Scratching The Surface: What Is Making My Cattle Itchy?

Sep 13, 2024

Background: Producers and veterinarians have reported situations where cattle have lost hair and showed signs of being “itchy” even after being treated with a pour-on product (e.g., Ivomec, Dectomax, Cydectin, etc.). The assumption made is that lice are developing resistance to these products. However, some veterinarians who have investigated these cases report that they haven’t found lice in all of these cases. Besides biting and sucking lice, other potential causes of itching include other parasites (e.g., microscopic mites), environmental factors (e.g., barley hull allergy, frost bite, straw mites), nutrition (e.g., vitamin A or zinc deficiencies), and mycotoxins (e.g., ergot, citrinin, T2 toxins).

Objectives: The objectives of this study are to:

1. To provide insight into the cause and potential prevention/treatment of itching beef cattle in Western Canada

Implications of the Research: This project will determine what factors are most likely contributing to itchy cattle in the absence of obvious parasite involvement.

This project is also funded by the Beef Cattle Research Council, Alberta Veterinary Laboratories, and BVR Pharmacy.

Video: What Really Drives Meat Quality in Pork? - Dr. Yan Huang

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Yan Huang from University of Arkansas explores how genetics, nutrition, and stress management shape pork quality. He explains how molecular pathways influence fat deposition, muscle growth, and meat flavor while balancing production efficiency. Listen now on all major platforms!

"The most important driver of pork quality. Feed plays a very important role in the meat quality."

Meet the guest: Dr. Yan Huang / yan-huang-77829421 is an Associate Professor in Nutritional Skeletal Muscle Biology at the University of Arkansas. With academic experience across China, South Korea, and the United States, his work focuses on the genetic and molecular regulation of muscle growth and fat deposition in swine. His research connects genetics, nutrition, and pork quality to improve production efficiency and consumer satisfaction.