Livestock-Equine News: July 28, 2025

Merck Animal Health announces FDA approval of oral parasiticide for chickens

Merck Animal Health announced FDA approval of EXZOLT (fluralaner oral solution), a parasiticide for chickens that treats and controls northern fowl mites (Ornithinyssus sylviarum) in production houses. EXZOLT is proven to be safe for laying hens and replacement chickens, according to the company.

Cronus Pharma launches Butorphic for equine colic and postpartum pain

Animal health pharmaceutical company Cronus Pharma LLC announced the launch of Butorphic (butorphanol tartrate) Sterile Injectable Solution in the U.S. through national and regional distributors. Butorphic is an analgesic for managing equine colic pain. The company’s product portfolio includes AnaSed Equine (Xylazine) Injection, Cropamezole (Atipamezole) Injection, DexmedVet (Dexmedetomidine) Injection, DetomiSed (Detomidine) Injection, and Ketamine Injection.

Proteomics says its OxiDx test can ID muscle damage in thoroughbreds

Australian diagnostics company Proteomics International Laboratories announced that its OxiDx Pty Ltd subsidiary and the University of Western Australia published results demonstrating that OxiDx’s test for oxidative stress can identify muscle damage and assess recovery in Australian thoroughbred racehorses. The company says 85% of thoroughbreds sustain at least one injury during their two- and three-year-old racing seasons, potentially as a result of undetected muscle injuries.

Oklahoma’s livestock industry at crossroads amid vet shortage

Oklahoma is seeing a decline in the number of rural veterinarians, with more than 80% of counties experiencing a shortage in the last five years. Dr. Rosslyn Biggs, a beef and cattle extension specialist at Oklahoma State University, believes the shortage is multifactorial. Aspiring veterinarians face challenges getting accepted to and staying in veterinary school, challenges with rural environments, and lower earning potential and difficulty finding jobs for family members.

House holds hearing on early-warning network for livestock diseases

The House Agriculture Committee Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy & Poultry held a hearing July 15 to review the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) and its role in safeguarding livestock health, the agriculture industry and the food supply as the nation’s first line of defense against emerging and foreign animal diseases as well as those already endemic to the U.S. The network got a substantial financial boost in the recent funding bill.

Parasight System launches portable equine immunoassay analyzer

Veterinary diagnostics company Parasight System Inc. announced the launch of its InSight Equine-IA, a compact, portable analyzer offering testing time of approximately 3 to 15 minutes, a comprehensive test menu (equine ACTH, SAA, progesterone and foal IgC, with equine insulin in development), and integrated Wi-Fi, 4G, Bluetooth, USB and thermal printer.