The NSAID product category generally represents 12 percent to 18 percent of dispensed product revenue for veterinary practices. When it comes to pain relief tools in the veterinary practice, Matthew Brunke, DVM, CCRP, CVPP, CVA, sings the praises of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs class. Reminder! Given the number of prescriptions now filled outside the veterinary … [Read more...]
2018 is the year of the dog flu
Steve Dale tackles the topic of Canine Influenza Virus (CIV) and the information that shows CIV is expanding across the country more rapidly than ever. This is a topic for team meetings with veterinary teams, retailers and sales groups. Source: Steve Dale’s Pet World, January 22, 2018. The partners tracking dog flu are doing it right. The problem is that most clients don’t … [Read more...]
Puppy Bowl XIV, Animal Planet on February 4 at 3 p.m. ET. (includes video)
Team Ruff vs. Team Fluff airs ahead of Super Bowl LII (6:30 pm ET) for the 14th year. This year will feature more puppies than ever – 90 players – from 48 shelters and rescues from 26 U.S. states and territories. The teams will compete for the coveted Lombarki Trophy. For the first time ever, Animal Planet will also premiere Puppy Bowl Presents: The Dog Bowl. The Dog Bowl … [Read more...]
Opinion – Dental month; long in the tooth
While February is National Pet Dental Health Month, dental health should be a daily ritual for pet owners all year long. Yeah, right! For longer than the three decades I’ve been working in animal health, we’ve promoted dental care, regular oral exams and periodic cleaning. Yet, approximately 75 percent of dogs and cats over the age of three have periodontal disease. Despite … [Read more...]
Cesar: Your dog is an addict
Our brains and our dogs’ brains have been designed to reward us for experiences that release certain chemicals that make us feel good. Whether we’re consciously aware of it or not, dogs and humans return to those experiences for the pleasure we get. Cesar discusses unhealthy habits and how to address them with our canine companions. Source: Cesar’s Way, January 21, … [Read more...]
Canine fecal transplants; phut, sputter, gag.
Coprophagic dogs are bad enough. Still, there may be some benefit to fecal microbial transplantation to aid in adjusting the microbiome of our canine friends. And we thought veterinary nurses had it bad enough doing stool floats! This area of microbiome science is advancing, so we share the information with you for your consideration before a dog owner comes to you with a … [Read more...]
Canine parvovirus 101
CPV emerged in the 1970s and is still a menace to unvaccinated dogs.The virus itself is small and nonenveloped, making it one of the most robust viruses affecting animals. Because of its environmental persistence, both indirect and direct contact can efficiently spread the virus. When protected by organic matter, the virus may remain infectious for months. Source: … [Read more...]
“Leave it,” an important K9 training basic
One of our objectives for curating content for animal health pros is to support behavior training. Annie Phenix is a force-free trainer who addresses the “leave it” training dog owners find challenging. This article is suitable for printing for puppy classes or as social media content. Source: Dogster, January 10, 2018. There are some cues we must teach our dogs that could … [Read more...]
Back to school on heartworm
The American Heartworm Society (AHS) is strengthening efforts to bring the latest heartworm information directly to veterinarians and veterinary nurses via scientific symposia and proceedings. Heartworm University, a traveling four- to six-hour symposium taught by AHS faculty, provides practical clinical information in an interactive format that enables presenters to address … [Read more...]
Enrich the lives of older pets. Don’t ignore them.
The cold that has enveloped most of the U.S. lately has no doubt exacerbated some aging symptoms in older pets. Older animals may suffer from osteoarthritis or neurologic conditions that limit physical activity. Beyond physical activities, cognitive issues increase, sensory capabilities decline and anxiety may follow as older pets often become ignored. Source: Clinician’s … [Read more...]
1st NAVTA Animal Health Bi-Weekly for 2018
The veterinary technician/nurse role development is rapidly being expanded and professionally recognized. Two posts from their bi-weekly e-mail will interest most animal health pros: The importance of veterinary social work Top veterinary dentistry tips for 2017 Source: Animal Health Bi-Weekly, January 2, 2018. INSIGHTS: Like human prevention, animal dentistry … [Read more...]
UC-Davis veterinarians using facial recognition to identify animal pain
Veterinarians and computer scientists at University of California-Davis are teaming up to determine if they can use facial recognition to identify pain in animals. They’re making progress. Source: KXTV, December 15, 2017. The technology is still being developed. However, so far, computer scientists have trained the technology to recognize animal faces in photos (similar to … [Read more...]
Why dogs chew everything
"Chewing, for a dog, is like a human opening a door and looking into a room," said Colin Tennant, the chairman of the U.K. Canine and Feline Behaviour Association. "People are nosy, and so are the dogs. But they investigate with their mouths, because they don't have hands." Source: Live Science, December 5, 2017. Dogs frequently chew things because they like the taste or … [Read more...]
3,000 Golden Retrievers contributing to long study
More than 3,000 purebred Golden Retrievers across the U.S. are enrolled in a $32 million research project that is hoped to bring insights to the causes of cancers and other diseases common to Goldens and other breeds. They became part of the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study before the turned 2 years old and will be tracked for life. Colorado State University and the Morris … [Read more...]
Tips to stop loose dogs from approaching you
Stephanie Colman discusses the challenge of meeting up with a loose dog while out and about with pets. Being approached by loose dogs, especially when their dogs are on leash, is a least-favorite experience for most dog owners. This information is good for social media posts, newsletters and to include in puppy class materials. Coleman offers five non-assertive strategy … [Read more...]
BarkBox continues upward sales clip (includes video)
BarkBox is a phenomenon in the consumer pet market. It has 500,000 delivery service subscribers and more than 4 million fans on Facebook and Instagram. BarkBox’s social media team creates original video content and shares relatable memes with its followers to remind them of the emotional connection humans have with their furry friends. In other words, the content that gets … [Read more...]
Not all dogs need cute winter coats
Winter coats for dogs are cute, but they likely aren’t needed? Carol Bryant discusses which dog breeds should wear coats in the winter and how to choose one. This is good information for pet owners that can be deliver via social media, newsletters and have available in-house. Source: Dogster, December 5, 2017. Bryant shares the following on canine couture: Fiction: All … [Read more...]
5 tips to protect dogs during the holidays
There can never be too many reminders about pet safety during the holidays. Our friends at IDEXX have assembled five common-sense tips to protect our canines from the holiday hubbub. It’s perfect material for blogs, social media posts, newsletters and counter handouts. Source: IDEXX Pet Health Network, November, 2017. Chocolates are potentially toxic to dogs, particularly … [Read more...]
Why dogs snack in cat litter boxes
A litter box is bad enough without having Muffy decide to go there for snacks. The reason for cat litter box treats is one of three topics in this edition of Fear Free Happy Homes. How Much Protein Does Your Cat Really Need? and Fear Reactions: Fight, Flight, and Freeze bookend the litter box phenomena. Source: Fear Free Happy Homes, December 5, 2017. Handouts for … [Read more...]
Prevent holiday diarrhea in dogs
The last thing you need is a dog with explosive diarrhea when friends and family are gathered for the holidays. Unfortunately, many dogs experience gastric upsets around the holidays. Jackie Brown outlines some causes and some home remedies that will treat mild cases of dog diarrhea. Source: Dogster, November 29, 2017. The bottom line about holiday diarrhea in dogs: … [Read more...]
Vaper Wake dogs, canine detectives
Vapor Wake dogs are a new breed of dog that is scientifically bred for superior scenting ability, intelligence, physical soundness and a high desire or drive to search and hunt. Auburn University’s Canine Performance Sciences has developed a proprietary training regime for Vapor Wake dogs, including a patented name and process for training dogs to detect and to identify the … [Read more...]
The right and wrong ways to pet a dog
Yes, there is a right and wrong way to pet a dog, shares Jessica Pineda. Unfortunately, many of us just dive right into petting dogs we just met or don’t even know. Or, we fail to read our own dogs’ body language when they’re telling us, “please stop.” With holiday gatherings and guests eminent, share this article with animal owners to help avoid pet stress or potential … [Read more...]
Top urinary tract and prostate antibiotics
Articles like this one make great staff training and discussion tools. Seasoned veterinarians can help newer colleagues by sharing experiences while younger, less experienced DVMs bring new perspectives from their education or discussions with classmates. Encourage a trusted sales representative to help facilitate the discussions at a scheduled meeting. Source: Clinician’s … [Read more...]
Pick the right dog collar for safety and specialty
“Punishment gets compliance; reinforcement gets cooperation.” Animal health pros are frequently asked about dog collars. Each situation is different. Pat Miller offers collar advice from her force-free perspective. She says, “There are some types of collars we wholeheartedly endorse, some we support with caution and some that we regard as unnecessary and risky.” Source: … [Read more...]
Sit Ubu, sit – good dog! (includes video)
At the end of every episode of Family Ties and other UBU productions, Gary Goldberg’s black lab was flashed along with the famous phrase, “Sit Ubu, Sit!.” Pet owners want their dogs to be like Ubu. Mikkel Becker shares a mat training method to help get the sit behavior going. Her video includes comments from Gary Landsberg, DVM. Source: Firstline, November 14, 2017. What we … [Read more...]
Reduce holiday threats to pets
Safety risks for pets abound during the holiday season. As animal health pros, we must proactively communicate them to animal owners. Despite ongoing warnings, pet owners need frequent reminders to help keep their pets safe. Samantha Johnson reminds us that it is important to maintain good routines for pets. Adding travel or large gatherings to a pet’s day requires planning … [Read more...]
Help your clients value preventive healthcare with these free videos
Research shows that pet owners are willing to embrace preventive healthcare, but do not completely understand its importance. Partners for Healthy Pets is focused on preventive care. They offer a free, downloadable series of videos to help your team to make your communication with clients more effective and make sure everyone is involved in the conversation. Source: AAHA … [Read more...]
November is Pet Diabetes Month
Pet Diabetes Month is observed in November and is a fitting opportunity to work with pet owners to achieve and manage a healthy weight for their pets. The AVMA offers good resources to guide those discussions. Direct clients to view information on Your Pet’s Healthy Weight page Keep healthy weight brochures on-hand in your clinic for easy distribution Discuss … [Read more...]
Behind the scenes of socializing neglected, abused dogs
Severely neglected or mistreated dogs may have suffered any number of abuses: constant physical restraint or confinement, lack of appropriate nourishment, endless environmental stressors, even outright physical punishment. Marybeth Bittel shares some of the challenges of preparing these animals for their new lives. Source: Dogster, November 9, 2017. Potential adopters may … [Read more...]
Dogs can smell human fear and mirror our moods
A new study, "Interspecies transmission of emotional information via chemosignals: from humans to dogs (Canis lupus familiaris)," in the journal Animal Cognition, confirms what many have known. Dogs do smell human fear using chemosignals and they, too get scared. A dog's nose is an organ that's evolved to be an incredibly sensitive to odors. Source: The Bark, November 15, … [Read more...]