Vet library.

Veterinary Resources

Accreditation Health Certificates Movement Requirements Animal Disease Traceability Official Test Documents Reference Testing Services and Submissions

Animal Health Updates

New World Screwworms:

New World screwworms (NWS) continue to progressively move through Central America into Mexico. The re-emergence of NWS in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala beginning in mid 2023 and early 2024, and the detections emerging in Southern Mexico increases the threat of reintroduction to the United States markedly. Learn more about this situation on the USDA NWS Outbreak in Central America webpage.

TAHC emergency management guides specifically for veterinarians and those who may be collecting NWS maggots for official identification are available.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Dairy Cattle:

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A H5N1 virus in cattle was confirmed in Texas and other states in March 2024.

Find the latest updates and recommendations related to HPAI in dairy cattle on the USDA HPAI Detections in Livestock webpage.


Veterinary Accreditation

Health Certificates/Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (CVI)

Movement Requirements

Animal Disease Traceability

Animal disease traceability (ADT) or knowing where diseased and at-risk animals are, where they've been, and when is important to ensuring a rapid response when animal disease events take place. Official identification and movement documentation is an essential part of tracing livestock when disease is found.

For years, veterinarians practicing regulatory work have used metal NUES tags and metal brucellosis calfhood vaccination tags. As the cattle industry progresses so does the technology used in routine operations.

Learn more about utilizing electronic identification in a veterinary practice below.

Official identification tags must be allocated if applied by a veterinarian and not recorded on other regulatory documents or if producers are provided tags to apply themselves. An official tag allocation form must be used to adequately allocate the tags.

TAHC Official Test Documents

Piro Test Chart(s) & Information

Cattle Trichomoniasis  Forms & Information

Swine Test Documents

Reference

Testing Services and Submissions

To learn more about Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) testing selections, sample collection, submission, turnaround times, and the TVMDL locations that offer each test, visit the TVDML website.

For more information about TVMDL's testing services, visit the TVMDL website or call the agency's headquarters in College Station at 1-888-646-5623.

Tuberculin

  • Order Tuberculin: Please submit a completed VS Form 4-9, preferably by email, to NVSL. To order different size vials, please complete and submit the Supplemental Tuberculin Product Reagent Request Form along with the VS Form 4-9.
    • Tuberculin comes in 1ml, 5ml, and 10ml vials. Veterinarians are encouraged to order enough tuberculin for 3 months of testing. Additionally, veterinarians should order tuberculin at least 2 weeks in advance to make sure they receive it in time for their testing.
  • Fees: NVSL does not charge for tuberculin used in disease programs. Please contact NVSL if you need tuberculin for research or for zoos

Other Supplies

  • The TAHC no longer provides shipping materials, 40-count boxes, mailers, blood tubes, and tick collection kits to private practitioners. Contact information for other regulatory resources for accredited/authorized veterinarians; e.g., Brucellosis tags and test charts:

Test Submissions

  • Poultry Sample Submissions for Non-Routine Diagnostic Avian Influenza Testing: Packaging Samples
  • Tick and Fly Larvae Submissions: It is important to confirm that ticks are not cattle fever ticks and fly larvae are not New World screwworms. Veterinarians suspecting an animal may be infested with these troublesome pests are encouraged to call TAHC at 1-800-550-8242 or contact their TAHC Region Office.