Lara A. Sypniewski, DVM, DABVP, CVA, CCRP, shares her thoughts about CBD use in pets. She is optimistic that potential treatment options for CBD will be explored and tested more fully in the near future but, unfortunately, she doesn’t believe we are there just yet. . . . it is essential that pet owners understand product concerns, marketing hype and the limitations of current … [Read more...]
Why dogs run away when they are called
Whether bullheaded or poorly trained, some dogs go the opposite direction when called to come. Victoria Schade shares common errors dog owners make when dealing with dogs that won’t return to hand. Source: PetMD. Link. Instead of having a conversation with your dog when you want him to come running, it’s better to use a single-word cue, like “come” or “here,” and then follow … [Read more...]
Drat those mats!
Matting in their hair often creates discomfort and potential skin issues for dogs. Wendy Newell offers basic grooming and matting tips. She includes tangle tips from professional groomers. Source: Dogster, April/May 2018. Link. Matted hair is the worst! It’s ugly, dirty, sometimes painful, and once it starts it can snowball out of control and become a health issue.” … [Read more...]
The primordial pouch is nothing to worry about
Don’t let that wad of swaying skin on a cat’s underbelly make cat owners feel like they’ve done something wrong with maintaining their cat’s svelte physique. That bag of flab was always there and is naturally part of feline anatomy. The big, wild cats have it too. It is often called the primordial pouch. Source: Tuft’s Catnip, March 2020. Link. The purpose of the primordial … [Read more...]
AAFP recently updated feline retrovirus guidelines
The guidelines panel determined there was a need to improve compliance with testing and vaccination recommendations in cats. The 2020 guidelines < link > are first official update to the document in 12 years. One objective was to ensure the new guidelines enabled practical use for all veterinarians. The 32-page illustrated document offers new information about feline … [Read more...]
Needle technology advancing quickly
Alternatives to traditional hypodermic needles are improving rapidly, says Mark Wilson. He shares some of the advancements being developed for the human marketplace. These will interest some animal health pros. Now if the world of science could just do something about people’s irrational fear of vaccines, we’d really have something.” – Mark Wilson Source: Fast Company, … [Read more...]
Manage fire ants with planning
Red imported fire ants infest pastures, hay fields, barns and equipment. They injure livestock, horses, pets and us, too. Creating a fire ant control plan helps ensure the greatest efficacy using the right products. Antixx Fire Ant Bait <link> (link to tech sheet PDF) from AHD sponsor Neudorff USA is an effective tool that fits a sound fire ant management plan. Spinosad, … [Read more...]
Good VCPR important for all animals, even horses
David Ramey, DVM, shares experiences in managing the VCPR with horse clients. He focuses on the challenges of communications and reminds us that the P is what it is all about. . . . it seems that just about anything that I say to people about their horses comes with an undertone of apprehension. Given that people are asking me advice for how to care for their horses, I am … [Read more...]
National FFA Week in progress (video)
Agriculture is more than planting and harvesting. It involves science, business and more. There’s no doubt that some of today’s 700,000-plus FFA members are tomorrow’s future biologists, chemists, veterinarians, engineers and entrepreneurs. 2020’s National FFA Week (Feb. 22-Feb. 29) is a time for FFA members to host activities that raise awareness about the role of FFA in … [Read more...]
Talents don’t always mean performance
No matter how talented someone might be, there is no guarantee that their talents will translate into top performance. The science of human potential has generally illustrated that an individual’s overarching competence cannot be fully understood unless we also account for their emotional make-up, preferences, and dispositions. Source: Harvard Business Review, March 18, … [Read more...]
Customer service: Smiles are not enough
For repeatable, sustainable customer service excellence, you need systems and standards for the great people you hire, writes Micah Solomon. Standards are ways of delineating “how we do things around here.” Systems are slightly more elaborate; they are essentially groups of standards. Standards and systems are both important components to successfully serving … [Read more...]
366 days this year. Saturday is February 29th.
2020 starts a new decade and is also a leap year. Leap day falls on a Saturday, to boot. Here are ideas for the bonus day this coming this weekend: Take a 29-minute walk Spend 29 focused minutes and realign with your life objectives Reconnect with at least one person who you’ve been meaning to call Share time with your kids, significant other or remaining … [Read more...]
Fire ants can seriously hurt pets
The red imported fire ant can seriously sting and occasionally kill small animals. Young, caged or those with difficulty moving are most apt to be stung. The ants are especially attracted to open sores, hot spots and wounds making attacks even more dangerous to an already weakened animal. Effective fire ant control is possible with Antixx Fire Ant Bait <link> from AHD … [Read more...]
Why salespeople struggle at leading
The first of the year always brings changes in company hierarchies. Dina Gerdeman discusses sad scenarios that often play out. Top-performing salespeople get promoted to become sales managers, but don’t actually know how to manage. Unable to disconnect from the thrill of selling, the result brings productivity issues, disgruntled salespeople head for the door and the new … [Read more...]
PRRS made swine industry better
PRRS remains the number-one cause of economic impact in the U.S. swine industry. First described in the U.S. in the late 1980s < link >, PRRS has challenged swine veterinarians and producers to improvement all management practices. In addition to biosecurity advancements, PRRS made the swine industry better in five ways: Improved communication Fostered … [Read more...]
Equine body condition tips
Gauging a horse’s weight without a scale is inexact, so most horse owners must rely on other methods for monitoring their horses’ body condition. Veterinarians and nutritionists encourage horse owners to use the Henneke Body Condition Scoring system. Factors such as height, breed, and reproductive status will affect weight, and you can’t identify a ‘healthy weight range’ that … [Read more...]
Helping foals survive in this pathogen-filled world
Christa Lesté-Lasserre, MA, reminds us that an uneventful arrival of a new foal isn’t a guarantee that all is going to be fine. She provides the green lights and red flags of neonatal health along with guidelines on how to handle the warning signs and what to expect if a foal’s health goes downhill. Source: The Horse, February 2020. Link. (paywall) Lesté-Lasserre discusses … [Read more...]
The Easter bunny has company
Farm stores are preparing for the classic Easter chicks and rabbits. Now, some sell miniature goats. Angela von Weber-Hahnsberg discusses goat farming with pygmy goats and other miniature goat breeds. The small size and unique traits of miniature goats attract children, newcomers to the world of goats, and veteran goat breeders alike. Miniature goats of all kinds are … [Read more...]
The emotional gauntlet of raising meat chickens and other livestock
One person’s chicken is another person’s dinner. It is an age-old challenge for animal owners who work hard at having healthy food animals. Consumers avoid visualizing a living, breathing animal as the source of the neat, plastic-wrapped package sliding over a scanner at the grocery. Marissa Ames provides thought-filled perspectives on raising animals for meat protein. She … [Read more...]
My cat has a cold sore (vivid photos)
Clients rarely notice their dog's or cat's oral ulcerations, says Dr. Jan Bellows. Oral ulcers arise from inside or outside causes and they are wounds that require treatment. Ulcer persistence depends on their etiology and the animal's ability to self- repair. Treating these painful lesions in dogs and cats requires figuring out what's causing them. – Jan Bellows, DVM, DAVDC, … [Read more...]
MeYeow! Trim those nails.
Now that declawing is not a standard recommendation, routine education about trimming cat nails is warranted. Trimming feline nails at home is less stressful for cats, cheaper and more convenient for cat owners. But, it doesn’t come without challenges. The least=stress nail trimming occurs when cat owners routinely handle their cats’ paws as a part of interacting with … [Read more...]
Opinion – Managing obesity? You have to count the treats.
In a recent post referencing the 2020 Banfield report <link>, I shared the experience of adjusting the diet for our Morkie. The discovery of the number of Kcals in his treats led me to seek resources that help animal health pros counsel pet owners on the impact of calories from treats. Treats are frequently mentioned in articles that give nutritional guidance, but limited … [Read more...]
Pet nutrition important to professional groomers and boarders
Groomers and boarders know more than hair. Nutrition is important, too and they discuss it often. Source: Understanding the nutritional needs of pets, Pet Boarding and Daycare, January/February 2020. Link. Content was provided by the Professional Pet Boarding Council < link > INSIGHTS: There are more than 25,000 persons engaged as professional groomers and in pet … [Read more...]
Pet groomers gathering in Pasadena
The Groom ExpoWest gathers groomers from across the country February 20 to 23. One of multiple expos across the United States, groomers and pet boarding pros will expand their knowledge, explore new products and tools plus network with each other. Source: GROOMEXPOWEST. Link. The styling contest is the highlight of the expo. INSIGHTS: Grooming and boarding pros not … [Read more...]
Dealing with procrastination
Eric Olszewski stopped putting things off when he learned to see life as one big deadline. A perpetual procrastinator, he would let time fly by until panic set in, at which point he finally buckled down and did whatever it took to get through the work he was avoiding. He learned he was suffering from too much freedom. . . . simply overwhelmed by the multitude of options in my … [Read more...]
Protect customers from themselves
It’s conventional wisdom to sell how a customer wants to buy, but that isn’t always in the customer’s best interest. Many customers have unknowingly self-sabotaged (Dr. Google) their own buying process. It is a trusted advisor’s role to save customers from the consequences of their own actions. Source: LinkedIn Pulse, February 11, 2020. Link. Here’s the seller’s quandary: … [Read more...]
It’s not your phone. It’s you.
Stanford communication scholar Gabriella Harari finds that it is personality that influences how people use their digital devices. Technology is a medium to channel our everyday behavior. Her research examines two broad questions and challenges previous theories: What do digital media reveal about personality? How might digital media change personality? Source: … [Read more...]
Quiz: Is your ego is hurting your success? (video)
Suzy Welch offers ways to determine if you are confident or arrogant. She says, “Success makes some people grow, and it makes some people swell.” Source: CNBC, July 2019. Link. Also see: Related posts from Animal Health Digest Me. Me. Stop talking so much about yourself, February 11, 2020. Link. This was the most read post from the February 13, 2020 Bulletin … [Read more...]
Research: Why we’re motivated by discounts and surcharges
Alicea Lieberman and Kristen Duke discuss research on the structure of an incentive as either a surcharge or a discount. Incentives can be used to shape people’s behavior. Their research suggests that these tools can be effective, not only in changing one-time behaviors, but also in shaping social norms. Source: Harvard Business Review, February 13, 2020 <link> . . . … [Read more...]
Free horse advice is worth what you pay for it
Not discounting internet and social relationships, Kaylon Sullins Robinson asserts there are questions that when asked online could lead you and your horse into a dangerous or unhealthy situation. She highlights three: Should I call the vet? How can I fix this? What bit should I use? Note that Robinson recommends calling the veterinarian or trainer in each of her … [Read more...]