Canine influenza virus (CIV) is diagnosed worldwide. The rapid spread of the H3N2 virus in Asia and the United States indicates this virus is capable of regional epidemics and potentially worldwide pandemics. A lot has been written about CIV. This article provides a solid scientific perspective. Source: Clinician’s Brief, September 2016. The introduction of the H3N2 virus … [Read more...]
Archives for October 2016
Professional development for employees is critical
Our post, 21st-century agriculture amazes many, scares some paints vivid pictures of food production in the United States. As technology advances, new skills are paramount to achieve success. Erika Osmundson reminds employers of seven underlying benefits from professional development beyond simple education: Confidence and credibility Efficiency Ability to influence … [Read more...]
Large animal veterinarian input sought
Beef and Beef Vet are collaborating with the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University to co-sponsor a survey of large animal veterinarians. Please share this with your colleagues and customers in large animal practices. More input means better information. Source: Beef Vet, October 6, 2016. The world of veterinary medicine is changing and how veterinarians … [Read more...]
NCBA offers free webinar on changing antibiotic regulations October 27
Here’s a resource to share with your cattle customers. Consider having a small group of key customers join you at a clinic, restaurant, community center or such to view the webinar and then discuss implementation of the VFD regulations. It takes place Thursday, October 27 at 7:00 p.m. Central. Source: National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, October 6, 2016. Join the webinar … [Read more...]
Screwworms in Florida after 30-year absence
Some of us have vivid memories of screwworm larvae burrowed into the flesh of livestock. A full-grown screwworm looks like any other fly. It is an insect small in size, dark, six-legged and compound-eyed. Its life cycle is quite different than other flies, however. A pregnant screwworm seeks out the bodies of much larger animals. Upon finding an open wound or other fleshy … [Read more...]
How millennials are changing distribution
Distributors are re-examining their strategies as millennials become a populous and educated segment of the workforce, Michael Wilson writes. Their online purchasing preferences are reviving the need to practice consultative selling as distributors shift to meet customer preferences. Source: Industrial Distribution, October 4, 2016. Consultative selling refers to a method … [Read more...]
Editorial – Meeting the challenges of curation
Animal Health Digest is a curation service. One source defines a content curator as someone who continually finds, groups, organizes and shares the best and most relevant content on a specific issue online. That is what we do at AHD. We sift through more than 150 media sources on a day-by-day basis. While you do your jobs, we read for you, determine what content is most … [Read more...]
Be cautious around horses
Equine veterinarians have higher rates of injury than other occupations, including those in construction, the prison service, and firefighters. Further, an Australian study data reported that while there have been significant decreases in injury and death in workplaces traditionally viewed as dangerous, such as mining and construction over the past several decades, there has … [Read more...]
Innovetive Pet Care joins AHD Founder’s Circle
Animal Health Digest welcomes the hospitals owned by Innovetive Petcare that join us in bringing the latest animal health-related information to you. Dr. Karen Parker, director of marketing, understands the challenge of managing work-life balance, supporting employee growth and staying abreast of the unending stream of news that generates questions and concerns from animal … [Read more...]
Be confident. People will notice.
True confidence has a look all its own. We sense it and see it in people from all walks of life. As Dr. Travis Bradberry points out, truly confident people always have the upper hand. Plus, confidence is something that can learned. He offers nine habits we can emulate to strengthen our confidence. Source: LinkedIn Pulse, October 5 2016. Ford’s notion that your mentality has … [Read more...]
21st-century agriculture amazes many, scares some
The modern food system is amazing, especially in the United States. Never before have we fed so many people at such low costs. This efficiency comes with realities that are sensible to some and stupid to others. It has changed how we raise food and the ways animal health pros and their crop health counterparts work with customers and discus issues with the public. The five … [Read more...]
Future of logistics is ever-changing
Animal health pros and our customers depend on logistics. The fulfillment systems we use to speed product and service delivery to the animals that need them are evolving with lightning speed. We all benefit from efficiencies the internet has created. For example, it’s now common to send a last-minute report to be printed at a hotel across the country as we’re en route and have … [Read more...]
A recommendation or a need?
Last month, we featured an article by Dr. Andy Rourk in which he posits, “Stop abdicating our (DVM) position.” One of the main tenets of the principles of influence is authority. As a DVM or vet tech, you are the authority and it is time to start using it and the other principles to influence your customers and increase your hospital’s patients’ levels of compliance. Source: … [Read more...]
Rising prescription drug prices affect pets, owners, vets
Soaring prescription drug prices are hitting pet owners’ pocketbooks hard. And, giving a pet the medicine it needs can be more expensive than caring for a person since the owner may not have pet insurance or the pet may have a pre-existing condition. Los Angeles Times columnist David Lazarus recommends that pet owners shop for best prices, especially when a pet is prescribed a … [Read more...]
Talking politics at work is tricky
We’re often advised – with good reason – not to talk politics at the office. Yet, political topics are sometimes unavoidable. Here are four good tips to ensure the conversation doesn’t end in disaster. Source: Harvard Business Review, September 30, 2016. However strong your views are, you don’t want to alienate your coworkers. Here are some strategies for having a tactful, … [Read more...]
Ak-Sar-Ben racing remembered
For many who grew up in the Midwest, horse racing meant a trip to Omaha, Nebraska. Closed since 1986, Ak-Sar-Ben race track memories span eight pages celebrating the horses, jockeys, trainers and fans. The name Ak-Sar-Ben is Nebraska spelled backwards. Source: American Racehorse, September/October 2016, page 19. According to Jack VanBerg, Hall of Fame trainer, Ak-Sar-Ben … [Read more...]
Dogs like TV
Dogs notice and understand pictures they see on the television screen, as well as the sounds that accompany them. Digital and HD technology has improved the TV experience for dogs, says Janet Miller. Dogs literally see a new picture, with more clarity than before. Studies show how they see and process images, why they are attracted in the first place, and whether or not they … [Read more...]
Shadowing a veterinary technician
Jen Reeder recently spent a day shadowing a credentialed veterinary technician during National Veterinary Technician Week. “This was a simple assignment that turned into one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life,” she writes. Source: AAHA Pets Matter, September 20, 2015. 'It’s hard work, but at the end of the day, when I go home exhausted, I still want to come … [Read more...]