The group at Training Industry pulled together a list of free training products and services companies our industry is now offering. Here are some of the categories: Coronavirus preparedness and response training Training for remote work Remote work and remote training products and services Other services NOTE: The article includes a link to a PDF of the book … [Read more...]
Stay resilient in challenging times: webinar for veterinarians and vet teams
Complimentary Sponsored Content Resilience experts, Sandy Asch and Joy Fuhrman DVM, MBA, CPA, have combined forces to present a four-part webinar. Focusing on resiliency, the speakers share ways to rise above panic, fear and worry. Learn methods to weather life and business storms with grace so you stay whole and emerge on the other side stronger, wiser and more … [Read more...]
Preparing for the legal consequences of cancellations
Attorneys have been busy since the first whisper of the word pandemic. With much of the world in social isolation, Loren G. Edelstein, an insurance recovery attorney, says it is the time to consider whether you’ll recover any losses or even face litigation related to COVID-19 contagion linked to recent meetings. Source: Northstar Meetings Group, March 16, 2020. Link. Just … [Read more...]
How employers can manage employees during the coronavirus crisis
HRE provides a snapshot discussion of the impact of COVID-19 from an employer perspective. Privacy and nondiscrimination should be chief priorities as organizations grapple with the growing crisis. Source: Human Resource Executive, March 4, 2020. Link. Employers must be mindful of all legal obligations and cannot prioritize employee health and safety over providing a … [Read more...]
Understand how to manage employee safety
Wondering how to manage employee safety and sick leave during the coronavirus pandemic? You should. Employers are obligated to protect their workers from communicable diseases and should follow the CDC's recommendations, including: Encouraging employees with respiratory illness to stay home Be prepared to separate sick employees Routinely clean frequently touched … [Read more...]
Telemedicine is getting a big thumbs-up from veterinary practices
Today’s Veterinary Business asked people to talk about what they’re seeing and hearing as the United States deals with the COVID-19 pandemic. Some hospitals are putting remote consultations to greater use, meeting clients in parking lots and doubling down on cleaning and sanitizing. Source: Today’s Veterinary Business, March 2020. Link. Mia Cary, DVM. shared this. I’m seeing … [Read more...]
7 key actions business can take to mitigate the effects of COVID-19
No crisis is an isolated, neatly contained incident, and the COVID-19 outbreak is exceptional by any standards. It comes with extreme scope and levels of uncertainty. It’s a situation that is well beyond the experience of most business leaders. Source: Strategy+Business, March 6, 2020. Link. Preparation is key during crises.. Here are seven actions that leadership can take … [Read more...]
Accurate information during pandemic is critical
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, accurate and timely information is particularly critical. Although businesses may be focused internally on managing their business and staff during this period, focusing on communication with customers and clients remains important, too. Twitter offers suggestions for business communication via social media channels at this … [Read more...]
Tips that make working from home awesome
Doug Aamoth has been working from home nearly 20 years. He offers some tips to improve the experience. If you’re being forced to work remotely amid the coronavirus pandemic, take heart: You might find that you love it.” – Doug Aamoth Source: Fast Company, March 17, 2020. Link. One of the best things about not being in an office all day is that if you’ve set yourself up … [Read more...]
It’s time to kill the stand-up meeting
Claire Lew says that daily stand-up meetings are a waste of time and ineffective. She shares why and what to do instead. Daily stand-up meetings are an antiquated relic. It’s time to stop them. Source: Know Your Team, March 5, 2020. Link. Lew suggests options to consider and reminds us that the best process results from what is deliberate and thoughtful, not what is … [Read more...]
Diagnosing cat constipation, obstipation and megacolon
Diagnostic flow charts help identify the reasons a cat has difficulties in the litter box. Source: Clinician’s Brief, September 2018. Link. INSIGHTS: Dr. Olah’s charts are excellent resources when coaching new DVMs. … [Read more...]
Buck trends all the way to success
Trends influence what we eat, how we conduct business, what we wear and even what movies we see. But, as evidenced in the documentary, Country Music, trends have the power to change industries. Source: Purpose Unlimited, Link. Hank Williams made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry in 1949. At the time Roy Acuff was known as the King of Country Music. “I was a pretty good … [Read more...]
Using massage to relieve pet anxiety
Regan Macaulay shares how she believes massage works to ease anxiety in pets. She shares massage strokes that can be used on a pet in the comfort at home to help relieve anxiety. Importantly, she urges pet owners to contact their veterinarian before using massage. Source: Animal Wellness, February 25, 2020. Link. Massage therapy stimulates the release of oxytocin, serotonin … [Read more...]
Pet care tasks often overlooked
In the midst of the COVID-19 disruption lies opportunity. With door traffic slow, staff can be redirected to conduct outreach. With more pet owners homebound and accessible by phone, addressing overlooked pet care tasks could produce great results. Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell shares tips from veterinarians about often overlooked pet care tasks. From flea, tick and heartworm … [Read more...]
Are dog parks good for socialization?
Karen London, PhD, clears up some behavioral vernacular and addresses opportunities and issues of dog parks. She says only puppies can be socialized in the technical sense, but adult dogs can benefit from social interaction. Source: The BARk, March 2020. Link. Not all dogs need to be around other dogs or benefit from being social in the general sense, but many do. It’s great … [Read more...]
Groomers may hesitate to groom senior dogs
Michael Evans responds to a groomer’s concerns about older dogs in this edition of Ask the Grooming Tutor. He reminds us that dogs older than seven years have some aches and pains. This is certain after the age of 10 years and absolutely after 15 years. Younger dogs can be helpful during grooming appointments while older dogs are frequently incapable of helping with their … [Read more...]
Keep work out of personal social media posts
There is a growing trend where carelessly made social media posts cause a furor in the workplace while harming the organization’s interest or reputation. Iffy posts also cost people their jobs. Source: Harvard Business Review, January 17, 2020. Link. The authors share simple safeguards you can follow to stay out of trouble: Don’t tag your company in your personal posts … [Read more...]
Dirty laundry: Towel cleanliness affects mastitis prevalence
Researchers share disturbing facts about washed udder towels they evaluated for bacteria present. They compared laundering practices, bacteria species observed and cow mastitis infections. Apparently, a clean towel isn’t always clean. Source: Dairy Herd Management, October 16, 2019. Link. None of the farms using a professional laundering service had high coliform counts on … [Read more...]
Breeders: the good, bad and ugly
Halli Selert breaks down dog breeders into four categories and discusses how to choose one. The explanation of each breeder category may help a prospective pet owner with choices. Source: Lowcounty Dog Magazine, February 2020, page 16. Link. Breeders can be broken down into four different categories: Hobby breeders Preservation, heritage and show breeders Backyard … [Read more...]
Why dogs howl at sirens
It is thought that dogs howl at sirens because they believe they are communicating with other dogs, writes John Woods. Science doesn’t support the idea that dogs howl because sirens hurt their ears he says. If a dog’s howling is causing a nuisance, counter conditioning by teaching them to settle can work. Source: All Things Dog, February 14, 2020. Link. … [Read more...]
AAHA: Introduces a new continuum of patient-focused anesthesia
AAHA announces the 2020 AAHA Anesthesia and Monitoring Guidelines for Dogs and Cats The new guidelines take a new approach to anesthesia called continuum of care, says guideline co-chair Tamara Grubb, DVM, PhD, DACVAA. It is a doorknob-to-doorknob strategy that begins before the patient leaves their house and ends when they return home comfortable and calm. In addition to … [Read more...]
Clean your smartphone properly
With all the hubbub Covid-19 has wrought, it is a good time to extend cleanliness routines to smartphones, tablets, laptops and keyboards. This article is a good reminder to clean these tools properly and often. Source: WIRED, March 4, 2020. Link. The science shows <link> that bacteria are very happy breeding on keyboards and smartphone screens, particularly when … [Read more...]
March is Pet Poison Prevention Month
Beyond chocolate, a variety of substances, foods and plants are toxic to pets. It is important to reinforce the potential poison risks to pet owners throughout the year. Pet Poison Prevention Month also parallels the upcoming Poison Prevention Week <link> that takes place March 15 – 21. Source: Chocolate isn’t the only potentially fatal toxin for pets, Lifelearn, … [Read more...]
Take a stretch break
Whether you sit at a desk, in a car or perform repetitive motion tasks Stephanie Mansour preaches the importance of stretching. Stretching not only helps your muscles warm up and recover from workouts, reducing your risk of injury, but also for posture, blood flow and mobility purposes. Source: NBC Better, February 23, 2020. Link. Counteract the effects of sitting with these … [Read more...]
Options for the conversationally challenged
Barry Davret shares tricks for rescuing a stalled conversation, and even turning it into a great one. You simply need to listen and ask the right questions. Source: Forge, February 17, 2020. Link. To keep conversations going, use open-ended questions that encourage detailed answers.” INSIGHTS: We liked Davret’s ping-pong analogy to describe keeping conversations moving by … [Read more...]
Drat those mats!
Matting in their hair often creates discomfort and potential skin issues for dogs. Wendy Newell offers basic grooming and matting tips. She includes tangle tips from professional groomers. Source: Dogster, April/May 2018. Link. Matted hair is the worst! It’s ugly, dirty, sometimes painful, and once it starts it can snowball out of control and become a health issue.” … [Read more...]
The primordial pouch is nothing to worry about
Don’t let that wad of swaying skin on a cat’s underbelly make cat owners feel like they’ve done something wrong with maintaining their cat’s svelte physique. That bag of flab was always there and is naturally part of feline anatomy. The big, wild cats have it too. It is often called the primordial pouch. Source: Tuft’s Catnip, March 2020. Link. The purpose of the primordial … [Read more...]
AAFP recently updated feline retrovirus guidelines
The guidelines panel determined there was a need to improve compliance with testing and vaccination recommendations in cats. The 2020 guidelines < link > are first official update to the document in 12 years. One objective was to ensure the new guidelines enabled practical use for all veterinarians. The 32-page illustrated document offers new information about feline … [Read more...]
Needle technology advancing quickly
Alternatives to traditional hypodermic needles are improving rapidly, says Mark Wilson. He shares some of the advancements being developed for the human marketplace. These will interest some animal health pros. Now if the world of science could just do something about people’s irrational fear of vaccines, we’d really have something.” – Mark Wilson Source: Fast Company, … [Read more...]
National FFA Week in progress (video)
Agriculture is more than planting and harvesting. It involves science, business and more. There’s no doubt that some of today’s 700,000-plus FFA members are tomorrow’s future biologists, chemists, veterinarians, engineers and entrepreneurs. 2020’s National FFA Week (Feb. 22-Feb. 29) is a time for FFA members to host activities that raise awareness about the role of FFA in … [Read more...]