Women have always faced unique challenges in the workplace, particularly when it comes to self-promotion, writes Charlene Walters, MBA, PhD, and career coach. She says modesty isn't always a good thing. Yet, according to a 2019 survey of working women, 84 percent said they feel uncomfortable talking about professional or academic accomplishments, and more than 69 percent said … [Read more...]
Who’s who: North American veterinary consolidators
Complimentary Content Our industry has seen rapidly expanding consolidation since 1987. It has changed the veterinary business landscape worldwide. More than 60 veterinary consolidators are involved today and there will likely be more, says Ivan Zak, DVM. Zak explains consolidators by type providing the list of active consolidators and their: Source of financing … [Read more...]
Review: Overhead costs and calculating them
We shared 3 ways to create an employee-owned culture last week. In a previous role, a savvy leader transparently shared overhead costs, how they were calculated and how they were attached to every element of servicing internal and external stakeholders. His objective was to educate the team on the economics of the business beyond looking at top-line sales and empower a greater … [Read more...]
Speed and resilience: 5 priorities for the next 5 months
Over the past year, adrenaline unlocked speed. In the near future, speed will need to arrive by design, say the authors. As businesses recover from COVID-19-related disruption and reimagine themselves for the next normal, they need to ask—and answer—five questions. Source: McKinsey and Company, March 29, 2021. Link. Businesses need to ask and answer the following five … [Read more...]
Changing feline eating habits can be good
Donna Raditic DVM, DACVN, CVA challenges traditional feeding habits and suggests encouraging diet variety for cats. She outlines rationales and benefits with catvocate Steve Dale. Source: Catster, March 31, 2021. Link. Think about what cats do in the wild. It makes sense to offer a cat two or three diets, each with different textures, tastes and smells (unless the cat is … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – April 1, 2021
Where veterinary medicine is (likely) headed over the next decade Source: Today’s Veterinary Business, February 2021. Link. Douglas G. Aspros, DVM, highlights four things he thinks are in the future. Some are driven by technology and others are systems-based. As always, changes in social perspectives and values will be key. Podcast: … [Read more...]
Crack control: Cause and prevention of toe cracks in horses
In an excerpt from The Essential Hoof Book, writers Susan Kauffmann and Christina Cline share information on the toe crack, one of the most common types of hoof crack. . . . toe cracks are most often due to a combination of mechanical stresses in the toe region paired with compromised laminae that cause a lack of good connection between the wall and the coffin bone.” Source: … [Read more...]
Equine strangles. Identifying the chronic shedder
Strangles occurs when Streptococcus equi subsp equi, a gram-positive, aerobic coccal bacteria, enters the mouth or nose and attaches to the tonsillar crypts, writes Kate L. Hepworth-Warren, DVM, DACVIM. Chronic shedders are often the culprit in new outbreaks when horses suddenly develop signs of strangles with no known exposure. A chronic shedder also can make it difficult to … [Read more...]
Shoe removal. A skill for every horse enthusiast (video).
Certified journeyman farrier Lee Olsen demonstrates how to pull a horseshoe off of a hoof. It is a skill every horse owner should know. Source: Western Horseman. Link. … [Read more...]
Disease Du Jour podcast: New equine vet skill sets
Complimentary Sponsored Content The equine veterinary community is worried about two large problems when it comes to new veterinarians joining the industry. One is getting new vets who have sufficient skills to begin in practice. The second is keeping equine veterinarians to stay in practice within the first five years of graduation. Source: EquiManagement, March 25, … [Read more...]
Mother’s Day flowers that are BIG risks to pets
Marie Carter-Robb shares the 10 most common Mother’s Day flower varieties that are a risk to dogs and cats. Tulips, carnations, and lilies top the list. Consider sharing this warning on social media and in newsletters. Source: Pets Magazine, March 11, 2020. Link. Also see: 12 pet-safe flowers for Mother's Day, ASPCA, May 6, 2020. Link. … [Read more...]
Shoelaces smoked with bacon. Say what?
As if dogs needed more incentive to chew shoes, Oscar Mayer teamed up with Black Ops Productions to create 1,500 pairs of limited-edition shoelaces cold-smoked with Hardwood Smoked Bacon to capture their scent. Source: ADWEEK, March 26, 2021. Link. Fans have until April 1 to tweet with the hashtags #OscarCookMyKicks and #Sweepstakes. … [Read more...]
How to help a dog with separation anxiety
Complimentary Sponsored Content Claire Walther, DVM, shares three ways to address separation anxiety: environmental management, behavior modification and pharmaceutical options. Walther is a Zoetis Petcare medical lead. Source: Zoetis Petcare. Link. Changes in a dog’s life can also trigger separation anxiety even if they haven’t had problems with it before. Even changes … [Read more...]
Healthy Puppy Month effort seeks to raise $20,000 for parvovirus research
Complimentary Content Revival Animal Health and Good Dog are teaming up to celebrate Healthy Puppy Month and raise money for parvovirus research. All month long, puppy owners and caretakers are encouraged to sign the Healthy Puppy Pledge. For every signature, Revival and Good Dog will donate $1 to Morris Animal Foundation, up to $20,000, to help fund parvovirus … [Read more...]
Emergency clinic owner shares Talkatoo experiences
Sponsored Content Practice owner, Lindsay Ruland, DVM, shares her experiences with Talkatoo during an interview with William Forsey. Her clinic story, management decisions and where Talkatoo has proven valuable are woven through the discussion. Source: Talkatoo. Link. Talkatoo works with medical record entry but also with emails. After a day of surgery, my hands are … [Read more...]
Emails, legit or not? Here’s how to tell
Sponsored Content There are a lot of emails that look legitimate but are not. Here's how to verify the website that is sent to you is really your bank or vendor. You can also learn if the website contains malicious activity that will put you at risk. Source: Lucca Veterinary Data Security. Link. … [Read more...]
New grooming series, ‘Pooch Perfect’ coming to ABC
'Pooch Perfect' is the ulti-mutt dog grooming competition series, says ABC. The eight-episode reality series will showcase 10 of the best dog groomers in the country, and their assistants, competing in a series of paw-some themed challenges. The series, hosted by actress Rebel Wilson, premieres Tuesday, March 30, 2021 8:00 p.m. EDT|7:00 p.m. CDT on ABC! Source: ABC, … [Read more...]
Embracing the digital pet ecosystem
The digital pet ecosystem refers to anything digital that connects you to a client and their pet, writes Bruce Truman. The time is now for individuals and practice teams to embrace the opportunity to meet client expectations for services. The new age pet parent wants engagement. They are interested in online chat or text services, monthly payment plans, loyalty programs, … [Read more...]
Managing your manager begins with saying what you need
Susan Fowler shares three tips for managing up that are proven, simple and effective. She guarantees they will improve your productivity and relationship with your boss at the same time: Don’t ask a dumb question Under promise and over deliver Flip the feedback Source: SmartBrief, March 24, 2021. Link. Studies show that being proactive during the day reduces your … [Read more...]
Why it’s vital to say “please” and “thank you”
There are those who were never taught basic etiquette and are ignorant to proper manners. Others have adopted bad habits and don’t even realize how they come across to people. And yes, some folks are rude and ungrateful; all they think about is themselves. While you may think that saying “please” and “thank you” is a mere nicety, failing to do so is more significant than you … [Read more...]
Study: Brand activism sways buying behaviors, brand impressions
Piplsay's latest survey finds that most U.S. consumers view brand activism in a positive light, even if questions about the reasoning and impact of the movement remain. The survey also found differences of opinion across gender and generational lines. . . . differences suggest that brand activism is still an important strategy, but one that must be undertaken with care, … [Read more...]
Pet products landscape is continuously evolving
“The omnimarket experience has redefined the way pet owners search for, find and buy pet products. It transcends retail channels and product categories,” shared David Sprinkle, publisher and research direction for Packaged Facts. He said, “. . . the humanization of companion animals is increasingly evident with pet food, especially evident with fresh pet food, with pet food … [Read more...]
Synchronous versus asynchronous
An educated industry colleague shared constructive criticism about semantics recently. It was aimed at two terms frequently used as tele-everything is developing in animal health and remote capabilities continue to expand. Veterinary practices have long been hands-on providing support and treatment in real time. Therefore synchronous. The pandemic increased the adoption … [Read more...]
11 trends that will shape HR in 2021
Brian Kropp, chief of HR research at Gartner, recently shared his top predictions of trends that will shape HR in 2021. He predicts it will be another year full of reinvention. Here are three of his trend predictions: Shift from managing the employee experience to managing the life experience of your employees Flexibility moves from location to time The … [Read more...]
3 ways to create an employee-owned culture
An employee-owned culture isn’t necessarily about owning a stake in the company, writes Heidi Lynne Kurter. It is also referred to as participative management where management involves employees in decision making. . . . an employee-owned culture is, where employees feel a sense of ownership over their decisions, performance and results.” Source: Fast Company, March 25, 2021. … [Read more...]
Women can be strong leaders
Once upon a time, revealing your emotions in the workplace was considered a sign of weakness, especially for women. However, “once upon a time,” is the opening line of fairy tales. Passion, compassion, and emotional intelligence are leadership strengths and always have been Source: Business News Daily, April 1, 2019. Link. Every successful entrepreneur and business leader … [Read more...]
Omnichannel, asynchronous, decision support, home delivery terms of future pet business
Opinion Changes to the ways we live and work could mean years of extra business for pet supply stores, says Erich Schwartzel. His article prompts reflection on how we got here from an animal health supply and services standpoint. Source: The long tail of the pandemic puppy business, Wall Street Journal, March 26, 2021. Link. Petco, the animal-supply retailer, was a … [Read more...]
B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 variant, pets and myocarditis
Scott Weese, DVM, says the first report of the B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 variant being found in a dog and cat in Texas will cause a bit of concern, but unnecessarily. He reviews and challenges a recent paper yet to be peer-reviewed. This study simply showed that animals can be infected. It does not indicate anything about pets’ role in outbreak dynamics or anything else. Source: … [Read more...]
This ain’t chicken feed
While poultry enthusiasts may be working for idiomatic chicken feed, there are recommended steps to decide what to feed chickens. Janet Garman helps make sense of all the choices. Source: Backyard Poultry, March 18, 2021. Link. The first consideration for what to feed chickens is their nutritional requirements. Chickens need protein, carbohydrates, and fats, along with the … [Read more...]
Spring into horse care as weather warms
Complimentary Commercial Content from SmartPak Christine Barakat and Dusty Perin cover laminitis prevention to mud management to vaccination scheduling in this volume of EQUUS Extra. Items include: 14 things to do for your horse this season Spring horse keeping priorities Reduce the risk of laminitis Source: EQUUS Extra, Volume 40, Spring 2020. … [Read more...]