It is easy to assign “my pet’s showing his age” to soiling by a senior pet. But there are reasons beyond a break-down in the animal’s training. Adam Rudinsky, DVM, MS, DACVIM, reviews the top five reasons for fecal house soiling in senior pets: Behavioral disorders Colorectal and anorectal diseases Osteoarthritis Structural disease Neurological … [Read more...]
Archives for November 2016
You’re probably a bad listener
Most people don’t think that they’re bad listeners — but they are. Are you? The first and most important step in overcoming bad listening habits is to become more aware of them. Source: Bottom Line Personal, September 15, 2016. Roger Flax, PhD, shares nine common bad listening habits, plus strategies for becoming a great listener. INSIGHTS: We especially liked how Dr. Flax … [Read more...]
High-tech horseshoes are here
It’s a new world in horseshoes as new materials and methods address hoof and lameness problems. Nail-free, glue-on, shock-absorbing padding, synthetics and the newest nail materials are reviewed by Elaine Pascoe. Source: Practical Horseman, December 2016, page 46. … [Read more...]
The latest from JAVMA
We have been linking to the table of contents for JAVMA for your convenience. It is also easy to access an abstract of one of the articles. Check the box next to the article Then at the bottom of the table of contents page – click this link: View highlighted abstracts on one page The abstracts matching your selections will be visible to you for your review Source: … [Read more...]
Two quick tips to help identify dogs affected with Addison’s
Chen Gilor, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, shares two pointers from his CVC presentation about diagnosing Addison's disease: Don't just think about the sodium-potassium ratio. Be screening for Addison's, even if your index of suspicion is not very high. Source: Veterinary Medicine, November 16, 2016. … [Read more...]
Lentivirus update for small ruminants
Caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) is probably the most talked about and contentious disease of goats. CAEV is a lentivirus, in the same family as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which infects goats and sheep. Once infected, the goat remains infected for its lifetime and be a carrier even if it is not sick. Source: HoofPrint, Fall 2014. CAEV has five major … [Read more...]
13 things the mentally strong DON’T do
Whether applying to your personal, volunteer or professional life, Amy Morin’s list of things not-to-do can help us unlock our full potential. She says, “…letting go of the bad habits helps you work smarter, not harder.” Source: Veterinary Practice News, December 2016, page 33. We all have the ability to build up our mental toughness. Here are 13 things mentally tough … [Read more...]
Call groups help after-hours conundrum
Employees today don't want to work as many hours as they used to, points out Kyle Palmer, CVT. He thoughtfully discusses a call-group solution to after-hours service requests in equine practices. Source: DVM 360, October 11, 2016. Equine practitioners are stuck with whatever comes their way: colic, dystocia, traumatic injury and more. They’re often knee-deep in disaster … [Read more...]
Direct talk about discounts
Hilal Dogan, BVSc, doesn’t mince words. She calls for veterinarians to let their charges reflect their real value and quit discounting to receive warm fuzzies. Her approach and reasoning is direct and hits hard at self-worth. Source: Vetted, November 9, 2016. As a young new vet coming into this working world, I still have respect for the way things were done and greatly … [Read more...]
Approach conversations from your customer’s point of view
As veterinary professionals, we understand the importance of compliance and are committed to achieving that goal with every customer. Unfortunately, that perspective is often the biggest barrier to achieving our goal. Approaching these conversations from our customer’s point of view, rather than our own, will yield greater results. Source: Vet-Advantage, Livestock Edition, … [Read more...]
3 reasons to adjust horses’ winter diets
The winter months are tough on horses, so make some changes to their feed to help them cope, recommends Alli Kelley. She discusses the conditions where diet changes are warranted for winter: Changes In workload The hard keeper New to the cold Source: HorseChannel.com, November 18, 2016. Kelley makes these statements about her 3 reasons: The type of work our … [Read more...]
I screwed up!
Wouldn’t we like to hear an admission of failure instead of excuses more often? According to Justin Grady, most of us are failure hypocrites. Justin claims to be a complete failure, out of which he cultivates creativity and helps others do the same. He speaks to leaders and failures. From our perspective, any animal health pro is a leader when interacting with an animal owner. … [Read more...]
10 things humans do that dogs don’t like
This list of don’ts caught our eyes. Consider using this on websites, blogs or in newsletters. A version of this would be good in new pet orientations as well. Source: About.com, January 2016. Jenna Stregowski, RVT, provides concise reasoning for each of the 10 don’ts to match descriptive photos: Hugging Dressing them up Getting in a dog's face and personal … [Read more...]
Effective strategies for winter calf raising
Winter weather is coming any day now. Luciene Ribeirio offers recommendations for improving results when raising calves in the winter. This content could be used in newsletters, blogs or websites. Veterinary clinic staff members and sales representatives can consider identifying a target group of customers where winter problems are well-known. Then, send the article by e-mail … [Read more...]
New I-9 form required for all employees
A new Form I-9, Employee Information and Verification, is now available, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. It is required by law for employees to work in the United States. A new version of that form hopes to make this process more straightforward for practice owners and managers. Practices have until Jan. 21, 2017 to start using the new form. Previous … [Read more...]
Leaders have a responsibility to stay healthy
Effective leaders realize they have an awesome responsibility and sometimes that burden can lead to burnout or leadership fatigue. Being able to sustain your effectiveness is essential to your success, your team and your organization’s success. The tips presented here to help avoid work burnout could be critical components that ensure your well-being. Source: Forbes, … [Read more...]
Holiday pet safety tips
Marianne Lipanovich writes about the risks of holiday changes to pets in this article for pet owners. She reminds readers about the chewable risks and the effect of confusing human activities and guests that can stir up pets. Animal health pros can use this content in blogs, websites and newsletter ahead of the upcoming holiday celebrations in December. Source: The Bark, … [Read more...]
Drs. Blach and Clark offer tips
The recent edition of Is My Practice Healthy? contains good food for thought on improving customer experiences, managing inventory and the use of a loyalty credit card to extend accounts payable terms for drugs and supplies. Source: Is My Practice Healthy?, week of November 21, 2016. … [Read more...]
BQA injection guidelines reviewed
As the cattle industry scurries to get the paper trails in place for the upcoming VFD requirements, it is a good time to review the importance of proper injection site practices for vaccines, vitamins, minerals, injectable antibiotics and NSAIDs. This article will make good content for blogs, newsletters and websites. Source: Beef, November 2016. Be systematic about how you … [Read more...]
FFA launches celebrity and notable careers
Angela Bowman shares a fun look at famous persons who wore the FFA blue and gold. Presidents, singers and actors are on her list. Source: Pork Network, November 22, 2016. What do Taylor Swift, Jordy Nelson and Jimmy Carter have in common? The answer: They were each former FFA members and grew up learning to recite the FFA creed, pledging their belief in the future of … [Read more...]
Volunteers help monitor foreign animal diseases
Risk management is a critical element of swine production. Kevin Schulz reviews the work and challenges of managing and prioritizing the Swine Disease Matrix that provides a global view of swine pathogens. The matrix is a result of work from the newly formed Swine Health Information Center’s volunteers who comprise the Swine Health Monitoring and Analysis Working … [Read more...]
4 types of ineffective apologies
Busy workplaces often build intense dynamics that make it easy to say or do something untoward to colleagues, employees or even customers. Sometimes difficult, offering an effective apology is a workplace skill we all must develop. Sincere apologies show that you value relationships and other points of view. Source: Harvard Business Review, November 25, 2016. Many people … [Read more...]
One year already!
A year ago this week, the first Animal Health Digest Bulletin hit email inboxes of animal health professionals. Thanks to loyal subscribers and supportive sponsors, we now celebrate our first anniversary. Your feedback has been immensely helpful. It continues to guide the topics we cover and the media we monitor. Please keep it coming. Support from sponsors Ceva and Addison … [Read more...]
Keep pets safe this Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a week from today. It’s a great holiday, but it can also present hazards for pets. AVMA offers home, party and travel advice that’s ready to go in clinic counter material, blogs and newsletters. Source: AVMA. Holiday food needs to be kept away from pets, and pet owners who travel need to either transport their pets safely or find safe accommodations for them … [Read more...]
Prep older horses for winter
Fall will soon turn into winter. Horses older than 15 years need special attention to prepare them for the cold months. Prevention is the focus of these tips. Source: Equus, November 15, 2015. Here are five ways to make sure aged horses are ready for the cold weather months: Establish a healthy body weight Have his teeth checked Address his arthritis Ensure … [Read more...]
Avoid, treat equine ulcers
Studies indicate that between 60 to 90 percent of horses have gastric ulcers. Stress from showing or intense riding can exacerbate dormant problems. Animal health pros can share these quick tips with horse owners to help address equine ulcer prevention and treatment. Source: Horse and Rider, web posting. Here's how you can help your horses avoid ulcers: Provide … [Read more...]
Build off-leash skills in dogs
Most dog owners would love to go leash-free when taking out their dogs. However, there is no way to guarantee the safety of a dog off-leash. Skills presented here can improve on the human-animal bond and reduce risk should a dog get loose. Source: Whole Dog Daily, November 13, 2016. Mardi Richmond from Santa Cruz, California offers tips and perspectives about off-leash … [Read more...]
Just add water, plenty of it
Cattle need adequate water in winter to process additional feed that keeps them warm during winter. This article is a good topic to help gin up lively discussions. Source: Beef, October 31, 2016. 'In winter, we often don’t think about water requirements for cattle, but the body’s demand for water is important whether it’s hot or cold,' says Terry Mader, Mader Consulting, … [Read more...]
14 new beef industry products to consider
Veterinarians, retail associates and sales representatives may find one of these new products worthy of sharing with producers rather than talking about the weather or election results. Source: Beef, October 27, 2016. Innovation drives the beef industry. Here are 14 new products to keep on your radar this fall. … [Read more...]
New insight into Senecavirus in swine
A recent study of Senecavirus A offers valuable new insights into this disease pathogen that affects the U.S. pork industry. The study finds tonsil tissue is one primary target. The researchers found virus shedding between days 1 to 28 post-inoculation in oral and nasal secretions and feces. Source: The Pig Site, November 10, 2016. 'We have shown that SVA has a predilection … [Read more...]