Jim LaCour, DVM, shares concerns about salmonella bacterial infection that causes sporadic mortality in some wild birds. He shares how to clean and sanitize bird feeders and bird baths to help prevent birds from catching deadly salmonella. Plus, he notes it’s important to carefully dispose of deceased birds. Many of the <salmonella> deaths have been associated with bird … [Read more...]
Archives for April 2021
Survey says more than 800 hours a year cleaning up after pets
Complimentary Content A new study conducted on behalf of Trane Heating and Air Conditioning examined the great lengths to which pet owners will go to keep a clean and healthy environment while caring for their pets. The study results shows various facts about the impact of cleaning, in-home relationships and owner wellness. Source: SWNS digital, April 8, 2021. Link. News … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – April 8, 2021
How we treat animals will inform our future with robots Source: One Zero, April 1, 2021. Link. Author Kate Darling from MIT Media Lab believes that as humanlike robots become more advanced and more deeply integrated into society, we should be wary of people becoming accustomed to mistreating them. Diagnosis of the diagnostics in … [Read more...]
Research explains why cool cows can provide more milk
Heat stress represents a major burden to the dairy industry making improving cow comfort and productivity in the hot and humid summer months a significant management objective. University of Georgia researchers determined that dairy cattle cooled with fans and sprinklers respond better to heat stress, produce more milk and have healthier mammary glands. A recent study … [Read more...]
Virtual fencing technology to intensively graze lactating dairy cattle, really?
Grazed pasture is generally the most cost-effective nutrient source in pasture-based dairy systems. A recent study compared traditional electric fence to GPS technology connected to cow collars. The objective was to measure the technology efficacy and pasture use outcomes. Source: Journal of Dairy Science, April 1, 2021. Link. Overall, this study demonstrated a successful … [Read more...]
New PRRS 1-4-4 L1C variant deserves vigilance, preparations
PRRS has been challenging swine producers for nearly 35 years. In late 2020, a variant strain surfaced from the PRRS 1-4-4 L1C lineage. It can be extremely virulent, although not the only variant strain circulating in swine herds. We’re sharing articles with different perspectives about the significance of this variant. It is clear, however, that biosecurity protocols at … [Read more...]
The battle to control America’s ‘most destructive’ species: feral pigs
Today, there are between 6 and 9 million feral hogs running across at least 42 U.S. states and three territories. The cost of the damage they cause is probably about $2.5 billion annually, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We haven’t been able to find a crop that feral swine won’t eat.” - Stephanie Shwiff, economist with National Wildlife Research … [Read more...]
Calf Care & Quality Assurance program launched
The Calf Care & Quality Assurance program is a new program to help ensure optimal calf health and welfare. The program provides a framework that will serve as great resource for anyone working in the calf-raising industry. The CCQA program not only exists to support calf raisers, but it helps the consumer understand the attention given to calves, as well. Ultimately, the … [Read more...]
Watch for grass tetany and milk fever in spring calving herds
Lush green grass is a welcome sign of spring. Cows in otherwise good condition and health are sometimes found demonstrating unusual behaviors, unsteady gait or inability to rise. These are early signs of grass tetany and milk fever, says Paul Beck. He describes the magnesium and calcium shortages that bring about these diseases. They are hard to differentiate, and are difficult … [Read more...]
Chickens in a minute; including treats (video)
Most backyard birds receive treats because it’s fun for the owners. But overdoing it is dangerous because our birds can fill up on them. Chickens only have 24 taste buds compared to our 10,000.” Source: Backyard Poultry, April 2, 2021. Link. Also see: Lesser-known facts about chickens and ducks Backyard Poultry, April 2, 2021. Link. … [Read more...]
The rise of reptiles and what it means for veterinary medicine
Mike Corcoran, DVM, DABVP, CertAqV, says the number of reptiles as pets has more than doubled since 2007. The pet trade is marketing more products to reptile owners directed at enrichment and the human-animal bond. He expects veterinarians will see reptiles more frequently as their owners seek diagnostics and treatments recommended for their pets. Source: Pet Vet Magazine, … [Read more...]
The best dog names of 2021. 500 names by category.
This article contains around 500 name ideas for dogs. It offers essential guidelines for naming a dog. The names are categorized by:Source: Puppies and Pooches, February 4, 2021. Link. … [Read more...]
April 11-17 is National Dog Bite Prevention Week
There are an estimated 77 million dogs living in U.S. households and millions of people are bitten by dogs every year. Most, if not all, of these bites are preventable. The American Veterinary Medical Association has assembled worthwhile tips for observing National Dog Bite Preparedness Week® and tools for bringing dog bite prevention education to clinics and … [Read more...]
April is heartworm awareness month
Heartworms are in every U.S. state and other countries. In fact, heartworm disease is on the rise throughout the U.S. and areas that were once non-endemic. The American Heartworm Society offers multiple resources for veterinarians and pet owners at heartwormsociety.org. They include: Heartworm incidence map: updated every three years to highlight the average number of … [Read more...]
Frenetic random activity periods. Why?
FRAPS or, frenetic random activity periods, are also known as zoomies. Karen B. London, PhD, shares reasons behind dog zoomies. They are not a reaction to Zoom meetings, however. London also shares some insights into dogs and smiling in a related article. Source: The Bark, March 2021. Link. Most of the time, a case of the zoomies lasts just a few minutes or even less. … [Read more...]
Do you want to be right or happy?
Michael Easter offers a psychology-based approach to conflict. He says psychologists theorize that our capacity to reason didn’t develop so we could find better beliefs and make better decisions. Reason likely evolved so we could win arguments. By inserting the question, “do you want to be right or happy?” Easter says we insert perspective into the equation. Source: Forge, … [Read more...]
What do when your anxiety sets in at a live networking event
Susan McPherson has thought about reconnecting live after so much time in a digital world. She’s found that people fail to maintain the right mindset about connecting and offers tips for getting back into the game. Source: Fast Company, April 2, 2021. Link. Being at the top of your game in terms of your well-being is not dependent on your role or the amount of stress you … [Read more...]
Deal with jargon problems
Jargon is a staple of the modern workplace. Sometimes jargon has a legitimate purpose, but overreliance on it and acronyms can make people feel excluded or lead them to disengage. If you’re concerned about possible negative effects of jargon on your teams, clients or organization, consider the following: Know your audience. There are times when using jargon can help you … [Read more...]
5 ways to master the art of bragging
Women have always faced unique challenges in the workplace, particularly when it comes to self-promotion, writes Charlene Walters, MBA, PhD, and career coach. She says modesty isn't always a good thing. Yet, according to a 2019 survey of working women, 84 percent said they feel uncomfortable talking about professional or academic accomplishments, and more than 69 percent said … [Read more...]
Who’s who: North American veterinary consolidators
Complimentary Content Our industry has seen rapidly expanding consolidation since 1987. It has changed the veterinary business landscape worldwide. More than 60 veterinary consolidators are involved today and there will likely be more, says Ivan Zak, DVM. Zak explains consolidators by type providing the list of active consolidators and their: Source of financing … [Read more...]
Review: Overhead costs and calculating them
We shared 3 ways to create an employee-owned culture last week. In a previous role, a savvy leader transparently shared overhead costs, how they were calculated and how they were attached to every element of servicing internal and external stakeholders. His objective was to educate the team on the economics of the business beyond looking at top-line sales and empower a greater … [Read more...]
Speed and resilience: 5 priorities for the next 5 months
Over the past year, adrenaline unlocked speed. In the near future, speed will need to arrive by design, say the authors. As businesses recover from COVID-19-related disruption and reimagine themselves for the next normal, they need to ask—and answer—five questions. Source: McKinsey and Company, March 29, 2021. Link. Businesses need to ask and answer the following five … [Read more...]
Changing feline eating habits can be good
Donna Raditic DVM, DACVN, CVA challenges traditional feeding habits and suggests encouraging diet variety for cats. She outlines rationales and benefits with catvocate Steve Dale. Source: Catster, March 31, 2021. Link. Think about what cats do in the wild. It makes sense to offer a cat two or three diets, each with different textures, tastes and smells (unless the cat is … [Read more...]