Casie Bazay shares her journey back to simpler horse care. She is still learning and adjusting every day. But, she is less stressed and having fun with her horses again. This article makes good content for a website, blog, social media and a newsletter. Source: Horse Network, June 1, 2017. Bazay says she is very glad she took those equine nutrition courses. She learned a … [Read more...]
Tips and etiquette for vacationing with dogs
JoAnna Lou offers suggestions to stay safe and to be courteous when sharing your next trip with your pup. Source: The Bark, May 31, 2017. Ms. Lou’s tips cover: Car rides Hotels Parks Miscellaneous Also see: Planning a pet friendly vacation … [Read more...]
Sunscreen is necessary
The Food and Drug Administration regulates the efficacy sunscreens can claim and standards have become increasingly strict over the years. Use a shot-glass-sized amount of sunscreen to protect your body and a nickel-sized amount for your face and neck for every two hours spent in the sun, writes Kerry Hanson. Source: The Conversation, May 25, 2017. We can still enjoy being … [Read more...]
Fetch horse, fetch (includes video)
Just for fun! Training your horse to fetch your beverage of choice out of the cooler is a handy trick for hot summer days. Hokey Pokey, a six-year-old Pinto learned the wine-fetching trick in six sessions. Source: Horse Channel, May 15, 2017. Rebecca Tasker, the New Zealand-based trainer behind Positively Together, uses clicker training to teach her equine charges using … [Read more...]
3 essential summer tips for cats
Karen Nichols says hydrate, furminate and educate are three important tips to keep cats comfortable, healthy and safe as summer begins. This content will help cat owners if presented on social media posts, blogs, websites and newsletters. Note the discussion of hydration and senior cats. Source: Catster, May 26, 2017. Heatstroke is life-threatening, and knowing proper first … [Read more...]
Seed-spitting goats
Just for fun! The Argania trees of Morocco have a unique seed dispersal method: climbing, spitting goats. Some of the local goats have developed a distinctive approach to grazing during dry periods: They climb up in the thorny branches to get at the tree’s leaves and fruit, sometimes with help from herders. Source: Atlas Obscura, May 25, 2017. If the behavior is as common … [Read more...]
Predictive model could reveal risk for Lyme disease in dogs, humans
The range of ticks carrying Lyme continues to expand, making it important to be able to forecast patterns of risk to exposure in order to target those areas for vaccines, preventives measure and educational campaigns. Researchers with the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) published an open access article in May in PLOS One that describes the methods taken to create the … [Read more...]
What is a product recall?
The regulatory affairs group at Henry Schein Animal Health explain product recalls, various recall levels and processes required to complete them. Veterinary clinic staff members with fewer than five years’ experience will appreciate this overview. Source: Animal Health Solution, 2Q2017, page 22. A product recall occurs when a manufacturer, or the FDA determines that an … [Read more...]
Arrogance or insecurity?
Are those flare-ups of smug self-righteousness your mind’s attempt to spare you from feeling vulnerable? Most of the time, arrogance is used to cover the fear that we’re not really worthy, that we don’t measure up, writes Ted Leonhardt. It’s fear turned upside down and masquerading as superiority. It isn’t too hard to see, but in practice, it can be tough to correct. Source: … [Read more...]
Cesar: separation anxiety is your fault
When your dog is separated from you, he gets anxious and acts out. So, who causes it? Two words. YOU DO! Cesar Millan explains how pet owners winding up their animals before leaving and upon returning can create separation anxiety. Source: Cesar’s Way, May 21, 2017. In a related article, he shares 5 tips to help dog separation anxiety: Before you leave the house, … [Read more...]
Foxtail: high risks for dogs
Nancy Kerns expresses the dangers of this prevalent grass to our canine friends. She writes, every single strand is lined with gnarly microscopic barbs that catch on anything they touch, from fur to collars, clothing to bare skin. When the barbs come in contact with anything, they propel the strand forward, pushing the sharp-tipped seed at the end forward. As the plants dry out … [Read more...]
Healthy weeds for horses
Not all weeds are bad, according to Casie Bazay. To horses or other herbivores, they’re all simply plants. While it’s true that some plants are toxic and should be kept out of our pastures, others that may be considered weeds, can be beneficial for horses to consume. Articles like this make good content for blogs, newsletters, websites and information packets for horse … [Read more...]
Join the veterinary well-being community
Knowing the mental health stressors within the veterinary profession, the AVMA has gathered and created resources to help measure compassion satisfaction, compassion stress and compassion fatigue, and identify areas where to focus on self-care. In addition to personal wellness tools, it also offers a self-assessment tool and training to identify and help at-risk … [Read more...]
The science behind equine boots and bandages
There is little research about the inner workings of the equine leg when wraps and boots are applied. It is a growing field that needs more research before we fully understand it. Source: The Horse, May 2017, (partial access only). Christa Lesté-Lasserre, MA went to some of today’s top equine biomechanics researchers to get a better grasp on the science of the wrap and to … [Read more...]
Strangles requires strict health protocols
Strangles, caused by the Gram-positive bacteria Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (S. equi), is a highly contagious upper respiratory infection in horses. Control of outbreaks requires strict isolation protocols and hygiene measures. Source: Equine Veterinary Education, March 2017, (abstract access only). Also see: Lessons learned from a strangles outbreak on a large … [Read more...]
49.6% of people enjoy their jobs
People who are satisfied with their jobs simply do a few things differently than everyone else. They don’t necessarily have the best managers or a to-do list full of very important items. Here’s what sets them apart: They don’t seek perfection They set career goals They play to their strengths They have friends at work Source: The Muse, May 12, 2017. If you’ve … [Read more...]
Buttercups; beautiful, prolific and toxic
Buttercups are toxic to horses and other animals. Overgrazing is the root of the buttercup problem on many farms. Before the grass gets grazed down to the ground, move horses to a different field or use temporary fencing such as electric tape to section off rotating parts of the pasture to let the grass recover. Source: Horse Channel, May 5, 2017. Horses generally have no … [Read more...]
Cats’ tails tell tales
Our team couldn’t resist the pun. Cat blogger Jane A Kelly shares eight ways cats talk with their tales tails. Source: Catster, May 11, 2017. A cat’s tail is an amazing and beautiful thing. Not only is it an anatomical wonder, it’s an excellent tool for feline self-expression. Even the most obtuse of humans can learn the secrets of this behavior — “tail talk,” if you will — … [Read more...]
Horses and food allergies
Eleanor Kellon, VMD, indicates true food allergy has never been formally proven in horses. A major difficulty is diagnostics. If only by chance, the blood IgE tests are bound to get it right sometimes but research really does not support their use as a diagnostic tool. Source: Horse Network, May 10, 2017. The horse cannot be allergic to a food he has never been exposed to, … [Read more...]
How Facebook affects your happiness
The Journal of Epidemiology recently published a study that supports the growing pile of evidence to suggest that Facebook use may be linked to unhappiness. The result: Facebook use was significantly correlated with declines in overall well-being over the years, as well as the more specific categories of physical health, mental health and life satisfaction. But wait, there’s … [Read more...]
The art and humor of horseracing (includes videos)
Just for fun! Triple Crown season stirs interest in a whole population of persons who are not yearlong enthusiasts. This article offers a different twist on what makes the perfect racehorse. Source: Horse Network, May 8, 2014. Veteran British collage artist and filmmaker John Stezaker’s 2012 work, “Horse,” offered a rapid succession look of every racehorse advertised for … [Read more...]
Multi-dog household research in progress
The dynamics in multi-dog households is different in every home, but rarely studied. Most research tests dogs in a laboratory and looks at interactions between animals that don’t know each other. This will be interesting to watch. Source: Science Daily, April 24, 2017. Canisius College professors Christy Hoffman and Malini Suchak decided to take a different approach in … [Read more...]
Squirrels were once one of America’s most popular pets
Just for fun, we include this history of the pet squirrel. In the 18th and 19th centuries, squirrels were fixtures in American homes, especially for children. Ben Franklin and President Warren Harding were especially fond of their pet squirrels. Source: Atlas Obscura, April 28, 2017. From the 1920s through the 1970s many states slowly adopted wildlife conservation and … [Read more...]
May is Lyme awareness month
Steve Dale offers information about Lyme awareness month. He exposes the role mice have in the increased risk. 2017 will likely be a record Lyme year. We can do more to protect dogs than we can ourselves More than anyone or anything - blame increased mice for increased Lyme Source: Steve Dale Pet World, May 9, 2017. … [Read more...]
Therapy certification for cats
Caroline Golon offers the basics of the therapy cat certification process. To train as an official cat therapy team, you need to meet minimum requirements, which vary by the certifying organization. Most programs also require that the cat be able to wear a leash and harness, mostly for the cat’s own safety. Source: Catster, May 4, 2017. Obviously, not all cats make good … [Read more...]
The top 10 sessions at CVC last year
Convention planners work hard to deliver great value from events that take you away from the clinic. This top 10 list from CVC sessions last year is interesting and informative. Source: Veterinary Medicine, April 28, 2017. The No. 1 CVC session was — Managing chronic otitis: Treating the difficult case and preventing recurrence (James Noxon, DVM, DACVIM) INSIGHTS: Sales … [Read more...]
May is Mental Health Month
Animal health pros have seen a lot of information recently about mental health challenges, especially among veterinary practitioners. Throughout May, the National Alliance on Mental Illness and participants across the country are raising awareness of mental health. Each year, NAMI fights stigma, provides support, educates the public and advocates for equal care. Source: … [Read more...]
First the fires then snow: Kansas in distress
Recent blizzards have potentially devastated the western Kansas wheat crop. This is significant because Kansas grew one of every five bushels of U.S. wheat last year. Its farmers specialize in winter wheat, which is planted in the fall, goes dormant during the winter and sprouts again in the spring. Winter wheat accounts for two thirds, or more, of the U.S. crop each … [Read more...]
Infographics help marketing
Infographics are simplified images of a message or concept. We’ve used them for decades as pictorials, flow charts or diagrams. The best pictures convey a message better than written words. With about 65 percent of the population being primarily visual learners, infographics help people absorb and recall information best by seeing it. Source: MWI Messenger, May 2017, page … [Read more...]
April AQHA Journal; free access
This month, the digital edition of both the April Journal and the High-Point supplement are free because we want these accomplished winners to share their awards with friends and family. Whether you’re a die-hard competitor, recreational rider, a horse breeder or just love horses, you’ll enjoy this look at the quarter horse. Source: AQHA, April 2017. Read the free April … [Read more...]