Firework fears, fireworks debris, heat, humidity, water, hot pavement, cook-outs and more create risks for pets in the coming days. Animal health pros can’t overcommunicate the need for animal safety and caution as the holiday activities commence. Source: ASPCA® Pet Health Insurance. Link. … [Read more...]
Archives for June 2022
New, on-farm pregnancy test kit from Idexx Laboratories
Complimentary Commercial Content With results available in 5 to 20 minutes, the Alertys OnFarm Pregnancy Test from Idexx Laboratories can be used cowside to determine pregnancy as early as 28 days post-breeding or 70 days post-calving. The new test gives producers time savings and convenience because they can preg test whenever they want." Source: Dairy Herd Management, … [Read more...]
Pet supplements evolving to accompany nutrition plans
The pet supplement category was benchmarked at $800 million in 2020 and some expect it to grow to more than $1 billion by 2025. At the same time, there is increased confusion about what a supplement is. Toppers, treats, pills and powders all get lumped into the category. Daniel Schaeffer, Native Pet, believes the category is evolving to an around-the-bowl nutrition category … [Read more...]
Tired mosquitoes would rather sleep than bite
Researchers recently discovered that mosquitoes who have their sleep disrupted would rather get rest than go looking for their next meal. They found the mosquitoes in the research lab slept between 16 and 19 hours each day. Sleep was disturbed by vibrating the enclosures. Mosquitoes will pass up a meal when they are sleep deprived.” Source: Treehuggers, June 17, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
Still time to enter your goofy pet photos in the Comedy Pet photography contest
The annual Animal Friends Comedy Pet photography awards competition is open to entries through July 1. Organizers say photo submissions are running ahead of last year. They share a few of the entries as examples. Source: Treehugger, June 20, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – June 20, 2022
Dealing with canine anxiety, doggy ice cream, using NFTs* and video in small business, sensible security measures and more . . . Note the new Fear Free Boarding & Daycare Certification Program; techniques that will help reduce stress and increase calm and safety for both pets and staff.” Source: IBPSA, June 20, 2022. Link. The IBPSA Flow Business Conference registration … [Read more...]
How to recognize and tame your cognitive distortions
Opinion Some of the distortions described by Peter Grinspoon, MD, may hit close to home for some animal health pros. As you read his assertions, consider something as simple as prejudging an animal owner’s ability to pay, a topic we’ve hashed over for decades. Grinspoon says cognitive distortions are internal mental filters or biases that increase our misery, fuel our … [Read more...]
It’s no wonder communication is complicated
Opinion You’ll enjoy this reference to contronyms we use every day. A contronym is a word with multiple meanings that are the direct opposite such as: Bark: a sound a dog makes and the outer covering of a tree Clip: something used to attach or an action to remove something Screen: an action to keep private or a method of displaying something Source: Word … [Read more...]
Integrity is forever
We live in a world where integrity isn’t talked about nearly enough. We live in a world where “the end justifies the means” has become an acceptable school of thought for far too many. Source: Forbes, November 28, 2012. Link. Success will come and go, but integrity is forever.” INSIGHTS: Although it’s 10 years old, this article couldn’t be better timed. … [Read more...]
It is not clear if apple cider vinegar is good for dogs
Sharing published consumer information with animal health pros who may not know it exists remains one of the primary objectives of AHD’s curation efforts.” – Kirk Augustine Owners often attempt to treat dogs’ potential problems with home remedies, ideas from social media groups, websites or consumer publication articles before going to the veterinary clinic. Knowing what … [Read more...]
Fairfax Financial’s interests in Crum & Forster Pet Insurance Group to sell to JAB Holding Company in a transformational strategic partnership
“While we have sold our pet insurance business to JAB, we will invest $200 million in their JCP V to become their partners. We expect JAB to soon become leaders in pet healthcare and pet insurance globally. We wish them much success," said Prem Watsa, the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Fairfax. This new partnership bodes well for meeting the needs of pet owners on a global … [Read more...]
Building a business case for asynchronous telehealth
Opinion This article about human healthcare advances in telehealth applications adds context to veterinary teams’ efforts to define, implement and manage its role in sound animal care. Note Brent Oliver’s, MD, comments about nurse practitioners handling asynchronous telehealth visits, reducing ER visits, client comfort, increased touch points and high rate of … [Read more...]
Laser therapy helps repair the damage from a dog attack on a cat
Experience from my neighborhood An indoor/outdoor cat from my neighborhood was loafing on his porch when a dog attacked it. The attending veterinary team was able to repair the immediate bites and cuts, but the 10-year-old cat was healing slowly. The cat’s owner returned to the clinic because the cat did not seem to be getting better. The clinic team began using laser … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – June 16, 2022
Last week’s most read posts Chewy behind Amazon, ahead of Walmart in automatic reorders. Link. Last week’s AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, June 9, 2022. Link. =================================== Before chickens were nuggets, they were revered Source: The New York Times, June 7, 2022. Link. The real chicken mystery has nothing to do … [Read more...]
Pork industry experts list current priorities during World Pork Expo
As part of the pork industry's long-range strategic planning process, the Pork Industry Visioning Task Force prioritized international trade, foreign animal disease and labor as key policy issues to address that will move the industry forward. Source: Agri-Marketing, June 13, 2022. Link. Policy papers are available at www.nppc.org/wpxmedia for more detailed information. … [Read more...]
Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding working on pipeline for hoof health data collection
Lameness affects about 50 percent of dairy cows with significant impact on cow health and dairy economics. A project led by CDCB and the University of Minnesota seeks to create a data pipeline as an essential first step to develop genetic evaluations for related traits using the National Cooperator Database. Source: Hoard’s Dairyman, June 13, 2022. Link. The first data … [Read more...]
Cow and sheep burps to be taxed by New Zealand in world’s first
What? A New Zealand plan to tackle greenhouse gas emissions from livestock is the world’s first attempt to put a price on agricultural emissions. It is an attempt to tackle one of the country’s biggest sources of greenhouse gases, methane. Source: The Bullvine, June 9, 2022. Link. Short- and long-lived farm gas will be priced separately, although a single measure to … [Read more...]
Help customers handle bulls safely
Bulls make up just two percent of the cattle in the U.S., but they cause 48 percent of cattle worker fatalities, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries and the Surveillance of Occupational and Illnesses databases. It’s easy to take for granted that we know how to handle ourselves around docile or aggressive bulls, but we often get lax. … [Read more...]
Act now to add value to spring calves
Opinion It has taken 30 or more years for calf preconditioning to become a household phrase. For any producer, preconditioning may have a different meaning than his neighbors’. Veterinarians and representatives working with producers must continue to discuss, educate and fine tune preconditioning programs for individual operations. Preconditioning’s value has been proven … [Read more...]
Some scraps, leftovers and fruits are bad for chickens
Maurice Pitesky shares information on things toxic to chickens and what to do if they eat one of them. It's fun to give chickens scraps and other treats but watch out for these foods and other substances that are toxic to birds.” Source: Hobby Farms, June 6, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
The risks of poor arena air quality
Airborne particles and ammonia fumes in your horse’s stall are a concern, but so is the air quality in your indoor arena, writes Christine Barakat. Dampening arena footing with water may slightly cut down on the dust for a short period of time, but the only long-term solution is to replace the footing. A dusty indoor arena can be harmful to your horse’s respiratory health as … [Read more...]
Heat, humidity factors in equine heat stress
Complimentary Commercial Content Horses need clean water, shade, moving air and exercise breaks to avoid overheating when temperatures and humidity combine to create heat stress. Source: Equine Wellness, June 24, 2021. Link. Evidence suggests that insulin action is a key component of the heat stress response. Chromium improves insulin function and results in efficient … [Read more...]
Apartment cats. Happy or not?
A group of experts share perspectives on making apartments a happy place for cats. Cats can be happy anywhere if the right provisions are made available.” - Katenna Jones Source: Rent.com via AAHA NEWStat, May 26, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
Presumed transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from a cat to a veterinarian
Scott Weese, DVM, shares strong evidence of cat-to-veterinarian transmission in an upcoming paper. He wasn’t surprised this could happen, but the circumstances serve as a safety warning to veterinary teams. Weese shares the cat from a SARS-CoV-2 owner home was healthy and the veterinarian collected nasal and rectal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 testing. In the process, the cat … [Read more...]
Salmonella and E. coli common in raw pet food
A Portuguese study sought to find out if raw dog food could be a source of Salmonella and/or E. coli, specifically strains that show resistance to critical antibiotics such as colistin. E. coli was detected in all 14 samples produced by two international brands. Furthermore, 71 percent of these samples, primarily those from products containing poultry, contained … [Read more...]
Fearful dog? Teach avoidance.
Victoria Stillwell shares ideas to help fearful dogs. She advocates to give the animal choices and proactively ensure it can avoid things that increase fearful responses. The dog who has the courage to walk away is much easier to handle than the dog who responds aggressively. Practicing avoidance promotes confidence, and repeated experience helps your dog be happier with the … [Read more...]
Make traveling with dogs easy and fun
With careful planning and preparation, traveling with dogs can be fun and less stressful on the pet than being left at a pet sitter. It is not for everyone, however. Here are three resources = to help dog owners enjoy traveling with their dogs. Sources: 8 tips to get your car pet-friendly, Happy Puppy Tips. Link. Ideas to help dogs, especially puppies, feel at ease … [Read more...]
Crum & Forster Pet Insurance Group™ marks 25 Years
Congratulations on 25 years’ efforts to protect more pets and helping to strengthen the bond between animal owners and their dogs, cats and horses. As a result of a multi-channel distribution approach consisting of direct-to-consumer, co-branded partnerships and white label brands, C&F Pet has experienced tremendous growth in the past decade. The company also has a … [Read more...]
ElleVet Sciences’ research finds atopic dermatitis benefits from proprietary CBD+CBDA oil
Complimentary Commercial Content A study sought to identify ElleVet Sciences' CBD+CBDA oil as a possible treatment method for atopic dermatitis. The results revealed over 65% of the dogs participating in the study had a substantial improvement in skin itchiness. Source: DVM 360, June 6, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
Study shows what consumers like about social media ads
Unsupervised surveyed more than 1,000 consumers to provide insight into what they think of social media advertisements. The top social media platforms that lead to purchases directly inspired by advertisements are Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Consumers responded most to campaigns that were relatable, featured brands they liked and provided good information, and were … [Read more...]