Whether you meet over cards, a beverage or meal with industry colleagues, the conversations can be valued and cherished. Brenda Andresen and Catherine Haskins have developed The Bridge Club as the first video-based, professional community. The video conference platform promises to return to face-to-face discussions on topics relevant to veterinary professionals. Andresen and … [Read more...]
The best leaders are teachers
SuperBowl LII is in the books. Much of the discussion surrounding the results encompassed leadership and coaching legacies. Sydney Finkelstein has studied leadership in organizations for over a decade. He shares his surprise on the extent to which star managers emphasize ongoing, intensive one-on-one tutoring of their direct reports, either in person or virtually, in the course … [Read more...]
Ketamine: let’s review
Ketamine continues to be extensively used in the anesthetic management of horses, nonhuman primates and other non-domesticated species. However, its popularity as an anesthetic induction agent in dogs and cats continues to decline in the United States. Khursheed Mama, DVM, DACVAA, Colorado State University reviews ketamine with this outline: Pharmacokinetics and clinic … [Read more...]
How to launch and profit from a rewards program
As a veterinary practice and its client base grows, employees turn over and team member roles get fragmented. Identifying top clients and consistently rewarding and reinforcing their behavior becomes increasingly difficult. Practices want to be sure these loyal, trusting best clients feel appreciated and valued. This is where a loyalty rewards program can come into … [Read more...]
“Hey,” “Hello,” “Hi” and other ways to start emails
The salutations we use to start an email affects the response rate, according to a recent analysis of 300,000 emails. While omitting a salutation on follow-up replies seems to be increasingly common, you are best off including an opening, at least in your initial email. Source: Quartz, January 22, 2018. Perhaps we should move past the era of formal salutations, as … [Read more...]
When to feed the good hay
Cows require additional nutrients during the month before calving. Crude protein needs increase as they move closer to calving, so feeding the highest quality hay just ahead of that time is best. Amy Radunz, University of Wisconsin associate professor, discussed hay quality and quantity with Sara Brown for this article. She shared two main take-homes for producers and their … [Read more...]
New formulation of HyperRAB approved for rabies post-exposure prophylaxis
Grifols announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new higher potency formulation of HyperRAB (rabies immune globulin [human]) for rabies post-exposure prophylaxis. The new formulation has twice the potency (300 IU/mL) of currently available rabies immune globulin options. This allows for fewer injections, along with a significantly lower volume of the … [Read more...]
Get better at being jealous
Kristin Wong likely has classmates and friends who envy her successes as a writer, just as animal health pros may feel jealousy or envy as colleagues receive honors, awards or get jobs they aspire to. Animal health has always been competitive at the DVM level. Competition is evident in manufacturers, suppliers and distributors and is now accentuated by mergers, acquisitions and … [Read more...]
Lepto: important but potentially misleading
Suspected cases of leptospirosis deserve a comprehensive investigation, writes John Maday. Infertility issues are typically multi-factorial and may be difficult to diagnose, but the causes usually involve non-disease issues such as bull fertility, cow nutrition, genetics, toxins or others. Some producers can mistakenly assume they have a lepto problem and focus on that while … [Read more...]
Take stock of your inventory
Inventory is frequently the second-largest expense in veterinary practices. Now that year-end counts are completed and new promotions are launched, it is a good time to review Brian Conrad’s approach to getting inventory under control. He takes a pragmatic approach to eliminating duplications, applying usage reports and establishing parameters for stocking top items. He also is … [Read more...]
New parvovirus discovered within equine tetanus antitoxin
A recent report in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Emerging Infectious Diseases journal detailed the discovery, genetic characterization and transmissibility of equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H)—a new virus associated with equine serum hepatitis. EqPV-H was discovered when a horse in Nebraska developed clinical signs of liver failure and died approximately … [Read more...]
AAEP publishes updated infectious disease guidelines
Most of the changes in existing guidelines highlight updated sampling and control measures. The AAEP’s Infectious Disease Committee also amended suspected case guidelines for respiratory, neurologic and clostridial diarrhea to outline appropriate actions and steps for suspected cases, along with several resource documents for sampling and equine herpesvirus. Additionally, … [Read more...]
Animal Health Digest receives Bronze VETTY Award
Our AHD team is pleased to be recognized with a 2018 Bronze VETTY in the category of Digital Education Tool, B2B/Trade. The VETTYS are the first and only animal health marketing awards competition created by NAVC. The competition focuses on products and services available through veterinarians or that support the veterinary profession, including pharmaceuticals, pet foods, … [Read more...]
Logic’s Grammy performance triple calls to suicide prevention line
1-800-273-8255 is the National Suicide Prevention Line and the title of rapper Logic’s latest hit song. His powerful set of this tune during the January 28th Grammy Awards is credited with creating three times the normal call volume in the two hours following his performance. He, along with pop stars Allessia Cara and Khalid, who were featured in the performance, received … [Read more...]
It’s up to you to create a civil workplace
According to Georgetown University researcher Christine Porath, more than 40 percent of employees say they hesitate to show civility at work because they fear people will take advantage of them. The workplace, with its reliance on technology as a primary means for communication, increasingly distances us from face-to-face interactions. This, in turn, makes many of us a rusty on … [Read more...]
The high cost of low action
Few things grow as effortlessly as a problem ignored, writes Steve Keating. Realistically, the things that aren’t working out well now only tend to get worse over time, and issues that remain unaddressed grow larger, not smaller. Doing nothing is easier, faster and cheaper until the bill comes due. And it always comes due. Source: Lead Today, January 22,2018. Problems … [Read more...]
Smartphone addiction, social media and our mental health
This may not be easy to read. The typical cell phone user touches his or her phone 2,617 times every day, according to a study by research firm dscout. And that’s just the average user. The study found that extreme cell phone users in the top 10 percent touch their phones more than 5,400 times daily. Our mental health is a factor of various variables. One such variable today is … [Read more...]
Understanding the mind of the horse
Robert Miller, DVM, knows horses. He explains that when working them, you have to understand the behavioral characteristics that are in the species’ DNA that was established through natural selection. Domestication might affect the characteristics, through artificial selection, but veterinarians and horsemen should attempt to understand the innate characteristics to better read … [Read more...]
Horses’ feet are miracles
Animal health pros who work with youth or new equine owners will appreciate this. Understanding the mechanics of the horse hoof helps horse enthusiasts better appreciate its complexity. The equine foot is a marvel of joints, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, blood vessels and bone encased within a horny capsule that is vital to the horse. See what Stephen O’Grady, DVM, likes to … [Read more...]
VMX 2018 was no small undertaking
Almost as if produced by Disney, the VMX conference is certainly XXX-sized. So are the smiles of participants and exhibitors as both seemed willing to engage. The only drawback of a large footprint venue is that many participants are not ready for the amount of walking required. You know the tradeshow is huge when golf carts are used on main thoroughfares to transport attendees … [Read more...]
Microchips turn 30; adoption still slow
Great efforts have been poured into microchip technology. One can argue the chronology, but microchip technology has settled with dependable standards and equipment. Still, under 30 percent of dogs and fewer than 15 percent of cats are chipped. Various sources indicate that lost pets with microchips are returned to owners at rates two or more times higher than non-chipped … [Read more...]
3 reasons why you should bring your dog to work
Richard Moran discusses dogs at work in the context of them being good for our health. He speculates on the ups and downs of packs of dogs roaming a workplace compared to the hypothesis that dogs and work are a good combination and could lead to a happier and more productive culture. Perhaps love from a dog could help make the job better and make you more … [Read more...]
3 ways to improve your decision making
Walter Fricke shares that decision making requires prediction and judgment. He writes about the need to have a sense of two things: how different choices change the likelihood of different outcomes how desirable each of those outcomes is Source: Harvard Business Review, January 22, 2018. But how do you get better at either? Of the volumes published on this subject … [Read more...]
Flowchart helps you decide if meeting is needed
Our industry is plagued with meetings. In fact, most of us have been involved in meetings about whether we need a meeting. Elle Griffen offers an infographic to help decide if a meeting is worth throwing onto everyone’s schedule. Source: The Muse, January 24, 2018. Not only can meetings be a huge time and productivity suck, they’re also expensive! Add up the hourly wage of … [Read more...]
11 common email mistakes everyone makes
Email etiquette is increasingly important! It's an integral part of how you communicate and develop relationships with people. Betty Liu compiled these tips to help avoid the most common email mistakes: Bad grammar/spelling Misdirected emails BCC too much Silence Saying 'To whom it may concern' Not changing the subject line Marking emails as unnecessarily … [Read more...]
5 email marketing trends to watch in 2018
Attention marketers and communicators! Email was the preferred communication method for brands to communicate with customers in 2017. It will be well into the future. Still, 2018 may hold some surprises for the 40-year-old communications standard that marketers should be aware of. Scott Heimes shares these five considerations for email in 2018. Personalization through … [Read more...]
Keep it clean
Disinfection is critical for biosecurity. In this article, Jennifer Ryan identifies these top tips for cleaning and disinfecting on location: Train employees on the farm standard for cleanliness Use the correct detergent for the job Select the appropriate disinfectant for target pathogens Consider the safety profile, environmental impact, cleaning properties (if … [Read more...]
Opinion – Defining telehealth in veterinary medicine
Telehealth, says the AVMA, has emerged as a prime opportunity for veterinarians to deliver health information and care to clients via technology. Emerged? Haven’t we been doing this for years? The key here is to define and segregate actions. Telehealth is an overarching term describing the delivery of health information, education or care REMOTELY. The AVMA has created an … [Read more...]
An ounce of prevention helps foals
“The first six months of a foal’s life have the greatest impact on his athletic ability and monetary value,” Amy Jergens, DVM, says. “Yet this stage is largely ignored, leading to a significant number of deaths and avoidable complications.” Source: Western Horseman. Jergens shares information in the following areas of early foal care: The first exam Instilling … [Read more...]
Get ready for Gen Z
Patricia M. Buhler and Nicole Evans offer five keys to becoming Generation Z’s employer of choice. More than 61 million of them born after 1999 are poised to enter the workforce. These are not younger millennials, say the authors comparing the millennial entitlement to Gen Z expectations. One-size-fits-all career paths won’t appeal to Gen Z. These individuals won’t be … [Read more...]