Dr. Lydia Gray answers horse health questions at HorseChannel.com: Ask the Vet. In this Q&A article, she explains the difference between hot and cold therapy and under what circumstances each should be used. Source: HorseChannel.com, January 10, 2017. In a nutshell, cold is for early stages of injury while heat is for the final states of healing. Each in their own way, … [Read more...]
American Pharoah is a dad
Just for fun! American Pharoah was a racing phenomenon in 2015, when he won the Triple Crown. Bred to 208 mares in 2016, the first colt was born on January 3rd at Brookdale Farm in Kentucky. Source: HorseChannel.com, January 3, 2017. Like his dad, the colt is bay, but he’s got some chrome – white socks and a wide blaze. American Pharoah’s only white marking is a tiny white … [Read more...]
Catster promotes vet visits
Consumer media sources don’t often tell pet owners the importance of veterinary visits. Not so with this Get-your-cat-to-the-vet for a checkup article. Source: Catster, January 4, 2017. Cats are experts at hiding pain and illness. Just because your cat doesn’t seem sick doesn’t mean she isn’t. She could have dental disease — by three years of age, most cats have signs of … [Read more...]
Bones to pick – the good, bad and ugly
Deb M. Eldredge, DVM, discusses the pros and cons of bones for dogs. She writes, “Bones can be good, bad or ugly. If you choose to feed bones, use care in the bones you feed and how you feed them. If you choose to avoid bones altogether, they are absolutely not necessary for your dog’s health or happiness.” Source: Petcha.com, January 10, 2017. Dog Bones and Safety. Is … [Read more...]
Separation problem could be excess energy
Destruction, inappropriate elimination and incessant vocalizing are common signs of a separation issue. However, they must be assessed in context with the rest of a dog's behavior. Here’s an excerpt on the subject from a book sold by Whole Dog Journal. It’s up to you if you want to buy it, but the recommendations are good to discuss with pet owners. Source: Whole Dog Journal … [Read more...]
Dr. Scott Dee discusses antimicrobial resistance
A recent CDC report that listed the most worrisome threats associated with antibiotic resistance did not implicate livestock, veterinarian Scott Dee says. Veterinarians, producers and others in the food industry are nevertheless working to improve stewardship of antimicrobials. Source: Pork Network, January 9, 2017 via AVMA Animal Health SmartBrief. Research to better … [Read more...]
Editorial – Pet care goes to Mars
Mars will soon dominate corporate-owned pet hospitals with the purchase of the animal-hospital chain VCA Inc., that was announced Monday. Mars already owns Banfield Pet Hospital and BluePearl Veterinary Partners, as well as several pet food brands. Its combined marketplace clout is not expected to exceed 10 percent of the veterinary market after the merger. There will be a … [Read more...]
It’s National Train Your Dog Month
Behavior issues are among the top five reasons people give away their dogs. January is National Train Your Dog Month. See what VetFolio offers animal health pros about canine behavior. Source: VetFolio, January 7, 2017. Behavior Questions and Answers Diagnosing and Treating Aggressive Dogs: So Many Medications, So Little Time! Recognizing Patient Fear, Anxiety and … [Read more...]
Ask the right questions
To understand another person’s point of view, we sometimes need to ask questions to clarify issues or obtain a deeper understanding of why they have that point of view. Too often, the process of questioning is done by rote such as, “what is the problem, why do you think that, etc.?” You will learn more if your questioning is natural and in depth. Source: Vet-Advantage, … [Read more...]
Top 5 genetic diseases in dogs
From allergies to airway disease, heart disease to hip dysplasia, this article explores common genetic disorders in dogs. Source: Clinician’s Brief, December 2016. … [Read more...]
Clinician’s Brief, best reads of 2016
Veterinary hospital teams and the representatives who call on them should find at least one topic from this “best of” list worthy of a team meeting or sales call discussion. Source: Clinician’s Brief, December 29, 2016. … [Read more...]
Brain science shows time management can help you succeed
Time management is more than just work-life balance. The way you successfully manage your time is less about a packed schedule and more about a clear and organized mind. Learn what brain science says about how to manage your time so you can be more successful: Manage your time by prioritizing information to make better decisions Manage your time by being wise in how you … [Read more...]
Price matters
The internet has significantly impacted price transparency and it also gives us a picture of price variability. Frank Rumbauskas speaks to salespersons in this article and recommends establishing a fair price that is not the absolute maximum discount. Source: B2C, December 15, 2016. If you’ve read my materials before, you know that I am very blunt about speaking the truth, … [Read more...]
Your people’s brains need face time
The technology that supports virtual meetings and dispersed teams is getting better and less expensive. But our own brains are not wired for two-dimensional relationships void of non-verbal cues. We need the human connections. Source: Strategy + Business, December 12, 2016. Building trust is a multi-sensory experience. Only when people are physically present together can … [Read more...]
Transparency was the marketing word of 2016
Buzz words are fun to track and frequently represent top-of-mind focus for marketers. This year is no exception. Other top choices in the 2016 Marketing Word of the Year voting were "customer experience," "content marketing," "influencer" and "programmatic." It was the third consecutive year for which ANA announced a Marketing Word of the Year. Previous winners were “content … [Read more...]
Summaries from Drs. Blach and Clark
Dr. Ed Blach and Dr Andrew Clark develop and write Is My Practice Healthy? It is formatted to be quick-hitting, thought-provoking and actionable. These three posts from holiday installments caught our attention. Leadership versus management in veterinary medicine Science versus service Manage Creeping Incrementalism Out of Your Expenses Source: Is My Practice … [Read more...]
Boss’s technical competence important to employees
The topic of expert leadership is recent and burgeoning. Many factors can matter for happiness at work – type of occupation, level of education, tenure and industry are also significant. They don’t even come close to mattering as much as the boss’s technical competence. Source: Harvard Business Review, December 29, 2016. The benefit of having a highly competent boss is … [Read more...]
Social video viewing enhances purchasing
Animal health pros use social media routinely. Yet, the use of video to educate and influence customer buying decisions has not become mainstream during sales calls or follow-up communications. According to new research commissioned by Brightcove, Inc., 74 percent of consumers say there is a connection between watching a video on social media and their purchasing … [Read more...]
Social media transitions in 2017
Ryan Holmes writes about social media, its future, its transition and the opportunities in this article. He writes that for businesses, the decline of organic social media reach needn’t be a doomsday scenario. The new social media order that's taking shape in 2017 promises companies the kind of precision and measurable results long expected from traditional channels such as … [Read more...]
There’s a fix for weak Wi-Fi
A strong Wi-Fi signal is important at a time when the number of Wi-Fi–enabled devices that use the internet is growing, no matter what they’re used for. A new type of Wi-Fi system is now available—a mesh network that overcomes many drawbacks of the old-style routers that most of us have in our homes or small businesses. Source: Bottom Line, December 1, 2016. Because Wi-Fi … [Read more...]
Fade the use of treats when training dogs
Reducing the use of food rewards should be a goal when training dogs, but always be ready to to use more or better treats when you add distractions, duration or distance to a behavior. Here’s a good excerpt on the subject from a book sold by Whole Dog Journal. It’s up to you if you want buy it, but the practical training tips are good to share with pet owners. Source: Whole … [Read more...]
How we self-sabotage
Ed Batista shares perceptions about our relationship with ourselves. Common interpersonal relationship principles show up as three forms of self-sabotage: Self-Criticism: Viewing a problem as the result of our defective personality Self-Contempt: The belief that we're inferior in some way to others Denial: A refusal to engage ourselves and take … [Read more...]
Change your life – trust your future self
Have you broken one of your New Year’s resolutions yet? Being human is hard. We know the sorts of choices we ought to make, and we intend to make them, but we often don’t. The struggle seems to be between good and bad. According to an emerging model from the field of addiction studies, the struggle is between the future and the present. Source: Science of US, January 3, … [Read more...]
Communicate well in the exam room
From the minute a client walks in the door, the experience they have sets their perception of value for the services they receive. To ensure continuity in staff deliverables starts with everyone being on the same page. Checklists in this article provide instructions for duties and responsibilities associated with patient exam rooms. Source: MWI Messenger, January 2017, page … [Read more...]
Effective leadership is balanced
A while back I wrote about some myths about leadership that have the potential to mislead potential leaders in their pursuit of that competency. It seems to me that effective leadership has been and will continue to be a balancing act that is always situational. Source: General Leadership. Balance changes with different circumstances. A leader must evaluate the situation … [Read more...]
Do you want to be liked or lead?
I learned long ago that if I wanted to be universally liked, I should not aspire to a leadership role. Certainly, as a leader, there will be people who do like you and appreciate your leadership. There will also be people who dislike you and will attempt to derail your leadership efforts. Getting past that negative is essential to a leader’s success and coming to grips with … [Read more...]
Pork consumption still declining
Nick Boddicker, PhD, reports from the recent National Swine Improvement Federation conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. Consistency is an objection and the consensus was “the pork industry needs to align the grading with consumers demands.” The beef industry has done this and has been successful. Source: The Pig Site, December 23, 2016. Another issue that leads to a poor … [Read more...]
Obsessive blanketing disorder is real
Jorna Taylor shares her #OBD in a whimsical fashion while reminding us of the need to protect horses and pets from the winter weather in a two-article series. Source: Horse Network, December 2016. I Suffer from OBD—Obsessive Blanketing Disorder (Part I) Because #OBD Is Real (Part II) … [Read more...]
10 most popular pet food industry news stories of 2016
In 2016, news about pet food contamination, top dog and cat food companies and market trends topped the list of most popular stories published by Petfood Industry. The rankings were determined by the number of page views recorded by Google Analytics. Source: Petfood Industry, December 27, 2016. These 10 stories received the most attention on Petfood Industry’s … [Read more...]
Know the risks of transporting horses
All horses are subject to tendon and ligament injuries, regardless of breed or whether they are performance horses or ridden for occasional trail rides. Transporting them adds to the risk of injury and disease. Ligament injuries can occur in the forelimbs or hindlimbs and can be serious enough to end an athletic career or impact lifestyle. Colic aside, injuries to the … [Read more...]