In this episode of The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Gerard Cramer, Professor at the University of Minnesota, explores the economic and welfare considerations involved in preventive hoof trimming for dairy cattle. He discusses the delicate balance between preventing lameness and the associated costs, and how strategically allocating resources can improve animal health and labor efficiency on farms. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Trimming programs should be based on data, ensuring they benefit animal health while also considering economic and welfare impacts."

Meet the guest: Dr. Gerard Cramer is a Professor of Dairy Production Medicine at the University of Minnesota. He holds a DVM and a DVSc in Ruminant Health Management from the University of Guelph. With a strong focus on hoof health, Dr. Cramer has led numerous studies and initiatives on dairy cattle lameness. He is deeply committed to advancing the diagnosis and management of lameness through both preventive and therapeutic strategies.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:49) Introduction
• (02:08) Preventive hoof trimming
• (02:59) Economic impact of trimming
• (06:09) Frequency of hoof trimming
• (08:12) Identifying lame cows
• (10:00) Strategies for pasture-raised cows
• (11:08) Closing thoughts

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this episode of The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Sandra Godden from the University of Minnesota explores how bedding materials influence udder health in dairy cattle. She shares key findings on bacterial risks, monitoring protocols, and hygiene management for both organic and inorganic bedding types. Learn practical strategies to reduce mastitis through better bedding decisions. Listen now on all major platforms!

"High bacteria counts in bedding are strongly associated with increased risk of both clinical and subclinical mastitis in dairy cows."

Meet the guest: Dr. Sandra Godden earned her DVM and DVSc at the University of Guelph. She is Professor of Dairy Population Medicine and Associate Dean of Graduate Programs at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Her research career centers on colostrum management, mastitis control, and calf-health innovation.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:07) Introduction
• (02:31) Bedding hygiene risks
• (03:24) Monitoring bacterial counts
• (05:57) Quality of bedding
• (06:11) Bedding treatment techniques
• (09:56) Inorganic bedding
• (12:22) Closing thoughts

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this episode of The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Stephen LeBlanc from the University of Guelph explores ketosis in dairy cattle. He shares key insights from decades of research into BHB thresholds, risk factors, treatment strategies, and the herd-level implications of metabolic disorders. Discover practical ways to manage and reduce ketosis risks. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Elevated BHB levels in early lactation significantly increase the risk of displaced abomasum, early culling, and other complications based on timing and severity.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Stephen LeBlanc is a Professor at the University of Guelph and Director of the Centre for Dairy Research & Innovation. His research primarily focuses on dairy cattle health, particularly in reproductive performance and metabolic diseases. Dr. LeBlanc's work integrates animal science, applied physiology, and veterinary medicine to improve dairy cattle management and productivity.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:40) Introduction
• (01:56) Ketosis insights
• (03:59) Research findings in ketosis
• (07:30) Understanding timing and BHB levels
• (08:52) Herd-level testing
• (10:57) Treatment strategies
• (13:04) Closing thoughts

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast

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In this episode of The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Sandra Godden, Professor of Dairy Population Medicine at the University of Minnesota, explains why colostrum remains the cornerstone of calf immunity. She unpacks the updated “Five Qs,” shares practical cleanliness benchmarks, and outlines heat-treatment and extended-feeding strategies that boost lifetime performance. Listen now on every major podcast platform!

"If we don’t get the colostrum program right, it’s hard to recover that later through other things."

Meet the guest: Dr. Sandra Godden earned her DVM and DVSc at the University of Guelph. She is Professor of Dairy Population Medicine and Associate Dean of Graduate Programs at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. A past president of the National Mastitis Council and the AABP, her research career centers on colostrum management, mastitis control, and calf-health innovation.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:37) Introduction
• (01:41) Colostrum importance
• (02:37) Five Qs
• (03:45) Cleanliness goals
• (04:44) Importance of cleanliness
• (09:45) Extended feeding
• (11:23) Closing thoughts

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast

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In this episode of The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Gerard Cramer, Professor at the University of Minnesota, discusses dairy cattle lameness and hoof health. He explores the impact of chronic cases, the importance of strategic trimming, and how veterinary professionals can manage lameness more effectively. Listen now on all major platforms!

"The chronic cases, especially ones that have had hoof lesions like sore ulcers and white lines, need to be trimmed more regularly, about every 3 to 6 months."

Meet the guest: Dr. Gerard Cramer is a Professor of Dairy Production Medicine at the University of Minnesota. He holds a DVM and a DVSc in Ruminant Health Management from the University of Guelph. With a strong focus on hoof health, Dr. Cramer has led numerous studies and initiatives on dairy cattle lameness. He is deeply committed to advancing the diagnosis and management of lameness through both preventive and therapeutic strategies.

Liked this one? Don’t stop now — Here’s what we think you’ll love!

What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:00) Introduction
• (01:45) Getting into lameness
• (03:36) Trimming schools
• (04:47) Preventative vs. therapeutic trimming
• (06:50) Chronic vs. new lameness
• (09:19) Managing chronic cases
• (10:26) Closing thoughts

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast

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In this episode of The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Benjamin Enger from Ohio State University explains how understanding the cow's innate immune response is key to managing mastitis more effectively. He discusses when intervention may do more harm than good and the impact of early anti-inflammatory use. Get practical insights on host-pathogen interactions and evidence-based treatment timing. Listen now on all major platforms!

"If you intervene and it blights the cows' effectiveness with her neutrophil response, you're going to potentially prolong the disease."

Meet the guest: Dr. Benjamin Enger earned his M.S. in Animal Sciences from Washington State University and a Ph.D. in Dairy Science from Virginia Tech. He now serves as an Associate Professor at The Ohio State University, where his research focuses on mastitis pathology and mammary gland development in heifers and cows.

Click here to read the full research articles:

Effects of oyster glycogen intramammary challenge on primiparous cow milk somatic cell counts, milk yields, and milk composition

Localized mammary gland changes in milk composition and venous blood metabolite concentrations result from sterile subclinical mastitis

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:56) Introduction
• (01:36) Guest background
• (04:03) Mastitis treatment timing
• (04:51) Innate immune response
• (06:07) Evidence-based protocols
• (08:10) Steroid impact discussion
• (09:59) Closing thoughts

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast

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In this episode of The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Stephen LeBlanc from the University of Guelph explores the latest on metritis, discussing advancements in diagnosing and treating uterine infections. Dr. LeBlanc also explores the role of timed AI programs and multiple prostaglandin treatments in managing uterine health and their impact on the reproductive tract. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Any cow that goes through metritis or other fresh cow health problems is paying a price, with pregnancy rates dropping by 10 to 15 percentage points."

Meet the guest: Dr. Stephen LeBlanc is a Professor at the University of Guelph and Director of the Centre for Dairy Research & Innovation. His research primarily focuses on dairy cattle health, particularly in reproductive performance and metabolic diseases. Dr. LeBlanc's work integrates animal science, applied physiology, and veterinary medicine to improve dairy cattle management and productivity.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:30) Introduction
• (01:51) Diagnosing uterine infections
• (03:44) Fever vs. diagnosis
• (06:03) Treatment strategies
• (08:54) Impact of timed AI protocols
• (09:57) Prostaglandins and reproductive health
• (11:41) Closing thoughts

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast

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In this episode of The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kirby Krogstad from The Ohio State University shares strategies to improve bunk management in dairy operations. He explains how feed timing, push-up frequency, and written protocols directly impact rumen health and herd productivity. Learn practical tools like feed audits and camera monitoring to evaluate consistency. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Every dairy should implement basic bunk audits using cameras and particle separators to identify feeding consistency and performance gaps."

Meet the guest: Dr. Kirby Krogstad is an Assistant Professor of Dairy Nutrition at The Ohio State University. He holds a BS from South Dakota State University, an MS from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and a PhD from Michigan State University. His research focuses on dairy cattle nutrition, gut health, and inflammation, while his extension work supports sustainable and efficient feeding practices.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:46) Introduction
• (01:47) Bunk management strategies
• (02:51) Feed push-up timing
• (03:53) Feed audit recommendations
• (06:11) Monitoring feed delivery
• (08:21) Final management advice
• (09:32) Final Questions

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast

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LinkedIn: The Dairy Health Blackbelt Podcast