While millennials lead in pet ownership, they allocate less money to their pets compared to their counterparts in Generation X and baby boomers, according to BLS data. On average, pet owners plan to allocate $122 for their pets during the 2023 holiday season. The intricacies of the millennial trends, particularly in the context of holiday spending, unveil a nuanced narrative … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – November 27, 2023
The importance of updating business listings, petflation declining, a bit more on the mystery K-9 respiratory illness, groomer helps shelter dogs, small business finance tips and more. . . Source: IBPSA Fast Bites, November 27, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
Holiday stress doesn’t need to derail productivity
Taking steps to manage stress now can help mitigate burnout during the holidays and beyond for staff members and management. Communication and planning are best practices, says Alyssa Place. Source: ebn, November 27, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
Workplace violence on the rise and so are regulations
OSHA is placing greater emphasis on employers’ efforts to prevent workplace violence. OSHA defines workplace violence as “any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site.” It can range from threats and verbal abuse to serious incidents like physical assault and homicide. In addition to … [Read more...]
Build relationships with local pharmacies
Using community pharmacies may offer cost and convenience benefits to animal owners, writes Kate Boatwright, VMD. However, many veterinarians resist using external sources for pet medications. The two major factors contributing to this concern include frustrations in communicating with pharmacies and concern for prescription errors. Alternate sources of pet prescriptions are … [Read more...]
Treating digital dermatitis
Acknowledging that digital dermatitis is likely to become endemic once it gets into a dairy, Doerte Doepfer, DVM, MSc, PhD, shares the importance of good detection, prompt treatment, strategic use of disinfecting foot baths and including hoof trimmers as part of the health management team. Source: Hoard’s Dairyman, November 9, 2023. Link. Also see: Search results for: … [Read more...]
Copper sulfate use by farriers raises concerns
While there is no ban on the use of copper sulfate in the farrier industry, a professional and educated approach should be used as the common thrush treatment can be dangerous to farriers, horses and the environment. Source: American Farriers Journal, September 19, 2019. Link. … [Read more...]
The evolution of poultry farming in America
Large-scale and backyard poultry farming oscillate every couple of generations. Kenny Coogan provides a short history of poultry farming in the U.S. as backyard birds are gaining popularity once again. Source: Backyard Poultry, October 2021. Link. … [Read more...]
Taming the anxious horse
You can’t control what a horse has learned in his lifetime, especially if you didn’t raise him. What can be controlled, however, is the situation the horse is in and how handlers react to the horse. Most horses don’t really want to be to be bad or good, they just want to be safe and comfortable, writes Heather Smith-Thomas. In this edition of EQUUS Extra, authors explain how … [Read more...]
The Nature Conservancy Announces 2023 Photo Contest Winners
They’re in! The Nature Conservancy announced its 2023 Photo Contest Winners. Take the time to look at a variety of photos of birds, mammals, aquatic creatures, landscapes and more. Source: The Nature Conservancy, Link. The following photos submitted to our 2030 photo contest captivated our judges the most. … [Read more...]
How to register a dog as an emotional support animal
An emotional support animal is any critter that provides comfort, companionship and relief for a person who has an emotional or mental condition. Emotional support animals are not registered in any database, no specific training is required and are not the same as service dogs. Emotional support dog certification must come from a human licensed mental health … [Read more...]
Holiday food safety guide for pets
Its time again for the annual reminders about holiday treats and cuisine that simply should not be fed to pets. Also with all the hustle and confusion of guests and gatherings, being mindful of table or counter surfing is also important. From a DVM’s perspective, almost everything on the holiday menu can be irresistible and sometimes dangerous to our <pets>” - Rebecca … [Read more...]
NAVC’s Clinic Champion of 2023, Tammy Wynn, Angel’s Paws founder (video)
As a licensed independent social worker and therapist by trade, Wynn launched Angel’s Paws with the belief that end-of-life care should not only include medical support for the animal, but emotional support for the owners. Following a transformative experience dealing with the loss of her own pet, Wynn went back to school to become a registered veterinary technician before … [Read more...]
35 dog, cat foods now in Mid America recall; 7 infections
ICYMI. Mid America Pet Food of Mount Pleasant, Texas, expanded its October 30 voluntary recall to include additional pet food products with Best By Dates before 10/31/24, made at its Mount Pleasant facility, due to the products’ potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. We noted some Member’s Mark products marketed by … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – November 13, 2023
Fast Bites is the weekly communication tool dedicated to the members and supporters of the International Boarding and Pet Services Association. Approximately 7,000 businesses are members and represent the pet care professionals who support dog and cat owners when they are not able to do so at home. These animal health pros often see pets four or more times each week. Source: … [Read more...]
How to ask for attention if you are an introvert
It is seldom we meet someone who doesn’t want attention in some way, at least sometimes. Some perceive introverts do not want attention, explains Hope Constance, but this is not true. She shares ways for introverts to get the acknowledgments they desire. Even though we introverts don’t crave the limelight, we still want people to acknowledge us and our hard work.” Source: … [Read more...]
How 15 minutes make or break your day (podcast)
Charlie Gilkey discusses small daily habits or practices that have an outsized impact on our productivity and well-being and how to identify the 15 to 20 minutes each day that make or break how we feel and function. It is a great topic as we head into the holiday season. Source: Sparked, November 7, 2023. Link. (30:10) … [Read more...]
Time to face the music
Too much sound can be harmful to our health as we shared recently <Link>. The wrong sounds piped into the clinic’s sound system may be annoying and bad for business, writes Marc Rosenberg, VMD. He shares a realistic situation where staff and clients were negatively affected by the choice of clinic music. Source: DVM 360, November 7, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
Unconscious fear leads to productivity losses in the billions
Most managers aren’t aware they’re leading with fear, writes Hailey Mensik. Sharing the results from a leadership survey that indicates a third of corporate leaders are primarily motivated by fear. This creates less efficient and less psychologically safe work environments that cost nearly $36 billion annually in lost productivity. Source: DIGIDAY, November 8, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – November 9, 2023
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, November 2, 2023. Link. Most read post(s) from the November 2nd AHD Bulletin – Heartworm prevention nonadherence prevalent in U.S., study finds. Link. Want to move up? Link. Roundtable discussion: The performance impacts of cow gut health. Link. Place keeper: 2023 Veterinary Conferences … [Read more...]
New beef-on-dairy resources available from Iowa Beef Center
Usurping the traditional information about feeding mostly Holstein, dairy-bred calves, a new web resource now focuses on the growing beef-on-dairy segment. It will offer producers and animal health pros current research and information about beef on dairy cross cattle. Source: BEEF, November 1, 2023. Link. Beef-on-dairy is such a new space, and we are constantly learning … [Read more...]
Despite grumblers, finger-pointers and naysayers, the beef industry is solid and growing
Nevil Speer offers a look at the fed cattle market over the past four decades to reveal that the trends over time are positive and clear. Beef IS winning in the marketplace. Consumers are voting in favor of beef and the result is the fed market is stronger than ever” – Nevil Speer Source: Drovers, November 1, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
Fall wellness exams can help prevent horse problems in winter
Christine Barakat’s article is a reminder to horse owners and veterinarians. Beyond the list of seven wellness topics and health checks, the toughness discussion deserves consideration when calling on equine owners. If the clinic has facilities on site, having a series of all health checks could make the process smoother and uncover issues horses have when trailered to the … [Read more...]
Intra-articular antimicrobial use might not be needed with equine joint injections
For decades, equine veterinarians have been using antimicrobials intra-articularly but this route of administration is considered off-label and there are no established appropriate dosages for practitioners to reference. Despite research showing antimicrobials do not have a significant effect on post-injection infection rates intra-articular antimicrobial therapy usage appears … [Read more...]
Polyester halters, a biosecurity hazard
A new study from Sweden shows that extra effort is required to sanitize halters and other gear made of polyester webbing. The research showed bacteria responsible for strangles were more likely to persist on polyester-webbing halters than on leather ones. The article also references the importance of disinfecting other tack and clothing items. Source: EQUUS, October 25, … [Read more...]
Rottweiller gives birth to huge litter. Surprise!
Jessie, a two-year-old Rottweiler, surprised her owners who expected her to have five or six puppies at best. She ended up giving birth to a litter three times bigger. Although not a litter-size record, Jessie delivered 15 healthy puppies on her own. Source: PUPvine, November 4, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
Better cat visits. Carriers and caregivers are the key
Almost 40 percent of cat caregivers say just thinking about taking the cat to the vet causes them stress. Sherrie Yuschak, RVT, VTS (Behavior), KPA-CTP, shares methods, tools, handouts and ways to proactively communicate with pet owners to improve individual cat visits and increase the number of cats receiving appropriate veterinary care. Source: AAHA Trends® magazine, … [Read more...]
WARNING! Choose rodent poisons wisely
Since rodents flock to buildings this time of year, we’re reposting this as a reminder that Bromethalin, second-generation rodenticides, have NO ANTIDOTE. The distinction between consumer retail and professional formulas remains a concern. The post contains several references about baits and toxicity. Source: Animal Health Digest, November 12, 2019. Link. Second generation … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – November 6, 2023
A public link to job openings at IBPSA Member facilities <Link>, 4th quarter media bundle, dogs on holidays lists, attracting customers, raising prices while keeping customers happy and more . . . Source: IBPSA Fast Bites, November 6, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
Get better at thinking on your feet
A sudden request can give even the most confident person a jolt of panic. The challenge for most people in all communication, planned or spontaneous, is anxiety, says author Matt Abrahams. He offers six steps to become better at thinking on your feet. Source: Fast Company, October 4, 2023. Link. Many of us ramble when we speak spontaneously because we’re discovering what we … [Read more...]