Veterinarian Andrew Bullis offers a firsthand count of a difficult euthanasia case that is a prime example of one of the reasons veterinarian suicide rates may be higher than the average population. Put simply, the job is not always easy, nor fair. Source: SLATE, February 5, 2003. Link. You see, our business is healing, yes. But you all know there’s only so much we can do. … [Read more...]
Vet clinics, rehab centers and spas, morphing quickly to meet client needs
While the great pet adoption boom during the pandemic has subsided, its effects on the industry are only growing. Grooming, long-term care and boarding are just a few of the services clients are demanding and clinic owners are stepping up to meet the demands, despite debt that may be incurred. This has led to modified and new facilities that prioritize pets’ needs. Source: … [Read more...]
Seasonal affective disorder is. Here are the signs.
For millions of Americans, this time of year is tough. As the days get shorter and colder, they suffer from sadness and struggle. What affects them is winter pattern season affective disorder, or SAD. It’s more than just the winter blues and can last up to five months. This article offers sources believed to cause SAD, its signs and ways to get relief. Source: The Washington … [Read more...]
Gen Z speaks, writes differently than their bosses
If you are perplexed by young employees’ writing and conversation, chances are they’re just as confused by yours. Those born between 1997 and 2012 are bringing their own style of communication to work. In multigenerational workplaces, this new style can create confusion and angst. This article offers examples of how new and traditional styles of communication can help bridge … [Read more...]
Is customer service bad by design?
Animal health customer service pros and their executives will want to invest the time to listen to this episode of On Point. It takes on customer service frustration and success from customers’ and employees’ points of view. The discussion among the host and two customer experience experts features relevant examples of poorly designed customer journeys and ways to improve … [Read more...]
New interventions against pinkeye may be on the way
Scientists recently revealed there are two variants, or genotypes of Moraxella bovis, a bacterium that causes pinkeye in cattle. This discovery helps scientists understand how different types of M. bovis cause infection an how to help develop preventive measures to protect cattle. Source: BeefProducer, October 25, 2022. Link. USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and … [Read more...]
Understand what your dog wants
Dogs understand us better than we understand them. They’re always communicating with us, but we often don’t take them time or effort to understand what they’re saying. This can lead to emotional and behavior problems. This first-person account of learning about canine behaviors can help us understand what dogs are telling us. Source: The New York Times Well newsletter, June … [Read more...]
Melting glaciers may bring the next pandemic
Melting ice may bring the next pandemic, according to recent data. Genetic analysis of soil and lake sediments from Lake Hazen, the largest high Arctic freshwater lake in the world, suggests the risk of a virus infecting a host for the first time may be higher close to melting glaciers. Source: The Guardian, October 18, 2022. Link. For instance, last year, researchers at … [Read more...]
Cardiologist studying female animals to gain insight into women’s health
Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, a cardiologist with the University of California – Los Angeles, is once again studying animals to explore health connections between them and humans. Her current focus is on cross-species similarities in female health and she hopes to fill historical research gaps about diseases that primarily affect women. She says understanding our place in the … [Read more...]
Infectious disease risk for horses rises after natural disasters
Horse owners throughout the Southeast and Puerto Rico are cleaning up after Hurricane Ian. No matter where a natural disaster occurs, it increases the risk of horses contracting serious infectious diseases. University of Florida’s Sally DeNotta reminds us about core diseases and the importance of vaccination. Source: University of Florida Extension, October 7, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
Pet surrenders climb as pandemic conditions ease
Predictions that dogs and cats adopted during the pandemic would be returned to shelters in great numbers once the pandemic ended have not proven true. Other types of pets are not having the same luck. Advocates for smaller animals are seeing the beginning of a tide of reptiles, birds, rodents and fish being given up. Source: The New York Times, October 1, 2022. Link. Small … [Read more...]
Employees, where are your manners?
Business etiquette is on the decline, according to those interviewed by writer Callum Borchers. He interviewed five business professionals who cite various reasons for the downturn, as well as potential negative consequences for poor manners. Potential hires, existing employees and hiring personnel share equal blame for the trend. Source: The Wall Street Journal, September … [Read more...]
7 things to think about when it comes to BRD
Bovine respiratory disease remains the costliest disease in the U.S. cattle industry. Despite research and years of work trying to manage for the disease, the industry struggles to address it. Rhonda Brooks, Bovine Practitioner editor, assembled experts to offer seven ways to help manage BRD. Source: Bovine Veterinarian, August 25, 2022. Link. Here are seven factors – from … [Read more...]
When is it time to apologize at work?
In professional settings, apologies can get complicated. You don’t want to apologize too often for minor mistakes, but you don’t want to be the one who refuses to apologize for anything. Context of the mistake is important when considering an apology. This post offers guidance on when to apologize and alternative statements for, “I’m sorry.” Source: Grammarly blog, August … [Read more...]
Foot rot can be a problem in dry or wet conditions
Foot rot in cattle can be a problem whether conditions are wet or dry. The bacterium responsible for it is always present in healthy skin. But it needs an injury or wet skin to cause problems. With ongoing drought in some regions and waterlogging in others, reminding beef and dairy cattle owners to be on the lookout for foot rot is good counsel. Source: University of Florida … [Read more...]
Heat stress negatively affects bull fertility
It’s hot and it hurts bulls’ fertility. A bull’s ability to produce quality quantities of semen is important to successful breeding and rebreeding programs. If heat stressed, bulls could have lower sperm concentrations than normal. Plus, heat stressed bulls produce semen of lower quality than bulls who weren’t heat stressed. Source: Progressive Cattle, July 19, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
The price of canine cancer treatment stunned her
Kim Kavin’s 12-year-old mutt, Blue, was diagnosed with a tumor. An oncologist offered hope, but it would be expensive. Kavin had already $2,000 in three days and the next CT scan was going to be $2,500. Radiation therapy after that would be $9,500. Blue received stereotactic radiation, a gold-standard radiation treatment for humans. Fortunately, Kavin held a pet insurance … [Read more...]
Arizona bill addresses veterinarian shortage with incentives
A bill put forward by the Arizona Humane Society and Humane Society of Southern Arizona, sponsored by Senator T.J. Shope has been signed into law as part of the state’s budget next year. The bill creates a new Arizona Veterinary Loan Assistance Program that will provide student loan reimbursement up to $100,000 to veterinarians who graduate from school after January 1, 2023. To … [Read more...]
Vaccine guide is helpful for newbies and pros
This recent post by University of Florida Extension offers a good overview of how vaccines work, the types of vaccines available and how to handle and administer them. It can serve as a training guide for new employees, be a refresher for pros, be sent as a follow-up to customers and used as an educational aid for new cattle owners. 4-Hers and FFAers working with calves will … [Read more...]
Petco begins serving rural pets and farm animals
Petco launched a community-driven test concept to address the health and wellness needs of pets and farm animals in rural communities. The grand opening of the first location was in Floresville, Texas, last Friday. The Neighborhood Farm & Pet Supply centers will be new, standalone retail facilities located at the heart of small towns and rural communities. The company … [Read more...]
A dog’s breed tells little about his behavior (2 of 2)
In last week’s “Worth a Glance” section, we featured an article from The Washington Post with the headline, “Looking for a well-behaved dog? Breed may not tell you much.” An observant AHD Bulletin subscriber who works for Best Friends Animal Society pointed out a supportive article in The Atlantic and the worthwhile reading of the original study to put things in greater … [Read more...]
1 in 2 vets exposed to online abuse – British Veterinary Association
Recent statistics from the Voice of the Veterinary Profession Survey show that online abuse of veterinary professionals is as common as in-person abuse. Fifty seven percent of veterinarians in clinical practice reported they felt intimidated by clients’ language or behavior during the past year. This is an increase of 10 percent since the question was last asked in 2019. The … [Read more...]
Hunting feral hogs makes the problem worse
Hunting and killing may help with the feral hog population numbers, but it’s not the solution to this disastrous problem, according to John Tomecek, associate wildlife professor and extension wildlife specialist at Texas A&M University. Hunting spreads hogs across the landscape. Feral hogs move in groups called sounders. The best way to get rid of them is to get rid of a … [Read more...]
Watch for laminitis in horses this spring
With spring comes the availability of fast-growing summer forage. As horses increase their intake, laminitis can become an issue. Laminitis is the damage and inflammation of the tissue between the hoof and the coffin bone. Nick Simmons offers an overview and resources from the University of California-Davis, University of Florida and Oklahoma State University. Source: … [Read more...]
Scientists decode pig emotions from their sounds
Swine language is the new talk of the town. Researchers in Europe recorded 7,414 sounds from 411 pigs in different scenarios from birth to death. They also measured heart rate and monitored behavior. The researchers then developed an algorithm to determine if pigs were experiencing a positive or negative emotion or something in between. Due to the impact of emotions on … [Read more...]
Keep rabbits safe from RHDV2 (includes video)
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 is a virus specific to rabbits that does not infect people. However, it can cause sudden death in rabbits. Rabbits that survive the infection shed the virus for up to 100 days after symptoms disappear and can infect other rabbits. The virus spread rapidly in Europe after its 2010 discovery in France and has been spreading in the U.S. since … [Read more...]
Pets afflicted with pandemic pounds just like us
Veterinarians blame extra treats and table scraps given to pets since the coronavirus pandemic began as the primary reason for a whopping increase of pet obesity. Banfield Pet Hospital found nearly 40 percent of cats and almost 35 percent of dogs were diagnosed as overweight in 2020, up from less than 20 percent a decade ago. Source: The New York Times, March 4, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
Dealing with cats with urinary troubles
When cats are presented with urination issues, open-ended, follow-up questions by the veterinary nurse helps the veterinarian make a definitive diagnosis. writes Paula Plummer LVT, VTS (ECC, SAIM). She reminds veterinary nurses why being knowledgeable about pathophysiology is important to the conversations with clients about their pets. Plummer shares useful information when … [Read more...]
White-tailed deer can get Covid-19
A recent series of studies have showed white-tailed deer can become infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. Other studies show wild white-tailed deer can also become infected. Samantha Wisely, professor of wildlife ecology at the University of Florida, details how to keep disease transmission from deer to humans low. Source: University of Florida Extension, … [Read more...]
Pets can be an important part of your business plan
More than 70 percent of U.S. households include a pet and 88 percent of them think of it as part of the family. Plus, according to an ASPCA survey, 23 million American households added a new pet since the beginning of the pandemic. Modern pet parents want housing, workplaces, products and experiences to recognize and integrate their animals. Put another way — if your … [Read more...]