Sharing her experiences working with animal owners, as well as her own pets, Jennifer Sperry, DVM, addresses reasons why veterinary care costs have increased. Among them are better educated and trained personnel, advances in medical technology, 24-hour monitoring, specialty care and meeting client expectations. . . . insured clients seem to be able to do more for their sick … [Read more...]
Dolly Parton launches Doggy Parton fashions at Petco
Another celebrity has entered the pet accessories business. The Dolly Parton Collection offers pet owners some glitzy apparel, accessories and toys at Petco for a limited time. A portion of every purchase will help fund and support Willa B Farms, a rescue where displaced animals of all kinds find love and care. Source: Pet Product News, August 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
7 dangers dogs may face in the fall
Fall can pose potential dangers to pets, writes Lavanya Sunkara. She identifies seven dangers to help keep our canine companions safe and healthy this season. Acorns, leaf piles, Halloween candy, antifreeze, toxic mushrooms, shorter days and holiday food scraps are included in her reminders. Source: Great Pet Care, October 17, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
Dog kept escaping shelter to sleep in nursing home. Staff adopted him.
In most rescue animal adoptions, the adopter picks their pet. Not this time. This is a great story of a dog choosing his new home all on his own. Source: The Washington Post, September 1, 2023. Link. Scout was staying at the Antrim County Animal Shelter in Bellaire, Mich., when he started sneaking out to Meadow Brook Medical Care Facility – a nursing home across the street – … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – September 4, 2023
In the eyes of the law pets are property, study shows vet schools transmit culture and attitudes, future proofing digital assets, a possible link between respiratory and digestive issues in dogs, avoiding normalizing the Monday blues and more. . . . Source: IBPSA Fast Bites, September 4, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
Why kindness at work pays off
Research suggests that kindness yields positive outcomes for businesses, writes Andrew Swinand. He shares a few simple routines to integrate into your everyday work life that will spread kindness and help create a culture of kindness at your organization. Reach out with intention . . . recognize, acknowledge people . . . practice active listening” Source: HBR Ascend, July … [Read more...]
PTO remaining? Use the fall foliage prediction map to plan a retreat.
September and October are good times to act on the importance of taking time away and reconnecting to nature. If you enjoy frosty mornings, apple orchard visits and pumpkin patches along with the turning of the leaves, the 2023 Fall Foliage Map is the ultimate visual planning guide to the annual progressive changing of the leaves. While no tool can be 100 percent accurate, … [Read more...]
Euthanasia rates across U.S. animal shelters reach 3-year high
More dogs than cats are coming into shelters in many major cities, driven largely by an increase in strays, according to Shelter Animals Count. Animal intakes at public and private shelters across the country are expected to reach a 3-year high this year . . . adoptions or owner returns are not keeping pace.” SAC Source: AXIOS, September 1, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – August 31, 2023
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, August 24, 2023. Link. Most read post(s) from the August 24th AHD Bulletin – Quotes that epitomize Myers-Briggs types. Link. Customer experience thoughts for Link. The inside-out approach to customer centricity. Link. Place keeper: 2023 Veterinary Conferences provided by Galaxy … [Read more...]
Fall calving in hot weather challenges calves and cows
Heat stress is actually harder on young calves than cold stress. Newborn calves have an immature “thermostat,” writes Mark Z. Johnson. He shares best practices for fall calving taking place during high temperatures. The thermoneutral zone for a young calf is between 50 – 77 degrees Fahrenheit.” Source: Drovers, August 21, 2023. Link. Shade and fresh water is critical. In … [Read more...]
Making meat goat farming pay
Reports from the Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri State Fairs indicate the popularity of goats is not diminishing. While popular as 4-H and FFA projects, goats are the fastest-growing animal agriculture enterprise in the U.S. <Link>. Commonly referred to as chevon or mutton, the high demand for goat meat is frequently linked to ethnic buyer demand on special occasions and … [Read more...]
Preventing gastric ulcers after colic surgery
Stress can predispose a horse to develop gastric ulcers, and surgery is definitely stressful for any animal says Janice L. Holland, PhD. She shares diet and management recommendations can help reduce the incidence of gastric ulcers which also may decrease the incidence of colic. Source: The Horse, August 21, 2023. Link. Recovery from colic surgery is difficult enough … [Read more...]
Choke: The right steps to take
Choke looks spooky, especially to novice horse owners, but when handled correctly it usually resolves on its own. Horses don’t stop breathing like humans do when choke occurs. In time the chunk of apple or wad of food moves on in most cases. Horse owners will appreciate the counseling in this article, including the guidance to call their veterinarian. Consider it for social … [Read more...]
Dental chews for dogs: worth the hype
Contains Commercial References Kate Basedow, LVT, shares some of the benefits daily dental chews offer dogs but also warns about the Kcal content. She says scientific studies have shown giving a dog a dental chew every day can help: Decrease plaque and calculus (tartar) buildup Decrease gingivitis Improve bad breath Source: Whole Dog Journal, August 24, 2023. … [Read more...]
How much should a dog drink?
Healthy dogs need to drink about an ounce per pound of their body weight daily, but many factors can affect their consumption, writes Eileen Fatcheric, DVM. Regardless, the chart shown here is a good resource to share with dog owners on social media, in newsletters or with local reporters, especially during hot periods. It’s also helpful for owners when their dogs’ diets are … [Read more...]
Education affects acceptance of insects in pet food
Humans may be more willing to accept insects in their pets’ food than their own. Introducing insect-based pet foods relies on the education of pet owners about the sustainability and healthiness of insect-based pet food ingredients. Tim Wall shares results from a study showing pet owners identified capsule, powder/flour and sachet/snack as their most preferred methods to … [Read more...]
Veterinarians reach for software to build practices and expand their customer base
Complimentary Commercial Content Stretched to their limits, rural veterinarians are seeking better ways to serve their clients and build their practices. Growing herd sizes and geographic distances are opportunities for those practitioners who understand the value of supporting producers remotely instead of running the proverbial fire truck practice. Waylon Wise, BSc, Ag, … [Read more...]
What pet food manufacturing contributes to the U.S. economy
The direct contributions made by pet food manufacturers to the U.S. economy include nearly $11 billion in added value, including $2.9 billion in labor income representing 32,938 jobs. That’s almost $35 billion in sales according to research detailed in the American Feed Industry Association’s April 2023 report <Link>. Source: PETFOOD Industry, August 15, 2023. … [Read more...]
Dog brains are tuned to dog-directed speech spoken by women (video)
Dogs show greater brain sensitivity to the speech directed at them than to adult-directed speech, especially if spoken by women, according to a new study in Communications Biology. The study shows that dog auditory brain regions responded more to dog- and infant-directed than to adult-directed speech, which is the first neural evidence that dog brains are tuned to the speech … [Read more...]
Prevent the spread of disease in the grooming salon
In addition to the pets, groomers and their staffs also have high exposure to many of the same diseases and infections veterinary teams encounter. For that matter, some of the risks are inherent in pet sitting and boarding businesses, too. Cliff Favor, DVM, shares ways to manage the risks of zoonotic infections. He says the most significant risks come from the bacteria and … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – August 28, 2023
Poop scooping as a money maker, rescue organizations saving pets from wildfires, the dogs of Chernobyl, speeding up payment processes, managing social media and more . . . Source: IBPSA Fast Bites, August 28, 2023. Link. FLOW business conference early registration rates and conference group hotel block access ends September 1st. … [Read more...]
KCAHC Summit emerging companies, 2023 Innovation Award recipient
Akston Biosciences, which specializes in bringing protein therapeutics through major phases of development, was selected as the 2023 Innovation Award recipient. Animal health pros who are curious about future services and advancements will find plenty to consider from the 13 companies selected to present and seek investments during the Summit. Coaches from KCAHC companies … [Read more...]
Fabian Kausche, M.S., Dr.med.vet. awarded the 2023 KCAHC Iron Paw Award
The Iron Paw award is given to an individual from research, academia, industry or government regardless of title or years of service who has provided a significant impact on or contribution to the global animal health industry. Dr. Fabian Kausche is no exception although many animal health pros may not be aware of how his leadership has driven culture, diversity, inclusion and … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – August 24, 2023
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, August 17, 2023. Link. Most read post(s) from August 17th AHD Bulletin – Building rapport with questions. Link. …another dental treat? The inventor of Greenies™ says, “Yes.” Link. Taking care of thirsty pollinators. Link. Place keeper: 2023 Veterinary Conferences provided by Galaxy … [Read more...]
Black vultures killing calves in the Midwest and their territory is expanding
As if drought, poor quality forage, cattle diseases and parasites aren’t enough, some Midwest cow-calf producers are dealing with the black vulture, a federally protected bird that has a reputation for killing newborn livestock. The scavengers have expanded their range northward into Illinois, Indiana and Missouri over the past decade. Source: KCUR 89.3, NPR, August 21, … [Read more...]
Equine experts refute standard cooling out practices; restricting water to hot horses
Two experts challenge some standard practices asserting horses need to rehydrate promptly after exercise so their body's cooling mechanisms function effectively, especially if the horse is receiving the diuretic Lasix (furosemide). They also shared thoughts on hosing horses down and using cooling sheets. “A horse has to sweat; it's their basic mechanism to dissipate heat. . … [Read more...]
Veterinary ophthalmologist explains how dogs see the world
Instead of 20/20 vision, dogs have the equivalent range of 20/40 to 20/50, explains Jaycie Reisberg, DVM, DACVO. That means that what people clearly see at 20 feet, a dog sees as if he was standing 40 or 50 feet away. However, dogs are much more sensitive to detecting motion. Source: Daily Paws, September 5, 2022. Link. Canines are dichromatic, having two types of cones in … [Read more...]
Predictability is key to calming anxious dogs
As school begins, dogs all over are dealing with changes in household activities breaking the patterns dogs are wired to find. When dogs can predict what's next, they become calmer and less anxious. Kathy Callahan, CPDT-KA, shares advice on creating patterns to help dogs whose anxieties may otherwise increase. Owners can take advantage of this, and identify, strengthen, and … [Read more...]
Americans can’t afford their pets; animal shelters filling up
Kenny Torrella writes shelters began filling back up in 2021 as more animals entered than left, and now many are packed to the brim. He cites survey data from Shelter Animals Count indicating almost half of shelters surveyed reported an increase in euthanized dogs, while only 10 percent reported a decrease. Torrella identifies inflation, veterinary costs, rebalancing of … [Read more...]
One Health central to Senate Veterinary Medicine Caucus
ICYMI. The U.S. Senate has established a bipartisan Veterinary Medicine Caucus, aimed at educating lawmakers and their staffs about the challenges facing the profession and advancing legislation that benefits the veterinary community. The group will serve to represent the vital role veterinary medicine plays in research, public health, food safety and the … [Read more...]