Debora Smits DVM
Debora Smits DVM
Position
DVM
Expertise
Animal health surveillance, Youngstock, Parasitic diseases
Biography
Debora Smits studied Veterinary Medicine at the University of Utrecht from 1992-1999 and worked as a bovine practitioner for 16 years, including 2 years training veterinary residents in Utrecht. Since 2013, she is working at GD Animal Health in Deventer as part of the Ruminant Health monitoring team. She uses her experience as a practitioner and her teaching skills in regard to animal health surveillance, young stock rearing and Q-fever and is also involved in assuring animal welfare on Dutch farms by working in on-call acute intervention teams when there is a suspicion of diminished animal welfare.
Publications
- M. Holzhauer, R. Ploegmakers-van Deventer, D. Smits, W. Swart 2017. Comparing the curative efficacy of topical treatment treatment with thiamphenicol and oxytetracycline on digital dermatitis lesions in dairy cattle.
- Anouk M. B. Veldhuis, Debora Smits, Martijn Bouwknegt, Heleen Worm, Gerdien van Schaik 2021. Added value of meat inspection data for monitoring of dairy cattle health in the Netherlands.
- P.M. Penterman, M. Holzhauer, E. van Engelen, D. Smits, A.G.J. Velthuis 2022. Dynamics of Mycoplasma bovis in Dutch dairy herds during acute clinical outbreaks.
- Anouk M.B. Veldhuis, Henriëtte Brouwer-Middelesch, Nienke Paarlberg, Angela Deterink, Thomas Dijkstra, Lourens Heres, Debora Smits, Thijs Poll, Sabine Stoelinga, Inge Santman-Berends 2025. Evaluation of a data-driven tool to monitor youngstock rearing in dairy herds: Perception by its users and validation of improvement options.
Oral presentations
- Cryptosporidium parvum animal model in neonatal calves, WAAVP 2019 Madison and EBC 2019 Den Bosch. D. Smits, E. van Engelen, W. Swart, A. Deterink, A. Velthuis, L. Kastelein.
- Botulism in Cattle: Assessing Risk Factors and Vaccination Interest in the Netherlands, EBC 2025 Nantes. D. Smits, M. Holzhauer, MGJ Koene, IM van Geijlswijk, CAJ Roos, YMF Jacobs, G Vertenten.
Scientific posters
- Risk factors associated with major claw disorders on 40 Dutch dairy herds: preliminary results. Debora Smits, Kristel van den Broek, Menno Holzhauer (International Conference on Lameness in Ruminants, 2015).
- A case of Toxocara vitulorum in a suckler calf in the Netherlands. Debora Smits, Coen Hegeman, Deborah van Doorn (WAAVP 2017).
Position
DVM
Expertise
Animal health surveillance, Youngstock, Parasitic diseases
Biography
Debora Smits studied Veterinary Medicine at the University of Utrecht from 1992-1999 and worked as a bovine practitioner for 16 years, including 2 years training veterinary residents in Utrecht. Since 2013, she is working at GD Animal Health in Deventer as part of the Ruminant Health monitoring team. She uses her experience as a practitioner and her teaching skills in regard to animal health surveillance, young stock rearing and Q-fever and is also involved in assuring animal welfare on Dutch farms by working in on-call acute intervention teams when there is a suspicion of diminished animal welfare.
Publications
- M. Holzhauer, R. Ploegmakers-van Deventer, D. Smits, W. Swart 2017. Comparing the curative efficacy of topical treatment treatment with thiamphenicol and oxytetracycline on digital dermatitis lesions in dairy cattle.
- Anouk M. B. Veldhuis, Debora Smits, Martijn Bouwknegt, Heleen Worm, Gerdien van Schaik 2021. Added value of meat inspection data for monitoring of dairy cattle health in the Netherlands.
- P.M. Penterman, M. Holzhauer, E. van Engelen, D. Smits, A.G.J. Velthuis 2022. Dynamics of Mycoplasma bovis in Dutch dairy herds during acute clinical outbreaks.
- Anouk M.B. Veldhuis, Henriëtte Brouwer-Middelesch, Nienke Paarlberg, Angela Deterink, Thomas Dijkstra, Lourens Heres, Debora Smits, Thijs Poll, Sabine Stoelinga, Inge Santman-Berends 2025. Evaluation of a data-driven tool to monitor youngstock rearing in dairy herds: Perception by its users and validation of improvement options.
Oral presentations
- Cryptosporidium parvum animal model in neonatal calves, WAAVP 2019 Madison and EBC 2019 Den Bosch. D. Smits, E. van Engelen, W. Swart, A. Deterink, A. Velthuis, L. Kastelein.
- Botulism in Cattle: Assessing Risk Factors and Vaccination Interest in the Netherlands, EBC 2025 Nantes. D. Smits, M. Holzhauer, MGJ Koene, IM van Geijlswijk, CAJ Roos, YMF Jacobs, G Vertenten.
Scientific posters
- Risk factors associated with major claw disorders on 40 Dutch dairy herds: preliminary results. Debora Smits, Kristel van den Broek, Menno Holzhauer (International Conference on Lameness in Ruminants, 2015).
- A case of Toxocara vitulorum in a suckler calf in the Netherlands. Debora Smits, Coen Hegeman, Deborah van Doorn (WAAVP 2017).