Latinos are key players when it comes to food product purchasing power, including dairy products. They also play strong roles when it comes to pet store spending. They’re willing to spend for food. Data from the HIS Global Insight Groups reveals Hispanics spent $103 billion on food at home. This is expected to grow 35 percent over the next five years, compared to 20 percent … [Read more...]
More rain means more mosquitoes
Californians have welcomed rains of late. Early results of it likely mean more mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases. Standing water and warm weather create ideal conditions for mosquitoes to reproduce. This raises concerns about the potential of West Nile Virus infections in humans and animals. Source: KPCC, February 21, 2017. The situation with mosquitos and … [Read more...]
Measure what matters to your clients
Ed Blach, DVM, hits the nail on the head with this short post. He reminds veterinary teams that a small number of measures can have a dramatic impact on how your team serves your clients. Measure what matters to clients and you will deliver exemplary service. Source: Is My Practice Healthy?, February 19, 2017. Measure what matters to your clients. Measure: how long it … [Read more...]
Do you know your dog breeds?
If a customer requested assistance for their St. John’s Water Dog, today it would be called a: Newfoundland Barbet Boykin Spaniel Labrador Retriever Otterhound Source: Acreage Life, February 2017, page 44. Discover the answer here. … [Read more...]
CWD research a focus of USGS National Wildlife Health Center
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) remains a key focus for research at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC). CWD infects elk, white-tailed deer, and mule deer, but is not known to infect livestock or humans currently. No treatment is known and the disease is typically fatal. With deer harvests complete, the NWHC has updated its map of the distribution of CWD in North … [Read more...]
UPS drivers don’t turn left
To UPS, the shortest distance between two points must avoid crossing oncoming traffic. We found this article intriguing. You likely will, too. Source: The Conversation, January 2017. It seems incredible that not turning left can lead to such significant savings. The TV series Mythbusters tested this idea and confirmed that, despite many more turns, the policy of only … [Read more...]
Guide helps eliminate busywork
“Busywork has a double negative impact," Renee Cullinan says. "It consumes time that could be better spent on other things, and it drains energy. Longer term, it breeds a work culture that values activity over results and busyness over effectiveness." Source: Fast Company, January 27, 2017. Cullinan says busywork often fits one of these three scenarios: You don’t know … [Read more...]
Generation X more addicted to social media than millennials
A Nielsen report released last week shows that Americans from 18 to 34 are less obsessed with social media than some of their older peers are. Smartphones are driving activity in all age groups. Source: New York Times, January 27, 2017. The report also broke out which social networks were most popular on smartphones, finding that Facebook still dominated on mobile, with … [Read more...]
Chickens considered clever
Chickens may be as emotionally, socially and cognitively complex as most other birds and mammals, explains Mark Clements. Source: Watt AgNet, January 17, 2017. A study of peer reviewed scientific data on cognition, emotions, personality and sociality in chickens, exploring areas including self-awareness, cognitive bias, social learning and self-control, published in Animal … [Read more...]
Violence in veterinary practices – be prepared
Since 2006, news outlets have reported dozens of violent crimes against veterinary professionals in their workplaces in the United States, ranging from simple assault to homicide, murder–suicide, and rape, followed by murder. The offender may be a client, a stranger, a team member, or an outsider in a volatile relationship with a team member. Source: Veterinary Team Brief, … [Read more...]
End of Life Care Guidelines web conference closes February 26
This webinar will feature the goals of hospice care and ways to provide optimal compassionate care during this delicate, yet enriching time. The VetFolio conference is presented by Dr. Brenda Stevens and Dr. Kathleen Cooney. Source: VetFolio, February 18, 2017. After this Web conference, the participant should: Become familiar with the scope of end-of-life care … [Read more...]
DIY marketing for parasite-free pets
Remember "stop, look and listen?" They were potentially life-saving actions drilled into us by our parents and teachers when we are about to cross the road. Our AHD team urges you to stop, look and listen to the advice Jane Harrell offers regarding marketing parasite prevention yourself. Research shows that clients view the education you give them about their pet’s health as a … [Read more...]
“Lexus” pet dentistry
The title made me a bit uncomfortable but as the metaphor played out it was clear the authors had a strong point to make. As with shopping for a car, clients want to compare the Lexus style with that of the Kia. However, actual dental services represent a wide continuum of services depending, at least, on the age, size, and breed of the pet. To the client, however, it often … [Read more...]
Kids prefer pets to siblings
While many families have pets, there hasn’t been much research done on the importance of child-pet relationships. Researchers with the University of Cambridge wanted to shed more light on these relationships by developing a system to test them. The study was published online in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology and will appear in the March 2017 print … [Read more...]
Dealing with a bossy coworker
Sara McCord offers suggestions to deal with a coworker who has a hard time keeping their leadership (i.e. bossy) tendencies in check. Source: the muse, February 12, 2017. While it’s super-frustrating to deal with a bossy coworker day in and day out, there are steps you can take to address the situation. Speak up in the moment Schedule a chat Nominate coworkers … [Read more...]
Walmart working on high-tech food safety initiatives
A technique from the financial industry, blockchain technology, may help improve food chain safety. The initiative is being deployed in China to improve the transparency and traceability in pork production and in the U.S. on a produce project. Source: Meat + Poultry, February 2017, page 66. Pilot projects developed by Wal-Mart, IBM and Tsinghua University will use … [Read more...]
Editorial – Consumers getting dental messages
February is National Pet Dental month, but dental care for pets is a daily routine we rarely get established as animal health pros. Even veterinarians admit they don’t brush their own pets’ teeth daily. Still, the amount of media attention to this topic in February is admirable. In this consumer article Sarah Young summarizes the importance of dental care, a daily routine, … [Read more...]
Make emails give the right impression
Every email you send affects your professional reputation. Avoid these all-too-common mistakes in your communication: emails too long for anyone to digest including way too many people dashing off incomplete thoughts burying the lede Source: Harvard Business Review, February 6, 2017. Take a close look at your sent folder. Everything you need to know about your … [Read more...]
The NDC number explained
Corina Posey explains the origins and meanings of the National Drug Code numbers we see on products. There is a lot of information in those unique 10-digit, three-segment NDC identifiers. Source: Animal Health Solution, February 2017, page 60. … [Read more...]
Bumblebees will return
Jeff Whitworth, Kansas State University associate professor of entomology, said bumblebees are not headed for extinction. Bee declines have been attributed to a variety of factors, including parasites, pesticides and urbanization, as well as fungal, bacterial and viral diseases. Source: Feedstuffs, January 27, 2017. Whitworth predicted that bee populations will continue to … [Read more...]
Look at the ears
Ear infections and ear troubles almost always top the list of common pet ailments. Louis Norman Gotthelf, DVM, offers a photo tour of ear examinations and discussion of managing for healthy ears. Consider using this article for discussion during a veterinary team meeting. Source: Clinician’s Brief, December 2016. Dr. Gotthelf says a thorough physical examination of the ear … [Read more...]
Make your mornings suck less
For some, mornings are the worst part of the day. Vanessa Van Edwards shares five ways to make mornings more enjoyable: Success begins before you step out of bed Spend the first hour of your day like a robot Postpone your morning cup of coffee Absorb energy from the sun’s rays Wake up packed and ready to go Source: Science of People, February 2017. Mornings … [Read more...]
Pet medicines are a poison risk for kids
Children five-years-old and under account for 88 percent of calls to poison control centers for exposure to veterinary medicines, researchers report in Pediatrics. In almost all of these cases, kids consumed drugs intended for the family pet. While this is a limited study, the action items are clear. Educate animal owners about keeping animal medications out of reach of … [Read more...]
Quiz: Surgical Instruments
Challenge yourself and your knowledge of instrumentation using this fun quiz. Consider choosing sides and starting a veterinary team or sales meeting with it as a game or contest. Source: Veterinary Team Brief, November/December 2016. How many of these commonly used surgical instruments can you correctly identify on sight? … [Read more...]
Proposed GMO rules are nonsense
In the future, the FDA would like to regulate any animal whose genome has been intentionally altered as an animal drug writes Kristen Brown. Complicating the discussion is a different position taken by the USDA. Source: Gizmodo, January 24, 2017. In a narrow sense, the proposed rules signal a pretty significant regulatory crackdown on genetically engineered animals. The … [Read more...]
Audiobooks may calm dogs
Audiobooks played in a recent study conducted by researchers at Hartpury College in the United Kingdom resulted in dogs spending more time resting and less time displaying vigilant behaviors. This is a new dimension beyond the considerable studies on how music effects dogs. Source: The Bark, February 11, 2017. The book used in the experiment was The Lion, The Witch and The … [Read more...]
VCPR critical for horse health
Stephanie Church reminds her readers that individual horses are unique and that having a good relationship with a veterinarian is essential in managing its health. She warns against using leftover prescriptions, as well. This article would be good content for clinic websites and newsletters. Source: The Horse, February 7, 2017. I’m fortunate enough to see the VCPR work as … [Read more...]
Cattle eat weird things and it is OK
Consumers may be surprised to learn that cattle are able to eat many things that are considered waste and not allowed in the human consumption market. When foods begin to spoil, they cannot be sold for human consumption but some of them can be used in cattle feed. Source: High Plains Journal, January 30, 2017. Pumpkins, potatoes, oranges, sugar beets, and pinto beans can … [Read more...]
Updates from Is My Practice Healthy
Drs. Blach and Clark developed IMPH to fulfill these objectives: To provide an interactive and educational venue to improve practice management for veterinary practices. To educate veterinary practice owners, associates, and managers regarding how to focus on a small number of key data points to improve practice profitability and value. To provide the necessary … [Read more...]
Rainrot diagnosis becomes high tech
Rainrot can be nothing more than a pesky irritation that comes along with the rainy/wet season of the year. It has the potential to become more serious if not managed. Formerly, diagnosis was limited to evaluating skin scrapings under a microscope, but new technology may improve diagnosis; all at lower cost than cytology. Source: Equus Magazine, December 2016. In chronic … [Read more...]