The staff at Global VetLink summarizes helpful tips to ensure animal owners’ travel plans go smoothly this summer. Know if the state you’re traveling to has changed their 7001 form rules Brush up on your regulatory knowledge Look up state movement requirements before traveling with animals Find movement requirements for international health certificates Keep … [Read more...]
TickEncouter website helps with tick identification and prevention
The TickEncounter Resource Center (TERC) from the University of Rhode Island promotes tick bite protection and tick-borne disease prevention by engaging, educating and empowering people to take action. One supportive element allows persons and organizations to become TickEncounter Prevention Partners. A new program enables nationwide crowd-sourced tick surveillance using … [Read more...]
Veterinary practice consolidation demystified
Under current trends, consolidation of veterinary practices will continue until just three or four companies control 60% or more of the market. Michael Dicks, PhD, and Melissa Maddux, DVM, provide a detailed commentary on the progression of corporate ownership of practices and the rationales for clinic evaluations, strategies and needs of various types of practice group … [Read more...]
Call the vet! Rural America needs help
Betsy Freese, executive editor of Successful Farming and a veterinarian’s wife, writes about the dearth of veterinarians in rural areas came to be and how we can fix the situation. From documenting the realities of underserved communities to 16 unvarnished trends about veterinary medicine, she puts the names and faces and with the intestinal fortitude it takes to be a … [Read more...]
Opinion – Keyboards could become obsolete with AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) seems more like an oxymoron than reality. Weird e-mails, robocalls and web pop-ups are already the products of rudimentary AI applications, as well as Siri and Alexa. Ian Heller offers considerations about AI being used in ordering and replenishment platforms. It is worth thinking about in the context of inventory replenishment and … [Read more...]
Study explores DVM attitudes regarding euthanasia
Patricia Wuest summarizes a recent study that found 69 percent of veterinarian respondents said they had felt moderate to severe distress about not being able to give animals what they thought was the right care. Almost two-thirds were bothered by inappropriate requests for euthanasia. The study exposes animal health pros to the challenges of being the point of service for … [Read more...]
Animal hoarding caused by multiple issues
Kirk Miller, DVM, helps us understand the issues around hoarding beyond those of the long-established crazy cat lady. He says what classifies a person as a hoarder isn’t a particular number of animals, rather it’s whether or not those animals are provided with sufficient care. Miller explains three types of hoarders and potential intervention approaches. The overwhelmed … [Read more...]
Tick, tick, tick . . . TICK!
The range of ticks is expanding, more diseases spread by ticks are being identified, and new species are being introduced to the U.S. by global trade and travel, writes Judy Stone. The expansion of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases appears related to two major factors: a) climate change and, b) forest fragmentation. Humans and animals are challenged. Source: Forbes, May 29, … [Read more...]
Disease DuJour podcasts cover equine health problems
EquiManagement’s podcast series delves into the research and current best practices for a variety of equine health problems. Expert podcasts hosts include: Rob Holland, DVM Bonnie Barr, DVM Tom Chambers, DVM Tom Riddle, DVM Dr. Steve Reed, DVM Source: Disease DuJour. Link. INSIGHTS: These podcasts are great resources for veterinarians and especially for … [Read more...]
Protect horses from eye injuries
Protecting horses from injuries and illness will also help keep his eyes safe, writes Karen Elizabeth Baril. She reviews potential eye hazards, signs of eye troubles and equine eye emergencies. Equine eye injuries always warrant a call to your veterinarian - Alyssa Warneke, DVM Source: EQUUS, April 1, 2019. Link. Basil shares some of the most common equine eye injuries: … [Read more...]
Equine beauty products, Pop quiz!
Some horse owners may spend more on their horses’ hair-care products than their own. Take this quiz to help them spend their money more wisely and still have a comely, clean horse. Source: EQUUS, May 15, 2019. Link. INSIGHTS: The quiz covers 4 areas that salespersons can use to position the products in their portfolios: Suds and cleaning power How brightening … [Read more...]
Porcupines can cause prickly problems for cows, horses
Heather Smith Thomas shares information about porcupines, discusses various quill removal myths and reveals the challenges of removing quills from cattle and horses. The best way to remove quills is to immobilize the animal while the quills are pulled out with needle-nosed pliers. A straight, quick jerk works best. - Robert Cope, DVM Source: Countryside Magazine, June 2, … [Read more...]
Be watchful for rain rot on horses
With record rainfall across much of the country, horses may get rain rot. Its signs are unmistakable: After coming in from the rain, the horse's coat begins to stand up in a peculiar pattern, either bordered by the "drip line" of rain runoff or in patches Beginning to smooth it down, you feel a radiating heat and the horse flinches from the touch By the next day, … [Read more...]
Considerations for adjusting equine vaccinations
A horse’s circumstances can change enough during a year that his vaccination program needs changing. Some instances that call for a review or of a vaccine routine include: Location Increased interaction with other horses Advancing age Source: EQUUS, March 2018. Link. INSIGHTS: Risks can come from other animals that frequent a location. Raccoons, skunks, … [Read more...]
EQUUS pop quiz: horse terms
Revisit horse-related terms and information with SAT-style analogy questions. It’s a fun way to be sure your knowledge of terms is current and where you have gaps. Have fun! Source: EQUUS, May 3, 2019. Link. … [Read more...]
Horse sense required for barefoot trimming
David Ramey, DVM, tackles the barefoot trimming fad where horses have shoes removed and hooves trimmed to run barefoot. He says some proponents of barefoot trimming sometimes take a fanatical leap and may assert that shoes for horses are never a good thing, and that they always cause harm. Ramey disagrees for three big reasons: The stated assumption that “barefoot is … [Read more...]
Microbiome; it’s a bug eat bug world
“The microbiome is a collection of different microorganisms that we find in the intestinal tract of animals, and we know these microorganisms are essential to immune development,” says Christopher Chase, DVM. “Understanding how they interact with the gut, and particularly the epithelium of the gut, is really important.” In the last decade, research has shown the epithelial … [Read more...]
Goats are cute, but they aren’t easy pets
Brian Barth wonders if 2019 will be the year that goats join dogs, cats and parrots in the pantheon of animals that have gone from wild to domesticated. Barbara Jamison, owner of Puget Sound Goat Rescue, shares goat husbandry requirements about this farm animal trying to become a pet. They include: Most importantly, you must adopt at least two. Herd animals are profoundly … [Read more...]
Watch out for snakes! For you and Fido.
It is that time of year for exciting hikes and nature walks, but remember to watch for snakes. The number-one rule for hiking is for us and our dogs to stay on the trail, experts say. The snakes are waiting in the high grass where they’re harder to see. Rock climbers need to watch where they put their hands, too. Source: NPR Shots, May 12, 2019. Link. Like humans, dogs are … [Read more...]
Promote pet chipping this month
May is National Chip Your Pet Month and an excellent time to turn up attention to the benefits of placing microchips in pets. Once pets are chipped and registered in a national pet recovery database, services like the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool < link > can reference the chip against hundreds of registries’ databases. Pets with microchips are up to 20 times … [Read more...]
Poisonous plants for cattle, horses, dogs, cats
Spring brings a flowery green up but, plants toxic t0 our critters may lurk among the blooms. We compiled some resources for cattle, horses, dogs and cats below. Use them on social media and to solve problems with animal owners. Source: Plants toxic to cats, ASPCA. Link. Source: Plants toxic to dogs, ASPCA. Link. Source: Poisonous plants that can kill cattle, BEEF, … [Read more...]
9 mosquito myths debunked
Jason Cameron and Amy Lawhorne tackle myths about mosquitoes and share ways to help protect you and your family. They share the 7 Ts of mosquito control. Tip Toss Turn Remove Tarps Take care Team up Treat Source: diy Network, link. INSIGHTS: This is good information for social media posts, e-newsletters and websites. Consider sharing it with … [Read more...]
Jan Pol, DVM on ‘What I Know Now’
At a young 76 years old, Jan Pol is the star of The Incredible Dr. Pol on Nat Geo Wild. The reality show is the channel’s number-one series and is now in its 14th season. Pol shares what he feels all creatures, even humans, need most. Source: AARP The Magazine, April/May 2019. Link. Nat Geo Wild has always been 100 percent dedicated to animals and the people who love them, … [Read more...]
May is National Arthritis Month; remember pets, too
May is recognized annually as National Arthritis Awareness Month. Arthritis affects more than 50 million Americans, making it the number-one cause of disability in the country. Osteoarthritis is a very common problem in small animals, as well. It has been estimated that around 20 percent of dogs and 40 percent of cats will be affected by osteoarthritis at some point in their … [Read more...]
Coprophagia, pica and the funny eating habits of horses
David Ramey, DVM, offers information about horses’ eating habits and the many things they ingest. In the wild, horses eat in 23 of 24 hours during the day. Eating like a horse, indeed. Source: Horse Network, February 2019. Link. Equine nutritionists . . . have found that horses really only seek out energy, water, salt, and fiber. INSIGHTS: Equine veterinary teams as well as … [Read more...]
Equine rabies often insidious and vague in horses
We often picture unnaturally aggressive skunks, raccoons or dogs foaming at the mouth when we think of rabies. Although it isn’t widely found among horses in the United States, veterinarians diagnose about 40 cases per year. Betsy Greene relates that the potential risk of human exposure from even one infected horse is concerning. Source: The Horse, April 2019. Link. Greene … [Read more...]
Depression among customers hurts us all
Production agriculture can be isolating. This tends to intensify feelings like grief, depression, anger, blame, resentment and a feeling of failure, writes Amanda Radke. She curated a series of articles on mental health issues with farmers and ranchers. Beyond our own issues with high veterinary suicide rates, some of our better customers are also hurting. Mental health issues … [Read more...]
Myths and truths of equine cribbing
Several factors that seem to contribute to acquiring a cribbing habit, says Tina Steward, DVM. Such as: Dietary lack of roughage Diet of sweetened feeds Long periods without feed Emotional and physical stress Genetic, heritable traits Lots of forage and friends are the best management tools for cribbers and cribbing prevention. Source: Dressage Today, … [Read more...]
Parasite education? There’s an APP for that
The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) has designed an app to help strengthen skills in the microscopic identification of fecal parasites in veterinary clinic settings and for individual study. The Veterinary Internal Parasite Flash Card App < link > includes approximately 100 veterinary internal parasites found in dogs, cats, small mammals, reptiles and … [Read more...]
5 reasons leaders fail
When leadership fails, it is often due to a successful characteristic morphing into its evil twin. Just as with the Force in Star Wars, there is a negative associated with every positive. Don’t let these pitfalls negatively impact your leadership. Source: Inc., February 11, 2013. Link. Leaders fail due to certain social-psychological blinders that inhibit their capacity to … [Read more...]