Making dental care easier to swallow for pet owners requires some modeling choices. Karen Felstad, DVM360 conference educator, speaks to bundling, economical basic pricing and more. For practice managers and clinic owners, his information presented is a worthwhile topic for discussion at a management meeting. Source: Veterinary Economics, April 18, 2018. Link. “A lot of … [Read more...]
Empathize with clients without sacrificing your sanity
Daniel C. Randall, DVM, reflects on an online veterinary forum discussion that exposes concerns about empathy in veterinary relationships. Without empathy, Randall writes, we resort to vilifying our clients, blaming them for our low morale, exhaustion, and job dissatisfaction. “We risk creating an “us versus them” mentality that seeps into our body language and our … [Read more...]
Dry cow vaccination improves immune response, passive transfer
Linda Tikofsky, Boehringer-Ingelheim DVM, provides sound reasoning for a two-in-one effect when vaccinating dry cows. This is sound advice for producers and a good reminder for dairy veterinary teams and the animal health pros who service dairies. A lactating cow vaccination protocol should begin at least 30 days prior to breeding, Tikofsky says. By vaccinating cows during … [Read more...]
Animal welfare tops list of American causes
Americans say they care more about animal welfare than children’s education and hunger. That’s according to the findings of the “Causes Americans Care About,” a new study that gathered responses from 1,000 adults: 41% chose animal welfare number one. Children’s education ranked second with 38% of respondents. Hunger, chosen by 33% of respondents ranked number … [Read more...]
This animal kills more people in a day than sharks in a century (videos)
Bill Gates, Microsoft founder, has come to fear mosquitos. He discusses the global consequences of mosquito-borne disease in humans, fears and shares a clever video that reinforces mosquitos as a vector. The video’s mosquito character says, “I don’t want to kill, it’s just something inside me.” For animal health professionals, mosquitos are most notably vectors for dog … [Read more...]
Ways to reduce fear, stress and anxiety in pets
When Steve Dale talks, people listen. In a recent newsletter he discusses: Destress Your Pet Month from Ceva Animal Health and the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. From Fearful to Fear Free: A Positive Program to Free Your Dog from Anxiety, Fears and Phobias, Dr. Marty Becker, Dr. Lisa Radosta, Dr. Wailani Sung, Mikkel Becker, edited by Kim Campbell … [Read more...]
Reconcile® joins Animal Health Digest as Sponsor
AHD welcomes Reconcile® (fluoxetine hydrochloride) as our newest Supporting Sponsor. Manufactured by PRN PharmacalTM, a PBI-Gordon company, Reconcile provides veterinarians with a clinically tested, FDA-approved, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) labeled for dogs. When combined with the BONDTM Behavior ModificationTraining Program, Reconcile® has been shown to … [Read more...]
Learning a little may be dangerous
Alexander Pope was right when he said that a little learning is a dangerous thing. In research on overconfidence in beginners, Carmen Sanchez and David Dunning discovered perspectives that animal health pros can apply when working with new employees or learning new procedures. They describe a beginner’s bubble of overconfidence that can be related to the challenges of … [Read more...]
New calf killer in town
Salmonella Heidelberg, a disease identified fewer than two years ago, can quickly claim the lives of dairy calves. The disease is a risk for any dairy and has become a multi-state risk due to the frequent transport of dairy animals across the U.S. Additionally, S. Heidleberg is resistant to antibiotics and was linked to human cases in 15 states. Source: Hoard’s Dairyman, … [Read more...]
30-plus years of pork industry milestones, issues
Neil Dierks, CEO of the National Pork Producers Council, reflects on the development of the pork industry. He highlights these issues as the most memorable: Mandatory pork checkoff Pseudorabies eradication program H1N1 flu pandemic of 2009 Application of technology Animal ID/premise ID Growth of exports Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome … [Read more...]
How do antibiotics impact gut health?
This article was part of last week’s The view from the gut that featured the Blueprint issue of National Hog Farmer (Link). James Lowe, University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, i-Learning Center, director shares the work his group has done understand the factors that drive the development of the microbiome of the pig’s intestine. Source: National Hog Farmer, … [Read more...]
Quiz: Implementing wellness plans
Test your knowledge with this quiz on the key elements of a successful wellness plan, as well as some common misconceptions. Consider engaging your entire staff to take this quiz. Questions 9 and 10 may be revealing. Source: Veterinary Team Brief, January/February 2018, Link. Wellness plans are not only beneficial for pet owners and pets, they also provide veterinary … [Read more...]
Baby bison may save Siberian permafrost
To avoid releasing billions of tons of carbon from warming permafrost, scientists in the Pleistocene Park, in the wilds of Siberia, are attempting to reestablish the ecosystem as it was 20,000 years ago. They believe the actions of grazing animals can help keep the ground from thawing. Bison from Alaska will soon join other grazing animals there. Source: Fast Company, April … [Read more...]
Pet foxes; now what?
Jenifer Chatfield, DVM, and Olivia Petritz, DVM, share different perspectives on all things pet fox with Sarah Wooten, DVM. There are different kinds of domesticated foxes that people buy. Chatfield shares, “It’s not our job to judge whether it’s right or not for a client to have a pet fox. It is our job to provide adequate healthcare and education to that client. With the … [Read more...]
Research for biomarkers and slow-kill protocol for heartworm disease summarized
Animal health pros frequently challenge the status quo. In the face of a heartworm infection, melarsomine has received the American Heartworm Society recommendations along with steroid and antithrombotic agents, as needed. But melarsomine sometimes has limited availability or is unavailable in many countries. Thus, many slow-kill protocols have been circulated as possible … [Read more...]
Annual screening for dogs’ exposure to infected ticks is vital
Melissa Beall, DVM, PhD, reinforces that dogs don’t always show clinical signs of tick exposure. Therefore, annual screening is critical to discovery of tick-borne diseases. Pet-side test kits and research reinforce her assertions. Source: Veterinary Practice News, April 18, 2018, Link. The study, found at idexx.com/tickrisk, showed two key findings: dogs with Ehrlichia … [Read more...]
Henry Schein Animal Health and Vets First Choice join to create Vets First Corp.
Consolidation continues writes Edie Lau as he details the newest animal health company. Parallel but synergistic competencies seem to be the common denominator in the vision for this spin-off and merger. Lau provides a solid historical view of the two companies, their capacities and stated objectives as they move toward 2019. Source: VIN News Service, April 23, … [Read more...]
Puppies and kittens with diarrhea can be biohazards
Puppies and kittens can be fuzzy little biohazards, writes Maureen Anderson, DVM. It’s a paradoxical picture. She outlines different roles and responsibilities, sharing what each team member should and should not do to help control the spread of infection when handling diarrhea cases. Source: Veterinary Team Brief, April 2018, Link. Veterinary practices should have an … [Read more...]
Scam alert: Beware of callers impersonating the DEA
The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) reports that some registrants are getting calls and emails from con artists. According to the agency, “The impersonators inform their victims that purchasing drugs over the internet or by telephone is illegal, and that enforcement action will be taken against them unless they pay a fine. If victims refuse to send money, the impersonators often … [Read more...]
Cornell research: moderate cost for no antibiotics in dairy
A new Cornell University study pinpoints the financial toll that eliminating antibiotic use would have on dairy farms. The team took a systems approach that involves researchers in epidemiology, development sociology, and agricultural and health economics. Source: Dairy Herd Management, April 19, 2018, Link. To examine the effect of limiting the use of antibiotics in dairy … [Read more...]
Heed new pinkeye management protocols
Articles from AHD sponsor Addison Biological Laboratories provide information about how we should now manage pinkeye. Starting with a historical perspective helps. This is what we know: Pinkeye is a painful cattle disease that can reduce weaning weights as much as 17 lbs. to 65 lbs. per animal. Pinkeye is a multifactor disease. Once it begins to spread through a … [Read more...]
Rampant incivility plagues most companies
Ninety eight percent of workers have experienced rude behavior and 99 percent have witnessed it in the past 20 years. This is according to research completed by Christine Porath. Based on her findings, she presents the case to develop a civility code. Her process includes these categories: Model the right behavior Articulate values and set expectations Define … [Read more...]
Email can be less stressful and time-consuming
Dorie Clark tackles email challenges, its distracting presence and offers ideas for time management and prioritization. Source: Harvard Business Review, April 9, 2018. (Link) Focus on the few emails that are actually high priority, says Clark. What counts as an important email? She suggests that the truly essential ones are client communication and inquiries about potential … [Read more...]
Beef herd vaccination protocols are critical
Prepping calves for next fall’s market starts now with a herd vaccination program for cows, bulls and calves. Annual operational objectives should include 100 percent healthy cattle. Herd vaccination programs are proactive and implementing vaccines recommended by local veterinarian help protect against known viral and bacterial issues in the area. The upside of processing … [Read more...]
Trim dogs’ toenails in a stress-free way
Searching “dog nail trimming” on Google reveals a plethora of information. Most of it focuses on our reluctance to routinely trim nails because of unruly animals or the fear of cutting into the quick. Dr. Karen Gellman reminds us that long toenails have consequences on the pet: Long toenails cause painful feet Overgrown nails often create an abnormal compensatory … [Read more...]
Structured and unstructured exercise important for puppy energy
Sporting dog puppies can be challenging. We want the drive and the energy once they are trained. However, to get through the puppy stages, exercise must be designed to tire-out puppies and include early obedience and life lessons. Source: Gun Dog, April 10, 2018. (Link) Sporting dog pups are chock-full of potential and obviously provide plenty of furry awesomeness. … [Read more...]
Stop pets’ progression to aggression
Mikkel Becker discusses the challenges of avoiding scratches, bites and wrestling with animals needing veterinary care. She references the Fear Free approaches that use multimodal practices. They address fear, anxiety and stress in ways that reduce distress while keeping pets and veterinary teams safer. Source: Firstline, April 10, 2018. (Link) When you use tools to offer … [Read more...]
Dogs’ fur flakes for multiple reasons
Canine skin allergies and skin infections are two of the top 10 issues that veterinarians see. Sandra Seargent, DVM, reviews primary and secondary keratinization disorders. Whether the coat is dry or greasy may not be particularly helpful, as the conditions can be caused by a large number of underlying diseases. Source: Clinician’s Brief, April 20-19. (Link) When treating … [Read more...]
April ends strong at The Bridge Club
Two intriguing Bridge Club topics are left in April: Hurricane Harvey: Lessons Learned by from Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists Thu, April 19, 2018, 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM CDT Ryan Buck, president of Houston’s Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists, shares lessons from Hurricane Harvey’s devastation of the 54,000-square-foot facility and rebuilding for employees, the … [Read more...]
Bony changes in the equine neck
Neck pain and stiffness are common problems in performance horses. Scientists recently showed that even horses without obvious signs of neck pain or stiffness might have abnormal bony changes there. Older and taller horses had an increased prevalence and severity of disease in the research. Source: The Horse, April 3, 2018. (Link) In the study, “Characterization of Bony … [Read more...]