The title,“VFD: The law every food doc needs to know,” is true. But, many suburban veterinarians will be affected by this law thanks to the many acreages and the increasing popularity of goats. Even beekeepers are subject to VFD regulations. Source: DVM 360, November 2016, page 18. The new regulations go into effect on January 1, 2017. INSIGHTS: The scramble to be … [Read more...]
Commit to really listening
We are more distracted than ever. Whether you are a veterinarian, retail associate, hospital staff member or sales representative, listening skills take effort and development. Too often, we get so busy or pushed that even skilled listeners just go through the motions. Dr. Moffett shares how to manage listening. Source: Veterinary Team Brief, April 2015. Genuinely listening … [Read more...]
Variable pig weight remains a challenge
Variability in pig weight at slaughter age is still a major issue in the swine industry. The challenge comes when trying to standardize the final product. We found this good article that can be used by veterinarians and salespersons when calling on swine producers. Consider it for targeted e-mails and posts as well. Source: The Pig Site, December 2, 2016. Big differences in … [Read more...]
B2B buyers want more than a discount
The mindset of B2C black Friday deals is pervasive. “This culture of cheap mindset also impacts the B2B world,” says Paul Reilly. “Buyers no longer request discounts, they demand them.” This culture-of-cheap mentality can make animal health pros believe they have little to no pricing control. They may believe that discounts are required to please customers. Source: … [Read more...]
The cost of convenience euthanasia
Your behavior could be costing you on many levels, writes Portia Stewart, editor of Vetted. About 10 percent of pet owners who relinquish their pets say it's because of behavior issues. Consider that 7.6 million pets end up in shelters each year and 2.7 million are euthanized, behavior is a high risk factor that can disrupt the human-animal bond. Source: Vetted, December 1, … [Read more...]
Thank you AAHA!
Your AHD team thanks our colleagues at AAHA for their support and input over the last year as we have developed Animal Health Digest. AAHA is a member of our Founder’s Circle and has a long history of communicating value to AAHA practices. Source: AAHA NEWStat, December 1, 2016. One of the tools AAHA uses to communicate is NEWStat. It covers current events that matter to … [Read more...]
DVM 360 shares its Top-Ten lists
The Top 10 List was a regular segment of the television programs Late Night with David Letterman and the Late Show with David Letterman. Our animal health colleagues at UBM Americas, Veterinary (DVM 360) have created their own versions of the top 10 lists from their readership. They sent the links for us to share. Source: DVM 360, December 2016. Top ten lists from UBM … [Read more...]
Help keep pets safe during the holidays
There are never too many reminders to help keep pets safe during the holidays. Purina makes the effort simpler with a quick video, five tips and a downloadable template to mark hazardous items as “non pet-friendly.” There’s something here for clinic websites, blogs, counters and literature racks. Source: Purina, November 30, 2016. Purina vet, Dr. Zara, shares her tips for a … [Read more...]
House soiling in senior pets
It is easy to assign “my pet’s showing his age” to soiling by a senior pet. But there are reasons beyond a break-down in the animal’s training. Adam Rudinsky, DVM, MS, DACVIM, reviews the top five reasons for fecal house soiling in senior pets: Behavioral disorders Colorectal and anorectal diseases Osteoarthritis Structural disease Neurological … [Read more...]
You’re probably a bad listener
Most people don’t think that they’re bad listeners — but they are. Are you? The first and most important step in overcoming bad listening habits is to become more aware of them. Source: Bottom Line Personal, September 15, 2016. Roger Flax, PhD, shares nine common bad listening habits, plus strategies for becoming a great listener. INSIGHTS: We especially liked how Dr. Flax … [Read more...]
The latest from JAVMA
We have been linking to the table of contents for JAVMA for your convenience. It is also easy to access an abstract of one of the articles. Check the box next to the article Then at the bottom of the table of contents page – click this link: View highlighted abstracts on one page The abstracts matching your selections will be visible to you for your review Source: … [Read more...]
Two quick tips to help identify dogs affected with Addison’s
Chen Gilor, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, shares two pointers from his CVC presentation about diagnosing Addison's disease: Don't just think about the sodium-potassium ratio. Be screening for Addison's, even if your index of suspicion is not very high. Source: Veterinary Medicine, November 16, 2016. … [Read more...]
Lentivirus update for small ruminants
Caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) is probably the most talked about and contentious disease of goats. CAEV is a lentivirus, in the same family as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which infects goats and sheep. Once infected, the goat remains infected for its lifetime and be a carrier even if it is not sick. Source: HoofPrint, Fall 2014. CAEV has five major … [Read more...]
13 things the mentally strong DON’T do
Whether applying to your personal, volunteer or professional life, Amy Morin’s list of things not-to-do can help us unlock our full potential. She says, “…letting go of the bad habits helps you work smarter, not harder.” Source: Veterinary Practice News, December 2016, page 33. We all have the ability to build up our mental toughness. Here are 13 things mentally tough … [Read more...]
Call groups help after-hours conundrum
Employees today don't want to work as many hours as they used to, points out Kyle Palmer, CVT. He thoughtfully discusses a call-group solution to after-hours service requests in equine practices. Source: DVM 360, October 11, 2016. Equine practitioners are stuck with whatever comes their way: colic, dystocia, traumatic injury and more. They’re often knee-deep in disaster … [Read more...]
Direct talk about discounts
Hilal Dogan, BVSc, doesn’t mince words. She calls for veterinarians to let their charges reflect their real value and quit discounting to receive warm fuzzies. Her approach and reasoning is direct and hits hard at self-worth. Source: Vetted, November 9, 2016. As a young new vet coming into this working world, I still have respect for the way things were done and greatly … [Read more...]
I screwed up!
Wouldn’t we like to hear an admission of failure instead of excuses more often? According to Justin Grady, most of us are failure hypocrites. Justin claims to be a complete failure, out of which he cultivates creativity and helps others do the same. He speaks to leaders and failures. From our perspective, any animal health pro is a leader when interacting with an animal owner. … [Read more...]
Effective strategies for winter calf raising
Winter weather is coming any day now. Luciene Ribeirio offers recommendations for improving results when raising calves in the winter. This content could be used in newsletters, blogs or websites. Veterinary clinic staff members and sales representatives can consider identifying a target group of customers where winter problems are well-known. Then, send the article by e-mail … [Read more...]
New I-9 form required for all employees
A new Form I-9, Employee Information and Verification, is now available, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. It is required by law for employees to work in the United States. A new version of that form hopes to make this process more straightforward for practice owners and managers. Practices have until Jan. 21, 2017 to start using the new form. Previous … [Read more...]
Holiday pet safety tips
Marianne Lipanovich writes about the risks of holiday changes to pets in this article for pet owners. She reminds readers about the chewable risks and the effect of confusing human activities and guests that can stir up pets. Animal health pros can use this content in blogs, websites and newsletter ahead of the upcoming holiday celebrations in December. Source: The Bark, … [Read more...]
Drs. Blach and Clark offer tips
The recent edition of Is My Practice Healthy? contains good food for thought on improving customer experiences, managing inventory and the use of a loyalty credit card to extend accounts payable terms for drugs and supplies. Source: Is My Practice Healthy?, week of November 21, 2016. … [Read more...]
BQA injection guidelines reviewed
As the cattle industry scurries to get the paper trails in place for the upcoming VFD requirements, it is a good time to review the importance of proper injection site practices for vaccines, vitamins, minerals, injectable antibiotics and NSAIDs. This article will make good content for blogs, newsletters and websites. Source: Beef, November 2016. Be systematic about how you … [Read more...]
Volunteers help monitor foreign animal diseases
Risk management is a critical element of swine production. Kevin Schulz reviews the work and challenges of managing and prioritizing the Swine Disease Matrix that provides a global view of swine pathogens. The matrix is a result of work from the newly formed Swine Health Information Center’s volunteers who comprise the Swine Health Monitoring and Analysis Working … [Read more...]
4 types of ineffective apologies
Busy workplaces often build intense dynamics that make it easy to say or do something untoward to colleagues, employees or even customers. Sometimes difficult, offering an effective apology is a workplace skill we all must develop. Sincere apologies show that you value relationships and other points of view. Source: Harvard Business Review, November 25, 2016. Many people … [Read more...]
Prep older horses for winter
Fall will soon turn into winter. Horses older than 15 years need special attention to prepare them for the cold months. Prevention is the focus of these tips. Source: Equus, November 15, 2015. Here are five ways to make sure aged horses are ready for the cold weather months: Establish a healthy body weight Have his teeth checked Address his arthritis Ensure … [Read more...]
Avoid, treat equine ulcers
Studies indicate that between 60 to 90 percent of horses have gastric ulcers. Stress from showing or intense riding can exacerbate dormant problems. Animal health pros can share these quick tips with horse owners to help address equine ulcer prevention and treatment. Source: Horse and Rider, web posting. Here's how you can help your horses avoid ulcers: Provide … [Read more...]
Build off-leash skills in dogs
Most dog owners would love to go leash-free when taking out their dogs. However, there is no way to guarantee the safety of a dog off-leash. Skills presented here can improve on the human-animal bond and reduce risk should a dog get loose. Source: Whole Dog Daily, November 13, 2016. Mardi Richmond from Santa Cruz, California offers tips and perspectives about off-leash … [Read more...]
Just add water, plenty of it
Cattle need adequate water in winter to process additional feed that keeps them warm during winter. This article is a good topic to help gin up lively discussions. Source: Beef, October 31, 2016. 'In winter, we often don’t think about water requirements for cattle, but the body’s demand for water is important whether it’s hot or cold,' says Terry Mader, Mader Consulting, … [Read more...]
14 new beef industry products to consider
Veterinarians, retail associates and sales representatives may find one of these new products worthy of sharing with producers rather than talking about the weather or election results. Source: Beef, October 27, 2016. Innovation drives the beef industry. Here are 14 new products to keep on your radar this fall. … [Read more...]
New insight into Senecavirus in swine
A recent study of Senecavirus A offers valuable new insights into this disease pathogen that affects the U.S. pork industry. The study finds tonsil tissue is one primary target. The researchers found virus shedding between days 1 to 28 post-inoculation in oral and nasal secretions and feces. Source: The Pig Site, November 10, 2016. 'We have shown that SVA has a predilection … [Read more...]