Speaking at the 2022 Ag Outlook Forum, Elanco’s Jeffrey Simmons shared his vision for a better future by 2030, environmentally, economically and nutritionally. He believes more sustainable livestock production should be considered as a contributor to solutions, not as a problem. Animals are the connecting link between the three major global issues; the health crisis, food … [Read more...]
U.S. pet insurance market poised to more than double by 2028
The United States Pet Insurance Market is flourishing at a significant growth rate mainly due to the increasing veterinary medical costs, growing consumer awareness, and the widespread use of expensive medical procedures and medications in the country.” – BlueWeave Consulting report Source: Yahoo! finance, September 16, 2022. Link. The U.S. pet insurance market is forecast to … [Read more...]
Annual Comedy Pet Photo Awards sure to bring a chuckle
There’s no better group than animal health pros with whom to share these images. Our dedication to animal owners and the health of their animals deserves a few minutes to enjoy the images captured for this year’s Comedy Pet Photo Awards. Source: Treehugger, September 22, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – September 29, 2022
Last week’s most read posts – Veterinarians shouldn’t do it all. Link. Dealing with plastics. 2,4,5. . .Let’s review. Link. Need to vent? Link. Last AHD Bulletin - Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, September 22, 2022. Link. ================================================== If a dog or cat smells like this, it’s time to see a veterinarian … [Read more...]
Thinking like a pig – a key to improving animal welfare (podcast)
Swine It Podcast host Laura Greiner, PhD, visits with Jason McAlister who shares how we can improve animal welfare while simultaneously improving the efficiency of production facilities. We may just need to get down on all fours and think like a pig would…” Source: Swine It Podcast, September 27, 2022. Link. Greiner and McAlister discuss: Moving from meat science to … [Read more...]
A guide to fall and winter chicken care
Raising chickens in winter has its challenges and with an avian flu surge predicted, preparing flocks for the colder months now is good common sense. The author offers six tips for fall flock preparation to help chickens enter the winter season in good health. Source: Backyard Poultry, September 9, 2022. Link. INSIGHTS: Consider this article for social media and … [Read more...]
Protect poultry from bird flu
Bird flu circulates among wild birds worldwide. When domestic birds encounter the virus that causes bird flu, it can cause mild symptoms. Some strains, referred to as highly pathogenic avian influenza, can cause severe symptoms and death. Since last January, HPAI has been detected in nearly every U.S. state. Source: University of Florida Extension, September 23, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
The blanket rule for blanketing horses
The onset of cooler weather often has horse owners trying to determine if their animals need blankets. Some horses do well without blankets, others need a bit more warmth occasionally and then there are some that never get comfortable with weather changes, hot or cold. . . . there is only one blanket rule for blanketing horses: it depends.” - Kathy Farrokhzad Source: Horse … [Read more...]
Cats get zoomies too
Zoomies are normal behavior for cats and a great way to burn off excess energy, writes Sassafras Lowrey. FRAPS or, frenetic random activity periods, are also known as zoomies and frequently associated more with dogs. They are likely not a reaction to Zoom meetings despite the number of cats seen sitting at laptops. Sudden, increased and unexpected bursts of energy, especially … [Read more...]
Lepto on the rise
Michelle Evason, BSc, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM), says there is a global jump in the number of dogs diagnosed with leptospirosis, including some hot spots where lepto exposure and infections are likely to occur. Her article offers perspective on One Health concerns, hot spot areas and the ongoing need to embrace client education and use vaccine to prevent infections. . . . … [Read more...]
More than 100,000 veterinary and pet professionals now Fear Free certified
Congratulations to Marty Becker, DVM, and the Fear Free organization for achieving this significant milestone in training animal health professionals at all levels about providing emotional wellbeing, enrichment and the reduction of fear, anxiety and stress in pets. Source: Cision, September 27, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
Don’t forget to inhale
Complimentary Commercial Content* Niklas Göke shared an excerpt from his new book, 2-Minute Pep Talks, now the #2 new release for Kindle books in the personal growth category. The excerpt is a transcript from pep talk #14. Living is exhaling. Don’t forget to inhale, writes Göke. . . . if do is all you do, it’ll be impossible to extract happiness from even the most … [Read more...]
Idaho liability case serves as a warning when using contracted labor
Before a contracted laborer gets injured, it is important to consider liability issues. Paige Carlson shares details from an Idaho Supreme Court ruling. The court unanimously ruled that a livestock transportation broker was the statutory employer of a contracted driver injured while attempting to load a cow onto a truck for delivery. Source: Drovers, September 23, 2022. … [Read more...]
How to lead an operation model transformation
Commentary Businesses large and small are working to be more flexible, agile and responsive to changing marketplace needs. Words like pivot, nimble, elastic or resilient often show up in value statements and strategic plans. Learning how large companies approach these challenges can help educate animal health pros who want to streamline or update their business … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – September 22, 2022
Last week’s most read posts – September is National Pet Health Insurance Month. Link. Chewy’s autoship sales hit all-time high in Q2. Link. Last AHD Bulletin - Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, September 15, 2022. Link ====================================== Bird flu now in 40 states Source: Successful Farming, September 19, 2022. Link. Threat … [Read more...]
When stray voltage strikes and dealing with it
No one likes to get an unexpected electrical shock. Animals hate it even more than people. Areas constructed indoors or outdoors where wire mesh or other conductive elements are embedded in or placed under concrete, bonded to all metal structures and fixed nonelectrical equipment have the potential to become energized unless the equipotential plane is properly grounded. The … [Read more...]
Sustainability, one of the DFA Nerd Herd’s primary objectives
Dairy Farmers of America’s Matt Musselman shared sustainability initiatives dairy farmers are pursuing during the recent KCAHC Summit ‘22. Launched in 2021, the DFA Nerd Herd is led by farmers. They are supported by a team of engineers, nutritionists, veterinarians, technology experts, scientists and more to help educate consumers about how DFA farm families are using renewable … [Read more...]
7 arthritis risk factors
Virtually any horse who lives long enough will develop a bit of creakiness in at least one joint, writes Christine Barakat. She offers a rundown of events and conditions that put horses in a higher risk category for the eventual development of arthritis. Barakat’s comments about reviewing a horse’s past and present situation reminds us it is time for fall wellness exams, the … [Read more...]
The impending equine health care crisis
The supply of equine veterinarians is diminishing rapidly writes Emma Read, DVM, MVSc, Dipl. ACVS. She shares ways horse owners can help. Asking for help from our clients is not a comfortable position for . . . many horse doctors. Clients play a huge role in the much-needed transformation of equine practice. We can’t do it without them working together for horses.” Source: … [Read more...]
11 cat emergencies that need immediate vet attention
Eric Barchas, DVM, a frequent contributor to Catster, shares how to recognize an emergency and when to bring your cat to the vet ASAP for cat owners. . . . cats don’t come with warning labels, and a person who doesn’t know the symptoms can’t be expected to recognize them. . . “ – Eric Barchas, DVM Source: Catster, March 24, 2021. Link. INSIGHTS: Consider sharing this … [Read more...]
Chasing shadows and trancing: odd dog behaviors
We’re more observant of our pets since they came indoors to live with us. Repetitive behaviors get noticed, then studied and then there are attempts to explain them. We’re sharing Joan Kubicek’s article on Trance-like Syndrome, a usually benign canine quirk sometime called ghost-walking, weed-walking or simply “trancing. In a related topic, Karen B. London, PhD, addresses … [Read more...]
Resources for communicating with clients and each other
National Pet Insurance month often exposes reluctance from clients when veterinary teams assert the benefits of pet insurance coverage. Knowing how to get on the same page more efficiently can truly provide a win-win-win result. ASPCA® Pet Health Insurance offers continuing education courses to help veterinary teams improve their communication skills. Two such courses are … [Read more...]
5 ways to stop overthinking and make faster decisions at work
Decision-making can be fraught with overthinking, writes Melody Wilding. She shares five strategies to break the cycle of overthinking and make confident decisions in less time. Source: The INSIDER, May 27, 2022. Link. Daily strategies that can minimize getting bogged down in making choices: Let go of perfectionism Put the problem in perspective Let your intuition … [Read more...]
How to get better at learning
Being a quick study doesn’t mean you’re the smartest person in the room. It’s that you’ve learned how to learn, shares Ulrich Bolser. He shares three practical, research-based ways to build your learning skills. Effective learning often boils down to a type of project management.” - Ulrich Boser Source: Harvard Business Review, May 02, 2018. Link. A growing body of research … [Read more...]
Veterinarians shouldn’t do it all
Prepping for National Veterinary Technician Week, Dana Varble, DVM, asserts animal health pros must make every effort to ensure those in our field have satisfying lifelong careers with opportunities for growth and advancement. Our industry faces an ever-growing shortage of veterinary nurses, technicians . . . consider investing time to help build career paths for team members … [Read more...]
September is National Pet Insurance Month! Pet insurance makes sense for pets, pet owners, practices and veterinary teams
Sponsored Content In a recent survey of veterinarians*, the ASPCA® Pet Health Insurance program measured attitudes about pet insurance in their practices. Here are a few of the survey findings: 94.2 percent of veterinary teams believe that pet insurance is a beneficial way to help clients manage the lifetime cost of veterinary care 9 out of 10 veterinarians wish more … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – September 15, 2022
Last week’s most read posts - Five metrics veterinary practices should track. Link. Touring a veterinary hospital with Temple Grandin, PhD, Marty Becker, DVM (video). Link. Last AHD Bulletin - Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, September 8, 2022. Link. Top recommended veterinary products Source: DVM 360®. Link. 748 companion animal … [Read more...]
Pigs contract Senecavirus A through imported feed
A great amount of laboratory work has proven that viruses, including SVA, can survive well in feed but researchers have never had a real-world case where they could come to a strong conclusion that a new virus entered a country through feed imports. Until now. Scott A. Dee, DVM, MS, PhD, explains the significance of the discovery as a big-time wake-up call. Dee encourages … [Read more...]
Back-of-the-napkin cow math
We continue to see positive advancements in quality and productivity in the U.S. cowherd, says Nevil Speer. Still, the cow/calf sector has witnessed a sharp sell-off during the past three years including this year due to ongoing drought. Speer says the next few months will be critical regarding beef cow slaughter and where we end up for the year. Second, whatever occurs, … [Read more...]
Meeting the needs of the elder horse
Includes Sponsored Content In this issue of EQUUS Extra, seven key management challenges presented by advancing horse age are discussed. The intention is to increase the chances of an aging horse enjoying a longer, healthy and productive life. The key is to remain vigilant to subtle changes in their demeanor and condition and to catch developing issues before they grow out … [Read more...]