The latest JAVMA is out. The paper <link> profiling spay-neuter clinic clients and pets is of profound interest to animal health pros who sometimes refer to these locations as price competitors. Note the high percentage of animals without basic rabies protection. Respondents indicated that 49% of dogs and 77% of cats had not been examined previously by a veterinarian, … [Read more...]
The biggest financial shocks for pet owners
This article paralleled the announcement of AAHA’s Promoting Preventive Care Protocols: Evidence, Enactment, and Economics <link>. Jean Chatzky discusses how to avoid letting a big veterinary bill destroy a family budget. Source: Better, September 6, 2018. Link. . . . while there’s no way to completely eliminate the possibilities of a health catastrophe for your pet, … [Read more...]
Free videos available to help businesses accommodate service animals
Persons using service animals are sometimes denied access to restaurants, hotels or other services because of their animals. American Humane and Mars Petcare recognized this was happening to U.S. veterans. An American Humane survey showed that nearly seven in 10 of retail employees say they never received training on questions they are legally allowed to ask customers to verify … [Read more...]
September is National Service Dog Month
September is National Service Dog Month which celebrates guide dogs, seeing-eye dogs, service pets and other assistance animals, including military working dogs. Part of the month’s focus is to help people become familiar with service dog challenges, etiquette and more. Source: Healthy Paws Pet Insurance and Foundation, September 1, 2018. Link. Service animals are defined … [Read more...]
Understanding the Frito feet smell on dogs’ feet
Lots of pet owners notice their dogs’ paws smell like corn chips. In an interview with Huffington Post, Veterinarian Dr. Robert J. Silver explained that the root cause of so-called Frito feet is bacteria! Why do dogs' paws smell like Fritos? More importantly, why do I love to smell my dogs' paws? These are a couple of life's big questions... Carrie Underwood … [Read more...]
September 2018 Journal of Veterinary Dentistry available online
We’ve linked below to the table of contents of the journal and highlighted one study for your review: Validation of Quantitative Light-Induced Fluorescence for Quantifying Calculus on Dogs’ Teeth <link> This study demonstrated that QLF is a sensitive and precise method for quantification of calculus on dogs’ teeth. It removes the subjective element of human examiners … [Read more...]
Opinion – Experiencing dogs as economic animals
Portia Stewart, DVM 360 editor and team channel director, deserves respect for her initiative to see another side of the canine world at a dog auction. It is where the dogs are bought and sold like livestock without the fuss and prim that are part of family member paradigms. For some of us reared in rural areas, animal auctions are part of reality. For Portia, I’m pleased this … [Read more...]
Online browsing habits of dog and cat owners are fun and useful
Informative and sometimes laughable insights about dog and cat owners are the results of a study following 100 million devices to search the interest. Curious about the customer experience journey for pet owners, The Digital Consumer <link> pitted dog people against cat people and examined data from Jumpshot’s 100-million-device panel <link> to get a sense of the … [Read more...]
AAHA releases new publication promoting preventive care protocols
The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) is pleased to announce a new publication, developed with the support of an educational grant from IDEXX, Promoting Preventive Care Protocols: Evidence, Enactment, and Economics. Veterinary practices are rapidly shifting from firefighting to attentive monitoring, so disease can be caught and addressed as early as possible. … [Read more...]
Sponsored Content – Home dental care now in WSAVA Global Dental Guidelines
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association Global Dental Guidelines were updated August 1, 2018. They now include a section on dental home care. The two major types of home plaque control are active and passive. Both types can be effective if performed correctly and consistently. Active homecare is currently the gold standard. Active homecare involves the … [Read more...]
Some vegetables are good for dogs
Vegetables can be a great addition to your dog’s diet if you stick to those that are safe and hand out an appropriate amount writes Wendy Newell. As omnivores, dogs can digest plants as well as meat. Source: Whole Dog Journal, August 13, 2018. Link. Newell discusses which vegetables are good and not good for dogs: Good: Leafy greens Root vegetables Stalks … [Read more...]
Hand rub and chlorhexidine gluconate scrub equally reduce bacterial population on dogs’ skin
This white paper proved interesting. OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of application of an alcohol-based antiseptic (80% ethyl alcohol) hand rub (ABAHR) with that of a 2% chlorhexidine gluconate scrub (CGS2) for immediate reduction of the bacterial population on the skin of dogs. Source: AVJR, September 2018. Link. (abstract only) Application of both products significantly … [Read more...]
Vetfolio podcast series: Treating bacterial dermatitis
Vetfolio launched an educational podcast series that details treatment strategies for a variety of diagnosis scenarios veterinary teams face daily. The series is sponsored by Dechra and includes: Episode 1: Why Topicals are Important for Your Practice Episode 2: Trouble Shooting Chronic Otic Cases Episode 3: How to Incorporate Supplements in to Your Dermatology … [Read more...]
Top 5 gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary antibiotics
Treatment options include more than metronidazole, writes Craig B. Webb, PhD, DVM, DACVIM. She reviews five antibiotics that address gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary disorders: Enrofloxacin Metronidazole Tylosin Amoxicillin–clavulanic acid Neomycin Source: Clinician’s Brief, March 2018. Link. Webb considers enrofloxacin, metronidazole, and tylosin to be … [Read more...]
Opinion – Chew on this blast from the past
AHD editor, Rick Purnell, found a dental care brochure in a media kit from 2007. See the images of the Hartz® brochure at the link below. While the graphics show how far we’ve come in presenting products in the last 10 plus years, the messages are alarmingly similar. A Google search for the study referenced indicates its results have been referenced by as many as 20 or more … [Read more...]
Keep dogs from getting carsick
Labor Day is almost here and folks are rushing to take the last road trips of the season. If taking the dog along, it helps to ensure you and he are prepared for the possibility of motion sickness. The exact mechanism of motion sickness it not well understood, but it is likely linked to the centers of the brain that control balance and process motion, according to Daniel Edge, … [Read more...]
Canine influenza virus can survive on surfaces for days
Although nearly all dogs that have the H3N2 influenza virus can transmit it, only about 80 percent of infected dogs show symptoms. The virus can survive in the environment for days. This means a dog can catch it without direct contact with another dog, says veterinary epidemiologist Yvette Johnson-Walker. Source: Herald & Review, August 18, 2018. Link. Vaccines are … [Read more...]
9 things to know about dogs in heat
Writer Jackie Brown presents some facts about dogs in heat and the importance of spaying female dogs. Her article helps answer some questions new owners of female dogs may have about heat and reproduction. A dog heat cycle only happens once or twice a year. A puppy can go into heat sooner than you think. Dogs in heat should stay away from intact male dogs for 3 to … [Read more...]
Infections from a dog lick are a risk but very rare
Jennifer McQuiston is one of the nation’s leading experts on capnocytophaga, the bacteria at the center of recent news stories revealing amputations and deaths from these bacteria. According to the CDC, 74% of dogs have capnocytophaga detected in their mouths The bacteria are often found in dog and cat saliva "and on occasion, you can even find this bug in human saliva." When … [Read more...]
Sponsored content: as seen in AAHA Red
AAHA Red is a blog designed to represent everything AAHA. Red also contains sponsored content from AAHA Strategic Alliance partners. Recent content sponsored by Merck Animal Health is provided below. Source: AAHA Red. The broad-spectrum antibiotic with patented ‘Taste Masking Technology’, Merck Animal Health, August 1, 2018. Link. Are your patients covered when it … [Read more...]
Veterinarian’s life purpose keeps him busy into his 90s
Veterinary surgeon Lincoln Parks invented and patented a cart that allows disable animals to walk in the 1960s. He’s been making them since through his business, K-9 Cart (link). He retired in 1991 after more than 3,000 spine surgeries, but he didn’t stop working. He set up a workshop and has built and sold animal wheelchairs since. Source: Washington Post, August 9, 2018. … [Read more...]
A tired dog is a good dog
We don’t promote any of the products featured in this article. However, it clearly spells out the need for dogs to get enough exercise and stimulation. Issues with obesity, destructive behavior, separation anxiety, excessive barking, attention-seeking, leash pulling and many other undesirable behaviors often have the same root cause: your dog just isn’t getting enough … [Read more...]
Implementing the multimodal approach to heartworm prevention
The Heartworm Update, <link> sponsored by Ceva Animal Health, provides multiple practice scenarios and suggested roles and responsibilities for veterinarians, practice managers, technicians and front desk staff to ensure things go as smoothly as possible with implementation efforts, client education and client compliance. Source: AAHA Red, August 1, 2018. Link. The … [Read more...]
U.S. federal pot law puts vets into a quandary
California appears ready to pass the nation’s first law giving veterinarians the legal position required to answer questions about using cannabis for pets. At least 30 U.S. states have legalized medical marijuana, but none of them make provisions for ailing animals. As a result, veterinarians are reluctant to even discuss marijuana, which remains illegal under federal law, … [Read more...]
Veterinary clients, hospitals not together on parasitology
It’s no surprise, but variance numbers are just too far apart between veterinary teams' and their clients’ perceptions. Opinions between veterinarians and pet owners differ about what parasite education, treatment and diagnostics are being done in visits, according to new data from Partners for Healthy Pets, AAHA and AVMA. Parallel information from the Veterinary Hospital … [Read more...]
Top 5 zoonotic disease concerns for dogs during hospital visits
In our post “Zoonotic knowledge poor in MDs and population,” December 20, 2017 <link> Sara Wooten, DVM, discussed the lack of zoonotic knowledge and the potential issues. . . . many MDs are uncomfortable discussing zoonotic disease and lack appropriate knowledge about the subject. Scott Weese, DVM, reiterates Wooten’s concerns and then empirically identifies the top 5 … [Read more...]
Small dogs leave dishonest scent marks (includes video)
We had to share this. A new study published in the Journal of Zoology found that small-breed male dogs engage in dishonest scent marking (yes, this is the technical term) to try to fool other dogs into thinking they're bigger than they are. Source: Bustle, August 6, 2018. Link. "Many small dogs are terriers, small versions of terriers, or other breeds and mixes of breeds … [Read more...]
White paper covers how dogs will help owners in distress (includes video)
The white paper “Timmy’s in the well: Empathy and prosocial helping in dogs,” was recently published in the journal Learning & Behavior. Paper authors studied the time that dogs responding to their owners’ crying. The study involved 34 pet dogs of various breeds and sizes and their owners. The results show that dogs will frequently push through barriers with urgency to help … [Read more...]
ARH-WOOOOOOO! Why do dogs howl?
Beyond ancestry, communication seems to be the primary reason dogs howl, writes Melvin Peña. He discusses some common reasons and situations when dogs howl. Source: Dogster, July 12, 2018. Link. INSIGHTS: Peña’s list of howling-prone dog breeds might help with a dog owner’s choices for a new animal. … [Read more...]
Therapy dogs may help with ADHD
There is good reason to suspect that dogs could be helpful for kids with ADHD, writes Karen B. London, PhD. If the Motivational Hypothesis is true, then interacting with dogs may help these kids by heightening their arousal and emotional states which may lead to increased attention and interest in the environment in which therapy takes place. Although promising, there is … [Read more...]