Mental health conditions affect more than 200 million workdays each year, yet mental health remains a taboo subject. About 60 percent of employees have never spoken to anyone at work about their mental health status. Mental health is becoming the next frontier of diversity and inclusion, and employees want their companies to address it. Source: Harvard Business Review, … [Read more...]
Adults get bullied, too!
Mark Goulston, MD, says about one-third of American adults has been bullied during adulthood. They experienced stress, depression, diminished confidence and/or lost sleep as a result. Bullies don’t attack because something is wrong with their victims. They do so as a strategy to prevent people from noticing their own inadequacies, such as incompetence or … [Read more...]
Take ownership of the review culture
Online reviews have the power to grow or hinder your business. Eighty four percent of consumers read and trust online reviews, and consumers have never been more open—or vile—with their opinions. Consider the results of a recent Brightpearl study to fine tune your customer experience and response to online reviews. The study found that 77 percent of one- to three-star reviews … [Read more...]
Chasing customer experience excellence
Experience is everything. Here’s how to get it right, according to PWC research. Its team dived deeply into customer experience development. Consider this information in the context of developing services and support for animal owners and animal health stakeholders. Today, 64% of U.S. consumers and 59% of all consumers feel companies have lost touch with the human element of … [Read more...]
Managing our attention
Wish there were more hours in the day? Sorry. Everyone gets 24 – no more, no less. If you’re serious about personal productivity, time is not the most critical issue. Personal productivity is mainly about attention. Source: Forbes, October 8, 2019. Link. The first person we will break an appointment with is always ourselves, requiring us to spend time “dragging” tasks from … [Read more...]
Fall foliage, while pretty, can be toxic
This interactive map predicts the timing of color changes in leaves across the continental United States. Created to promote fall tourism reasons, the map is also a good tool for animal health pros to know when to warn animal owners about the potential for leaf toxicity. Fall leaves can be toxic to horses, livestock, small ungulates Source: smokymountains.com. Link. Experts … [Read more...]
Getting ready for snow
Snow across the northern plains signals the need to consider snow removal tools. If you already have a snowblower it is time to get it out and perform regular maintenance to keep it in top shape. Make sure couplings, hydraulics and lights are serviced and working on blades and snowplows. Do any blade repairs now before snow starts to accumulate. For those looking at getting … [Read more...]
Toxic algae a concern as hunters hit the fields (videos)
One area of pet safety concerns is the growing challenge of toxic blue-green algae. While not actually algae at all, they are types of bacteria called cyanobacteria. The bacteria are normally present in many lakes and stagnant waters. Not all states report where the cyanobacteria have been found, some do. The risk is that these bacteria form poisonous toxins, microcystins, … [Read more...]
What dogs see (video)
Enjoy this video clip that shows what the world looks like through the eyes of a canine. Use it on social media and link it in newsletters. Source: Healthy Pets, WebMD. Link. Dog’s eyes pick up on fewer colors than human eyes. A lot of things appear grayish brown but dogs see yellows and blues. Reds and greens are colors dogs don’t spot. … [Read more...]
Field research looks at what affects canine pulse rate during walks
Karen B. London, PhD, shares preliminary results from a recent field study < link > which explored the pulse rate of dogs on walks. Researchers found some interesting results related to leash length, sniffing and shaking-it-off behaviors. Longer leashes allowed more sniffing Sniffing and shaking-it-off both correlate with lowering pulse rates Source: The Bark, … [Read more...]
7 human foods that are good for dogs
In contrast to all the warnings about table scraps, Marcelle Chastain shares seven human foods that can be shared with dogs since they are high in nutrients and low in calories. She notes which fruits and vegetables require seed removal or cutting into chewable portions. Pears Watermelon Cucumbers Blueberries Celery Fresh peaches Carrots Source: Inside … [Read more...]
11 people foods that are OK for cats
Elizabeth Scott shares healthy treats using these human foods for cats: Lox Spinach Sardines Beef or chicken broth Blueberries Melon Cheese Chicken or turkey gizzards Fresh or frozen peas Nutritional yeast Eggs, cooked Source: Modern Cat. Link. INSIGHTS: Cat owners appreciate tips like this since so many felines are considered finicky. … [Read more...]
When the fur flies and how to stop cat fights
Cat fights are natural feline behavior. The key to stopping them lies in understanding why they are fighting in the first place. The author shares common causes for cat fights and how to address them: Hormones New cat smell Jealousy Territorial Proximity caging and positive behavior rewards Source: Catster, September 19, 2019. Link. Never reach in and try … [Read more...]
How many dogs does it take to change a lightbulb?
Tick or Treat? Brandy Arnold shares an old dog joke. As each breed answers the question, you’ll crack a smile. Source: Dogington Post, February 2012, Link. … [Read more...]
219 million people to dress pets for Halloween
The National Retail Federation annual survey results indicates there will a lot of four-legged pumpkins this Halloween with 172 million people planning to celebrate Halloween. Twenty-nine million of them plan to dress their pets in costumes. Animal health pros know Halloween is stressful for most pets before they get dressed up. We captured a selection of articles, tips and … [Read more...]
Baking soda and the horse barn
Baking soda? Yes, the common housecleaner has several uses in the horse barn, writes Christine Barakat: Scrub out water buckets and troughs Clean bits and metal stirrups Freshen horse’s laundry Deodorize drains Source: EQUUS, August 22, 2019. Link. INSIGHTS: We anticipate baking soda is useful in kennels and catteries, as well. Share the tip with horse and … [Read more...]
Land O’Lakes, American farmers treated well by CBS
The CBS program, 60 Minutes profiled Land O’Lakes CEO Beth Ford October 6. She is presented as the farmer’s advocate. The interview presents American farmers as the forward-thinking innovators they are. Source: 60 Minutes, October 6, 2019. Link. “A woman named Beth Ford has emerged as the farmer’s advocate. Last year, she became the CEO of Land O’Lakes. . . . But it’s also a … [Read more...]
What to know about keeping backyard chickens (podcast)
In this article and podcast, Maurice Pitesky, DVM, and host Andy Schneider, outline their top husbandry recommendations for managing, housing and feeding backyard birds. . . . many of the problems that arise in backyard flocks can be traced back to issues with husbandry. Good husbandry practices can minimize these stresses and let keepers get the most out of their … [Read more...]
Opinion – Contributing factors to indoor air quality
Confining animals to a barn, limited area or coop creates air-quality challenges for the animals and the people who care for them. The discussion of occupational exposures limits for humans versus animals is valid and applicable to most of these settings. This review summarizes the impact of air quality on swine production and discusses the main factors related to air … [Read more...]
Fungi directly linked to equine inflammatory airway disease (video)
A three-year study found a direct link between fungal particles in the lungs and inflammatory airway disease (IAD) in horses. Eliminating exposure to fungi is critical to IAD prevention. Source: Horse Network, October 2, 2019. Link. In the 700 horse study published by The Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine < link > researchers found that: fungal elements are … [Read more...]
Skinny horse notes
David Ramsey, DVM, brings the skinny horse into perspective. Bottom line, a skinny horse is not getting enough to eat, he says. But there may be some factors that limit the horse’s ability to gain and maintain weight> Owners may simply not know how much to feed the horse. Ramsey says, how much an individual horse needs depends on: Metabolism Horse’s activities … [Read more...]
Rethinking red meat
New nutrition recommendations published in the Annals of Internal Medicine < link > say that red and processed meats are not bad for us, contradicting current guidelines. A panel of 14 persons working in various fields related to nutrition used a research approach that rates the certainty of the evidence. They focused on the absolute risk rather than the relative risk of … [Read more...]
Second dog? Be ready for something different.
Here are tips that single-dog owners need to read BEFORE they become a multi-pet household. Commitment, pet matching, second pet age and schedule adjustments are presented. Two can be trickier than one . . . unless you prepare. Source: Associated Press, October 5, 2019. Link. For many pet owners and pets, the process can be challenging. The cheerful bonding they’d hoped for … [Read more...]
9 common dog training mistakes
“Are YOU the problem?” Teoti Anderson asks before she offers tips about common dog behavior problems. Not using clear, consistent cues is a common mistake people make when training their dogs. Her nine common mistakes dog owners make reducing the value of dog training efforts make for a good resource for social media, newsletters and for new pet orientations: Leaving a … [Read more...]
Treat-training works better than praise, punishment
Dogs respond best to food treats instead of petting praise or punishment, according to researchers. Erica Feuerbacher has found that dogs will stay near a person who’s praising them for the same amount of time as if they’re being ignored. Punishment also works to change behavior, but can have serious side effects including damaging the human-animal bond. Source: Associated … [Read more...]
5 things veterinary experts say owners should stop doing to dogs
Most dog owners unintentionally do certain things that can hurt their pets, writes Marcelle Chastain, who discussed the topic with veterinarians. Here are the top five things: Feeding human food Reinforcing separation anxiety Letting the dog take control Placing food bowls out of a dog’s reach Too much or too little exercise Source: Inside Pets World, … [Read more...]
Ideas to stop the infernal caterwauling at night
Being awakened by household cats in the wee hours of the morning can irritate cat owners. If the cat is healthy, then behavioral interventions are possible. Cat behaviorist, Mieshelle Nagelschnider, offers tips to address that pesky meowing: Feed later in the evening Keep your cat awake more during the Reset your cat’s internal hunting time clock Ignore the … [Read more...]
No answer to, “How many cats are too many?”
There is no magic number at which “how many” becomes “too many.” It’s more like a magic threshold one crosses at which point life goes from being “feline-friendly” to “feline-unhealthy.” The author discusses various elements of healthy cat socialization, bonding, space and resources. Source: PureWow, October 3, 2019. Link. Commenting on too many cats in one household, … [Read more...]
2019 PAW Report offers great insight
Seventy one percent of cat owners in the United Kingdom (UK) would like to change at least one of their cat’s behaviors, according to the 2019 Annual Paw Report <Link>. Based on surveys of UK residents, the report has useful insights for us all. Per the report, there is a decline in juvenile pets receiving vaccinations, and, perhaps less surprisingly, a large portion of … [Read more...]
Stem cell use growing, more work to do
With clinical use of stem cells in veterinary orthopedics growing, Nicole S. Amato, DVM, DACVS, offers answers to the question, “What does the current evidence show regarding efficacy?” She discusses terminology, stem cells sources and harvesting and clinical impact. Amato’s discussion of advantages and disadvantages leads to a conclusion. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSCT) … [Read more...]