Next month is National Pet Dental Health Month, as recognized by AVMA. The organization is ready to help members promote this important period with a free Pet Dental Health toolkit. Regularly brushing pets’ teeth is the single most effective thing pet owners can do to keep their teeth healthy between dental cleanings, and may reduce the frequency or even eliminate the need … [Read more...]
NAVTA Animal Health Bi-Weekly
The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America highlights positive trends, issues and topics of interest to its constituency. This issue includes the following: Treating incontinence in female dogs Vaccinations are key to fighting canine influenza Dog food recalled for salmonella Veterinary profession looks promising for 2018 AVMA supports … [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...]
Opinion – Cats, boxes and digital communication
A story of cats in boxes has been the rage this year. Beyond its novelty, is the reality that the story appears in a medium not affiliated with an animal health publication. This is another example of the realities of the human-animal bond, the digital evolution, continual scrutiny of animals in the food chain and zoonotic risks place animal health topics into non-traditional … [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...]
Humane Society helping pet, livestock owners during wildfires
As wildfires continue to rage in Southern California, pets, horses and livestock are part of the survivors and casualties. The Humane Society of Ventura County in Ojai has been working 24/7 for more than a week to rescue animals and help owners drop off their pets and horses. No animal is turned away. Source: CBSlocal.com, December 13, 2017. In many cases owners of horses … [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...]
Cat litter offers new benefits
Sandy Robins shares recent trends in cat litter. This information is commercial, but knowing what is trending in this category is important for animal health pros who deal with cat owners. Source: Pet Age, December 4, 2017. New cat litter options include these categories: lightweight litters au natural litters diagnostic litters vibrant litters … [Read more...]
It’s not always safe to rub cat bellies
Dog lovers who visit homes with cats often get fooled by cats offering their bellies. There are lots of places cats like to be petted, but if you try to pet a cat’s belly, you’ll likely be met with claws and teeth. Source: Catster, December 8, 2017. There are some cats who love belly rubs, but they’re few and far between. The cat belly is a very vulnerable place. Unlike … [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...]
Cat kisses send real messages
The cat kiss is much different from anything humans do, says Denise LeBeau. But, cat owners know their feline friends show their affection toward us, and each other, quite often. LeBeau explores cat kisses, whether real or perceived. Source: Catster, November 22, 2017. The best way to show your cat how much you love him is to not plop a big kiss on his face. It’s best to … [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...]
Opinion – California raccoon distemper cases expose risks (includes video)
Cases of infected wildlife are not unusual. But, the human population encroachment into wildlife habitats has forced raccoons, skunks, coyotes and opossums to adapt to city living. In some areas, garbage cans, pet food dishes and potted gardens provide a more sustainable food supply than previous habitats. The result is an abundant, unbalanced critter population that inevitably … [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...]
What the duck?!
Erika Eigenbrod, DVM, shares an emergency experience with Twizzler, a Pekin duck. As more chickens and ducks move into suburban areas, veterinarians will likely receive more calls like this one. Thanks for sharing your egg-perience Dr. Eigenbrod. Source: Vetted, November 23, 2017. Being a doctor of veterinary medicine, your career, patients and situations will never happen … [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...]
375 kittens help identify obesity risks
A prospective study attempted to identify early life risk factors for cats to become overweight or obese. Results largely agreed with previously reported investigations of obesity risk factors. At two years of age, 25.3 percent of the study population was overweight or obese according to owners. The proportion was 36.8 percent when body condition score was measured by a … [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...]
Cuddling Fido in bed can cause problems
The discussion of sleeping with pets continues. An estimated 79 percent of pet owners share their beds with their pets. As reported by WebMD, a survey from the American Pet Products Association determined that 62 percent of small dogs, 41 percent of medium-sized dogs, and 32 percent of large dogs sleep in their human’s beds. Source: Cesar’s Way, November 15, 2017. In … [Read more...]