David Ballard says a workforce that can adapt to changing environments and acquire the skills necessary to be successful in the future is a shortfall in today’s companies, big or small. In the surveys of the U.S. workforce conducted at the American Psychological Association, training and development consistently emerges as one of the areas with which employees are least … [Read more...]
Dogs can smell human fear and mirror our moods
A new study, "Interspecies transmission of emotional information via chemosignals: from humans to dogs (Canis lupus familiaris)," in the journal Animal Cognition, confirms what many have known. Dogs do smell human fear using chemosignals and they, too get scared. A dog's nose is an organ that's evolved to be an incredibly sensitive to odors. Source: The Bark, November 15, … [Read more...]
75% of marketing leaders don’t get consumers
Adobe has been working with Goldsmiths, University of London, to find out what happens when your customers and their needs are constantly changing. In the first report from the studies on the experience era, they found that half of consumers are overwhelmed by choice (46%) and would buy from an unknown brand that offers a better experience (50%). When it comes to which brands … [Read more...]
Embed customer-centricity into your DNA
Customer-centered focus becomes part of the DNA of a business or practice when its customers are at the center of every decision. This article is the 11th in a series of 12 on this subject. Animal health pros closest to customers’ needs often find themselves in conflict with leadership. But focused, customer-centric behavior is a primary context to the most successful … [Read more...]
Content marketing set to change
Just as content marketing seems to come of age, John Ellett challenges marketers to quit developing content marketing strategies and start developing plans that address how content supports marketing strategies. Studies indicate two of marketers’ biggest challenges in addressing changing buyer behaviors are: lack of buyer insights developing content that satisfies … [Read more...]
Understanding the decision makers
Pat Malone writes about the decision makers in this thoughtful article. It is a must-read for animal health pros. He writes: When your customer goes into decision-making mode, he/she is being influenced by two considerations: What do I know? This is the logical side of our brain calling up all the data and facts that we have that pertain to the decision at hand. How … [Read more...]
November JAVMA. Diverse topics.
Whether it is dog breed bans, or using gabapentin to reduce stress and aggression in cats or the effect of brachycephaly and body condition score on respiratory thermoregulation of healthy dogs, animal health pros will find something of interest in this issue of JAVMA. Source: JAVMA, November, 2017. Link to table of contents only. … [Read more...]
Listen to your body
As Thanksgiving arrives, many of us look forward to the post-turkey meal nap. We listen to our bodies in these times, but often fail to listen the rest of the year. Author Katie Andrews Potter reminds us that when we think we can’t take the time to slow down, our bodies force us to slow down anyway. As we fall into a holiday stupor in front of ball game after ball game, we … [Read more...]
USDA delays organic livestock, poultry rules effective date
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service is again delaying the effective date of the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP) final rule published in the Federal Register on January 19, 2017. Source: USDA, November 9, 2017. In addition to a question about the scope of the statutory authority, a material error in the record was discovered. USDA is delaying the rule so … [Read more...]
Wild pigs march across the U.S.
The wild pig population explosion shows no signs of slowing. It has expanded from 19 states in 1985 to 39 states in 2016. Recent testing of using sodium nitrate in the form of a new oral toxicant is showing promise to help curb wild pig populations. Dale Nolte, national coordinator for the National Feral Swine Damage Management Program, said, “Recent research results suggest … [Read more...]
Lab animal DVMs share tips about caring for pocket-sized pets
The small mammal market is rapidly growing and new items are available frequently. Veterinarians seeing these pets must be up-to-date about what is available, what is suitable for the pet and the owners’ lifestyle and how to evaluate the items that accompany these pets on trips to your office. Source: Veterinary Medicine, November 7, 2017. Because small mammals spend most … [Read more...]
Don’t forget the salt
The growing trends toward the small farm or urban livestock production comes with great educational needs. Many urban or suburban schools have abandoned ag-related classes and FFA or 4-H options are limited. Parents, grandparents and family members may remember raising poultry, rabbits or small ruminants but those memories may not reflect today’s realities. Rhonda Crank … [Read more...]
Fake leadership is not leading
Leadership is about people and only people. Many people are blessed with both management and leadership skills but more are not. Steve Keating’s comments are actionable, especially if you are in the process of hiring new persons or making advancement decisions. Source: Lead Today, November 13, 2017. If you want to know if someone is a leader don’t look at the leader, look … [Read more...]
Dairymen discuss hard-to-breed cows
All six of this year’s Platinum winners of the Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council’s awards share insights on cows they they have problems breeding. Their comments on culling decisions will interest to dairymen and dairy veterinarians. Source: Hoard’s Dairyman, November 13, 2017. This article is part of a nine-part series detailing top reproduction tips from the Platinum … [Read more...]
Whew! Dog gas; normal or a problem?
Fido can sometimes run you out of the room with his flatulence. Jackie Brown covers what’s normal and what’s not when it comes to dog gas. This article is a good resource for websites, newsletters and social media posts as holiday table scraps become available to pets. Source: Dogster, November 6, 2017. Excessive gas may be caused by a less-than-ideal diet. If the … [Read more...]
7 things to know about Giardia in dogs
“Giardia is found in a lot of different locations,” says Tracey Jensen, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, founding partner of Wellington Veterinary Hospital in Wellington, Colorado. “Certainly, places where there is wildlife, particularly water fowl, or other dogs, so dog parks and places where there is standing water, can be areas where you can find quite a bit of giardia.” Giardia is not … [Read more...]
Don’t abandon postmortem exams
Postmortem remains the diagnostic gold standard. A recent retrospective study compared clinical antemortem and pathologic postmortem diagnoses in 1,000 cats and 1,000 dogs. The authors suggest that postmortem evaluation provides valuable information in nearly 50 percent of cases. Source: Clinician’s Brief, October 2017. In this study, total agreement between antemortem and … [Read more...]
Reminder: AAHA canine vaccine guidelines update
We learned of the latest updates to the AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines last September. One of the significant updates was to make the guidelines available online for the veterinary profession. With almost twice the content of the previous version, AAHA’s revised and updated Canine Vaccination Guidelines include important changes and new recommendations that are important … [Read more...]
Mix sitting and standing for better health benefits
A lot of animal health pros sit for long hours in cars, airplanes, trucks and at desks. There is strong evidence that standing regularly is good for our health. A new study in the journal, Annals of Internal Medicine shows you may be able to cut your risk of early death simply by standing every 30 minutes. Alyssa Jung’s article covers the benefits of standing desks and notes … [Read more...]
World Antibiotic Awareness Week
This week is one that celebrates each year’s discoveries and updates on antibiotic use. Animal health pros are at the front of proper antibiotic use and education. 2017 is the third year that World Antibiotic Awareness Week is taking place, focusing on human health care, agriculture and the environment, and is part of the WHO global action plan, “Antibiotics: handle with … [Read more...]
Getting to yes or yes!
Wendy Myers offers sound advice about positioning options that require one of two yes answers by avoiding yes/no questions. It takes a little work and practice, but ultimately animal owners are looking for this guidance when they come to veterinarians. Take five minutes out of the next five team meetings and practice this approach as a group. Then put it to work. Source: … [Read more...]
Quiz – Legal implications of dispensed medications and written prescriptions
Animal health pros who sell, prescribe or dispense prescription substances will benefit from taking this quiz. The quiz reviews common scenarios for dispensing and submitting prescriptions for noncontrolled and controlled substances. Consider making this a team exercise. For sales personnel, being competent in the topics this quiz reviews will make you a better resource for … [Read more...]
Reintegration into society difficult for veterans
Veterans Day was celebrated Saturday, November 11th. Honoring those who served is important, but it may be more important to help them reintegrate into society. Benjamin Sledge writes from his own experiences and shares perspectives about how today’s society is not tuned to support the returning veteran. Source: Medium, November 10, 2017. Realistically, I think a lot of … [Read more...]
Biosecurity takes a team
Diligence, teamwork, research, technology and collaboration are required to maintain biosecurity on farm and within the collective U.S. swine populations. Kevin Shultz distilled the frequently cacophonous elements of biosecurity efforts in this article. It truly takes a team willing to be cooperative, even though they are often competitive. Together, biosecurity remains a key … [Read more...]
Backyard chicken trend causes spike in infections, 1 fatal
This article explains why we have focused heavily on backyard chicken trends. The growth of raising backyard chickens in U.S. cities and suburbs brings a soaring number of illnesses from poultry-related diseases, some of them fatal. Since January, more than 1,100 people have contracted salmonella poisoning from chickens and ducks in 48 states, according to the Centers for … [Read more...]
Human food trends are mirrored in 2018 pet food market
Knowing what is trending in pet foods or pet owners’ minds is important for animal health pros to understand since we seek to proactively help manage pet health. Debbie Phillips-Donaldson reviews the first of many trend predictions released by Mintel. Trends that have been in play for a few years now, such as transparency, health and wellness, and personalization will take on … [Read more...]
Opinion – Immune response and nutrient metabolism swine research evolving rapidly
This research information should interest to any animal health pro as whose focus is on prevention and managing disease. The immunes system has high biological priority. When pathogens are detected, the immune response becomes the animal’s energetic priority and changes how dietary nutrients and calories are utilized. Source: National Hog Farmer, October 2017. Any energy … [Read more...]
New AVMA Congressional Advocacy Network helps you speak
The AVMA Congressional Advocacy Network is an upgraded action center featuring new tools to help you speak up on issues impacting the veterinary profession. The site will harness the power of a community made up of more than 30,000 veterinarians, veterinary students and friends of veterinary medicine who are committed to protecting the profession. Source: AVMA, November 6, … [Read more...]
Helmet saves equestrian’s life (graphic pictures)
Animal health pros often support the equine sports. Noel Williams shares her close call with death and reminds riders to wear a helmet. It’s a universal truth that if you’re going to ride horses, you’re going to fall off horses. You just never know when a young horse, or any horse really, is going to overreact or when their antics might cause them to lose their balance and … [Read more...]
Satisfy cat hunting instincts appropriately
Lisa Radosta DVM, Dipl. ACVB, reminds us that predatory behaviors that cats exhibit outside do not go away when they are kept indoors. She says indoor cats need stimulation and environmental enrichment. Some cats simply become bored at home, while others become frustrated by the inability to do what comes naturally: explore, exercise and hunt. That frustration can lead to … [Read more...]