The executive committee of the International Committee of Taxonomy of Viruses officially announced a new genus, Orthomyxovirdae, with a single species, influenza D virus, because of its distinctness from other influenza types—A, B and C. This is the first influenza virus identified in cattle, explained Professor Feng Li, South Dakota State University. Source: Bovine … [Read more...]
Human-animal bond helps with empty nest syndrome
Facing an empty nest at home, author and mother Ashley Collins shares her experience and realizations of how her horse is part of her emotional support network. She also acknowledges how the family dog reacts to college preparations taking place in the home. This article supports the increasing discussions about the human-animal bond and one-health initiatives. Source: Horse … [Read more...]
Avoid problems smartphones cause
Smartphone technology can create problems for users of all ages. This article references four ways they could be harming you and what to do about it. The four problems are: Text neck Bum thumb Eyestrain Distractibility Source: The Kansas City Star, August 17, 2016. We spend five hours a day on our mobile phones. 'A whopping 90 percent of us text with our necks … [Read more...]
September is Animal Pain Awareness Month
The second annual Animal Pain Awareness Month is being sponsored this month by the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management (IVAPM). The IVAPM is a multi-disciplinary organization dedicated to promoting, enhancing, and advancing pain management in animals. Scheduled to coincide with human medicine’s Pain Awareness Month, its theme is “Because their pain is our … [Read more...]
What you’re reading on AHD
See what your colleagues are reading in the trending posts. Animal Health Digest is a free content curation service for animal health professionals. It provides a trusted, easy to read, weekly compilation of the most relevant industry topics. Instead of you getting offers from hundreds of media sources, our team reads for you to: keep you up to date save you time … [Read more...]
Where to look, how to stand and what to do with your hands
Make eye contact. Keep your hands out of your pockets. Find balance between stiffness and fidgeting. Practice good posture. These are among tips experts give for improved communication. In conversation, "pretend your eyes are glued to your conversation partner's with sticky, warm taffy," Leil Lowndes, says. Source: Business Insider, August 20, 2016. Here are six body … [Read more...]
World Dairy Expo turns 50
Dairy Herd Management celebrates the 50th anniversary of the World Dairy Expo in this commemorative edition. No doubt about it, the annual event champions much of the progress that strengthens the dairy business, domestic and foreign. When Expo started in 1967, cows averaged just 8,800 lb. of milk per year. We needed no fewer than 13,500 million of them to produce 120 … [Read more...]
Avoid office gossip with new coworkers
Downloading the inside scoop on office personnel and discussing inner workings of the office with a new colleague can backfire or be helpful depending on the motives for sharing the scoop in the first place. Source: Harvard Business Review, June 17, 2016. 'If it’s information that everybody who works there already knows, that’s fine. But if it’s sharing privileged … [Read more...]
Selfies and other images not proof of VCPR
Videos or photos cannot be used as a way to document the VCPR needed to obtain a veterinary feed directive, according to William T. Flynn, DVM, MS, deputy director for science policy, FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine. Source: Poultry Health Today, August 31, 2016. One key element of the federal VCPR definition requires veterinarians to have sufficient knowledge of the … [Read more...]
Get off the soap box
Soapboxing, is a term stemming from an era when a person would literally stand on a soapbox crate as a stage and scream to the world that he or she knew the right way — the only way — to do anything. Soapboxers tend to be utterly convinced that his or her view is the only view — and vocalizes it. They can destroy the rapport of an otherwise well-aligned group. Here are some … [Read more...]
Back to school doggie blues
Now that everyone is back to their fall schedules, dogs may feel neglected and can even fall into depression. Cesar Milan presents strategies to prevent or help relieve depression and anxiety in family pets during this time period. Source: Cesar’s Way, August 31, 2016. If a dog has never experienced “back to school,” it is going to take some time. If the dog has gone … [Read more...]
Why do dogs eat poop?
Poop-eating is surprisingly common and mostly harmless to dogs eating their own poop. Coprophagia, is the scientific name for this vile habit. Ingesting the stool of other animals, on the other hand, puts a dog at higher risk for intestinal parasites, viruses or toxins. Lisa Radosta DVM, DACVB, recommends physical and fecal examinations to rule out physiological factors such … [Read more...]
The Amazon effect is changing logistics
Amazon continues to be the most disruptive element in supply chain management since UPS expanded its common-carrier package delivery system to cover nearly all geographic points of delivery. The term logistics is used in this article. This is correct for some of the services discussed. However, the direction of the article is about fulfillment, which includes supply chain … [Read more...]
Get a handle on cats
Funded by a grant from Zoetis, this toolkit provides a multi-topic review of key elements in feline care that range from pain to premise. Veterinary team leaders can use it to create a team exercise. Assign team members the task to read through the toolkit and identify at least one positive thing currently done in the practice and one strategy or tactic that could be … [Read more...]
Teaching puppies to sleep
Katherine Eldridge offers tips for helping a puppy to settle in and sleep through the night. She says getting a new puppy is just like having a baby in the house. They are cute and fun to cuddle and play with, but also poop a lot and throw occasional tantrums. Everyone has heard horror stories about owners kept awake all night by an unhappy baby. Luckily getting a puppy to … [Read more...]
Cat nutrition is top concern of feline owners
Nutrition is the number one topic that cat owners want to talk about with their veterinarian, according to a Royal Canin survey of 1,001 cat owners. However, the survey showed that three in five cat owners do not regularly take their cats to veterinarians. Compared to dogs, cats are three times as likely to be taken to the vet only when sick. Source: Petfood Industry, August … [Read more...]
Music at work makes a difference
Little research has been done about how music played in retail and office settings affects employees. So, a group of Cornell PhDs recruited 188 undergrads to participate in a voluntary contribution mechanism experiment. It measures and manipulates cooperative behavior among research subjects. One third of the group listened to “happy” music, another third listened to “unhappy” … [Read more...]
Introversion, the veterinary edition
Dean Scott, DVM, discusses the challenges of introversion versus extroversion from the veterinarians’ perspective. Introverts are naturally quiet and internalized; behaviors that extroverts may interpret as signs of aloofness or arrogance. Introvert’s interactions with people are draining. They also exert a lot of energy pretending to be an extrovert. I read once that if the … [Read more...]
JAVMA contents in latest issue
The table of contents for the September issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Association is linked below. We are pleased to see the study, Impact of a chapter book and collectible cards describing the lives of seven veterinarians on third-grade students' career aspirations and expectations. The survey measured the response of 176 third graders to career education … [Read more...]
Routine use of dry cow therapy under investigation
USDA National Animal Health Monitoring Survey data shows more than 80 percent of U.S. dairy herds managers treat 100 percent of their cows’ quarters at the end of dry off. Plus, almost all herds treat a majority of all quarters. This practice is now undergoing a reexamination of the use of antibiotics on dairies with the goal of using them responsibility and only for animals … [Read more...]
Catheters suspect in hospital-acquired infections
Hospital-acquired bloodstream infections most commonly originate from IV catheters and should be suspected in any patient with an IV catheter that develops systemic inflammatory response syndrome without an extravascular infection source. Adoption of hospital-cleaning protocols and standard operating procedures for clinical tasks enables all members of the veterinary team to … [Read more...]
Tunes for dogs
Deezer, the on-demand digital music streaming service has assembled two playlists that dogs enjoy. Deezer worked with animal behaviorist Dr. David Sands to study how dogs hear and react to different kinds of music based on beats per minute. The results are these playlists that they claim are scientifically proven to help energize or calm your pup. Source: The Bark, August … [Read more...]
Dr. Roark explains anal sacs
Dr. Andy Roark explores – not expresses – the four things pet owners need to know about anal glands. The video clip offers a fun discussion. Source: Dr. Andy Roark, August 24, 2016. He discusses: What are anal sacs or glands? Why are they there? How do they cause problems? What can we do to keep them healthy? … [Read more...]
Riding to the hounds
Fox hunting or riding to the hounds is a long-held tradition of the fall. Riders gather, don stock ties, jackets and tall boots, then tote traditional whiskey flasks to ward off chills or the discomfort of a spill. Many hunts no longer chase live animals. They instead follow a pre-determined drag scent trail. Source: Horse Network, August 24, 2016. It may sound extreme, but … [Read more...]
Alternatives to in-house product sales
Alan Newport reviews the trend of product sales moving to sources outside of clinics. Though directed to livestock veterinary practices, the key points are valid for all practices. Source: Beef Vet, Fall 2016, page 24. Newport addresses three choices: Stop actively marketing drugs and supplies Write prescriptions to be filled from an online pharmacy Partner with … [Read more...]
Apply customer service principles to your vet business
Glenn Muske, North Dakota State University, looks at a veterinary businesses as a combination of retail store and service center. He suggests that emphasizing customer shopping assistance and customer service outside the exam room is worthwhile. Source: Beef Vet, Fall 2016, page 14. Muske tells people that helping a customer who walks in the door is tough without asking the … [Read more...]
What’s trending at Animal Health Digest
Every market creates its version of the top five or 10 list. Our Animal Health Digest team uses views and clicks to understand what our subscribers read. The results shape the focus of what we “read for animal health professionals.” AHD is a free service for all levels of personnel in our industry. The AHD Bulletin is published weekly and delivered on Thursdays via email. We … [Read more...]
Mitigate mistakes
Tracy Dowdy, CVPM, discusses prevention and management of the inevitable mistakes that happen, particularly in a fast-paced veterinary practice. Creating a better working environment for team members and clients includes these actions: Ensure the practice does as much as possible to help team members avoid making wrong decisions or acting inappropriately Acknowledge … [Read more...]
After visits to vets, cats smell funny to cats left at home
Marilyn Krieger, certified cat behavior consultant, offers tips for multi-cat owners to help return cats to a peaceful home after a visit to the clinic or grooming shop. Clients will appreciate these tips if they receive them ahead of an office visit or grooming appointment. Source: Catster, August 19, 2016. Cats carry scents from places such as vets' offices, which can … [Read more...]
Fall brings risk of red maple poisoning in horses
As fall approaches, it is important to remind horse owners about the dangers posed by leaves from some maple trees. Horse owners who board horses or have just found new stable accommodations may not remember to check on tree varieties. The green leaves from fallen limbs are also toxic as they wilt and dry. Source: Equus, September 2016, page 30. Wilted or dried red maple … [Read more...]