Fans of the various veterinary TV programs recognize how frequently clients visit clinics with pet that has an unknown skin thingy. Alexander Werner Resnick, VMD, DACVD, gives animal health pros a resource of an image gallery of primary skin lesions to help understand basic lesions and their patterns of presentation. Primary lesions result directly from the disease process; … [Read more...]
Socializing dogs is an important responsibility
A recent trip to a big box pet retailer with our Morkie underscores Brianna Alex’s message about canine socialization. It is a critical component of training our pets. I’m not sure Alex’s five tips covers an excited, barking dog in the toy aisle, but she offers counsel every pet owner should receive. Her tips include: Take the dog for walks Expose the dog to different … [Read more...]
Opinion – Set the right expectations for puppy owners
In the last two decades, animal health pros have become increasingly aware of the number of puppies that get returned or surrendered. Most of these pets are returned because of normal behavior issues that new owners are not prepared to face. More than 1 million households give up their pets every year — and it’s not, by and large, because those animals aren’t loved or wanted.” … [Read more...]
3 ways to deal with conflict more productively
“ . . . conflict is an inescapable part of life. You shouldn’t ask yourself, “Will I experience conflict,” but rather, “How will I manage conflict when it happens,” writes Roi Ben-Yehuda. “Few of us are naturally equipped with the tools to self-manage conflict,” he says. ‘So we end up telling ourselves problematic stories that make everything worse.” Source: Fast Company, … [Read more...]
AVMA’s latest veterinary census reveals important trends
An analysis of AVMA's electronic membership database of 113,394 veterinarians living in the United States in 2018 reveals important statistics that can help animal health pros better understand their customers. For example: women (61.7%) outnumbered men (38.2%), 9% of veterinarians were in private clinical practice the most prevalent generational group was … [Read more...]
Pet economy estimated to balloon to $75 billion in 2019
Denise Power highlights the surge in spending on pets. She outlines perspectives from Petco, Walmart, APPA, TD Ameritrade, Realtor.com, Bark and several specialty dog food companies. What we see happening is a transition from pets being ‘man’s best friend’ to ‘family’s favorite child.’” – Nick Konat, Petco Source: CO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, July 9, 2019. Link. Expect more … [Read more...]
Set up new hires for success
Too often we hire a new employee and then satisfied, rush to catch up with what we left undone. But, research shows being systematic in onboarding brings new employees up to speed 50 percent faster. This means they can more quickly and efficiently contribute to achieving desired goals. Effective onboarding also dramatically reduces failure rates and increases employee … [Read more...]
Sundowner’s syndrome, part of canine aging
Sundowning in dogs presents itself much like similar symptoms from Alzheimer’s disease in humans with physiologic changes to their brains and central nervous systems as they age. This may account for behavioral changes and symptoms of cognitive dysfunction. Loss of vision and/or hearing can also cause similar symptoms, says Adrienne Pincetl, DVM. Canine cognitive dysfunction … [Read more...]
The importance of a good apology
New research reveals a formula for communicating an apology that increases customer satisfaction and loyalty after a service failure. . . . the inevitable customer crisis can become one of your best opportunities to deepen customer commitment—if you handle the failure properly. Source: Sales and Marketing Management, May/June 2019. Link. Tim Riesterer shares research results … [Read more...]
10 tips for improving your remote conversations
John R. Stoker discusses the challenges of remote workers. What he shares also applies to remote discussions with customers. Because we are not working with these people in a face-to-face environment, we are forced to communicate by text, email, phone, internet or teleconference. The most challenging types of communication occur without being able to either see the person … [Read more...]
Opinion – Human infection control. Progress worth watching and applying.
The need for increased infection control in animal clinics is equally as important as it is in human hospitals. In addition to protecting patients, managing infection possibilities also protects staff and doctors. Animal health pros can learn from the discussion about the results of infection control management in human hospitals to identify areas that need improvement in … [Read more...]
Cat food: grain-free marketing outpaces evidence of actual grain-free benefits
In a study conducted by Tufts, grain-free diets were compared to diets with grain. While 73 percent of manufacturers producing dry cat food in the United States now have at least one grain-free product, there’s little evidence of differential benefits or a reduction in allergies. . . . food allergies are relatively rare in pets, particularly from grains. Rather, the source of … [Read more...]
Vet colleges partner to improve vet education
A digital education platform to house educational resources and teaching tools for use by veterinary faculty around the world is in the planning stages. The educational resources and teaching tools will initially focus on herd health management and infectious disease epidemiology, emphasizing emerging diseases, disease management, outbreak investigation, biosecurity, veterinary … [Read more...]
Many common household cleaning products are NOT SAFE for dogs
Please take time to review this information! The articles reference popular cleaners that contain toxic ingredients. Studies show the dangerous effects of some common cleaning products on dogs. These include data on pets which showed that Fido and Fluffy are not immune to chemicals and that many cleaning products are not pet safe. There are many, many cleaning products on … [Read more...]
Avoid stings and bites
We live in world that is highly aware of the risks from mosquitoes and ticks. For pets and humans alike, preventing bites and stings is the best and safest approach. There are a lot of options in products for humans and their companion animals. Consumer Reports offers ratings on products for humans. While CAPC has provided a list of preventatives for dogs and cats along with … [Read more...]
FDA approves ProHeart® 12 (moxidectin) for prevention of heartworm disease in dogs
ProHeart 12 (moxidectin) extended-release injectable suspension for dogs 12 months of age and older for the prevention of heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis for 12 months had been approved by the FDA. ProHeart 12 is also approved for the treatment of existing larval and adult hookworm infections. Source: FDA, July 2, 2019. Link. The ProHeart® 12 formulation is … [Read more...]
RFID is it for USDA’s mandatory animal disease traceability. Deadline is January 21, 2023.
The pressure is on fruit and vegetable growers all over the world to implement traceability systems in the next 12 months. USDA’s Gregory Ibach believes the meat industry will be next on the traceability agenda. USDA took another step toward enhancing the nation’s mandatory animal disease traceablity (ADT) program by requiring official electronic radio-frequency identification … [Read more...]
Feed sows in late gestation to enhance colostrum
Getting colostrum into piglets in the first 24 hours is critical to their health and survival. Larger litter sizes place more emphasis on ensuring adequate volumes of colostrum get to each piglet. Few studies have considered the effects of sow late gestation nutrient intake on colostrum production and composition. Other factors play into piglet success, but optimizing nutrition … [Read more...]
In search of the perfect cow
Ryon Walker with the Noble Research Institute leads us through important traits for choosing the perfect cow. We can manage only as well as the cow and her offspring will allow us to. If we can produce a “perfect cow,” then we can more easily manage that cow. Source: Drovers, June 20, 2019. Link. Walker prioritizes preferred traits in this order: Environment fit … [Read more...]
DVM walks us through Fair Oaks Farms video (video)
Jan Shearer, DVM, breaks down a Fair Oaks Farm video shot at a milking parlor and barn. Shot by an activists, the video was intended to harm the dairy’s and agricultures images. Shearer discusses practices scene by scene. The Center For Food Integrity established an Animal Care Review Panel of top veterinarians to assess this undercover video and provide clarity of what’s … [Read more...]
Poultry flocks must increase 3-fold to meet cage-free pledges
Maro Ibarbaru shares several challenges the poultry industry must meet to accomplish the transitions to cage-free production. Beyond the economic challenges, there are concerns about animal welfare, higher mortality, disease and parasite control as well as poor feed conversion. Source: Egg Industry, June 2019. Link. For management to properly handle the potential health … [Read more...]
Feline fundus disease (photo gallery)
The ocular fundus is the back of the eye opposite the pupil and includes the portion of the white of the eye (sclera) that is in the back of the eye, the retina, the membrane between the retina and the sclera (the choroid), and the optic disk. In cats, abnormalities can affect the fundus including inherited disease, acquired disease, infectious disease, manifestations of … [Read more...]
Answers to questions about cats scratching
Andrea Y. Tu, DVM, discusses the what, when, how and why of cat scratching. In many households, she shares, people don’t understand that scratching is natural behavior that needs to occur. She discusses carpets, scratching post orientation and texture so the cat finds an outlet and something to scratch. Source: Catster, June 13, 2019. Link. Scratching is a behavior cats … [Read more...]
Purina research shows promise for those allergic to cats
By taking advantage of natural allergen-antibody interactions, Purina researchers discovered how to safely neutralize Fel d1, a major cat allergen, in hair and dander. This was done by incorporating an egg product containing anti-Fel d1 antibodies into a cat's diet. Their research, published in Immunity, Inflammation and Disease and featured at the Purina Institute website … [Read more...]
Demand for life-stage diets growing
Today’s pet owners are more informed than in previous years and seek research-backed foods for their pets. They want sustainable food that will support their dogs from head to tail, through all phases of their life. As a result, the market for life-stage diets for dogs is steady, according to industry insiders. Paige Brockway reviews the trends, challenges and nuances of … [Read more...]
Downward head tilt can make people seem more dominant
New research findings could have practical implications for our routine social interactions. People often display certain movements or expressions during their everyday interactions, such as a friendly smile or wave, as a way to communicate information. Research suggests that we may also want to consider how we hold our head during these interactions, as subtle head movements … [Read more...]
Banfield adds telehealth tool, VetChat
Actress, author, singer and comedian Jane Lynch (Glee, Best in Show) is helping warn people about the dangers of seeking out random advice about their pets’ health from the internet. Her work coincides with Banfield’s launch of VetChat, a 24-hour veterinary advice platform, to wellness plan participants. Source: DVM 360, June 20, 2019. Link. Banfield has presented the new … [Read more...]
Authenticity important to women’s work success (video)
Female leaders must account for gendered perceptions when considering their leadership styles, according to a KPMG report. Because women are often characterized as being "too bossy or demanding," "not aggressive enough," "not collaborative enough," or "too direct," 58% of women said they have changed their leadership styles to avoid such perceptions, the report found. Source: … [Read more...]
Climate changes expand the distribution of diseases
Some experts fear climate change is expanding the distribution of diseases that can sicken or even kill dogs, putting more of them at risk for diseases their owners have never had to deal with, according to Elizabeth Weise’s report. The biggest spread in heartworm disease in the United States certainly followed the 2005 national distribution of dogs due to Hurricane Katrina.” … [Read more...]
Opinion – Getting work done while being human – part 4
The fourth installment of this series looks at how children play. Colin Johnson-Zapier suggests we follow the lead of preschoolers to improve our productivity. We added information on adult play and more perspectives on the ever-fleeting work-life balance topic. 5 valuable productivity lessons that preschoolers can teach you, Fast Company, June 14, 2019. Link. Follow our … [Read more...]