Amy G. Hadachek reminds us of the various risks tornados can have on us, our properties and our animals. The key is to be prepared and know what to do. Source: Countryside Daily, March 22, 2018. Some of the most important actions to consider are: Stay low Think middle Avoid trees and underpasses Get out of mobile homes Consider a generator for essential … [Read more...]
Archives for March 2018
Regain the lost art of reflection
This article has value for almost every animal health pro because of the levels of decisions we make daily. An intense focus on information processing, reaction and execution causes the quality of our thoughts to suffer, even though it may feel productive. In reflective thought, a person examines underlying assumptions, core beliefs and knowledge, while drawing connections … [Read more...]
Diversity training infuriates men and fails women
Tracing the history of diversity training to the 1950s, Joanne Lipman tackles the issue from all directions in this excerpt from her book, "That’s what she said." She covers a half century of terms and biases that still need resolution through improved strategies to understand and act equitably. Source: Time, January 25, 2018. A recent Harvard study found that corporate … [Read more...]
Feedyard sector featured in March 23 New York Times
Antibiotic resistance in cattle is the focus of, “Hamburger Central, Antibiotics for Cattle That Aren’t Sick,” an article posted online by the New York Times and in print with the headline, “Drugs Go to Healthy Cattle. Should Consumers Worry?” on March 23. The article features three officers of Cactus Feeders, Dr. Martin J. Blaser, a scientist at a Manhattan, New York, Veterans … [Read more...]
Redefine deworming
Among all cow-calf manager’s input investments, parasite control offers some of the highest potential returns. Like so many aspects of beef production, deworming has become more complicated: There’s growing awareness that generic, calendar-based recommendations do not necessarily provide the best control in every production environment Cattle movements have … [Read more...]
Feet and legs evaluation important for cattle longevity
Feet and legs are easy to overlook on cattle operations. Nick Simmons, University of Florida Extension, provides a basic review of the importance of hoof and leg care. Two of the more common foot and hoof related issues are foot rot and hoof cracks. Source: Drovers, March 6, 2018. The hooves are one of the most important parts of the cow’s body, because without these, the … [Read more...]
Chicken farming: evolving or returning to its roots?
Over the past 160 years, consumers and poultry farmers have changed the way we care for and eat chickens. The 19th-century fancier valued the beauty of the various breeds. Most consumers now value low prices more. Kenny Googan traces the evolution of the chicken industry. Source: Countryside Daily, March 27, 2018. The evolution of the chicken industry over the past century … [Read more...]
Bacon: America’s meat candy (includes slides)
For bacon’s sake! For years, we’ve been in the age of bacon mania where consumers can’t get enough of delicious cured pork belly and bacon-flavored foods. Sara Brown shares a slide deck that shows bacon’s rise to fame. Source: Pork, March 26, 2018. America's favorite meat has a long history of making people smile. … [Read more...]
Public support for animal rights goes far beyond dogs in overhead bins
Garrett M. Broad is a researcher who studies how society treats animals. While public outrage clings to the death of a French Bulldog in an airplane bin, Broad has been investigating what the public thinks about animals and their rights. The results show that a clear majority of people identify as animal lovers. But, not every self-professed animal lover supports full legal … [Read more...]
The vaccinations horses need
Vaccines are the most effective weapons for protecting horses against the ravages of disease. The editors at EQUUS provide an overview of how vaccinations work and how best to use them to protect horses. Articles like this are valuable for social media posts, websites and to help reinforce lifestyle protocols for horse owners. Source: Equus, March 19, 2018. The American … [Read more...]
Sponsored content – What every horse owner should know about rabies
Rabies vaccination is considered a core vaccine by the American Association of Equine Practitioners, according to Dr. Craig Barnett, Merck Animal Health. The importance of vaccinating companion animals, including horses, against rabies cannot be overemphasized. One of the scariest things about the disease is that it is one of the hardest to recognize in horses. If a horse … [Read more...]
Four common feline parasites
Dr. Sina Marsilio, researcher at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine’s Gastrointestinal Laboratory, explains the most common parasites found in cats. They include fleas, ticks, roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms and heartworms. The article will make good social media, website and newsletter content. Source: Modern Cat, March 8, 2018. “The parasites most common … [Read more...]
Feline heartworm discussions are important
Our feline friends are true masters at falling asleep any time, any place and under any circumstances writes JaneA Kelly. She offers some perspective about them: All that sleeping is in your cat’s genes Cats aren’t always sound asleep Cats do sleep deeply and even dream Some cats do snore when they sleep A change in your cat’s sleeping habits could be a sign … [Read more...]
U.S. neighborhood pet shops see amazing growth in pet food sales
Discussing a market within the market, Debbie Phillips-Donaldson, shares pet food growth in small, independent neighborhood pet shops. Pet food brands that have focused on this segment have seen sales grow 75 percent over the past five years, compared to a 1.7 percent decline for brands not focused on that channel. Of course, this means steady sales of those products for the … [Read more...]
The customer service improvement diet
In a twist on customer service improvement, Micah Solomon offers 10 things to STOP DOING that will improve your customer service. We list three of them below: Do away with unnecessary scripts Declare war on inappropriate language Stop thinking of customers as an interruption Source: Forbes, March 26, 2018. Instead of pointing out what to do to improve customer … [Read more...]
AAHA accreditation IS a BIG deal
AAHA accreditation serves two purposes. First, it recognizes and objectively certifies great veterinary practices. Second, it helps good veterinary hospitals become great ones by coaching their teams and bringing out the maximum potential and value of the practices. Since 1933, the association has charted the course for approximately 3,700 practices to achieve accreditation. … [Read more...]
Telehealth Featured at The Bridge Club
Telehealth and how to put it into practice was the focus of discussions at The Bridge Club last week. Using its unique video community platform, Host Dr. Aaron Massecar talked about the potential telehealth provides to increase the quality and reach of the health care from veterinarians and veterinary support teams. Source: The Bridge Club. Massacar discussed how … [Read more...]
The power of retention and post-sale nurturing
Sales! For many this is a four-letter s-bomb. Don’t panic. Consider how you feel when the service department calls you to see how your car is acting after a repair or when the dentist calls you to see how you’re feeling after a procedure. Consumer retention is the key to both happy customers and a healthy bottom line in any business. Source: Inc., March 19, 2018. Given … [Read more...]
A different perspective helps
I write a regular sales column for distribution reps. It recently occurred to me animal health pros, especially associates in a veterinary practice may benefit from what that I share with distribution reps. My February 2018 column in Vet-Advantage magazine is a good example. Source: Vet-Advantage, February 2018. Act like a customer Act like a marketer Act like an … [Read more...]
Create a growth culture, not a performance-possessed one
Tony Schwartz discusses the challenges of performance cultures, the impact on employees and challenges to sustaining success. Instead he advocates a growth culture that blends individual and organizational components: An environment that feels safe, fueled first by top by leaders willing to demonstrate vulnerability and take personal responsibility for their shortcomings … [Read more...]
Rising veterinary salaries are NOT driving up the cost of care
Fred Ouedraogo, PhD, and Michael Dicks, PhD, examined the veterinarian income trends and the potential impact of multiple factors, including the demographics of today’s veterinarians, veterinary income trends and practice ownership. They determined that when accounting for inflation, veterinary incomes have actually been declining for two decades. Source: DVM360, March 19, … [Read more...]
Technology is NOT a replacement for communicating in person
Scott Mabry shares, “I believe we are in danger of slipping unaware into a blurred and frantic pattern of digital interaction while forgetting that behind these tools are human beings.” Amen! Source: Soul to Work, March 15, 2018. Despite the convenience of the quick text or e-mail, leaders and staff still need to talk in person to avoid misunderstandings and build … [Read more...]
New study says social media doesn’t isolate people
A new study from the University of Kansas finds that spending time on social media networks doesn’t leave users feeling isolated or lonely. Published in the journal, “Information, Communication & Society,” the study concludes that using social media offers no evidence of losing face-to-face communication with friends and family. The KU researchers followed this with a … [Read more...]
If cats pee on the bed or couch, there’s a reason
Marilyn Kreiger writes that cats aren’t bad or purposely being naughty, nor are they seeking revenge when they urinate on couches and places we sleep. They should never be punished. There are legitimate reasons for the unwelcome behavior. Cats’ urinating in the wrong places sends a message to everyone there’s a problem that needs immediate attention. Source: Catster, March … [Read more...]
Emotional support animals probably don’t do anything for anxiety
People have been traveling with emotional support animals for years, claiming they serve a mental health purpose. But the scientific case for comfort animals is very weak, according to this Prevention article. “These animals provide the sole purpose of emotional support,” says Molly Crossman, a doctoral student in clinical study at Yale University who authored a study about how … [Read more...]
5 steps to safely remove ticks from dogs
Kate Eldredge, LVT, shares five steps to remove ticks from an animal. Note her reference about saving the tick for identification or testing. Remove the tick Clean the bite area Check for more ticks Review your preventatives Schedule blood work to check for tick-borne diseases Source: Whole Dog Journal, March 2018. It’s hard to say which is worse: running … [Read more...]
Cushing’s disease in dogs; let’s review
Jackie Brown reviews the basics of Cushing disease signs, diagnosis and treatment. She says it is caused by one of three things: A tumor on the pituitary gland at the base of the brain (this gland is responsible for telling the adrenal glands to secrete cortisol). This type of Cushing’s disease is pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH). The most common cause of … [Read more...]
Demographic shift in pet ownership
Millennial pet ownership has surpassed baby boomers, according to a December 2017 Packaged Facts report on pet food in the U.S. The report also states that millennials account for 35 percent of all pet owners. Approximately 66.8 million households, which is more than half of U.S. households at 54.6 percent, owned pets in 2017. Source: Petfood Industry, March 8, 2018. … [Read more...]
Discount your services. Discount yourself.
Sarah Wooten, DVM, hits the nail on the head in this article. Not only do frequent discounts in the heat of the exam-room moment bring down the value of your services, they lower the value of every other veterinarian’s work. Source: Veterinary Economics, March 1, 2018. One of the most important things we can do is to charge what our services are worth. Discounting estimates … [Read more...]
Forward appointment booking; just do it!
We EXPECT to leave our doctors’ and dentists’ with the next appointment in hand. This was not a common practice 20 to 25 years ago. It took time to make that discussion an expectation rather than a suggestion. This booking concept was first proposed for veterinary practices in 2015 by AAHA and Partners for Healthy Pets, among others. There is little evidence that it is … [Read more...]