Includes Sponsored Content Salmonella 1,4,[5],12:i:-, an emerging serotype in swine, has become one of the most identified serotypes in pigs, pork, and humans worldwide. Responding to the industry’s needs, Swine Health Information Center posted a new fact sheet that contains valuable information on the serotype, its nomenclature, as well as resistance. Pigs often carry … [Read more...]
Mindfulness with paced breathing lowers blood pressure
Kudos to the Vet Candy team for bringing this information about testing the hypothesis that mindfulness with paced breathing reduces blood pressure. Meditation uses different methods to reach a state sometimes described as "thoughtful awareness" or "restful alertness 1." Massage therapy is also a safe, effective, applicable and cost-effective intervention in controlling … [Read more...]
What workers’ attire communicates to customers
Research found that shoppers were almost twice as likely to interact with a formally dressed employee as one who was informally dressed, believing that the more formally dressed employees had more expertise than their casually dressed peers. This raised their expectations of getting better service. Dust off the lab coats and sport jackets.” Source: Harvard Business Review, … [Read more...]
The effects of incivility on people
In this science-backed talk, Christine Borath shares surprising insights about the costs of rudeness and shows how little acts of respect can boost your professional success and your company's bottom line. She shares the main reason incivility exists is stress. People feel overwhelmed. An additional reason is skepticism about appearing too nice. Incivility is a contagious bug. … [Read more...]
Refocus: 6 growing issues
The first trimester of 2021 is now behind us. Our industry continues to feel more complicated and changing at break-neck speed. In December 2020, Karen E. Felsted, DVM, CPA, MS, CVPM, CVA, and Peter Weinstein, DVM, MBA, reviewed Pew Research Center’s “Future Directions for Veterinary Medicine” (1989), and KPMG’s “The Current and Future Market for Veterinarians and Veterinary … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – April 29, 2021
20 Vacation Ideas for You and Your Dog Source: Daily Paws, April 5, 2021. Link. Top dog-friendly vacation destinations, a guide to exploring the world with your furry companion. Limping puppy: What should I do if my dog is limping? Source: Revival Animal Health, April 21, 2021. Link. Marty Greer, DVM, JD tips on what you should … [Read more...]
Help horses handle vaccination well
Most vaccine labels read, “For the vaccination of healthy horses . . .” Not all horses that seem well are healthy enough to mount immune responses. Stress, chronic lameness, age and poor nutrition can impact immunity. Madalyn Ward, DVM, shares steps horse owners can take to help their horse experience the best response to vaccinations with the fewest negative … [Read more...]
Dog parks and parasites
Sharing key points from the DOGPARCs study, Donato Traversa, DVM, PhD, DipEVPC, EBVS, reminds us of the importance of keeping clients informed of the parasite risks at off-leash dog parks. He shares key pearls to put into practice with pet owners. Source: Clinician’s Brief, January/February 2021. Link. Key pearls for your clients: Intestinal parasites may be a constant … [Read more...]
5 tips for anesthetizing and recovering aggressive dogs
Careful planning, communication and preparation can facilitate a safe and productive appointment for fractious patients that need to be sedated or anesthetized, says Katherine Bennett, DVM, and Christine Egger, DVM, MVSc, CVA, CVH, DACVAA. They share tips for safe handling of for diagnostic or surgical procedures in these areas: Owner communication Pre-appointment … [Read more...]
Triaging vehicular trauma
There are very few ambulances and EMTs in animal health. That role is handed to veterinary teams for an animal that has been hurt in an automobile encounter. Cassandra Gilday, DVM, and Adesola Odunayo, DVM, MS, DACVECC, provide an extensive decision tree resource for animal patients who have experienced vehicular trauma. Source: Clinician’s Brief, March 2021. … [Read more...]
6 habits of the most innovative people
We live among and are dependent on myriad innovations in 2021. But what drives the people and teams behind innovative advancements? Winston Ibrahim and Bill Nottingham share the six qualities they have observed that all great innovators share. These are the things that keep them motivated, engaged and passionate about continuously pushing the creative boundaries of what the … [Read more...]
Do you really need to drink 8 glasses of water a day?
A one-size-fits-all fluid replacement strategy, such as drinking eight glasses of eight ounces of water per day, is inappropriate for everyone, writes Tamara Hew-Butler. How much water each person needs to drink mainly depends on three factors: Body weight Environmental temperature Physical activity levels Source: The Conversation, April 21, 2021. Link. Unless … [Read more...]
Beyond wellness plans, bundling can work
Wendy Hauser, DVM, and Lucas Pantaleon, DVM, MS, DACVIM, MBA, tackle the challenge of chronic illnesses that frequently fall outside of wellness plan coverage. The authors position bundling beginning with common bundles already in place in veterinary practices. By leveraging bundling, treatment packages offer four major advantages: Bundling helps clients understand the … [Read more...]
Getting clients to opt for treatment
Phil Zeltman, DVM, shares 10 common reasons clients decline treatment for their animals and how to avoid the situation. Confidence and the development of trust is critical to handling most situations he says. Ultimately, our job is not to convince a client to do the right thing. We are not in the arm-twisting business. All we can do is educate them objectively, be their pet’s … [Read more...]
Medical community telehealth concerns are opps for DVM community
OPINION Two articles outline some of the challenges medical entities and doctors see as telehealth capacity expands. With human medicine already a few years into telehealth development, it is important to monitor the progress, challenges and perceptions. In this era of tele-everything, it is likely animal health pros can integrate telehealth more effectively, efficiently … [Read more...]
Student focus group zeroes in on the future dairy farms and public expectations for dairy cattle care
Undergraduate students studying dairy or animal science gathered in a focus group during a 2019 meeting to discuss the future of dairying. This research is important as our industry works to improve health and well-being of dairy farm workers and cattle, in addition to improving public perceptions of the business. This generation of students will lead dairy initiatives, set … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – April 22, 2021
Feeding cattle seaweed reduces their greenhouse gas emissions 82 percent Source: My Vet Candy, April 19, 2021. Link. "We now have sound evidence that seaweed in cattle diet is effective at reducing greenhouse gases and that the efficacy does not diminish over time.” - Ermias Kebreab Even Moses knew about biosecurity Source: Watt … [Read more...]
Listening without getting defensive
Hearing is physiological. Listening is psychological. We listen to acquire knowledge and receive information. But it is easy to get distracted. One of the main distractions is how we respond to something we hear. Are we triggered? Are we half-listening while preparing to talk about our agenda? Or are we listening on autopilot? Jennifer Wolkin says we need to practice … [Read more...]
Weaned calves worth $50 more than unweaned calves
Nearly 400,000 calves sold through Superior Livestock Auction during the summer of 2020. The weaned calves garnered about $50 more than their unweaned herd mates, based on sale price data analyzed from seven value-added programs. Source: Bovine Veterinarian, February 2021. Link. INSIGHTS: Greg Henderson’s article shares the study results, as well as an overview of the … [Read more...]
Equine influenza virus – a review
EIV is rarely fatal, it is highly contagious and can lead to significant performance impairment and economic loss when outbreaks occur. Similar to influenza in other species, EIV is spread primarily via the respiratory route. The AAEP considers equine influenza virus a risk-based disease, meaning it is not necessarily warranted for every horse. For horses considered at risk, … [Read more...]
Cats 101 resources, Fear Free Happy Homes
Complimentary Content More than 55,000 professionals have become Fear Free Certified and there are now more than 140 Fear Free Certified Practices. In addition to animal health professionals’ efforts, Fear Free Happy Homes provides resources directly to pet owners. One example is the Cats 101 kit created to help cat owners learn feline fundamentals. Source: Fear Free … [Read more...]
Let’s review NSAIDs
NSAIDs are commonly used in veterinary practice. Like most routine behaviors, it is good to routinely review the why and. Natalie Smith, DVM, and Claire L. Fellman, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, DACVCP, provide their top five situations for judicious NSAID use, along with important considerations for patient safety. Source: Clinician’s Brief, March 2021. Link. NSAIDs are important … [Read more...]
IAMS launches first-of-its-kind NOSEiD app
Complimentary Content In honor of National Pet ID Week, April 17 through 23, IAMS is launching the beta version of the new NOSEiD mobile app, available throughout Nashville and the surrounding area. The NOSEiD app uses first-of-its-kind nose-scanning smartphone technology to help identify lost dogs by their unique nose print. Source: PR Newswire, April 19, 2021. Link. The … [Read more...]
Lest we forget . . . productive inactivity
The 2021 return to something considered more normal threatens some of what society has learned during pandemic challenges, WFH and forced pauses. In a recent blog post, Cal Newport contrasts our current states where ambition is intertwined with overload against how John Steinbeck embraced a sort of heroic inactivity. Source: Cal Newport, February 21, 2021. Link. Steinbeck … [Read more...]
Rural broadband plagued by poor mapping, high costs
Weaknesses in broadband coverage in rural areas were highly evident in 2020. House Agriculture Committee members heard from those who expressed the need to update maps on areas that remain underserved, as well as offer flexible funding to spread out costs to extend broadband coverage. Extended broadband coverage is important to extend the value of telehealth for all species, … [Read more...]
How to generate more clients at your veterinary practice
Opinion We held this article to position it now, one year post-Covid-19 shutdowns and the anniversary of the first wave of pet adoptions that followed. Robert Sanchez is no stranger to veterinary practices and his article is purposeful and valuable. He applies sales terminology to new customer acquisition tactics. Considering the timing, we believe it is important to … [Read more...]
4 things Gen Z and millennials expect from their workplace
To develop the next generation of organizational leaders, Ed Boyle says every employer needs to ask, “What do our younger workers want from the workplace?” Above all, Gen Z and millennials want an employer who cares about their wellbeing Gen Z and millennials want their leaders to be ethical Older millennials want open, transparent leaders Gen Z and younger … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – April 15, 2021
What bears can teach us about exercise habits Source: New York Times, April 7, 2021. Link. Like us, bears are inherently lazy. Scientists are finding out why. Their results are remarkable. The time has come to start training the pets for your return to work Source: CNN, April 11, 2021. Link. Millions of adopted pets have no sense … [Read more...]
U.S. dairy cows upcycle up to 306 million pounds of food waste every day
Cows have been targets of bad press in recent years. But thanks to the rumen, cows divert millions of pounds of food waste from landfills. In the process they turn byproducts into milk, meat and manure. Georgie Smith shares the benefits of upcycling tasks cows perform. Source: The Daily Churn, July 24, 2020. Link. … [Read more...]
Study reveals possible role of insects in ASF transmission
In a newly published study, African swine fever viruses have been detected in blood-sucking insects, particularly in those found on farms where pigs are present. While direct transmission was not conclusive, the study reinforces the need to consider insects in biosecurity efforts. Source: Feed Strategy, April 7, 2021. Link. INSIGHTS: Fly control has always been important … [Read more...]