Sarah Ellis, PhD, says cats can be trained. She is a feline behavior specialist at International Cat Care, an England-based international charity that provides education and training for veterinarians, breeders, cat boarders, rescue workers and cat owners. Training may take a few hours, a day or a few weeks depending on how often owners practice and an individual cat’s … [Read more...]
Archives for March 2017
Top 10 talking points for dog trainers
All areas of dog health and behavior are being studied, which makes it possible to apply scientific insights to the way we train them. As a result, new conversations are taking place among professional dog trainers at conferences and seminars. New discussions arise regularly in the world of dog training. Animal health pros and dog owners need to be involved in them. Source: … [Read more...]
Dr. Blach presents customer service
In the most recent Is My Practice Healthy,? Dr. Blach references focusing on the customer in three different posts. We agree with his assertions. Customer service training, listening or questioning and anticipating customer needs are critical to differentiating your business, territory or company from competitors. Source: Is My Practice Healthy?, March 12, 2017. How do you … [Read more...]
Spot and treat goat parasites
Learn through a Q & A about goat parasites as if you were a new goat raiser. Suburban practices and retailers across the country are having similar conversations. Share this with clients via websites, newsletters and blog posts. Source: Hobby Farms, February 15, 2017. It’s helpful to keep health records for each of your goats to track vaccinations, medications and … [Read more...]
Expanding training spaces for Fido
Denise Fenzi shares thoughts and ideas for expanding dog training into new environments. The excerpt from her book reminds readers of the value and additional distractions from simply by changing locations. She says to create controlled distractions for the dog to hold his attention longer than stuff in the environment might. You can order the book if you want. The information … [Read more...]
6 questions veterinarians want to hear from dog owners
Veterinarians spend a great deal of time asking and answering questions to understand as much as possible about an individual dog, writes Dr. Byron de la Navarre. He suggests dog owners come prepared with six questions: “How often should I bring in my pet for wellness visits?” “Should I give my pet once-a-month parasite protection medication, and why?” “Do you think … [Read more...]
Equine asthma syndrome review
David Ramey, DVM, reviews the various causes of equine asthma syndrome, a new term to describe airway conditions characterized by inflammation and airway hyperreactivity. Among them: broken wind, heaves, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and IAD (inflammatory air disease). Source: Veterinary Practice News, February 27, 2017. Depending on the clinical signs and … [Read more...]
Horse industry career spotlight: physical therapist specializing in hippotherapy
Animal health pros often receive questions from young persons who desire to get involved in an animal health career. In this article and video, Lisa Harris discusses how she put her love for horses to work in a physical therapy career. Source: Horse Channel, January 27, 2017. Harris sees clients in physical therapy, both children and adults, and uses a variety of treatment … [Read more...]
Cats have to play
Behaviorist Marilyn Krieger reminds us that playing is a lifelong activity for cats. She says playing is intrinsically rewarding. If it wasn’t, cats wouldn’t play. Source: Catster, February 24, 2017. Cats of all ages should be encouraged to play — but always within their limits. Playing is a lifelong activity that teaches skills, promotes health, fights boredom and is fun. … [Read more...]
Grieving for a dog is hard
Cesar Milan discusses the emotions and challenges for losing a canine companion. He shares that the loss of a dog represents multiple losses at the same time. Source: Cesar’s Way, March 8, 2017. The biggest loss is the unconditional love that they give us and which we have earned over their lifetimes. We probably have no relationships — especially not human ones — with such … [Read more...]
Client control is key to optimizing pet health
Joel Parker, DVM, discusses ways to communicate effectively with clients whose inboxes and notices are just as full as our own. He suggests three strategic steps to help plan and execute a good Client Control Program (CCP). Source: Messenger, February 2017, pages 17-18. Follow these steps to put a good CCP in place: Set up your client communication lines Get your … [Read more...]
Don’t give up your parasite prevention sales
Bash Halow, LVT, CVPM, has two reasons for not giving up on selling parasite prevention products: Your products, with the assistance of manufacturer incentives, are nearly always competitively priced. You can be the one-stop shop. Halow adds as a veterinary team, rediscover the value of the products that you sell and understand the value of buying them through your … [Read more...]
Don’t forget the pigs
Collectively, swine veterinarians are helping producers and the swine industry deal with added regulation and transparency issues driven by consumers. But, recent discussions at the American Association of Swine Veterinarians annual conference included reminders that their primary role is to advocate for the pig and pig caretaker. Source: National Hog Farmer, February 28, … [Read more...]
Avian flu confirmed in breeder flock
USDA and Tyson Foods, Inc. have confirmed avian influenza in a breeder flock in Lincoln County, Tennessee. Avian influenza is a worldwide problem with current outbreaks across Europe and a disastrous one in South Korea. Source: Watt AgNet, March 6, 2017. On March 5, state and national veterinary authorities announced the appearance of highly pathogenic avian influenza … [Read more...]
Sponsored Content – Here’s the deal with dewormers
Different horses have different deworming needs. The best treatment for any animal starts with a fecal egg count to determine if the horse is a high shedder, medium shedder or low shedder of eggs. This measurement helps determine how often a horse needs deworming and supports herd decisions. Source: Horse Network, February 6, 2017. For many years, horses were treated with a … [Read more...]
Editorial: Musings from WVC 2017
Returning home from the Western Veterinary Conference, I reflected that this year, the WVC was the comfortable veterinary conference. That is, comfortable compared to NAVC, which recently debuted in the vast Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. In past years, WVC seemed to tax our physical and time-management stamina. But, after the marathon hiking required during … [Read more...]
Celebrate the women in our profession
International Women’s Day was celebrated worldwide yesterday. It’s theme, BeBoldForChange, is a reminder of the contributions women make daily to our profession. They’re often the ones leading the charge for change, whether it is research for a breakthrough new vaccine, a simple routine change in a clinic or getting a customer to improve his baby animal care protocols. If you … [Read more...]
All disease begins in the gut
Post-weaning gaps in piglets can easily take seven to 10 days. Some well-managed farms, however, can contain this to one or two days. Knowing what is going on in a piglet’s gastro-intestinal tract is the first step towards gaining control of these problems. Source: Pig Progress, September 23, 2016. The gut is responsible for up to 80% of the immune system. Immunogloblin A … [Read more...]
Technology is a literal pain in the neck
Many of us walk around with our necks jutting further forward than they should be. It is a consequence of being so tied to smartphones, notebooks, driving and working on computers. Bob Fischer, a personal trainer in Philadelphia, shares his five favorite moves for counteracting the effects of "tech neck." Source: Prevention, January 25, 2017. One study published in the … [Read more...]
Organizational alignment counts
Regardless of size, the most effective businesses succeed because their strategies, organizational capabilities, resources and management systems support the enterprise’s purpose. But many businesses struggle to keep the balance needed to excel. Source: Harvard Business Review, February 7, 2017. A tightly managed enterprise value chain that connects an enterprise’s purpose … [Read more...]
Cat-friendly practices tops 1,000
The American Association of Feline Practitioners indicated last year there are 1,050 cat-friendly practices and another 500 in the process of earning the designation. Understanding cat behavior, feline-friendly handling, and reducing stress associated with the visit are core components of the CFP program. The program encompasses the entire well-being of cats, cat caregivers and … [Read more...]
Major issues facing agriculture
Leaders from U.S. trade associations shared their groups’ most pressing priorities for 2017. Their list includes topics that relate to human safety and life quality. Source: AgriMarketing, January/February 2017, page 24-28. There are always a number of important issues to consider ahead of any year, but 2017 seems to have lots of unknowns. More importantly, the questions … [Read more...]
Worst day of my life
We mention the wildfires in Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas elsewhere in this week’s update. Kylene Scott’s firsthand perspective brings bitter reality to that post. Source: High Plains Journal, March 7, 2017. A family friend alerted him to the fire in Clark County very near the Scott farm after we’d returned home from burying my dad yesterday. . . One cow is bawling … [Read more...]
Relief fund started for cattlemen in burn areas
A relief fund has been set up by the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation to help cattleman affected by wildfires in the state. The need will only grow as wildfires continue to burn there and in Colorado, Kansas and Texas. Source: Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, March 7, 2017. Make checks payable to Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation and put “Fire Relief” in the memo line and … [Read more...]
Deal with it!
Most big problems are ones that were ignored in hopes they would go away or magically resolve themselves. Conflict avoidance occurs in many industries. Veterinary medicine is not immune to its impact. Thus, using the FIGHT strategy to deal with issues before they grow is likely helpful. Source: CharlesMarshall.net January 2017. Courage isn’t the absence of fear but the … [Read more...]
Help farm and ranch customers preserve their legacy
Farmers and ranchers are no different than the general population when it comes to retirement and estate planning. Lack of planning costs money, lifestyle changes, physical loss, emotional loss and even a lost legacy. Christy Couch Lee shares what is now happening to her family because of this. Source: Hereford World, March 2017, page 118. There are ways we could have … [Read more...]
Horses understand human facial expressions
New research shows that domestic horses have the ability to read the expression on a person’s face. This capacity has only ever previously been demonstrated in dogs. Source: The Atlantic, February 29, 2017. A University of Sussex research team, led by Amy Smith alongside the veteran animal-behavior scientist Karen McComb, showed a group of 28 horses large photographs of a … [Read more...]
Manage your line of credit carefully
Dr. Andrew Clark addresses managing operating lines of credit in this edition. He reminds us that credit lines to cash flow can be a slippery slope. Source: Is My Practice Healthy?, February 27, 2017. You have borrowed an operating line of credit because you didn’t have enough money in the bank to pay the bills. You must budget to pay the full year expenses PLUS pay off the … [Read more...]
Special needs students show livestock with heart
Mati Abner, a Howe, Texas, high school student has shown livestock since third grade. This year, she wanted her friends with special needs to be able to show as well. So, she petitioned the Texoma Livestock Exposition and Livestock Show board. Her dream came true. Source: KXII, February 27, 2017. After more than 70 years in Texoma, this week will feature the expo’s first … [Read more...]
Take quiet walks with dogs
Nicole Wilde recommends being silent when walking with dogs. Taking a break from rambling chatter shows how useful body language cues can be and see how it is much easier for a dog to focus on a verbal cue such as, “Come!” when it’s not floating amid a sea of other words. Source: Modern Dog, February 23, 2017. Dogs observe our body language so much more than we realize. … [Read more...]