Home delivery of dog food continues to grow. Dog owners can now get raw ingredient meal delivery services like their owners get pizza. The team at Reviews.com reviewed canine meal delivery services. They rated variables for customized meals that included: ordering experience, recipe variety, scheduling flexibility, packaging, instructions, ease of serving and … [Read more...]
The skinny on pet supplements
Jackie Brown investigates pet supplements and finds a lot of questions remain. While certain supplements can have a place in joint disease management, some veterinarians are concerned about how they might be perceived by pet owners. Source: Veterinary Practice News, August 23, 2018. Link. Sam Franklin, MS, DVM, PhD, DACVS, DACVSMR, tells clients, “. . . if they can afford to … [Read more...]
Animals served by nonprofit spay-neuter clinics often not vaccinated for rabies
The latest JAVMA is out. The paper <link> profiling spay-neuter clinic clients and pets is of profound interest to animal health pros who sometimes refer to these locations as price competitors. Note the high percentage of animals without basic rabies protection. Respondents indicated that 49% of dogs and 77% of cats had not been examined previously by a veterinarian, … [Read more...]
AAFP releases first cat-specific anesthesia guidelines
The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) has released the profession’s first feline-specific anesthesia guidelines. According to the AAFP, a standardized, evidence-based approach for administering anesthesia helps ensure a patient’s safe and predictable perioperative response and recovery. Empirical evidence shows that cats undergoing anesthesia have a higher … [Read more...]
Crying at work doesn’t need to be a big deal
Crying at work is like the kiss of death for professional women, writes Jeneva Patterson. . . . to cry in front of colleagues, especially male peers or bosses, ranks as one of the most humiliating professional experiences. Patterson explains the crying response rates between men and women and the likelihood that women in the workplace will naturally react to some situations … [Read more...]
Resources available for those considering veterinary nursing careers
Animal health pros regularly get questioned about where to get a veterinary nursing degree. NAVTA found this resource that indicates Michigan State University, Purdue University and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln as building good career foundations. Source: NAVTA Animal Health Bi-weekly, September 11, 2018. Link. . . . the choices of where to study veterinary technology … [Read more...]
The biggest financial shocks for pet owners
This article paralleled the announcement of AAHA’s Promoting Preventive Care Protocols: Evidence, Enactment, and Economics <link>. Jean Chatzky discusses how to avoid letting a big veterinary bill destroy a family budget. Source: Better, September 6, 2018. Link. . . . while there’s no way to completely eliminate the possibilities of a health catastrophe for your pet, … [Read more...]
AAFP survey finds successes for practices certified as Cat Friendly Practices
According to Elizabeth Colleran, DVM, MS, DABVP, AAFP co-chair of Cat Friendly Practices (CFP), this was a long time coming. The CFP program is a collaboration of feline experts who provide guidelines to ensure a more positive and less stressful veterinary experience for cats and their owners. . . . when cats panic and their cortisol levels skyrocket, the quality of the exam … [Read more...]
Vetfolio announces urinary tract training
Vetfolio’s newest course, Urinary trouble in dogs and cat,s sponsored by Hill’s is currently open for registration and will be available for free access from September 19 through October 9. This study addresses various types of urinary diseases in both cats and dogs, along with nutritional and environmental solutions. Dr. Lewis will also cover how veterinarians can properly … [Read more...]
Older people who feel younger have fewer signs of brain aging
A study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience <link> is the first to find a link between subjective age and brain aging. We found that people who feel younger have the structural characteristics of a younger brain,” said Dr. Jeanyung Chey. “Importantly, this difference remains robust even when other possible factors, including personality, subjective health, … [Read more...]
5 tips for choosing a stethoscope
Amara Estrada, DVM, DACVIM, offers tips for choosing a stethoscope for those who decide to upgrade: Choose the best, not the most expensive Be familiar with the features Do not neglect the earpieces Position patients properly Take time to listen for arrhythmias Source: Veterinary Team Brief, August 2018. Link. Take time to choose your stethoscope and … [Read more...]
Facilitate BQA training . . . NOW!
Livestock veterinarians and sales personnel have an opportunity to help cattle producers improve their production outcomes and meet BQA standards in the coming months. Work with your customers to get them to various BQA training programs such as: BQA Transportation Stockmanship and Stewardship Dairy Farm Program Source: BQA. Link. Nearly every state in the U.S. … [Read more...]
Opinion – Experiencing dogs as economic animals
Portia Stewart, DVM 360 editor and team channel director, deserves respect for her initiative to see another side of the canine world at a dog auction. It is where the dogs are bought and sold like livestock without the fuss and prim that are part of family member paradigms. For some of us reared in rural areas, animal auctions are part of reality. For Portia, I’m pleased this … [Read more...]
4 ways telemedicine is changing human healthcare
Many animal health pros are taking a wait and see approach to telemedicine. However, the practice of non-physical health interactions is already morphing toward virtual health on the human side. Alan Pitt, MD, envisions a future “about building space with the idea that people may need to provide care to a patient in that space," rather than forcing them to travel when they … [Read more...]
Online browsing habits of dog and cat owners are fun and useful
Informative and sometimes laughable insights about dog and cat owners are the results of a study following 100 million devices to search the interest. Curious about the customer experience journey for pet owners, The Digital Consumer <link> pitted dog people against cat people and examined data from Jumpshot’s 100-million-device panel <link> to get a sense of the … [Read more...]
AAHA releases new publication promoting preventive care protocols
The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) is pleased to announce a new publication, developed with the support of an educational grant from IDEXX, Promoting Preventive Care Protocols: Evidence, Enactment, and Economics. Veterinary practices are rapidly shifting from firefighting to attentive monitoring, so disease can be caught and addressed as early as possible. … [Read more...]
Exploding wild horse and burros population straining BLM
The Bureau of Land Management's Wild Horse and Burro program is at a crossroads. Too few wild horses and burros are placed into private homes each year. At the same time, herds on public lands continue to increase rapidly. There were 81,951 animals on 26.9 million acres of public rangelands and 44,730 animals in corrals or pastures as of mid-2018 . . . . . . perspective, the … [Read more...]
Sponsored Content – Home dental care now in WSAVA Global Dental Guidelines
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association Global Dental Guidelines were updated August 1, 2018. They now include a section on dental home care. The two major types of home plaque control are active and passive. Both types can be effective if performed correctly and consistently. Active homecare is currently the gold standard. Active homecare involves the … [Read more...]
Veterinary teams handling crazy cases (includes videos)
Like clips from reality TV, Brief Community is working to receive and present videos of crazy veterinary cases to expand the sharing of knowledge between practices. For animal health sales pros, this is an excellent area to witness challenges being met by veterinary teams and build more perspective about what goes on in a veterinary practice behind the front desk. Source: … [Read more...]
VHMA examines the importance of employee retention
Finding and keeping great animal hospital employees has become increasingly difficult and is essential to providing outstanding patient care and client service, practice growth and financial success. VHMA’s August 2018 Insiders’ Insights survey focused on issues related to employee retention. Employee engagement is a murky and multi-faceted topic and isn’t the same as … [Read more...]
It takes effort to retain clients
Various sources predict 20 to 25 percent of clients will disappear during a normal year. Pet deaths, job moves and pet owner deaths are the largest causes. Beyond these reasons, retaining viable clients takes effort. A loyal client is a repeat client. This is especially important for veterinary practices. Studies show that it costs at least five times more to gain a new client … [Read more...]
Collaborating isn’t the only option
We often find that to make progress on our most important and difficult challenges, we need to work with people whose perspectives and positions are different from ours, writes Adam Kahane referencing his book, Collaborating with the Enemy. Working with diverse others doesn’t have to mean compromising your values. But if you just can’t do it, there are other ways to solve … [Read more...]
Harvard, 6 things that make people live longer, happier lives
The Study of Adult Development is a rarity in medicine. Quite deliberately it set out to study the lives of the well, not the sick. In so doing it has integrated three cohorts of elderly men and women - all of whom have been studied continuously for six to eight decades. Whether we live to a vigorous old age lies not so much in our stars or our genes as in ourselves. Source: … [Read more...]
Salmonella is helpful to poultry intestinal health
The consumer pressure to reduce or eliminate antibiotic use in poultry has resulted in an increase in intestinal disease, writes Charles L. Hofacre, DVM. In a recent US survey, veterinarians reported a significant increase in the number of broiler flocks that are experiencing intestinal disease associated with a higher incidence of coccidiosis. At the same time, the public … [Read more...]
Manage chicken coop smell to keep neighbors happy
Smell issues go with chickens as much as poop-filled yards go with big dogs. Jeremy Chartier discussed why chicken coops smell and how to reduce the problem before neighbors complain. . . . the most likely culprit is ammonia. Ammonia is a natural byproduct found in poultry manure and when in vapor form, smells incredibly strong and foul. Consider this article for posts, … [Read more...]
Hand rub and chlorhexidine gluconate scrub equally reduce bacterial population on dogs’ skin
This white paper proved interesting. OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of application of an alcohol-based antiseptic (80% ethyl alcohol) hand rub (ABAHR) with that of a 2% chlorhexidine gluconate scrub (CGS2) for immediate reduction of the bacterial population on the skin of dogs. Source: AVJR, September 2018. Link. (abstract only) Application of both products significantly … [Read more...]
Vetfolio podcast series: Treating bacterial dermatitis
Vetfolio launched an educational podcast series that details treatment strategies for a variety of diagnosis scenarios veterinary teams face daily. The series is sponsored by Dechra and includes: Episode 1: Why Topicals are Important for Your Practice Episode 2: Trouble Shooting Chronic Otic Cases Episode 3: How to Incorporate Supplements in to Your Dermatology … [Read more...]
Top 5 gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary antibiotics
Treatment options include more than metronidazole, writes Craig B. Webb, PhD, DVM, DACVIM. She reviews five antibiotics that address gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary disorders: Enrofloxacin Metronidazole Tylosin Amoxicillin–clavulanic acid Neomycin Source: Clinician’s Brief, March 2018. Link. Webb considers enrofloxacin, metronidazole, and tylosin to be … [Read more...]
Equine shipping fever may indicate something more serious
Travel is stressful for horses. A horse’s environment during transport may not be dustier than his home barn, but if he can’t readily lower his head, airborne particles may take a greater toll on his health. If horses get a respiratory infection after transport, like people with colds, they usually just get over it. Sometimes, however, a fever and cough that start soon after … [Read more...]
How to end your four most common work conversations
Too often we hesitate when it comes to the “ask.” We let our words hang in the air–and hope that our listeners pursue the next steps. Source: Fast Company, August 17, 2018. Link. Judith Humphrey shares how to tell your listeners how you want your message to be acted upon. She covers the call to action in the following scenarios: Networking conversation Corridor chat … [Read more...]