Vetfolio’s newest course, Urinary trouble in dogs and cat,s sponsored by Hill’s is currently open for registration and will be available for free access from September 19 through October 9. This study addresses various types of urinary diseases in both cats and dogs, along with nutritional and environmental solutions. Dr. Lewis will also cover how veterinarians can properly … [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...]
VHMA examines the importance of employee retention
Finding and keeping great animal hospital employees has become increasingly difficult and is essential to providing outstanding patient care and client service, practice growth and financial success. VHMA’s August 2018 Insiders’ Insights survey focused on issues related to employee retention. Employee engagement is a murky and multi-faceted topic and isn’t the same as … [Read more...]
It takes effort to retain clients
Various sources predict 20 to 25 percent of clients will disappear during a normal year. Pet deaths, job moves and pet owner deaths are the largest causes. Beyond these reasons, retaining viable clients takes effort. A loyal client is a repeat client. This is especially important for veterinary practices. Studies show that it costs at least five times more to gain a new client … [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...]
Pet medical insurance is growing, group says
Whether as a member of a veterinary team or as a pet owner, pet insurance is becoming a more prevalent consideration in managing both life quality and financial risk when owning a pet. The number of insured pets increased climbing to 1.83 million last year, up about 16% from the previous year. That’s only 1% of dogs and cats, but insurers expect the expansion to … [Read more...]
Opinion – Human hospitals will be required to post their prices online
I have no political agenda in posting this. However, I believe it is important for animal health pros to see this legal action and consider how it might play out in animal health. One thing for sure, the ability to differentiate services, skills and value-adds may become further homogenized in this environment. The rule, finalized Thursday by the Centers for Medicare and … [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...]
GlobalVetLINK and UC-Davis form diagnostics partnership
The integration of two software solutions, LabLINK HIMS™ and Disease BioPortal®, will enable veterinarians and livestock production personnel to manage diagnostic lab results and improve the speed of health-based decision making. GVL’s LabLINK HIMS software has been used by swine veterinarians and integrated producers for more effective herd health management. With the UC … [Read more...]
FDA releases new tools to help veterinarians fight opioid abuse
Keeping opioids secure in the veterinary practice while retaining access for patients who need pain control is more important than ever. The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine recently published a list of online resources to help veterinarians comply with federal and state regulations for prescribing, storing and disposing of these products; understand how to help overdosed … [Read more...]
Mosquito emoji to benefit public and researchers
The AHD team has presented posts about mosquitoes and how they affect animals and humans five times in past two years. Link. Our friends at QUARTZ did a great job summarizing how the 3,000 known mosquito species are the deadliest animals in the world. They also note the importance of an upcoming mosquito emoji that will help researchers communicate via social media about the … [Read more...]
Opinion – Animal healthcare market trends and major industry players
Key points and trends in the press release from Global Market Insights, Inc. will interest animal health pros. It notes various growth drivers including: Growing trend of adopting pet animals Rising prevalence of food borne and zoonotic diseases Favorable government initiatives Rapidly increasing demand for animal protein in human food Technological … [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...]
The veterinary significance of emerging infectious diseases
J. Scott Weese, DVM, DVSc, DACVIM, provides insight into the emergence of infectious diseases and their impact on animals and humans. He reminds us that our ability to identify new viruses currently outpaces the ability to interpret the relevance of these discoveries. It is estimated that 60% to 80% of emerging diseases are zoonotic, which emphasizes the importance of … [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...]
Cats are neither mean nor cruel
Brigitte Osterath discusses cat behavior, their status as loners and how that affects interactions. Her article and photos are worthy of social media posts targeting new cat owners. There is a simple reason for why cats are so different from dogs — and thus also in their relationships to humans: "Cats are originally loners and independent," explains Dennis Turner. They did not … [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...]