Daniel C. Randall, DVM, reflects on an online veterinary forum discussion that exposes concerns about empathy in veterinary relationships. Without empathy, Randall writes, we resort to vilifying our clients, blaming them for our low morale, exhaustion, and job dissatisfaction. “We risk creating an “us versus them” mentality that seeps into our body language and our … [Read more...]
Archives for May 2018
5 myths about first aid
Human injuries are inevitable at veterinary hospitals, retailers or with representatives. While first aid certifications have improved, not everyone is current or trained with best practices. In a medical emergency, the right response can save lives – but many of us still do things wrong. Source: BBC, April 20, 2018. Link. Claudia Hammond shares common myths, also what to … [Read more...]
Keep horses part of the college experience
High schools and junior college graduates often find it bittersweet when they enter college, yet face being miles away from their favorite horses. Kim Miller offers 10 suggestions to make that decision easier. Source: Practical Horseman, January 10, 2018. Link. Balancing barn time while enrolled in a college or university may be challenging, but it is possible to achieve. … [Read more...]
Dry cow vaccination improves immune response, passive transfer
Linda Tikofsky, Boehringer-Ingelheim DVM, provides sound reasoning for a two-in-one effect when vaccinating dry cows. This is sound advice for producers and a good reminder for dairy veterinary teams and the animal health pros who service dairies. A lactating cow vaccination protocol should begin at least 30 days prior to breeding, Tikofsky says. By vaccinating cows during … [Read more...]
Animal welfare tops list of American causes
Americans say they care more about animal welfare than children’s education and hunger. That’s according to the findings of the “Causes Americans Care About,” a new study that gathered responses from 1,000 adults: 41% chose animal welfare number one. Children’s education ranked second with 38% of respondents. Hunger, chosen by 33% of respondents ranked number … [Read more...]
Seniors offer insight into social media use
Senior citizens have internet power. Sixty seven percent of them in the U.S. use the internet today, according to the Pew Research Center. Sheree Johnson, CEO of SJ Insights, a marketing services firm, teaches Introduction to Social Media at a Kansas City area college. In general, the students are 70 or more years old. To better understand seniors’ usage, Johnson set up a panel … [Read more...]
This animal kills more people in a day than sharks in a century (videos)
Bill Gates, Microsoft founder, has come to fear mosquitos. He discusses the global consequences of mosquito-borne disease in humans, fears and shares a clever video that reinforces mosquitos as a vector. The video’s mosquito character says, “I don’t want to kill, it’s just something inside me.” For animal health professionals, mosquitos are most notably vectors for dog … [Read more...]
AAHA offers parasite counselor program
The American Animal Hospital Association now offers the Parasite Counselor Program for veterinarians and veterinary staff. The online modules are designed for all staff of companion animal veterinary practices and can be accessed at VetFolio. Source: Vetfolio, April 27, 2017. Link. The specially tailored courses in this program will provide training on fleas, ticks, … [Read more...]
Ways to reduce fear, stress and anxiety in pets
When Steve Dale talks, people listen. In a recent newsletter he discusses: Destress Your Pet Month from Ceva Animal Health and the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. From Fearful to Fear Free: A Positive Program to Free Your Dog from Anxiety, Fears and Phobias, Dr. Marty Becker, Dr. Lisa Radosta, Dr. Wailani Sung, Mikkel Becker, edited by Kim Campbell … [Read more...]
Reconcile® joins Animal Health Digest as Sponsor
AHD welcomes Reconcile® (fluoxetine hydrochloride) as our newest Supporting Sponsor. Manufactured by PRN PharmacalTM, a PBI-Gordon company, Reconcile provides veterinarians with a clinically tested, FDA-approved, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) labeled for dogs. When combined with the BONDTM Behavior ModificationTraining Program, Reconcile® has been shown to … [Read more...]
Communicate, connect for health’s sake
The number of people who identify as lonely has doubled from 20 percent to 40 percent in the past 30 years. In that same time, the average number of close friends that people identify having has gone from three to one. Having weak social ties is as harmful to health as alcoholism. It’s also equivalent to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. Thus, having techniques to effectively … [Read more...]