Richard Shell, JD, tells students, “If you want to stay healthy, don’t go swimming in a dirty pond.” It is a vivid analogy for persons he calls ethics refugees. They are often young people who earned degrees and landed a great job only to fall into an ethical or moral trap set by a boss, a co-worker or the company culture. Sexual harassment, discrimination, fraud, lying, … [Read more...]
FDA finalizes guidance for antimicrobial drug oversight
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has finalized guidance for industry #263 to outline the process for animal drug sponsors to voluntarily change the approved marketing status of certain medically important antimicrobial drugs from over the counter to prescription. With the successful implementation of GFI #213, approximately 96% of medically important antimicrobials used … [Read more...]
5 ways to use invoicing as marketing
Opinion Whether printed on paper or sent as a PDF, invoices are a way to market your services and products. Different than most collateral, invoices prompt a focused review from the recipient. Uwe Dreissigacker shares five ways to use invoices: Strengthen your branding Sell special offers, sales or promotions Encourage referrals Provide free resources Ask … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – June 10, 2021
Last week’s most read post Watch the quiet people. Source: Animal Health Digest, June 1, 2021. Link. Knowing when not to talk is an art.” – Patrick T. Malone Empowered women empowering others Source: DVM 360, May/June 2021. Link. Empowering Veterinary Teams’ founders Alyssa Mages, CVT and Caitlin Keat, BS, MS are filling their own career gaps by helping … [Read more...]
Pandemic misery index reveals far-reaching impact of COVID-19 on American lives, especially on Blacks and Latinos
Opinion Social media posts are sharing the excitement of live attendance at the 2021 VMX Convention. There’s a backdrop to these return to normal accounts to keep in mind. While progress is being made, racial and ethnic gaps persist, despite an overall decline in pandemic hardship. According to the U.S. Pandemic Misery Index, 80 percent of U.S. adults experienced at least … [Read more...]
Know how much water cattle need
Sometimes a picture puts things into perspective. This one does when it comes to how much water cows and calves need. Share and discuss water resources with producers to support health and prevention strategies. Drought and hot summer days are coming quickly. Source: BEEF, June 7, 2021. Link. All the grass in world means nothing without water. … [Read more...]
Scoring hair shedding traits in beef cow selection
Selecting for cows that shed effectively is crucial to dealing with summer heat stress. It is so important that the American Angus Association is interested in developing expected progeny difference (EPD) values. This may seem to be a silly thing to do, but hair shedding is a moderately heritable trait.” – Edon Cole, University of Missouri Extension livestock … [Read more...]
Hay! Got any?
Pasture and range conditions are historically poor for this time of year because of ongoing drought west of the Mississippi River. Nearly 70 percent of hay produced, and 76 percent of the nation’s beef cow herd is located in this region. Further, producers expect to harvest the smallest amount of hay in more than a century. Unless there is some drought relief soon . . . expect … [Read more...]
Oh, those dirty rats!
Rodents are one of the major taxa most likely to carry zoonotic diseases, harboring more than 85 unique zoonotic pathogens. The paper referenced here focuses on the unique opportunity zoo personnel have to be at the forefront of the early detection and identification of novel hosts and geographic ranges of rodent-borne pathogens with high impact on endangered species and … [Read more...]
Disease Du Jour: Tips about senior horse management
Complimentary Content sponsored by Merck Animal Health The two most common things we deal with in our old horse population is lamenesses and endocrine dysfunction, says Dianne McFarlane, DVM, PhD, MS, Dip ACVIM, referencing research results. The endocrine dysfunction is mostly about Equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), as well as insulin … [Read more...]
Help pet owners conduct home health checks
Opinion The need for pet owner education and training became more apparent during 2020. New pet owners, especially, seemed unprepared to manage the day to day with pets, let alone changes to their pets’ wellness. Sandra Murphy shares a home health checklist suitable for helping pet owners systematically monitor their pet. Pet owners will appreciate this list. Consider … [Read more...]
Bobcats, Lone Star ticks, bobcat fever
University of Georgia experts are urging cat owners across the state to proactively protect their pets due to cases of cytauxzoonosis, or bobcat fever, caused by the tick-transmitted protozoan parasite Cytauxzoon felis. The infection spike is centered in a five-county area covering approximately 1,900 square miles. However, male bobcats are known to range up to 60 miles which … [Read more...]
FOMO – What is it and why it can be hazardous to your mental health
FOMO, the fear of missing out, is an addiction to novelty, writes Reneil. It may be about anything, but whatever it is, you’re not the only one who has experienced it, is experiencing it, nor would experience it. Reneil references social media as essentially turning us into a sensation receptacle. We stimulate our minds with more and more information about everything, yet … [Read more...]
Managing and bonding with teammates’ strengths
Opinion – Complimentary commercial content Last week we shared thoughts on bonding with associate veterinarians from Brian Conrad, DVM. He indicated he was quick to lead team building. We commented that sales representatives can often provide resources and help lead the activities. CliftonStrengths provides powerful team building opportunities. The possible individual and … [Read more...]
The crystal ball: Veterinary medicine in 2031
Complimentary Content In a recent blog post, Bill Wagner, DVM, took a stab at what he thinks veterinary medicine will be 10 years from now. Much of what he projects is realistic, being created or in progress. The key will be to make the most of the customer experience and transition veterinary team members. Source: Associated Veterinary Partners, May 24, 2021. Link. … [Read more...]
Preventive care paradox
Recognizing and reinforcing behavior that results in the absence of disease is difficult, especially in a veterinary healthcare system built to respond to disease states versus reinforcing a state of health, according to Bob Lester, DVM. It is a challenge for a reacting-and-repairing versus preventing-and-preparing way of working Lester describes the future benefits as … [Read more...]
2021-2022 APPA National Pet Owners Survey reveals important post-pandemic changes for the pet care industry
It comes as no surprise that trends from the 2021-2022 APPA National Pet Owners Survey show steady growth in pet ownership, as well as pet owners buying more products and services online, writes Steve King, president and CEO of the APPA. However, the survey also sheds light on the resilience of brick and mortar facilities. Pet owners continue to frequent their local pet stores, … [Read more...]
Wait. Boarding and grooming for pets are ESSENTIAL?!
Complimentary content includes an offer from RESCUE® disinfectants Carmen Rustenbeck, founder of the International Boarding and Pet Services Association (IBPSA), joins Drs. Jen and Jason Chatfield in this episode of the Chatfield Show. They discuss the involvement of pet services and how the IBPSA serves those businesses and people. In all actuality, groomers, boarders and … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – June 3, 2021
Last week’s most read posts – these two posts tied for most read These 8 expressions can make you sound insensitive at work: Source: Animal Health Digest, May 25, 2021. Link. Flexible workforces in veterinary practices might include aging boomers: Source: Animal Health Digest, May 25, 2021. Link. Best dog bones for tough chewers Source: Puppies and Pooches, … [Read more...]
The next pandemic is already happening. Targeted disease surveillance can help prevent it.
The next pandemic threat is likely already making its way through the population right now writes Maureen Miller, PhD. Her research as an infectious disease epidemiologist has found that there is a simple strategy to mitigate emerging outbreaks: proactive, real-time surveillance in settings where animal-to-human disease spillover is most likely to occur. Miller discusses the … [Read more...]
Feed or sell cull cows? (with video)
Beef and dairy producers need decision support when deciding to feed or sell cull cows. Steve Boyles, PhD, presents the considerations necessary for making the decision to feed cull cows and sell them into a more profitable time slot. Source: BEEF, May 27, 2021. Link. You Tube video. Link. Non-fed beef makes up approximately 25 percent of all beef consumed in the … [Read more...]
Most-read companion animal posts of April and May 2021
What you read helps us prioritize topics most interesting to animal health pros. It is the most important feedback we receive. The links below share the most-read posts from April and May in ranked order. Source: Animal Health Digest. April, May 2021. The best dog names of 2021. 500 names by category. How Petco is increasingly a stealthy competitor to clinics … [Read more...]
Fireworks and noise phobias. It’s the season.
Complimentary Content The first fireworks of spring started a couple weeks ago here in Kansas City. Graduation celebrations may include some left over pyrogenic flashes and booms. While minor, these sonic disruptions are a reminder that July 4th celebrations are just around the corner. Fear Free Happy Homes offers pet owners a digital kit containing strategies for … [Read more...]
2017 ransomware changed cyber security in veterinary medicine forever
Sponsored Content The May 2017 Wannacry ransomware attack is regarded as the largest cyberattack in history. Wannacry infected hundreds of thousands of computer systems worldwide and spread to more than 150 countries. Its biggest affect is that it popularized ransomware, attacks writes Clint Latham, JD. Governments, organizations, businesses, veterinary practices and health … [Read more...]
Surefire strategies for navigating backorders
Complimentary Content Consistent with her pragmatic approach to inventory management, Nicole Clause shares her guide to navigating backorders. She includes tips and strategies for being proactive about and managing them. The guide deals specifically with longer-term backorders that are not the result of poor forecasting in an individual clinic. Source: Veterinary … [Read more...]
1 in 3 people believe that their pet will make them a better parent
Note: These survey results are worth reviewing. In a recent survey from OnePoll and AskVet, pet owners shared they experience anxieties and expenses found with child-rearing. More than 45 percent of pet parents worry their pets might get sick or hurt, while another 33 percent worry their pets may be unhappy. While pet parents trust veterinary professionals the most, they are … [Read more...]
3 technologies that can help employers struggling to hire
The reasons for the imbalance between labor demand (open jobs) and labor supply (people willing to take those open jobs) are many and complex, writes Steve Boese. He discusses the role HR technologies could play in helping balance supply and demand, and consequently, place more people in open roles. Job losses have been felt most acutely by low-wage earners and low-wage … [Read more...]
Foster tighter bonds with your associate veterinarians
The right hire and setting clear expectations are strategies that, help practice managers and owners create a more cohesive environment that everyone can thrive in, Brian Conrad, CVPM, says. Candidate attributes, financial expectations, CE goals and team building are components of developing bonds, he says. The clearer the expectations are laid out, the better the relationship … [Read more...]
Telemedicine is as old as the telephone. Getting paid IS NEW!
Opinion We’re referencing four complementary sources in this post. Virtual veterinary care is advancing at warp speed. Still, some veterinary clinics struggle with moving from a courtesy service approach to charging for telemedicine services as clients embrace the convenience. Creating clear boundaries between “courtesy services” and what is considered a "paid service" is … [Read more...]
Proper antibiotic use improves producer savings and dairy industry image
Complimentary Commercial Content included Consumer demand for dairy products was up last year. Sending positive messages to consumers about U.S. milk production is key to maintaining this demand, says Linda Tikofsky, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim. She stresses that being more thoughtful about antibiotic use is also necessary in preserving it as an important tool for the long … [Read more...]