (low frequency) tags function at 125–134.2 kHz,
whereas HF (high frequency) tags function at 13.56 MHz. Electronic scales may be
justified as a way to determine body condition score automatically. Another
technology which is very useful for farmers is electronic weighing system. An easy
and powerful electronic weighing system that accurately measures cattle weight.
So farmers can monitor cattle performance easily and continuously. These system
established on the road the waterer or cattle squeeze. Stored information send to
the main computer for evaluation. Complimenting this is auto-drafting, where
cattle going through a race are automatically separated on the basis on age, sex, or
weight, or any other criteria the producer preferences
6. Milking automation
Milking automation system is also involve the dairy sector at 1990s [28]. Suitable
objective measuring systems are needed in animal husbandry to quickly and safely
recognize illness, normal estrus cycle, quiet heat or stress in animals [29, 30]. An
automatic milking system requires a completely different management system for
milking, feeding, cow traffic, cow behavior and grazing, but also for safeguarding
milk quality and animal health [31]. Electronic devices or sensors are the tools that
need to take over the human visual inspection for abnormality. In order to develop
sensors to detect abnormal milk a definition of abnormal milk is still basic
requirements [32, 33, 34, 35, 36].
Sensors have been in the market for a long time, but their use in milking systems is
quite new. Because milks were being evaluated by milkers during milking.
However, with the development of intelligent milking systems, the use of sensors
in the milking systems has become widespread [37].
The milking robots equipped with sensors to detect signs of mastitis which
measures the many characters of the abnormal milk pH, Somatic cell count, milk
acidity, milk conductivity etc. systems also can be regarded milking specifications
of the system such as parlor performances, milking efficiency etc. [5]. Simple
automatic cup removal devices monitor the milk flow rate from individual cows
and at a threshold, the milking vacuum is shut off and the system is activated to
withdraw the cups from the cow. Post-milking teat disinfection is an established
component of many mastitis control strategies. This is normally performed
manually in many farmers using either a pressure operated spray lance or more a
dip cup. Behavior meter also installed to the milking systems for animal
monitoring. The behavior meter continuously records the lying time, lying bouts
and the activity of the individual animals. The cow-behavior observations enable
animal welfare assessment in different environmental conditions and stressful
situations, as well as reproductive and health status [38]. Another options to
separation gate usage at automatic management systems.
The cattle separation is a risky and challenging activity that needs to be done
frequently. If milkers also make an animal separation, the milking efficiency and
parlor performances decrease. Reducing the need and risk of this workforce for
separation is an important advantage. The grouping and separation of cattle in the
big herd constitutes an enormous workload for the farmers. Electronic separation
gates are not common in many cattle farms [19, 20].
Removing the labor required to separate animals can have a significant impact on
the performance of the handling and management operations. To a lesser extent,
diseased cows need to be brought to the attention of the dairy farmer. Some sensors
are currently available for this purpose, but they do not fulfill all demands. When
an operator is involved with animal separation, other tasks are not being done and
performance suffers. With larger herds, identification and drafting of individuals
are major tasks. Automatic drafting is not routinely installed on many dairy farms.
Electronic tongue technology gives more advantage for farmers for many aspects
[39]. Electronic tongue used potentiometric chemical sensors. An array comprised
sensors with plasticized PVC membranes with cross-sensitivity to inorganic and
organic cations and anions, chalcogenide glass sensors, chloride-, potassium- and
sodium-selective electrodes, and glass pH electrode. Automatic milking systems
using newly developed sensors (NIR, SCC and LDH etc.) provide much faster and
more effective results. Many biosensor search studies for mastitis diagnosis
continue [40].
Viguier et al. [40] reported that the current SCC and alternative methods for
detection of mastitis. There are a lot of sensors which are used for good quality
milk productions. Faster results have been achieved with the use of microchip
technologies. In addition, with these technologies, you are ready to diagnose more
successful mastitis with more effective tests and results with wider angle, more
accurate results. All these each tests provide rapid mastitis detection. Milk
conductivity and appearance of milk is used commonly on the farms. But other
methods give another early mastitis detection for the fast and accurate decision for
cure disease.
A number of other methods using visible and other light spectra have shown
promise in detecting milk abnormalities and measuring various components of
milk [39]. Table 1 summarized the technology of main sensors used for mastitis
detection.

But De Mol and Ouweltjes [57] reported that the single and combined measures of 29,033
milkings to detect clinical mastitis and concluded that early warning is not reliable with
sensors and software currently on the market. Lind et al. [58] reported that as of 2000 there
were not yet sufficiently effective methods available to monitor characteristics of milk
automatically so as to divert milk from unhealthy cows. Binda et al. [59] reported that many
farmers were still reluctant to rely on electronic devices to monitor cow health status.

Automatic milking systems give many information about milk production, milking speed,
milk acidity, milk conductivity etc. new sensor added some other new component such as
milk progesterone level, milk temperature etc. But radio-frequency identification provide
more possibilities for improving the reliability of collecting data.

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7. Feeding automation
Computer programmer designed many software for make best option for farmer to ration
preparation. Optimal feeding programs can be done for advanced options such as live weight,
racing, lactation period and animal feed stock information. These programs use data from the
National Research Council in animal feed and feed content.

Various systems for automated animal feeding will be used in many big dairy farms to get
better production. They will comprise complete systems include each stage of feeding, feed
preparation, mixing equipment and the installations for distributing feed. Feed components
such as grass and maize/corn silage as well as mineral feed and feed concentrate will be
loaded, mixed and delivered to the feed table built up there by the systems. The Automation
systems as simple consists of a control panel, a programmable command manager, a scale, a
communication interface and finally all the needed equipment to organize the feeding process
and feed provision to the animal of each age groups. Computer-controlled calf feeders have
many advantages over traditional calf feeding methods. Calves carry a transponder, and it is
possible to follow the daily intake of individual calves [39]. Calves learn to use the computer-
controlled milk feeding system fairly easily and this the technology offers a significant
reduction in labor cost (73%). These systems can be combined with automatic weighing and
health observation system for calf welfare. Calves reared in a group-pen had fewer days of
medication than calves in hutches [60] fed milk-replacer from buckets twice a day. Electronic
Concentrate Feeding system ensures that each cow is supplied with the exact ration of feed at
the exact right time. The Belt Feeder feed distributor is the ideal introduction to the concept
of automatic feed supply systems. Small, flexible, economical – the combination of a
conveyor belt and sliding scraper. Grothmann et al. [61] reported that the various technical
approaches to automation. These are reported that the stationary systems such as conveyor
belts and mobile systems such as self-propelled or rail guided feeder wagons. In addition to
feeding system automation approaches, rumen activity sensors are very popular innovative
techniques for cattle farmers to reduce metabolic disorders. When the sensitive cows exhibit
increasing acidosis, this allows a farmer to adjust feeding to prevent major problems [62].
Many electronic sensors can be used for rumen pH and rumen temperature of cattle.
Especially rumen bolus can work 100 days continuously and data stored every 15 minutes for
future evaluation [63].
The rumination activity is a good indicator of cattle health condition. A certain level of well
being is a prerequisite for rumination [64] excitement and stress [65], states of anxiety [66]
and various diseases [67, 68] inhibit rumination [69]. Another sensor used for collecting data
for cow jaw movement to estimate chewing activity. This sensor works on the principle that
the changing pressure of the animal is not detected during opening and closing of the mouth.
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8. Health observation
The big hazard for animal production is to disease outbreak. The disease can spread quickly
in the confined conditions. Many diseases has specific signals for detection, animals to look
for signs of stress, disease, and damage caused by many agents. They alert staff or,
potentially, other systems to find the affected animals and identify them report to manger
before the problem spreads. An animal disease has serious economic implications on farm
productivity. Public institutions and private groups are working collectively to assist
individuals in addressing society’s stake in disease prevention and control [69]. The right
time detects disease three to 5 days’ sooner, reduce treatment costs, reduce mortality rates,
improve production efficiency. The production, product quality, product composition, body
condition, and behavior provide a good indication for the health status of animals. By closely
monitoring normal pattern changes, the farmers ensure animal health status. Many firms
provided programs developed and provided by data collection and analysis products for
monitoring animal behavior for the best early detection system. To monitor the health
conditions of each cow the sensors are mounted on the cow. Sensor networks consist of
several tiny, low price devices and are logically self-organizing ad hoc systems. The role of
the sensor network is monitoring the health parameters of animals, gather and convey the
information to other sink nodes. Sensors that collect data such as temperature, pH, etc.,
receive a lot of data, so it is possible to transmit data at intervals. Many new sensor
technologies that will be useful in animal health and behavior are developed [70, 71].
Another sensor usage results of an experiment in which a temperature sensor built into a
bolus were placed in the rumen of a cow [68, 72, 73]. On-farm scoring of behavioral
indicators of animal welfare is challenging but the increasing availability of low cost
technology now makes automated monitoring of animal behavior feasible. Furthermore,
behavioral measures, such as the occurrence of aggression or stereotypic behavior, are
important indicators of welfare problems. Including behavioral-based welfare criteria is,
therefore, essential for an overall welfare assessment.
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9. Reproductive performances
Estrus detection technology; Average calving interval in cattle farm is the best criteria for
comparisons for reproductive performances of the farms which is varying between 13 and
18 months [60, 74], heat detection efficiency vary between 30 and 50% in most dairy herds
[69, 75]. Research results showed that the 5–30% of the cows were not in or near oestrus
when inseminated [76, 77]. Results of oestrus detection varied depending on the many factor
such as threshold value, cow number, barn style, and the statistical method for data analysis.
The detection error rates between 17 and 55% and indicate a large number of false warnings
[78]. As a result of satisfying oestrus detection and conception rates, purchase and
maintenance costs of the oestrus detection system should charge off. A number of both
inexpensive to expensive aids and technologies are available to meet some but not all of these
criteria [79]. Traditionally, oestrus detection is performed by visual observation of the dairy
herd in many countries but this procedure particularly difficult on large dairy farms [80]
because of short observation periods during feeding and milking. Galiç et al. [81] reported
that the effect of herd size on milk yield, calving age, lactation number, and calving interval
is significantly important (P < 0.01) and small farms are generally more successful than large
farms. Mean duration of oestrus was calculated by Schofield et al. [82] as 13.5 h with a
standard deviation of 2.3 h. [83, 84]. As a result of technical progress in monitoring cows
using computers, automatic oestrus detection has become possible. In many studies, different
traits have been analyzed for utilization in automatic oestrus detection. The electronic
systems are an electronic device that detects cows that stand to be mounted by a herd mate
and provides a continuous monitoring of activity [85], radiotelemetry is a computerized
estrus detection devices. Also patches give another possibilities using mounting activity of
cows. I a cow mount another cow then he transmitter is depressed and a signal sent to a
receiver. During this time, date, time and duration of the mount stored and send to the main
computer. On computer all these data evaluated and prepared for final decision.
Although costs associated with computerized estrous detection are higher than other methods,
the benefits may pay off with increased estrous detection accuracy. Estrus detection errors
can result huge economic loses for dairy farms. The economic loses vary $2–$6/day for dairy
farms. But missing 1 cycle cost $42 to $126 for a cow. Using detection aids provide
advantages because of the prevention of these losses [85]. Pedometers are used to detect the
estrus by storing past physical activity the current physical activity and comparing it previous
activity data. After analyzing data programs prepare report for cow which is activity accepted
as estrus. Beeper or flashing light is also use for alerts the farmer for control this cows [79].

Pedometers also used for estrus detection attached to the leg of the cow to measure the
amount of her activity over a unit time span.
Many pedometric systems are commercially available in the market. Also standing activity
systems is commercially available in the markets. Standing activity activated by the mounting
cow. Radio signal picked up by receiver and relayed to a buffer and a personal computer to
analyzing of data. This system record cows number, standing time, date and duration to
evaluation on time [79].
Chung et al. [86] reported that voice identification processing can be used to detect estrus
both economically (simple microphone) and accurately (over 94% accuracy), either as a stand
alone solution. The Mount Count manual version of the Heat Watch system is also available
in the markets at more low price which is not required a computer or software to process and
display the data. One aid is a pressure sensitive device mounted on the back of each cow,
which can be triggered when the cow stands for mounting. Pressure sensitive device is
programmed when a certain number of valid mounts have been recorded a light give signals.
The second one is effective aids for detecting standing estrus is a marker or teaser animal.
Marker animals are worn marking device. When an animal in standing estrus is mounted by
the marker animal, the chin-ball marker will rub against the animal in standing estrus, leaving
marks on her back and rump. Mounting and standing activity are effective methods for estrus
detection. There are many other methods available on the system such as cervical mucus,
vaginal characteristics, temperature, blood flow, and hormone changes in blood and milk. But
these methods not applicable on the farm level. Milk progesterone level is o good criteria for
stage of the cycle or pregnancy. So it can be used for diagnose problem cows in herd [87].
The behavior meter continuously records the animal behavior for many purposes (lying time,
lying bouts and the activity of the individual cows). The cow-behavior enables animal
welfare assessment in different environmental conditions and stress situations, as well as
reproductive and health status [28].
Pregnancy check: Pregnancy diagnosis is one of the most important factors to get ideal
calving interval. The most common methods are rectal and transrectal ultrasonography of the
reproductive tract. Both procedures are required training and time. An experienced
practitioner using ultrasound can reliably diagnose pregnancy from 30 days gestation whilst
an experienced veterinary is able to diagnose pregnancy from 35 days. Enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA), radioimmunoassay (RIA) or latex agglutination (LA) tests
use either blood or milk to detect a marker of pregnancy. Estrone sulfate, progesterone and
glycoproteins are used for indicators of pregnancy in cattle [8, 88, 90]. Estrone sulfate is a
conjugated steroid product of estrone, is produced by the fetus and as such offer high
specificity. The negative part of this test is to high rate of false negatives and the inability of
the test to reliably diagnose pregnancies before 100 days of gestation [88], progesterone [89].
Wireless system was designed to measure many characteristics of cows is also developed to
detect early stage of pregnancy in multiple cows.
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10. Barn environment control

Animal production starts at environment which is cow lived in. Many factors affect the
sensitivity of cows to their surrounding environmental conditions. Latest technologies
involve the use of sensors to collect data, followed by data analyses with the objective of
enhancing the understanding of the system interactions, and developing control systems [91].
Latest technologies aim to provide adequate data for producers and farmers to optimize the
efficiency of their agricultural system, thus increasing the overall performance of the animals.
There are many sensors for use at dairy barn environment control automation. Temperature
and relative humidity sensors; airspeed sensors, carbon dioxide sensors, ammonia sensors and
light sensors etc. When ambient temperature gets warmer than 25°C cow begins use their
energies to cool themselves down rather than to produce milk. The effects of heat stress on
dairy cattle physiology and productivity have been well established. Milk yield can decrease
by about 10 percent. At the same time, if the environmental factors for example air quality
are poor, milk production and quality can be affected adversely. However high producing
dairy cows need an optimal indoor climate throughout the year, to maintain high production
levels. Barn environment is also important for the farm worker. While the thermoneutral zone
for cattle ranges from −5 to 25°C [91]; the thermoneutral zone for people is shifted to higher
air temperature ranges. Modern technology also helps to control barn environment which is
many sensor installations to measure factors such as temperature, humidity, solar radiation,
and luminosity over a large cultivated surface. These sensor and automation systems planned
as a capable of recording and adapting to environmental conditions inside the barn. The
variety of sensors monitors a wide-ranging range of parameters of interest. Automation
systems not only can automate for temperature, but also have wind and rain sensors. The
wind sensors feed wind speed data into the controller, which then adjusts curtain height to
compensate for higher air transfer rates. The rain sensor can be programmed to close the
curtain to a predetermined height when it rains to keep moisture off cows and stalls. Cows
likes bright environments. For this reason, equal illumination in barn improves milk yield.
This is especially important during short winter days. For this reason the right kind of
illumination planning, dimensioned to the size of barn, orientation of barn and roof material
is very important for good illumination in barn.

Lighting is the most obvious change with the shift to automatize barn. Digitally controlled
LEDs can extend the day, supplementing sun in autumn and winter. LEDs use less energy
than traditional lamps, making artificial lighting economical. The availability of specialist
barn luminaires makes it possible to tune the color. New technology provided is a self-
regulating, micro-climate controlled environment for optimal animal growth and production.
New technologic tools can monitor nearly every aspect of animal barn indoor environment.
Incorporating the environment-sensing capability of wireless sensor networks into mobile
monitoring systems can provide convenient control of the barn microclimate anywhere,
anytime for more productive animal production. Environmental sensors and other control
facilities of the barn is first component of the barn automation. Secondly computerize system
for monitoring and controlling for barn environment. And thirdly supports the
communication between this two component.

11. Conclusions
The industrial revolution has made a radical change in the production method and systems
throughout the world. The net result has been the more comfortable animal, higher
production, and decreased labor. The rapid penetration of these new age technologies will
provide a further layer of sophistication of farm work and new strategies in animal
production. Some of the technologies are already available on the market for framers but
most are at the research stage in labs for new applications. Each new technology can enable
productivity, growth and other benefits at farm level for animal and farmers as well as at the
level of the country where productivity acceleration is sorely needed. Within countries,
technology potential will be affected by their sector, and these activities will be affected
within sectors. Although some of these technologies are already available, most are at the
research stage in labs. Taking all of the factors into account, someone estimate it will take
times for technology effect on current farm activities. Animal farming is to big market for
technologic applications for more convenient production. While most of the farmers are
reliant on new technologic applications to improve their productivity and competitiveness,
technology plays a major role in achieving many critical tasks in many animal farms. In
today’s dynamic competitive market, it does not matter where they operate and where they
operate for farmers that the use of technology is not an option is a solution for their problems.