Two articles share information on cat health from ongoing wellness research on domesticated felines. Source: Catster, February 17, 2021. Link. Keeping cats indoors is safer than letting them roam. So, it’s up to cat owners to make their home as stimulating as possible for their cat and to encourage it to exercise. Source: Catster, February 16, 2021. Link. Outside of … [Read more...]
Hunting for food helps increase activity for cats
A simple way to increase the amount of activity in a cat’s day is to stop feeding it in a bowl and allow it to hunt for their meals, writes Sassafras Lowrey. This turns mealtime into an interactive game adding enrichment to the cat’s day. She shares some methods for implementing this approach. Source: Catster, February 19, 2021. Link. Lowrey says to monitor each cat as they … [Read more...]
4 ways to exercise your dog’s mind
Dogs require mental stimulation to thrive just like humans do, writes Gerry Ellen. She shares four things to exercise a dog’s mind: Give at least six feet of free-range walking room Practice tricks on the go Let the dog engage with other dogs Go on adventures Source: Animal Wellness, March 16, 2020. Link. Every dog deserves a chance to use his instinct and … [Read more...]
Slow down, write better emails
We’re sharing from this article verbatim. It is concise, actionable and central to our personal lives. Erica Dhawan says reading carefully is the new listening and writing clearly is the new empathy. So many of our exchanges today happen in written (or typed) form such as email, text and IM. This means that listening in its traditional sense has been replaced by reading text … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – February 18, 2021
Dogs love the sound of your voice, especially when you say certain words. Source: Daily Paws, January 15, 2021. Link. From the study, dogs liked these words best: Walkies, dinner/food/eat, treat, get it, fetch. 7 pet-friendly home design tips Source: Animal Wellness, January 21, 2021. Link. The author shares seven pet-friendly home design tips from … [Read more...]
Disabled fish gets special life jacket made to help him swim
This is not another fish tale. An unfortunate goldfish was suffering from an untreatable swim bladder disorder. It left him sitting upside down at the bottom of the tank until Stacey O’Shea outfitted it with a customized life jacket so it wouldn’t sink. Source: New York Times, February 15, 2021. Link. … [Read more...]
Dogs load bucking bulls in the open
This is how one cattle rancher loads bucking bulls. He never leaves his horse, nor uses a corral; just an open trailer and four, well-trained cattle dogs. Put your own twist on this as you please and enjoy! Source: Mel’s video of the day. Link. … [Read more...]
Lyme disease is getting skinked
Black-legged ticks in the southeast U.S. prefer to feed on lizards, particularly skinks. Skinks don’t transmit Lyme as easily as the white-footed mice in the northeast U.S. Jean Tsao, a disease ecologist, and her team found a clear divide in ticks’ preferred hosts and behavior south of Virginia, matching the pattern of both tick infections and Lyme disease. Source: Science, … [Read more...]
Moving your practice services online important, especially now
Sponsored Content Many small- and medium-sized veterinary practices are still reeling from the impact of the lockdowns during this coronavirus pandemic. Getting practice services online often sounds like a daunting task for practice owners, says Clint Latham, JD. However, it is now more important than ever to have an online presence, where you can reach out to your clients … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – February 11, 2021
Clever app encourages you call your friends Source: Fast Company, February 4, 2021. Link. . . . one of the biggest regrets among people on their deathbeds was that they hadn’t kept in touch with their friends.” Data backup 101 for veterinary practice owners – Sponsored Content Source: Lucca Veterinary Data Services, February 1, 2021. Link. Data backups are important … [Read more...]
Year-round chicken care calendar featured
Kenny Coogan provides a chronological guide for chicken care. It shows the commitment required to manage a flock. With Easter coming soon, this is a good resource to use on social media and in newsletters. Source: Backyard Poultry, February 7, 2021. Link. … [Read more...]
7th National Thoroughbred Owner Conference to be virtual and monthly series
Complimentary The 2021 Thoroughbred Owner Conference will take place as a free series of virtual panels over nine months. The conference series will be live and interactive, with expert speakers and panelists on topics relevant to Thoroughbred ownership. Source: Bloodhorse Partners, February 4, 2021. Link. The conference series will be held on the first Tuesday of each … [Read more...]
Amateur sleuths find kidnapped dogs
Using tactics that would have made Sherlock Holmes proud, employees, friends, friends of friends and strangers all helped save a dozen kidnapped Portland, Oregon, dogs February 2nd. As doggy day care owner Sunni Liston handed a dog to its owner, a thief got in her van and took off with her phone, purse and the dogs in her charge. Thanks to phone tracking, social media and brave … [Read more...]
VIS webinar: How burnout prevention in veterinary organizations translates into profits
Complimentary Putting people first will encompass the topics Bob Lester, DVM, and Thom Jenkins, MA VetMB, will cover with Ivan Zak, DVM, in the February 24 Veterinary Integration Solutions webinar. Employee retention is especially important when transferring ownership or changing management structures. Burned out employees are 2.6 times as likely to be seeking a different … [Read more...]
Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean YOU have to be cold
Much of the U.S. is experiencing gelid (also known as extremely cold) weather. Stephanie Thurrott shares ways to embrace the cold months learned from people who live in Sweden, Iceland and Canada. Eh?! Source: Today, December 10, 2020. Link. Also see: Brrrrr! How cold is too cold for pets? AHD, January 21, 2021. Link. … [Read more...]
Talking to yourself can improve career growth
Self-talk is one of the more effective tools to thrive at work, home or play, writes Bryan Robinson, PhD. The silent conversations we have with ourselves can make or break our happiness and success. He says the simple act of talking to yourself in the third person, helps with self-control and yields benefits of calm, clarity and confidence. Source: Forbes, February 3, 2021. … [Read more...]
Lest we forget our Valentines
Emily VanSchmus shares the history of why we celebrate Valentine’s Day. It is THIS Sunday, February 14. There’s still time to plan! People have been sending Valentines since 269 A.D. Source: Better Homes and Garden, January 11, 2021. Link. Happy Valentine's Day animal health professionals! … [Read more...]
Overcoming 4 WFH challenges for remote Gen-Z workers
It will require thoughtful use of resources to advance Gen-Z’s contribution in a virtual workspace. According to a new study by Ten Spot, 54 percent of Gen-Z workers report being less productive when working from home. Source: Forbes, February 2, 2021. Link. The main challenge factors and solutions are: Distractions: requires time management and structure Boredom: … [Read more...]
Cyberbullying in veterinary industry, a Bridge Club discussion
Complimentary content The Bridge Club is joining forces with Eric Garcia, founder of SimplyDone Tech Solutions, to provide real and tangible solutions to practices that address the growing challenge of cyberbullying in veterinary practices. It has become a common occurrence with an average of one in every five veterinary professionals experiencing it. There is no … [Read more...]
Covid-19 vaccine trial participant shares story
Longtime industry pro Janice Keene shares her experience as a participant in the Covid-19 vaccine trials. Familiar with the process of developing livestock vaccines, she confidently joined the 44,000 people worldwide involved in the Pfizer/BioNTech trial. The best way to protect the people you love is to get the vaccination yourself.” – Janice Keene Source: Hoard’s Dairyman, … [Read more...]
Vets share what people think they know about pets
BuzzFeed writer Alexa Lisitza shares what a Reddit user found when he asked veterinarians what they wish people knew about their pets. The result is something directly shareable with clients in practices and via social media. Source: BuzzFeed, February 1, 2021. Link. I wish people just even had a BASIC understanding of dog or cat body language. The number of videos posted on … [Read more...]
QR codes shaping Innovetive Pet Care services
Complimentary Commercial Content Adjusting pandemic-created constraints, Innovetive Petcare is using more touchless ways to position its veterinarians and animal practices for ongoing growth and success. They have introduced QR codes, online waitlist tools and the use of video in their recruiting, marketing and client-experience efforts. The approach resembles tactics used … [Read more...]
Banfield leaders discuss key pet health trends of 2020; top predictions for 2021
Complimentary Commercial Content Banfield Pet Hospital president Brian Garish and Chief Medical Officer Molly McAllister, DVM, share perspectives from trends supported by 2020 medical records data. They include: a strong increase in juvenile pets pet happiness skin issue treatments increases due to pet anxiety significant growth in telemedicine role of … [Read more...]
2021 AAHA/AVMA Telehealth Guidelines for Small-Animal Practice
These jointly produced guidelines are designed to support the AVMA’s Guidelines for the Use of Telehealth in Veterinary Practice. Developed by a joint task force the result is a how-to resource offering step-by-step, ready-to-implement recommendations to better integrate Connected Care (telehealth) into small-animal practice. Throughout, references are made to components of … [Read more...]
COWBEL aims to unify learning for veterinary professionals around the world
The Consortium on Workplace-Based Education and Learning launches to provide an effective veterinary clinical educational experience at locations around the world that are not on a campus, also known as distributed learning. Distributed learning in veterinary educational terminology is a term used to describe a method of clinical year instructional delivery at locations that … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – January 28, 2021
101 million rotisserie chickens later, Costco has a record year. Source: WinSight Grocery Business, January 22, 2021. Link It’s more than chickens. Find out how the warehouse giant keeps growing. Chewy CEO: Pet owners will keep shopping online … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – February 4, 2021
Nationwide® partners with Walmart on first-of-its kind pet prescription program Source: Nationwide, January 29, 2021. Link. From the article: Preferred pricing and the opportunity to have claims for covered drugs processed at the counter of a major retail pharmacy is a first for the pet health insurance industry. How does reducing swine herds’ stillborn rate pencil … [Read more...]
Treating deadly acute enterotoxemia in baby calves
Recognizing the symptoms and acting fast is usually the only way save a calf when toxins take over its gut. Heather Smith Thomas writes about this fatal condition and the urgency required to save a calf before it goes into shock. A calf may die of scours and dehydration with a viral intestinal disease, but some bacteria produce deadly toxins that affect the calf more … [Read more...]
3rd version of the Masters of Beef Advocacy NextGen launched
You don’t have to raise cattle to help answer tough questions about beef and raising cattle. MBA NextGen can arm you with the information you need to be a strong advocate for the beef community and communicate with interested consumers. Source: Beefitswhatsfordinner.com, January 13, 2021. Link. MBA NextGen consists of five self-guided online lessons, open to everyone, and at … [Read more...]
5 horse adoption myths
Although perceptions are changing, there are still some stigmas about adoptable horses, says Pat Raia. She discusses some of the myths that create resistance to adopt some of the estimate 10,000 horses in 800 or more horse adoption agencies operating in the U.S. today. Source: Horse Illustrated, June 2018. Link. … [Read more...]