Beyond Indigo looks more closely at three social media platforms and how to best use them to reach your intended audience with the content they crave in this sponsored content: Instagram Twitter Google Business Source: Beyond Indigo, February 20, 2018. Link. While the bulk of your social media efforts should still be squarely focused on Facebook – especially when … [Read more...]
Stop saying um, ah and you know
Filler words quickly become crutch words that we habitually use. They “ah” diminish our credibility and “um” distract from “you know” our message. Animal health pros routinely interact with animal owners and other animal health pros. Noah Zandan shares how to replace the crutch words with pauses. Source: Ascend, September 2018. Link. Used sparingly and effectively, filler … [Read more...]
Interest building for NAVC Resource Library
NAVC’s recent introduction of the Veterinary Resource Library <link> is generating considerable interest from the veterinary community and manufacturers alike. Designed to eliminate the need for veterinary personnel to check multiple websites to seek information, the resource center is quickly building toward its objective of becoming a one-stop product portal. The … [Read more...]
Purdue establishes National Academy for Veterinary Medicine
"Vet Up! The National Health Careers Opportunity Program" (HCOP) Academy for Veterinary Medicine will address a national shortage of veterinarians in public health and rural and food animal practice and a significant lack of under-represented individuals entering the veterinary profession. Vet Up aligns with other programs already in place at Purdue, including being home to the … [Read more...]
FDA, Bad bacteria are kicking our butts! (includes videos)
The U.S. Food and Drug’s Administration’s (FDA) recently announced its 2019 Strategic Approach for Combatting AMR, or antibiotic resistance. Scott Gottlieb, FDA commissioner, said bacteria are rapidly developing new ways to evade our current weapons. He called for an all-hands-on-decked approach, citing revelations in the Pew Charitable Trust’s analysis of the antibiotic … [Read more...]
Conclusions from FDA’s meeting on non-traditional therapies for bacterial infections
Antibiotic resistance gets discussed daily and globally. FDA recently convened a meeting to explore non-traditional therapies for bacterial infections (NNTBI). For the time being, no guidelines for the clinical development of NNTBIs are expected to be released. Beyond the challenge of defining NNTBIs, these diverse therapies challenge current models for biomarkers, safety, … [Read more...]
Avoid toxic plant risks for livestock
Fall changes in plants, dryer conditions and a tendency to overgraze can put livestock at risk to consume toxic plants. Anna O'Brien reviews some common toxic plants to help livestock avoid: Milkweed Rhododendron/Azaleas/Mountain Laurel Pigweed Ragwort Foxglove White Snakeroot Cherry Trees Black Walnut Source: Hobby Farms, August 27, 2018. Link. … [Read more...]
Don’t ruin production with drought-stressed feed
The impact of this year’s drought conditions cover much of the country. It has reduced supplies of quality forage and grain. The practice of turning cows into fields to graze on total plants puts them at risk from the presence of aflatoxin, prussic acid or nitrate in the grazed crops. Aflatoxins are especially a threat to dairy farmers because they can render milk unsalable as … [Read more...]
Planning for a hobby that costs almost as much as children
Equestrians say that once they fall in love with a horse, there’s no turning back. The total cost per year for a horse is about $3,876, according to a University of Maine study. Over 30 years, an equestrian can pay out more than $116,200. Source: Bank Investment Consultant, September 11, 2018. Link. While the expenses related to horse ownership may make some financial … [Read more...]
Store welcomes (leashed) horse inside (includes photos)
This will make you smile! A Tractor Supply store in Elk City, Oklahoma, welcomed a gentleman and his horse to the store. [The] gentleman walks into Tractor Supply and says, “I'm a senior, here to buy feed for my senior horse. Can he come in?’” Robin Morris said. Source: the dodo, September 7, 2018. Link. Tractor Supply allows any pet into the store as long as they’re on a … [Read more...]
Watch out for “The iPhone Effect”
As a manager, when you talk with employees do you incessantly check your cellphone? Or, are the employees looking at theirs? “The iPhone Effect: The Quality of In-Person Social Interactions in the Presence of Mobile Devices,” was published in the journal, “Environment and Behavior.” It examined the relationship between the presence of mobile devices during social interactions … [Read more...]
New thinking about cribbing
Most owners want to stop their horses from cribbing. This is easier said than done. Cribbing has been a challenge for centuries with no known reason for this behavior. The horse places his upper teeth firmly on a hard object---be it a fence, stall door, water trough, or anything he can reach---pulls back, arches his neck, and gulps air into the upper part of his esophagus with … [Read more...]
Still plenty of room to improve sharps safety
Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is a virus, similar to human immunodeficiency virus, that spreads through biting flies and cannot be cured. Following an investigation into a Weld County horse that tested positive for EIA on August 24, Keith Roehr, Colorado state veterinarian is now actively quarantining locations in Colorado and searching for approximately 100 horses sent to 20 … [Read more...]
The skinny on pet supplements
Jackie Brown investigates pet supplements and finds a lot of questions remain. While certain supplements can have a place in joint disease management, some veterinarians are concerned about how they might be perceived by pet owners. Source: Veterinary Practice News, August 23, 2018. Link. Sam Franklin, MS, DVM, PhD, DACVS, DACVSMR, tells clients, “. . . if they can afford to … [Read more...]
Crying at work doesn’t need to be a big deal
Crying at work is like the kiss of death for professional women, writes Jeneva Patterson. . . . to cry in front of colleagues, especially male peers or bosses, ranks as one of the most humiliating professional experiences. Patterson explains the crying response rates between men and women and the likelihood that women in the workplace will naturally react to some situations … [Read more...]
Be your own best advocate
Why advocate for yourself? Because, only you know what you really want and need. You are your own best advocate. And, cold hard truth here: If you don't do it, no one else will. Source: Bright Blue Consulting, August 31, 2018. Link. Smart, savvy women are forced to walk a tightrope between their authentic self, the skills they need to deploy to “play in the big leagues” and … [Read more...]
4 ways telemedicine is changing human healthcare
Many animal health pros are taking a wait and see approach to telemedicine. However, the practice of non-physical health interactions is already morphing toward virtual health on the human side. Alan Pitt, MD, envisions a future “about building space with the idea that people may need to provide care to a patient in that space," rather than forcing them to travel when they … [Read more...]
Exploding wild horse and burros population straining BLM
The Bureau of Land Management's Wild Horse and Burro program is at a crossroads. Too few wild horses and burros are placed into private homes each year. At the same time, herds on public lands continue to increase rapidly. There were 81,951 animals on 26.9 million acres of public rangelands and 44,730 animals in corrals or pastures as of mid-2018 . . . . . . perspective, the … [Read more...]
Horse owners trust veterinarians
Horse owners are relying on their veterinarians more and more for vaccination and deworming program recommendations, according to the 2018 "American Horse Publications" (AHP) online survey of 9,000 horse owners. Source: Feedstuffs, August 14, 2018. Link. “The percentage of respondents who said they discuss American Association of … [Read more...]
Add by subtracting
Sometimes, to become successful and get closer to the person you can be, you don’t need to add more things — you need to give up some of them. There are certain things that are universal, which will make you successful if you give up on them. Source: Thrive Global, August, 2018. Link. If you never try and take great opportunities or allow your dreams to become realities, … [Read more...]
Expectation to check work email after hours hurts health, relationships
The results of a recent study are a loud warning. Monitoring email after hours is not a primary reason for our existence. Researchers from Virginia Tech surveyed 108 employees working at least 30 hours per week, 138 significant others and 105 managers and found that the sheer expectation of monitoring work email, rather than the amount of time spent doing so, led to increased … [Read more...]
How do veterinarians die?
Veterinarians have a unique relationship with death, due to their close proximity to it, and many have cited this as a reason they consider suicide, writes Ada McVean. Studies find that veterinarians are between 4 and 8 times more likely to take their lives than the general population. This isn't the case for their human treating counterparts, nor for other graduate degree … [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...]
Harvard, 6 things that make people live longer, happier lives
The Study of Adult Development is a rarity in medicine. Quite deliberately it set out to study the lives of the well, not the sick. In so doing it has integrated three cohorts of elderly men and women - all of whom have been studied continuously for six to eight decades. Whether we live to a vigorous old age lies not so much in our stars or our genes as in ourselves. Source: … [Read more...]
Screens kill your eyeballs and now we know how
Here’s the latest information on blue light’s rap sheet. Beyond messing with circadian rhythms, it can kill photoreceptor cells, according to a new experiment. We believe all of us need to stay informed on this topic. Source: Popular Science, August 10, 2018. Link. Physicians have drawn attention to the relationship between our favorite devices and eye problems, ranging … [Read more...]
Equine shipping fever may indicate something more serious
Travel is stressful for horses. A horse’s environment during transport may not be dustier than his home barn, but if he can’t readily lower his head, airborne particles may take a greater toll on his health. If horses get a respiratory infection after transport, like people with colds, they usually just get over it. Sometimes, however, a fever and cough that start soon after … [Read more...]
How to end your four most common work conversations
Too often we hesitate when it comes to the “ask.” We let our words hang in the air–and hope that our listeners pursue the next steps. Source: Fast Company, August 17, 2018. Link. Judith Humphrey shares how to tell your listeners how you want your message to be acted upon. She covers the call to action in the following scenarios: Networking conversation Corridor chat … [Read more...]
Grit: the power of passion and perseverance (includes video)
We know very little about developing grit, says Angela Lee Duckworth. “What if your ability to do well in school and life depends on much more than your ability to learn easily and quickly?” she asked. “IQ was not the only difference between my best and worst students.” In all those different contexts, one characteristic emerged as significant predictor of success: It was … [Read more...]
Key items that make a successful lunch and learn
Whether working to advance team skills or increase knowledge about a topic, engaging team members is critical. An effective Lunch & Learn involves more than an introduction and a demonstration over lunch. No team member will leave lunch feeling confident about performing a new skill without actually performing the skill him- or herself. Source: Veterinary Team Brief, … [Read more...]
What’s good for GM may be good for you
Everyone in all General Motors offices is banned from walking and talking or texting. This includes CEO Mary Barra. There’s no looking at a phone en route to a meeting, taking calls on the way to the bathroom nor checking email when getting coffee. Safety is one reason, but awareness is another. Source: Fast Company, August 23, 2018. Link. For GM, the smartphone concern is … [Read more...]