It’s no surprise, but variance numbers are just too far apart between veterinary teams' and their clients’ perceptions. Opinions between veterinarians and pet owners differ about what parasite education, treatment and diagnostics are being done in visits, according to new data from Partners for Healthy Pets, AAHA and AVMA. Parallel information from the Veterinary Hospital … [Read more...]
Archives for August 2018
How we use our land helps customers gain perspective
Animal health pros, especially those serving livestock and wildlife sectors, often get into conversations about the best use for certain types of land. Bloomberg writers Dave Merrill and Lauren Leatherby used data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to show the major uses of land in the lower 48 states. You may be surprised at how little is used to grow our food. Source: … [Read more...]
Productive things to do when killing time between meetings
Those little spaces of time between “this” and “that” often seem insignificant. Still, with better focus we can use the spaces more productively and save time at the end of our days. Alyse Kalish offers 12 things you can you do in that itty-bitty timeframe that are productive enough to feel like you checked something off your to-do list. Source: the muse, August 3, 2018. … [Read more...]
DVM Management, mid-year check-up
In this edition of the monthly update, DVM Management discusses some mid-year tax planning strategies, including: checking your payroll withholding tips on the pass-through business deduction small business tips offers in compromise steps Source: DVM Management, August 2018. Link. INSIGHTS: Note the information on vehicle tax deductions and HSAs. … [Read more...]
What you need to know about Eastern and western equine encephalomyelitis
EQUUS reprises Laurie Bonner’s article from last fall to remind horse owners of the importance of protecting their animals from eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EED) and western equine encephalomyelitis (WEE). EEE easily ranks among the worst diseases a horse can get. Caused by a virus that is spread mainly by mosquitoes, the disease damages the horse’s central nervous … [Read more...]
Signs of ulcers in horses often subtle
Boehringer Ingelheim’s Hoyt Cheramie, DVM, MS, DACVS, discusses equine stomach ulcers and reminds us that subtle changes can signal an ulcer condition. Clinical signs of equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) are not pathognomonic, meaning not very highly associated with the disease. Some signs of EGUS, such as behavioral issues or poor performance, can be so common that they … [Read more...]
JAVMA: attire may impact believability
Among the many papers in the August 1st issue of JAVMA are two that will interest many veterinary team members: Clients' attitudes toward veterinarians' attire in the small animal emergency medicine setting. Link. Survey of human-horse relationships and veterinary care for geriatric horses. Link. Source: JAVMA, August 1, 20-18. Link. INSIGHTS: It is interesting … [Read more...]
Top 5 zoonotic disease concerns for dogs during hospital visits
In our post “Zoonotic knowledge poor in MDs and population,” December 20, 2017 <link> Sara Wooten, DVM, discussed the lack of zoonotic knowledge and the potential issues. . . . many MDs are uncomfortable discussing zoonotic disease and lack appropriate knowledge about the subject. Scott Weese, DVM, reiterates Wooten’s concerns and then empirically identifies the top 5 … [Read more...]
Small dogs leave dishonest scent marks (includes video)
We had to share this. A new study published in the Journal of Zoology found that small-breed male dogs engage in dishonest scent marking (yes, this is the technical term) to try to fool other dogs into thinking they're bigger than they are. Source: Bustle, August 6, 2018. Link. "Many small dogs are terriers, small versions of terriers, or other breeds and mixes of breeds … [Read more...]
White paper covers how dogs will help owners in distress (includes video)
The white paper “Timmy’s in the well: Empathy and prosocial helping in dogs,” was recently published in the journal Learning & Behavior. Paper authors studied the time that dogs responding to their owners’ crying. The study involved 34 pet dogs of various breeds and sizes and their owners. The results show that dogs will frequently push through barriers with urgency to help … [Read more...]
ARH-WOOOOOOO! Why do dogs howl?
Beyond ancestry, communication seems to be the primary reason dogs howl, writes Melvin Peña. He discusses some common reasons and situations when dogs howl. Source: Dogster, July 12, 2018. Link. INSIGHTS: Peña’s list of howling-prone dog breeds might help with a dog owner’s choices for a new animal. … [Read more...]
Therapy dogs may help with ADHD
There is good reason to suspect that dogs could be helpful for kids with ADHD, writes Karen B. London, PhD. If the Motivational Hypothesis is true, then interacting with dogs may help these kids by heightening their arousal and emotional states which may lead to increased attention and interest in the environment in which therapy takes place. Although promising, there is … [Read more...]
Our pets are fat and getting fatter
Sixty percent of cats and 56 percent of dogs in the U.S. are overweight. In fact, the Association for Pet Obesity estimates that veterinarians now classify more than 100 million dogs and cats as overweight or obese. That is up from 80 million five years ago. Some pet owners fail to recognize the severity of the problem. Source: New York Times, August 2, 2018. (paywall) … [Read more...]
Traveling with pets: AVMA FAQs
August is traditionally a busy family vacation month. These trips include pets more than ever before. The AVMA has a solid resource to answer questions about pet travel. Consider using it to inform pet owners via social media, website links and in vacation readiness newsletters. Many of these FAQs also apply to the dogs and cats that attend state fairs with 4-Hers and FFA … [Read more...]
Focus on feline health: AVMA Special Report
Animal health pros focused on Feline urinary tract health and wellness will want to review this issue of the AVMA Animal Health Smartbrief. It begins with sponsored information from Royal Canin as the first in a series of reports. Cats are known for concealing signs of illness, so often the first sign of something amiss occurs in the litter box, or outside of it, as is … [Read more...]
Cat scratch fever and prevention
Referring to a bacterial infection caused by Bartonella henselae bacteria, not Ted Nugent’s hit song of 1977, Sandy Robins reviews cat scratch fever also known as cat scratch disease. Zoonotic, cat scratch fever is preventable if you understand feline behavior and ensure pets are protected from fleas. The article includes good information about avoiding scratches and dealing … [Read more...]
A text can save your life
We’ve shared posts at AHD about career, financial and personal challenges and the mental anguish they can cause. We’ve also shared information about veterinarian and farmer and rancher suicides. Crisis Text Line is a confidential place anyone can turn to for help simply by texting HOME to 741741. Any stressful situation is accepted. Source: CRISIS TEXT LINE, Link. Text HOME … [Read more...]
Virtual farm-to-table experience a must-see for animal health pros
The Maschhoffs is the fourth-largest hog production company in North America. Its new farm-to-table experience, an interactive digital tool that explains how pigs are raised, opens pork production to public. Less than 2 percent of the U.S. population works in agriculture and some animal health pros are unfamiliar with how pork is produced. Consumer education has been a priority … [Read more...]
The delicate art of being perfectly assertive
Whether you are the boss or the leader of conversations, striking the right balance between being too assertive and not assertive enough is immensely important. One area where self-awareness is particularly hard to gain has to do with one’s level of assertiveness. Source: HBR Ascend. Link. Being flexible and socially sensitive allows for motivating and engaging without being … [Read more...]
YOU are your sustainable competitive advantage
A competitive advantage is obtained by implementing value-creating strategies that are not simultaneously being implemented by any current competitor. These strategies need to be rare, valuable and non-substitutable. These competitive advantages become sustainable when they are not easily copied and, thus, can be maintained over a long time. Source: Vet-Advantage, June 2018. … [Read more...]
New antimicrobial stewardship efforts from FDA
“I told you so,” said an animal health colleague after reading this notice about extending the FDA’s antimicrobial stewardship reach, noting the companion animal mention as well. Some of the important issues to be addressed in this new plan include establishing appropriate durations of use of medically important antimicrobials and bringing all dosage forms of medically … [Read more...]