For some interested in working in veterinary medicine there is a stigma around the education requirements to become a veterinary technician or veterinarian. The Certified Veterinary Assistant Program is an excellent way for such a person to get started intentionally with entry level skills that benefit the practice and confirm the interests of the student. The Certified … [Read more...]
Gatekeepers and the keys to the kingdom
Commentary Brian Sullivan’s article is written to help sales representatives work with the often imposing gatekeepers in veterinary clinics. Access challenges are the brunt of age old stories about Doc’s Aunt Sally or the new person who has been told to never interrupt the veterinarian unless it is a spouse, child or the police. Behind the access barriers is a message that … [Read more...]
Chewy and Petco are increasingly reliant on pet health care for sales
Commentary With our recent post, “Pet-owning households on decline while spending remains strong” <Link> still resonating, we stepped back to the comments on quarterly reports from pet retailers Chewy and Petco. Gabrielle Fonrouge summarized key points from the respective earnings reports commenting, “Pet health care will be key to whether the companies can grow and … [Read more...]
Stop giving s*!& away for free (video)
Commentary In what could be described as a rant, Amy N. Newfield, CVT, VTS (ECC), issues a call to action we’ve heard for decades. Stop giving away your valuable services for free! Stop telling clients that you agree that veterinary medicine is expensive and that your prices are too high! Stop apologizing for your prices! You are devaluing your time and your talent.” Amy N. … [Read more...]
Pig monitoring is feasible
Commentary Looking like production manufacturing from the Science Channel’s How it’s Made, swine production is rapidly moving forward with technology. Radio frequency, wireless sensors, remote monitoring, individual pig behavior data and more are advancing efficiencies exponentially. One can’t help thinking about how far swine production has come in the last century and what … [Read more...]
Uterine prolapses, a review
No prolapse is exactly like the next one and there’s likely not a worse thing that can happen to a cow. Most prolapses occur following birth and within 24 hours. Rhonda Brooks shares feedback from veterinarians about handling uterine prolapses, clients and being prepared when arriving at the farm. When I was in practice, we actually had a chart taped to the wall by every … [Read more...]
Remember the social aspect of working with mules and horses (video)
Arkansas mule trainer Bob Smith shares the approach he uses with mules like Red in this informative video. We often leave the social aspect behind when we’re working with mules and horses. Too often we ignore the social nature and focus on what we want them to do for us . . . ” – Bob Smith Source: Missouri Mule Makeover/Ozark Mule Days, Facebook, March 30, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
Prioritize canine influenza vaccines based on animals at risk during shortages
Scott Weese, DVM, shares ways to determine which dogs need the canine influenza vaccines most since our industry continues to see shortages in flu vaccine supplies. Dogs considered to have increased risk of severe disease include seniors, pregnant, immune compromised, brachycephalic and those with significant cardiac or respiratory disease. Canine influenza is one potential … [Read more...]
The gender pay gap in vet medicine is real
More women in veterinary medicine does not equal gender equality, writes Kristen Green Seymour in the latest issue of AAHA Trends. She covers gendered expectations, pay transparency, negotiating salary from day 1, abolishing the motherhood penalty, adjusting KPIs, practice ownership and more. Despite the field skewing strongly female, the average male income is significantly … [Read more...]
Finding the optimal pattern of a customer journey
Commentary Customer journey analysis is not new, although customer experience management is relatively new. The identification, optimization and management of touch points that lead to action by a prospect or customer challenges brands, budgets and companies in today’s internet world. Even so, earning a customer and retaining them is a journey animal health pros discuss and … [Read more...]
Hauser: Reverse the downward trend of pets missing vet care
There are many factors that cause pets to miss vital regular health care. Veterinary practices cannot afford to ignore trends showing fewer patient visits. Wendy Hauser, DVM, identifies three primary drivers for why patients don’t get needed veterinary care as: Client economic limitations The owner’s inability to access care A lack of communication Too many pet … [Read more...]
JVECC makes a case for quality improvement in vet med
To prevent medical errors, we have to understand how they occur and invest in programs to prevent them. Acknowledging health care delivery is a complex process, so the Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care is establishing a Quality Improvement and Patient Safety feature. The objective is to contribute to building a collective knowledge base in patient safety and … [Read more...]
LSU develops patent-pending wild pig bait
Commentary Feral hog control is an issue for ALL animal health pros. Wild pigs reproduce rapidly and cause damage to farms and suburban properties from the southern U.S. and into Canada <Link>. They also pose a growing threat to the environment, people and other animals. If an animal disease like African swine fever or hoof-and-mouth gets into these animals, it will be … [Read more...]
Getting familiar with hemorrhagic bowel syndrome
Hemorrhagic bowel syndrome, also known as sudden death disease, is an emerging, highly fatal intestinal disease of adult cows. The cow's immune system plays a role in whether a cow becomes an HBS cow. Cases are most common following stressful periods in a cow’s lactation cycle such as calving and early lactation, when cows are subject to several different stressors.” – Scott … [Read more...]
Photographer captures elk antler growth
In the category of something you don’t see every day, photographer, Craig Miller captured the growth an elk bull’s antlers from buds to maturity in 2021. It is a unique pictoral accompanied by an explanation of what is occurring. Source: Craig Miller, Facebook, March 22, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
A proactive approach to feline stress
Contains Commercial Content Cat owner and Vet Advantage columnist Dawn Singleton-Olsen explains how helping veterinary teams educate cat owners about regular vet visits and some products that are helpful with the stresses of proactive feline care. Source: Veterinary Advantage, December 2022. Link. . . . attract more cat owners through client education and recommending … [Read more...]
Snoopy was a rescue (video)
We saw a post about Snoopy on the Texas Weimaraner Rescue Facebook page. A cultural icon for the human-animal bond, Snoopy was a rescued puppy having been returned to Daisy Hill Puppy Farm according to some accounts. Snoopy made his debut his debut in Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip in October 1950. The black and white beagle didn’t have a name until more than a … [Read more...]
Accepting compliments, upgrade your relationships with praise
Christopher Littlefield addresses why compliments often make us uncomfortable. He says a majority of people cringe when given a complement instead of acknowledging it and feeling good about being recognized. Source: HBR Ascend, April 2021. Link. Littlefield shares three ways to help transform our relationship with praise: Know it’s about the giver, not you (the … [Read more...]
Millennials plan to stick with online shopping even as stores rebound
While brick and mortar popularity seems to be returning, 73 percent of millennial survey participants said they plan to spend the same or more online this year. Twenty seven percent of them plan to spend significantly more online and less in-store this year, according to a survey from ESW. Staying abreast of how people behave in retail is an indication of how animal owners … [Read more...]
Pet-owning households on decline while spending remains strong
Richard Kestenbaum shares he was shocked with numbers from the APPA summary of its annual report on pet ownership that shows a decline in pet households. The percentage of households with pets declined from 70 percent in 2021 to 66 percent in 2022. In contrast to the households decline, the dollars spent on pets in 2022 were up 10.8 percent over 2021. Recent reports from Chewy … [Read more...]
Data supports Grandad’s spring storm assertions on calving
The generational guidance from cow-calf producers has always been, “spring storms will make the cows calve.” Now a study of data from 2005 to 2009 in fall and spring calving cows indicates old cattle raisers were correct. Departing storm fronts are often followed by a trend toward more tranquil weather and increasing barometric pressure during the early spring, which may … [Read more...]
A stress-filled tale of farm store chicks
Commentary The historical phenomenon of Easter chick supply is a testament to the survival qualities of poultry. The first 24 to 48 hours of a chick’s life when headed to a retail store are stress-filled. Ana Hotling shares some details worth considering as you counsel clients with Easter “babies.” Newborn hatchery chicks go through a veritable gauntlet in the first few … [Read more...]
HPAI vaccines tests show positive results in controlled experiment
An experimental vaccine from Ceva Animal Health and another from Boehringer Ingelheim proved effective against highly infectious bird flu in a first experiment conducted under a controlled environment at a Dutch veterinary research center. Both vaccines prevented clinical signs of highly pathogenic avian influenza infection and viral shedding among poultry. Field trials are … [Read more...]
Protein quality of freeze-dried foods
Linda Case shares the results of a published study seeking to determine if freeze-dry processing results in reduced nutrient damage. She notes the study uniquely compares processing temperature and clarifies the products studied were from one manufacturer. Measuring reactive lysine, this study found that the amino acids in three forms of a freeze-dried food were highly … [Read more...]
Veterinarians and the pet food industry: Building bridges
Includes Commercial Content Strengthening the relationship and communication between the veterinary space and the pet food industry is a win for everyone, writes Lindsay Beaton. The challenge is to ensure veterinarians and veterinary technicians have relevant tools that support the nutrition discussions with clients. Beaton shares some of what companies are doing to bridge … [Read more...]
Are modified rabies PrEP recommendations for people backed by the latest findings?
Erica Tramuta-Drobnis, VMD, MPH, CPH, addresses the question, “Does scientific evidence support this decision, or is the basis made due to healthcare cost concerns, accessibility, and poor compliance?” in this article. Rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis recommendations were recently amended by the CDC. They replace the previous three-dose PrEP schedule with a two-dose … [Read more...]
DVM answers questions about FDA antibiotic prescription requirement
This article by Craig Payne, DVM, MS, is a good one to share with livestock producers, backyard poultry and goat owners, horse owners and beekeepers to explain the changes in how antibiotics can be accessed after June 11th. Payne answers a few questions producers may have about the latest antibiotic guidance from the FDA. The final phase of FDA’s implementation of the … [Read more...]
KPIs show practices may be catching up
Commentary The monthly Insiders’ Insights Key Performance Indicators Report compares revenue and patient trends for 2022 versus 2023. Revenues are generally positive for practices and individual patients, while patient visits show a declining trend. New patient percentages look a bit more like they did prepandemic which is reflected in the decline in new patients year … [Read more...]
Impacts of commingling preconditioned and auction-derived beef calves with BRD
Commentary Cattle science continues to study ways to decrease morbidity, mortality and reduce use of antiinfectives as cattle move around the country. The study referenced reinforces the value of preconditioning and addresses the effects of comingling auction-derived calves with the preconditioned ones. Preconditioning reduced BRD and antimicrobial use in the feedlot, in … [Read more...]
5 steps for using care to unlock employee happiness and health
MetLife’s 21st annual U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study found a connection between employee health and caring employers. Eighty percent of employees who feel cared for at work describe themselves as holistically healthy compared with 40 percent who feel an absence of care from their employer. Fifty-eight percent of employees overall feel cared for when working. Missy … [Read more...]