Whew! I’ve always had a great deal of respect for the livestock veterinarians who routinely stand in the stuff and reach in the things. Animal health pros working in veterinary dermatology may never need a new rotator cuff. Still, Dr. Melissa Hall’s description and graphic photos of five of the most cringeworthy dermatologic conditions she has encountered garners a new … [Read more...]
Meet Willie Nelson, the horseman (videos included)
Music icon Willie Nelson shares the story behind his song, “A Horse Called Music.” The story couldn’t be simpler. Enjoy the music video! It also includes clips of a couple of Nelson’s heroes, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, and their horses Champion and Trigger, as well as some of his favorite scenes from his 1986 film, Red Headed Stranger. Source: Horse Network, June 8, … [Read more...]
Find the word that’s on the tip of your tongue
That term you’re searching for might be on the tip of your tongue, but most of the time, all you can do about it is stew until you either: a) have an epiphany, or b) use some nonsense word like whatchamacallit and move on. Source: Science of Us, June 12, 2017. Researchers refer to this “tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon” indicating it’s not quite as simple as just blanking out. … [Read more...]
Opinion – Virus detection reinforces sanitation
There’s a lesson here for all animal health pros. Diseases are easily spread. Consider how many times we forget that one of the more important roles of veterinary medicine and animal husbandry prevention processes is population control. Congratulations to this multi-disciplined team of researchers whose persistence has identified potential for disease contamination in trucks … [Read more...]
Rural broadband expansion continues
Animal health pros often site restrictions to broadband access as a modern pain point in rural areas. As we become more dependent on point-of-contact records and software, the addition of nearly 1,000 miles of fiber in rural California, Illinois, Iowa and Texas will help. Source: AgWeb, June 13, 2017. USDA announced it is awarding $43.6 million in loans with the intent to … [Read more...]
Recognize the signs of pain in pets (includes video)
Janice Huntingford, DVM, believes pet owners and veterinarians can work together to identify pain in dogs and cats. The pet owner is likely to be the first to notice that their pet is in pain if they know what to look for. Source: Veterinary Medicine, May 30, 2017. Watch the video to learn how Dr. Huntingford describes often-overlooked signs of pain to pet owners, or read … [Read more...]
Mitigate the costs of care in small animal practice
Access to veterinary care and, unfortunately, economic euthanasia, are problems we can no longer afford to ignore, shares Barry Kipperman, DVM, DACVIM. He notes that 30 years into his career, our profession has made significant technological advances, but negotiating with clients over the costs of patient care remains unchanged. Source: Veterinary Medicine, June 8, … [Read more...]
Learn how each team member likes to work
As a manager, it helps to spend time up front connecting and creating a common language with your team. As members of the team change or current team members’ lives change, this exercise applies to seasoned managers, as well as new managers. Source: Harvard Business Review, May 30, 2017. When your team knows how you like to work and how you plan to manage them, they’re able … [Read more...]
Exercise versus caffeine: Which fights fatigue better?
Multiple research studies have shown that sleep deprivation has the same effect on our cognition and coordination as a few alcoholic beverages. Animal health pros tend to work hard, long, demanding hours. Learn how both caffeine and exercise can benefit your periods of fatigue. Source: Harvard Health Publications, June 8, 2017. The take-home message? Caffeine can provide a … [Read more...]
Help employees be accountable
Almost every day the news brings us another story of some personal indiscretion that is ultimately blamed on someone else. “The dog ate my homework,” and “she hit me first,” are two childish examples. Yet, we now have adults abdicating responsibility for their own misadventures. Unfortunately, this lack of accountability is becoming more prevalent in our workplaces. Managing it … [Read more...]
11 things you should know about dogs and fireworks
Independence Day celebrations are a couple weeks away. The time to prepare for the anxiety dogs experience from the sounds of fireworks is now, not then. Our friends at Purina developed 11 common-sense tips that are useful fodder for websites, blogs and newsletter. Hurry and share. July 4th is almost here. Source: Purina. Before July 4th rolls around, here are eleven things … [Read more...]
Whisker fatigue isn’t funny
While it may be a beneficial term for cat food makers and cat food bowl manufacturers, whisker fatigue appears to be an actual diagnosis. When cats must eat from deep bowls and their whiskers rub against the sides, it can be a stressful experience. In turn, they may paw their food to the floor or become irritable during mealtimes. Source: New York Times, June 5, 2017 … [Read more...]
A traumatic experience can reshape your microbiome
With so much effort to find alternatives to antibiotics, we wanted to share this article describing the brain-gut connection. A team of researchers recently found that our guts may harbor evidence of difficult life experiences many years after the fact, changing everything from how we digest food to how we process stress. Source: Science of US, June 1, 2017. Even more than … [Read more...]
Antibody vs antigen. Tests: review the differences
Effect versus affect; blew versus blue; principle versus principal are among the terms that get confused at times. Add to that list antibody versus antigen for animal health pros. Claire L. Fellman, DVM, and Todd Archer, DVM, MS, DACVIM, Mississippi State University, answer the question, “What are the differences between antibody and antigen tests, and which test should I … [Read more...]
Views of U.S. moral values slip to 7-year lows
Gallup began surveying U.S. moral values in 2002. The views have slipped to their lowest point in the last seven years. Highlights from respondents include: 81% say state of moral values is "only fair" or "poor" 77% say the state of moral values is getting worse Views have been consistently negative, at least since 2002 Source: Gallup, May 22, 2017. No majority … [Read more...]
The biting facts about fleas
A recent study found flea and tick preventive compliance was as low as 16 percent. Flea infestations can cause much more than itching. Flea bite dermatitis or flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) is the most common dermatologic condition in dogs and cats. Plus, fleas are intermediate hosts for other diseases or parasites. Source: Veterinary Team Brief, May 2017. All veterinary … [Read more...]
Proper wound drain placement important (photos included)
Eric R. Pope, DVM, MS, DACVS, with Ross University, discusses the dos and don'ts of wound drainage. The photos that accompany his piece are informative. Source: Clinician’s Brief, February 2017. Drains are sometimes necessary for managing fluid accumulations or prophylactically when postoperative fluid accumulation is likely due to dead space or wounds in high-motion areas. … [Read more...]
How content reaches a constantly connected audience [Infographic]
Mobile brings a constantly connected mindset, and it's driving changes in the way our customers and us consume content and interact with brands, from voice search to chatbots, and from digital assistants to the Internet of Things (IoT). DNN Software created an infographic that shows stats and figures related to this phenomenon. Information like helps explain the challenges of … [Read more...]
Help pets get through thunderstorm phobia
Thunderstorm phobia is a panic disorder commonly seen in adult dogs which is generally triggered by a storm. The panic lasts the duration of the storm and often continues from 30 minutes to days. Dogs often anticipate the storm before it hits. Source: Firstline, May/June 2017, page 32. Dr. E’Lise Christensen, DACVB, offers at-home behavior modification strategies … [Read more...]
Fungal disease threatens wild and captive snakes
More than a dozen species of captive and wild snakes in at least 15 states have been affected by what’s being called snake fungal disease (SFD). Researchers are exploring the disease, including its epidemiology, how it grows, how it is transmitted, how to treat it and even which disinfectants work or don't work against the primary fungus associated with it, Ophidiomyces … [Read more...]
Google to bridge the online ad–offline purchase gap
Attention marketers! The measurement gaps are closing. Google announced last week it will begin to connect online ad exposure to brick-and-mortar sales. The company claims it will be able to track about 70 percent of all credit and debit card transactions and link them to online consumer behavior. Source: Harvard Business Review, June 1, 2017. Marketers in the real world … [Read more...]
K.I.S.S. horse care
Casie Bazay shares her journey back to simpler horse care. She is still learning and adjusting every day. But, she is less stressed and having fun with her horses again. This article makes good content for a website, blog, social media and a newsletter. Source: Horse Network, June 1, 2017. Bazay says she is very glad she took those equine nutrition courses. She learned a … [Read more...]
Tips and etiquette for vacationing with dogs
JoAnna Lou offers suggestions to stay safe and to be courteous when sharing your next trip with your pup. Source: The Bark, May 31, 2017. Ms. Lou’s tips cover: Car rides Hotels Parks Miscellaneous Also see: Planning a pet friendly vacation … [Read more...]
NAVTA board votes in favor of veterinary nurse credential change
Vet technician no more. The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) board of directors announced the formation of the Veterinary Nurse Initiative Coalition to pursue legislative amendments in all states to establish the credential of registered veterinary nurse (RVN). The board approved the action to unite the profession under a single title, … [Read more...]
Hypoallergenic shampoo a misnomer
Cynthia Foley provides a thorough discussion of the hypoallergenic description, its history, lack of regulatory basis and suggests it is the best word we have for less-likely-to-cause-allergic-reactions. She opines the products that are marketed as particularly gentle or for dogs with particularly sensitive skin should be held to a higher standard than regular … [Read more...]
Consumer misconceptions affect animal welfare
Recent Packaged Facts survey data reveals that 58 percent of consumers are more concerned about food animal welfare now than they were in previous years. Lack of understanding, combined with a desire to provide humane treatment for food animals, have led to shifts in consumer demand for meat, poultry, egg and other related products. The common assumption is organic standards … [Read more...]
Larger dairy herds have a size advantage
Carl Zulauf evaluated USDA’s cost-of-production data to estimate the price to produce 100 pounds of milk among different herd sizes. It’s not fair to say that big farms are bad and small farms are good, or that farms milking more cows are better than those with fewer cows. What we can say, though, is that on average, larger herds are able to produce milk less expensively than … [Read more...]
Sunscreen is necessary
The Food and Drug Administration regulates the efficacy sunscreens can claim and standards have become increasingly strict over the years. Use a shot-glass-sized amount of sunscreen to protect your body and a nickel-sized amount for your face and neck for every two hours spent in the sun, writes Kerry Hanson. Source: The Conversation, May 25, 2017. We can still enjoy being … [Read more...]
Actions after difficult conversations create success
Nearly everyone experiences difficult conversations with peers, managers, clients or direct reports. We know they are difficult for one of these reasons: differences of opinion, something meaningful is at stake, and most tellingly — they bring up strong emotions for the people involved. Our nature is to shove the discussion under the carpet and try to forget it. But, it’s … [Read more...]
Don’t hug your chickens
America’s love affair with backyard chickens is making a few of us sick. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says eight salmonella outbreaks linked to petting pet poultry have occurred in the U.S. this year. They’ve sickened more than 370 people in 47 states, 71 of whom had to be hospitalized. No one has died this year – yet. Last year, three people died … [Read more...]