As a veterinarian and dog owner, writes Jennifer Bailey, DVM, “I feel strongly that the canine Lyme vaccine is safe and effective enough for dogs who live in areas that are endemic for Lyme disease.” Sharing considerable history, the lack of full support by veterinarians, and the potential for side effects, she emphasizes vaccination based on lifestyle, geographic location and … [Read more...]
Technology, sustainability and new food formats topped trends at Global Pet Expo
Sharing his perspectives from the Global Pet Expo, Mark Kalaygian says product innovations seemed to reflect three key areas: technology, sustainability and new food formats. Source: Pet Business, April 2024. Link. … [Read more...]
1 in 5 pet owners indicate pet separation anxiety got worse last year
Working to quantify the level of separation anxiety, TrustedHousesitters surveyed pet owners on their pet-sitting platform. They found: 46 percent of those surveyed said their pet has separation anxiety 25 percent of respondents reveal they won't travel because of their pet’s anxiety 17 percent revealed they worry about missing out on social and career opportunities … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – April 1, 2024
Millennials with pets finding challenges, Chewy opening physical spaces, industry experts seeking more oversight of pet food, FabFitFun acquires PetCo’s PupBox, Veterinary surgeon appeals to breeders of brachycephalic dogs and more . . . Source: IBPSA Fast Bites, April 1, 2024. Link. Adam Christman, DVM, MBA has been selected as the keynote speaker for the 2024 IBPSA Flow … [Read more...]
Humans pass more viruses to animals than we catch from them
In a paper published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, researchers reported that roughly twice as many host jumps were inferred to be from humans to other animals, anthroponotic, rather than the other way around. Anthroponosis is the opposite of zoonoses. The pattern was consistent throughout most viral families considered. They also found even more animal-to-animal host … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – March 28, 2024
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, March 21, 2024. Link. Most read post(s) from the March 21st AHD Bulletin – AAFP updates position statements on the responsible breeding and indoor/outdoor lifestyle of cats. Link. Silent communication. Link. No excuses to skip prevention with cash cattle markets nearing historic highs. Link. … [Read more...]
AAHA’s free webinar schedule for 2-Q-2024
AAHA Learning is providing free access to these courses for animal health pros. RACE continuing education credits are available with registration. Membership is not required. Feline diabetes and choosing SGLT2 inhibitors: May 27th recording may be available Fostering cultural competency in veterinary medicine Stay, please: The path to improved retention in veterinary … [Read more...]
Claws and effect: MARS research on global pet homelessness
Commercial Content Loïc Moutault, global president, MARS Petcare, shares discoveries from the State of Pet Homelessness Project which yielded common themes that may contribute to this problem. These include housing limitations, owners struggling with pet behavior, difficulties in accessing veterinary care and negative perceptions of strays. Keeping pets in homes is the … [Read more...]
ABC Intelligence launches next-generation market intelligence platform
ABC is introducing MarketGenus, a next-generation market intelligence platform into its VetGenus suite of products. MarketGenus matches products and services to patients that would benefit most from the product and service offerings is enabled by ABC’s proprietary DataGenus technology. Source: ABC Intelligence, March 25, 2024. Link. MarketGenus, can be used in the … [Read more...]
Properly prepared beef is safe to eat; HPAI is not a food safety threat
“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and USDA food safety experts, properly prepared beef is safe to eat,” said Meat Institute’s Julie Anna Potts. Source: Drovers, March 25, 2024. Link. HPAI cannot be transmitted to humans by eating <properly prepared> meat or poultry products.” … [Read more...]
HPAI confirmed in Texas, Kansas dairy cows
Unpasteurized, clinical samples of milk from sick cattle collected from two dairy farms in Kansas and one in Texas, as well as an oropharyngeal swab from another dairy in Texas, have tested positive for a strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza. The USDA said that affected dairy cows do not appear to be transmitting the virus to other cattle within the same herd. Source: … [Read more...]
The anti-meat discussion returns to rapid emissions reduction
Commentary The next big climate deadline is for meat and dairy, writes Kenny Torella sharing information from the December 2023 United Nations Climate Change conference. He quotes Harvard’s Helen Harwatt who says, “We need to see major changes in livestock production and consumption . . . really deep and rapid changes over the next decade.” Beyond the obvious reduction in … [Read more...]
Study: Even a short round of common antibiotics can change the equine gut microbiome
A new study from the Gluck Equine Research Center at the University of Kentucky showed the effect of antimicrobials on equine gut microbes. The study begins addressing the growing recognition of the susceptibility of the equine gut microbiota to antibiotic-induced disturbances, which can lead to adverse, and occasionally severe, consequences. Source: Equine Science Update, … [Read more...]
A majority of horse owners feel some sort of anxiety about horse expenditures
A Synchrony/Care Credit study published in April 2023 estimated the lifetime cost of horse ownership ranges from $300,000 to $924,000 <Link>. The lifetime costs of owning a horse can be four times higher than expected <Link> and calculating costs can be complicated. Pat Raia shared ways to budget and learn about the cost of owning a horse in August 2023 … [Read more...]
A closer look into cryptococcal fungal infections in pets
Cryptococcal fungi are most naturally found in warm and humid environments, particularly where soil, decaying organic material, such as wood, leaf litter, compost and bird droppings are present. Dogs and cats can develop serious, even life-threatening, cryptococcal infections when they inhale the spores of the fungi, writes Sara Lawhon, DVM, PhD, DACVM. Infections are more … [Read more...]
To crate or not? It’s complicated.
Dogs aren’t wired to instinctively love their crates. Kelly Conaboy shares advice from experts about helping them adjust and why some never will. Source: The Washington Post, March 20, 2024. Link. “<Crate> benefits are contingent on the crate being introduced correctly, and whether the dog truly feels calm and comfortable when inside.” - Kate Anderson, DVM, … [Read more...]
Ernie Ward, DVM, talks pet obesity and prevention
The increasing number of overweight and obese pets is far more complex than people offering too much table food and the effects on life quality, longevity and health. Ernie Ward, president of The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, and Steve Dale, program host, discuss treating obesity as a disease, spay/neuter timing and the efforts addressing body conditioning. The … [Read more...]
Emerging cicadas shouldn’t be a problem for most pets
Billions of cicadas from two broods will emerge from the ground weeks after the April total solar eclipse across large swaths of the U.S. Chances are good pets will run into the bugs. It will be the first time in 221 years that both broods are above ground simultaneously. The AVMA’s Rena Carlson, DVM, addressed potential pet concerns with the likely cicada … [Read more...]
Practicing with care for the emotional well-being of animals
Slick floors, padding for exam tables and seeing posters from an animal’s perspective were among topics when Temple Grandin, PhD, MS and Fear Free’s Marty Becker, DVM addressed Fetch dvm360 conference attendees recently. Not everyone gets to attend these events, so we’re sharing an overview from Kristen Coppock, MA. Source: DVM 360, March 17, 2024. Link. “Creating and … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – March 25, 2024
Small business debt, retail employment segment, purpose-driven company culture, growing costs of owning pets, pet allergies and more . . . Source: IBPSA Fast Bites, March 25, 2024. Link. … [Read more...]
Hate making time for exercise? Cozy cardio might work.
From TikTok trend to more mainstream, those who dislike exercise but know they need it are trying cozy cardio as a method to get their hearts beating. According to a study done by the Annals of Internal Medicine, low-intensity exercise offsets the harmful effects of sitting down for hours on end. Source: UniqueBeauty, February 15, 2024. Link. “Exercise is no longer a chore … [Read more...]
When what’s possible isn’t an option, enter the spectrum of care
Not all veterinary clients can afford the gold standard and sometimes a pet’s health situation has limitations. Mark Thill reviews how the rising bar for “standard of care” comes with ethical and practical challenges. He shares perspectives from various leaders about “care creep” and how some veterinary students are being introduced and taught to deal with care … [Read more...]
Nearly 50 percent of women skip preventative health appointments
This article is appropriate for Women’s History Month 2024, especially for busy animal health pros. In it, Julia Ries shares disturbing results from recent Ipsos research. She prioritizes the most important checkups to avoid missing beginning with blood work and working to create a custom plan with the primary care physician. Source: Health, March 9, 2024. Link. “Nearly … [Read more...]
Nurses more successful than doctors in maintaining high ratings
Commentary The U.S. veterinary segment struggles with how to treat, promote and empower veterinary technicians <Link>. Meanwhile, human medical nurses get the highest ratings among doctors and other elements of the health care industry, according to the Gallup article linked below. The dynamics represented in this article are worth considering as we work to fully … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – March 21, 2024
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, March 14, 2024. Link. Most read post(s) from the March 14th AHD Bulletin – Doing for others. Link. FDA proposes new regulations for animal drug labeling. Link. Dairy industry contraction trend continues. Link. ============================================ AI won’t replace B2B copywriters, because it … [Read more...]
1.9 million doses of NexGard® PLUS donated to animal shelters
The Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation has partnered with Greater Good Charities to distribute the product to animal shelters in need. The NexGard® PLUS donation is expected to have a significant boost to protect shelter dogs from fleas and ticks, prevent heartworm disease, and treat and control roundworms and hookworms. Source: Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, March … [Read more...]
The first insulin-producing cow could mean a new era in insulin production for diabetics
A new Biotechnology Journal study describes the development of the insulin-producing cow, a proof-of-concept achievement that could be scaled up after additional testing and FDA approval. “The study’s goal was to make proinsulin, purify it out to insulin and go from there, said Matthew B. Wheeler, PhD, but the cow processed it herself. She makes about three to one biologically … [Read more...]
KC Animal Health Summit 2024 emerging company applications to CLOSE April 1
The 19th annual Summit is one of the only opportunities in the world for early-stage companies in the animal health and nutrition sectors to present their vision, business plan and technology to potential investors. Applications close on April 1st, 2024. Source: KC Animal Health Corridor, March 18, 2024. Link. To apply to present as an emerging company, visit the Animal … [Read more...]
No excuses to skip prevention with cash cattle markets nearing historic highs
Commentary We often hear about cattle producers who penny pinch on vaccines, dewormers and other practices that support cattle health. While every head has always counted, there is no better time to invest in advancing herd health than when cash markets are high. Cattle producers can realize even higher premiums for doing the right things at the right time when cattle … [Read more...]
We geld stallions, but spaying may not be the way for mares
Sharing the perspectives and experiences of researchers at the Clinical Endocrinology Laboratory at the University of California-Davis, Megan Arszman covers the gamut regarding spaying of female horses in this article. Sudden changes in a horse’s behavior or performance can be many things besides hormones, explain the researchers. Source: The Paulick Report, March 15, 2024. … [Read more...]