While kibble remains the mainstay, the cat food category is expanding with new options as manufacturers seek to meet customers’ varied demands. Nutritional science, as well as consumer and feline preferences, drive the trends and appear to be following the trends in dog foods for increased numbers of natural offerings and unique protein sources. Source: Pet Product News, … [Read more...]
30 behaviors that make you unstoppable
Benjamin Hardy shares that when you’re unstoppable, you will make sure to get what you want. Everything you need to know is already within you. All you need to do is trust yourself and act. Source: Thrive Global, August 30, 2017. Those who are unstoppable are in their own world. They don’t compete with anyone but themselves. You never know what they will do — only that you … [Read more...]
FDA urges veterinary caution when reading epinephrine labels
The FDA is alerting animal health pros about the potential for dosing errors when using human-labeled products such as epinephrine. To avoid dosing errors, veterinarians should carefully review the label on an epinephrine product to determine if the strength is expressed as mg/mL or as a ratio. The FDA ordered the removal of ratios expressing the drug’s strength (such as … [Read more...]
Bayer, 4-H promoting STEM education
Science, technology, engineering and math are the focus of a collaboration with Bayer and 4-H. They hope to address the concern that 26 million STEM related jobs go unfulfilled each year. The partnership seeks to engage youth and maintain their interest in STEM skills. Source: Ag Web, September 5, 2017. There are six million students in 4-H. Science Matters will extend the … [Read more...]
Regular bleach use linked to higher risk of fatal lung disease
Using disinfectants once a week could increase the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by as much as 32 percent according to a 30-year study by Harvard University and the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm). The everyday use of bleach currently has no specific health guidelines, but the researchers hope this will be … [Read more...]
Your dog doesn’t need the gluten-free menu
Jackie Parr, DVM, discusses all things gluten, human and pet, in this Q/A article. She reminds us that dogs and cats do not get Celiac disease and generally don’t need a gluten-free diet. Source: Dr. Andy Roark, April 29, 2017. So when would I avoid feeding gluten: You happen to see a very rare case of gluten sensitive enteropathy in an Irish Setter puppy You are … [Read more...]
Zoonotic diseases quiz is timely
Among the current and future challenges of the Hurricane Harvey devastation is the risk of zoonotic disease exchanges. An entire underground population of rats, mice, feral cats, skunks, raccoons and who knows what else was forced to move along with people. Like humans, they will move back into the area carrying with them all sorts of zoonotic risks including leptospirosis, … [Read more...]
Raising adult children
Over the years, I have heard animal health pros talk about raising the young persons in their organizations. They add vigor and vitality to our organizations, but can also be a worry. Although written from a parental perspective, the references in this article can apply to the younger personnel in our organizations. Source: Bottom Line, Inc., September 1, 2017. The secret … [Read more...]
Therapy chickens help nursing home residents
The therapeutic value of taking dogs to visit hospitals, special needs centers, schools and nursing homes is well-known. Even docile cats are now sometimes used as therapy animals. But therapy chickens? Source: Backyard Poultry, August 30, 2017. Today therapy chickens are used around the world to help those in nursing homes improve their mobility and have fun. Residents are … [Read more...]
Preg-checking considerations for cow herds
Wyatt Bechtel shares pregnancy checking suggestions from Extension specialists in various parts of the U.S.: Pregnancy testing cattle to save money Have your breeding dates on hand Pregnancy check heifers early Cull those open heifers Source: Drovers CattleNetwork, August 31, 2017. It makes more business sense to sell the open heifers, rather than create more … [Read more...]
Biodiversity important for goat farming
Using lessons from the dairy producers, goat farmers are urged to maintain genetic diversity in their herds, rather than breed for production-specific traits. By not doing so, animals may become ill-equipped to adapt to changing conditions or fight new diseases. The United Nations is so concerned that more than 100 countries are already signed up to monitor genealogies and … [Read more...]
Lice season looms ahead
As fall comes on, it is time to readdress the lice populations that survived the summer and begin to infest cattle in October. By treating early, ranchers can avoid the deep infestations of January and February common in many areas. Source: Beef, August 31, 2017. Some animals, due to poor immune function or some other factors, are more vulnerable to extensive lice … [Read more...]
Feeding puppies for the best health possible
How much to feed new puppies is a common question of dog owners regardless of how many they have raised. Denise Flaim reminds owners to feed for slow, steady growth. Studies show that slow, steady growth – with no dramatic growth spurts – is ideal for puppy health, especially his developing skeletal system. Source: Whole Dog Journal, September 2017. Pet-nutrition consultant … [Read more...]
6 things that offend cats
Lauren Cheal provides insights into why cats are offended in home environments. This list makes one wonder who is really in charge, but then, we already know the answer to that. Source: Modern Cat, August 31, 2017. Are you guilty of these feline faux pas? Staring Over-petting Poor litter box placement Lazy litter box cleaning Cutting off play time at the … [Read more...]
B2B buying isn’t getting easier
Marketers, this one’s for you! The latest branding research from CEB, now Gartner, and conducted in partnership with Google and Motista, involved a cross-industry study of more than 3,000 B2B customers. It revealed the following findings, which have huge implications for B2B brands. Source: CMO, August 28, 2017. The data shows that personal value has twice as much impact as … [Read more...]
Opinion: Help for aging animal health pros
I offer this article on turning back time and dealing with our perceptions of aging in this industry. I found persons in their 30s eager to engage and discuss our industry at the recent CVC Kansas City. Instead of thinking “been there, done that” I found myself asking questions of these young pros to see how their todays resembled some of my yesterdays. The results were about … [Read more...]
Women lead in the KC Animal Health Corridor
A dozen women who hold leadership roles in the animal health industry talked about their careers, challenges and corporate life in a panel discussion during Global Animal Health Week in August. Different than discussions like this just a decade ago, the group agreed it is important to forget the gender differences and focus on showing team members what you can do or … [Read more...]
AVMA takes a stand on assistance animals
The AVMA House of Delegates passed a policy on "The Veterinarian's Role in Supporting Appropriate Selection and Use of Service, Assistance and Therapy Animals." Therapy animals are not covered under the ADA, FH, or ACAA. Source: JAVMA News, September 15, 2017. The AVMA encourages veterinarians to be familiar with the legal status and protections accorded to service, … [Read more...]
Have smartphones destroyed a generation?
In her new book, “iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy—and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood—and What That Means for the Rest of Us,” Jean M. Twenge discusses the challenges of the iGen and shares start realizations about how smartphones are affecting a generation of young persons. Source: The Atlantic, September … [Read more...]
National Beef Quality Audit shows its value (includes video)
NBQA auditing processes have improved over the past 25 years, leading to an increasingly meaningful set of results. The 2016 National Beef Quality Audit observed a decrease in cattle with hide brands, horns and an increase in the frequency of Prime and Choice carcasses. Still, continuous improvement is indicated including how to tell consumers the story of beef’s … [Read more...]
Pig show persons stay connected to the industry
The show pig business is a world where people love their pigs. Those who fall short of the prizes try harder the next year. These farmers are not disconnected from the industry production practices, however. Our team wanted to share this site to share with you, especially these entries: Pig show 101 and Top 5 reasons why showing pigs is the best. Source: Real Pig … [Read more...]
What you wear at the clinic matters
Veterinary teams will appreciate the discussion presented in this article. Consider using this for a team meeting to discuss dress codes and what professional attire means. Source: Vetanswers, August 10, 2017 via NAVTA. At the end of the day, you are a veterinary professional, working with your clients in a well-equipped veterinary practice where you deliver a professional … [Read more...]
Stress leads to bad decisions
Our brains are wired to be more reactionary under stress, according to decision-making research This can mean that stressed persons resort to binary choice-making, limiting the options available to them. Often, says Ron Carucci, we revert to the “it’s just easier to do this myself” by impulse. Source: Harvard Business Review, August 29, 2017. There are no complex challenges … [Read more...]
Why technicians leave—and what you can do about it
Julie Carlson’s overview of veterinary technician work dynamics is important, especially in with the new veterinary nurse direction and how salespersons interface with technicians and office staff. Practice owners and managers need to look at this from a retention management perspective. Sales and marketing persons will find opportunities in the comments on respect, inclusion … [Read more...]
Lone star tick is rapidly migrating
Lone star ticks have been implicated in a handful of zoonotic illnesses (not Lyme disease) that are serious to humans and animals. Experts in human allergy, parasitology, and entomology joined to discuss the lone star tick, its geographic spread and the zoonotic diseases it can transmit during the AVMA 2017 convention in Indianapolis. Source: Veterinary Practice News, August … [Read more...]
“1” can change everything; KC Animal Health Corridor
Global Animal Health Week kicked off in the Kansas City area Friday, August 25. Supported by the commitments to the KC Animal Health Corridor, a series of events garnered record participation from around the world. Check out the “goings on” at #KCAnimalHealth Source: KC Animal Health Corridor. Events included: 1st “Women in Animal Health” panel discussion Market … [Read more...]
AHD Bulletin, shorter this week
We’ve spent the last five days engaged with animal health colleagues during the Global Animal Health week, KC Animal Health Corridor Homecoming and CVC Kansas City convention. Obviously, such activities reduce the time to curate materials for animal health pros. Our AHD Bulletin is shorter than usual this week. Many of the posts will be about the challenges of human … [Read more...]
Two main points on dairy heifer raising
Matt Lippert discusses many details on how best to economically raise sound animals that will be useful for a dairy herd. Source: Dairy Herd Management, August 8, 2017. One of the best ways to trim cost is to stop raising excess heifers, says Lippert. He references evidence to avoid cutting corners on young calves. They need colostrum within minutes to very few hours after … [Read more...]
Precondition beef calves regardless of weaning time
Preconditioning calves helps ease the stressful transition from being with mama cows to being with peers in the feedlot. North Dakota State University’s Kris Ringwall offers some pointers. Source: Drovers Cattle Network, August 7, 2017. No perfect preconditioning program, no perfect time to vaccinate, no perfect time to market exists, but producers, with the help of good … [Read more...]
Pig transformation changing with the times
In a fun and informative retrospective, Pork’s JoAnn Alumbaugh reviews the history of pig confirmation and the societal influences that shape a hog as we know them today. Source: Pork, August 10, 2017. Genetics, diet, marketing trends and once more, consumer tastes, continue to evolve so the composition of modern pigs evolves as well. Pig farmers now consider all of the … [Read more...]