Animal health pros and their customers love their dogs. Dog owners are often seen showing pictures of their dogs to friends and family sometimes before they show photos of their children. Pawsome compiled some photos of canines whose need for sleep has them in funky positions. Source: Pawsome, May 2018. Link. Dogs will nap literally anywhere they want as long as they are … [Read more...]
3 pie charts walk into a bar
Most animal health pros are familiar with the 80:20 rule or Pareto’s law. The 80:20 rule represents that 80 percent of your income comes from 20 percent of your customers. Terry Pageler playfully takes the analysis further to uncover challenges to consider in any business. Source: LinkedIn, May 1, 2018. Link. If you'd like actual pie charts for the sequence, they're … [Read more...]
Kevin O’Leary: brutal honesty pays (includes video)
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary, the "Mean Shark" and "Mr. Wonderful," is known for his brutal criticism of bad ideas. He believes this is one of his many admirable traits. Source: NBC Better, May 7. Link. Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary: Why it pays to be brutally honest INSIGHTS: We’re sharing this because of the popularity of the Shark Tank TV series. For most animal health … [Read more...]
Sponsorship programs could undermine women
A mother/daughter research team sought to gauge the efficacy of two isolated ideas related to sponsorship: the idea that being personally chosen by a sponsor as a protege could serve as an important vote of confidence the idea that linking sponsors’ compensation to their proteges’ outcomes might serve as further motivation to the proteges The results indicate certain … [Read more...]
The Bridge Club: great topics in May
May is a good time to experience the virtual gatherings on the Bridge Club platform. Spectrum of leadership, telemedicine, Gen Z, and VCPRs will all be discussion topics. Source: The Bridge Club. May overview: Link-1. Calendar of events: Link-2. The Bridge Club is here to broaden your circle of trust and influence and connect you with fresh personal, professional, and … [Read more...]
Smithfield: every pig, every pen, every day (includes video)
Consumer pressure and perceptions routinely challenge animal care and food production practices. To support the release of the Animal Care section of its "2017 Sustainability Report," Smithfield released a new 360-degree virtual reality video, which transports viewers to one of the company's wean-to-finish hog farms. The company recently used the technology to take viewers … [Read more...]
EHV-1 has horse owners on high alert
North Dakota and South Dakota recently confirmed cases of equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM, the neurologic form of EHV-1), a potentially fatal and reportable disease. Addressing the risk, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health issued warnings and is offering equine biosecurity tips for owners traveling with horses. Source: The Horse, May 3, 2018. Link. Horse owners … [Read more...]
Amazon launches its own line of pet food
Amazon’s May 2nd launch of its own line of dog food, called Wag, doesn’t come as a big surprise, says Debbie Donaldson-Phillips. No one can say the e-commerce giant has been hiding its intentions regarding the pet food market. Source: Petfood Industry, May 7, 2018. Link. The headline on Dellinger’s Gizmodo article reads, “Amazon launches dog food brand because it hasn’t … [Read more...]
Regional guide to fleas and ticks on cats
Fleas and ticks on cats aren’t a one-size fits-all problem. Catster’s team surveyed pros across the U.S. to get information on regional pests and specific cat flea and tick treatments for by area. “It is a common misconception that fleas and ticks have a season,” Dr. Michelle Matusicky, DVM, says. “They have a life cycle that is constantly replicating.” Source: Catster, May … [Read more...]
Dress appropriately
Mary Barra, chief executive of General Motors, is straightforward. Having lived through corporate bankruptcy and restructuring, she knows what managing culture is like. As a lifelong GM employee, she knew she had to change it. She started with the dress code that, when enforced, empowers managers to do what they think is right for the company. It’s a strong lesson from which … [Read more...]
Get to know ticks
Heidi Goethert, ScD, presents an image gallery showing the ticks of the northeast United States, though their range may extend throughout much of North America. The ticks were photographed on the author's hand to show scale. A close-up view is included to show details useful for identification. Source: Clinician’s Brief, April 2008. Link. A clinician's ability to make an … [Read more...]
A pictorial journey of the effects of heartworm infection
It just takes one bite. Still clients and veterinary teams struggle with year-round heartworm prevention. Stephen Jones, DVM, challenges animal health pros to understand how heartworm disease begins long before clinical signs develop and progresses as long as heartworms are present. Source: Veterinary Medicine, April 19, 2018. Link. Remember: by the time a dog is diagnosed … [Read more...]
Separation anxiety: The worry over worry
The market reentry of Reconcile® (fluoxetine hydrochloride) from PRN Pharmacal™ prompted research by AHD staff about separation anxiety. Most recently, Fear Free Happy Homes offered context in the article, “Shadow effect: is it closeness or anxiety?” Link. The writer states, “Separation anxiety rarely gets better on its own and, in fact, often escalates.” John Ciribassi, … [Read more...]
Lash eggs, sign of illness not a funny egg
Lash eggs are not eggs. Rather, they are an egg-sized mass from the oviduct of a laying hen. And, they are a strange symptom of an illness that is the number one killer of laying hens. They are caused by salpingitis; an inflammation and infection of the oviduct. Source: Countryside Daily, April 26, 2018. Link. Salpingitis can be very hard to prevent. It is most common in … [Read more...]
12 tips to make meetings less painful
For many of us, few meetings are productive and time-saving. The rest are why we don’t have time to focus on valuable work. Lisa Bodell offers 12 tips to reduce the pain of meetings. Here are our favorites from her tips: Mandate meeting agendas Don’t attend any meeting with more than eight people. Only attend meetings with a decision maker in attendance. Source: … [Read more...]
Keep vaccinating. Dogs can’t get autism.
The anti-vaxxers simply won’t let science get in the way of senseless fearmongering. In fact, the fear they spread prompted the British Veterinary Association to issue a statement last week: Dogs cannot develop autism. Their message is that dog owners should keep vaccinating their pets against diseases because fear that animal would develop autism is unfounded. The theory … [Read more...]
Bad dog breath; Szabo’s home remedies
Julia Szabo is a frequent contributor of content to Dogster. Bad dog breath is a sign of an unhealthy mouth, she states and offers eight home remedies for it. We’re sharing her list and explanations for consideration by animal health pros when discussing dog halitosis with pet owners. Because this list includes some spices, we added spices and neem oil references. Source: … [Read more...]
Make routine dentals digestible
Making dental care easier to swallow for pet owners requires some modeling choices. Karen Felstad, DVM360 conference educator, speaks to bundling, economical basic pricing and more. For practice managers and clinic owners, his information presented is a worthwhile topic for discussion at a management meeting. Source: Veterinary Economics, April 18, 2018. Link. “A lot of … [Read more...]
Help pets stay calm during storms
Spring thunderstorms are daily reality right now and they strike fear in some pets. This fear can manifest as hiding, whining, scratching, slobbering or tearing down door frames in a state of panic, according to animal behaviorist Patricia McConnell. It can worsen with age. This brief item article offers some useful tips to help keep pets calm and understand their … [Read more...]
Empathize with clients without sacrificing your sanity
Daniel C. Randall, DVM, reflects on an online veterinary forum discussion that exposes concerns about empathy in veterinary relationships. Without empathy, Randall writes, we resort to vilifying our clients, blaming them for our low morale, exhaustion, and job dissatisfaction. “We risk creating an “us versus them” mentality that seeps into our body language and our … [Read more...]
5 myths about first aid
Human injuries are inevitable at veterinary hospitals, retailers or with representatives. While first aid certifications have improved, not everyone is current or trained with best practices. In a medical emergency, the right response can save lives – but many of us still do things wrong. Source: BBC, April 20, 2018. Link. Claudia Hammond shares common myths, also what to … [Read more...]
Keep horses part of the college experience
High schools and junior college graduates often find it bittersweet when they enter college, yet face being miles away from their favorite horses. Kim Miller offers 10 suggestions to make that decision easier. Source: Practical Horseman, January 10, 2018. Link. Balancing barn time while enrolled in a college or university may be challenging, but it is possible to achieve. … [Read more...]
Animal welfare tops list of American causes
Americans say they care more about animal welfare than children’s education and hunger. That’s according to the findings of the “Causes Americans Care About,” a new study that gathered responses from 1,000 adults: 41% chose animal welfare number one. Children’s education ranked second with 38% of respondents. Hunger, chosen by 33% of respondents ranked number … [Read more...]
Seniors offer insight into social media use
Senior citizens have internet power. Sixty seven percent of them in the U.S. use the internet today, according to the Pew Research Center. Sheree Johnson, CEO of SJ Insights, a marketing services firm, teaches Introduction to Social Media at a Kansas City area college. In general, the students are 70 or more years old. To better understand seniors’ usage, Johnson set up a panel … [Read more...]
This animal kills more people in a day than sharks in a century (videos)
Bill Gates, Microsoft founder, has come to fear mosquitos. He discusses the global consequences of mosquito-borne disease in humans, fears and shares a clever video that reinforces mosquitos as a vector. The video’s mosquito character says, “I don’t want to kill, it’s just something inside me.” For animal health professionals, mosquitos are most notably vectors for dog … [Read more...]
AAHA offers parasite counselor program
The American Animal Hospital Association now offers the Parasite Counselor Program for veterinarians and veterinary staff. The online modules are designed for all staff of companion animal veterinary practices and can be accessed at VetFolio. Source: Vetfolio, April 27, 2017. Link. The specially tailored courses in this program will provide training on fleas, ticks, … [Read more...]
Ways to reduce fear, stress and anxiety in pets
When Steve Dale talks, people listen. In a recent newsletter he discusses: Destress Your Pet Month from Ceva Animal Health and the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. From Fearful to Fear Free: A Positive Program to Free Your Dog from Anxiety, Fears and Phobias, Dr. Marty Becker, Dr. Lisa Radosta, Dr. Wailani Sung, Mikkel Becker, edited by Kim Campbell … [Read more...]
Reconcile® joins Animal Health Digest as Sponsor
AHD welcomes Reconcile® (fluoxetine hydrochloride) as our newest Supporting Sponsor. Manufactured by PRN PharmacalTM, a PBI-Gordon company, Reconcile provides veterinarians with a clinically tested, FDA-approved, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) labeled for dogs. When combined with the BONDTM Behavior ModificationTraining Program, Reconcile® has been shown to … [Read more...]
Communicate, connect for health’s sake
The number of people who identify as lonely has doubled from 20 percent to 40 percent in the past 30 years. In that same time, the average number of close friends that people identify having has gone from three to one. Having weak social ties is as harmful to health as alcoholism. It’s also equivalent to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. Thus, having techniques to effectively … [Read more...]
Outdoors not possible? Bring nature to your desk. (videos)
For some, it's not always possible to take a midday hike or a break in the park during the workday. But there’s good news. Studies show that just looking at pictures or videos of nature can boost our health and happiness. The effects aren't as strong as the outdoors, but a few positive cognitive benefits are better than none. Haley Goldberg rounded up eight relaxing nature … [Read more...]