NSAIDs are some of the most common medications given to horses. They are prescribed for the treatment of pain and inflammation associated with equine osteoarthritis (OA). While an important part of joint health management,” says Boehringer-Ingelheim’s Britt Conklin, DVM, “they have to be used appropriately.” Source: AQHA, December 13, 2018. Link. Dr. Conklin urges horse … [Read more...]
Kick start selling skills with marketing tactics
Whether you carry a bag, handle the phone, receive animal owners at the front desk or meet them in the aisles, selling skills are important. They differentiate you from competitors. Jacob Dillon shares marketing tactics and tips that you can use to kick start your sales skills and improve the outcomes of your actions: Sell benefits instead of featuresKnow your customer … [Read more...]
Beyond NSAIDS, multimodal pain considerations
There’s more to chronic pain management than NSAIDS, writes Robin Downing, DVM. She reviews how omega-3 fatty acids and microlactin, along with managing normalizing body composition help address inflammation and pain. To manage inflammation and its associated pain from a multimodal perspective means we must recognize all the ways inflammation can arise and how we can … [Read more...]
Equine surgeon survey: injuries are to be expected
Injuries rob us of time, add medical costs and diminish the joys of life. While accidents happen, some injuries are easily avoided. Rose Kennedy describes the most common injuries from the most important areas of your life: home, work and sports <link>. The five most common work injuries are: OverexertionSlipping/trippingFalling from heightsReaction injuriesFalling object … [Read more...]
Clean hands save lives
A crucial element of preventive health for all species is hand washing. In fact, the World Health Organization considers hand hygiene as the pillar of infection control. While this abstract targets equine health, the information is a good reminder for all animal health pros. Although the principles and benefits of proper hand hygiene have been recognized in the healthcare … [Read more...]
Manage cataracts in horses as they age
Dr. Amber Labelle addresses equine cataracts. Most horses, as do dogs and humans, get degrees of cataracts as they age, also called them senile cataracts. Note the download that many AQHA members may use as a reference. Source: AQHA, November 28, 2017. Link. The good news is that cataracts do not appear to affect horses' vision the way they affect our human vision! For … [Read more...]
Double-check broodmares in early winter
Up to 15 percent of broodmares who were checked safe-in-foal at 45 to 60 days lose their pregnancies by late fall, says Thomas Lenz, DVM. It’s a good idea this time of year to recheck all of your mares by ultrasound or palpation to confirm that their pregnancy is progressing normally, he says. Too often, a mare owner doesn’t know a mare lost her pregnancy until she doesn’t … [Read more...]
Equine fact, equine myth
Not all information is created equal. Crowdsourced internet answers are now available with a simple spoken question, “Alexa, will my horse get enough water by eating snow?” The most frequent horse care myth topics include nutrition, cold weather and colic, writes Natalie Voss. She turned to the University of Kentucky Extension service for this fact vs. myth article. Source: … [Read more...]
AQHA launches a new young-adult leadership development program
The American Quarter Horse Foundation announced a new program, AQHLead, designed for young adults, ages 19 to 34, to help support their development as young leaders in the equine industry. AQHLead grants of $5,000 will be awarded to 10 applicants for the inaugural class to offset participation costs. Participants will be partnered with a mentor from the American Quarter Horse … [Read more...]
What equine DVMs say about core vaccinations
Christa Lesté-Lasserre, MA, helps support horse owner education with this Zoetis sponsored article. Consider it for social media posts, e-newletters and website content. The high mortality rate, human risk, and vaccine efficacy have led veterinarians to identify five vaccines they consider “core:” West Nile virus, Eastern and Western equine encephalomyelitis, tetanus, and … [Read more...]
Fall leaves can be toxic to horses
As fall colors paint the countryside, remember that falling leaves can pose a potentially deadly threat to horses. Dr. Tania Cubitt reviews trees whose leaves are dangerous in this article sponsored by Standlee Forage. Source: Horse Network, October 10, 2018. Link. Do not dispose of your raked leaves into your pasture Also see: Red maple leaves dangerous for horses, Animal … [Read more...]
3 advantages of veterinarian-administered equine vaccinations
Writing for the AQHA, Jacquelin Boggs, DVM, with Zoetis asserts three benefits horses get when a veterinarian administers vaccines: Proper Vaccine Handling Safe, Accurate Administration Tailored Vaccination Program Source: AQHA, September 13, 2018. Link. Every horse is unique. Your veterinarian can work with you to customize a vaccine program based on your … [Read more...]
Beyond Facebook; secondary social media platforms for veterinary marketing
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...]