As a veterinarian and dog owner, writes Jennifer Bailey, DVM, “I feel strongly that the canine Lyme vaccine is safe and effective enough for dogs who live in areas that are endemic for Lyme disease.” Sharing considerable history, the lack of full support by veterinarians, and the potential for side effects, she emphasizes vaccination based on lifestyle, geographic location and … [Read more...]
Technology, sustainability and new food formats topped trends at Global Pet Expo
Sharing his perspectives from the Global Pet Expo, Mark Kalaygian says product innovations seemed to reflect three key areas: technology, sustainability and new food formats. Source: Pet Business, April 2024. Link. … [Read more...]
1 in 5 pet owners indicate pet separation anxiety got worse last year
Working to quantify the level of separation anxiety, TrustedHousesitters surveyed pet owners on their pet-sitting platform. They found: 46 percent of those surveyed said their pet has separation anxiety 25 percent of respondents reveal they won't travel because of their pet’s anxiety 17 percent revealed they worry about missing out on social and career opportunities … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – April 1, 2024
Millennials with pets finding challenges, Chewy opening physical spaces, industry experts seeking more oversight of pet food, FabFitFun acquires PetCo’s PupBox, Veterinary surgeon appeals to breeders of brachycephalic dogs and more . . . Source: IBPSA Fast Bites, April 1, 2024. Link. Adam Christman, DVM, MBA has been selected as the keynote speaker for the 2024 IBPSA Flow … [Read more...]
Results from workforce needs and gaps survey
U.S. employers report challenges in finding suitable job candidates with work-ready skills to fill open roles, according to an AgCareers.com survey. Problem-solving and decision-making were identified as the areas with the most significant gaps for current employees and new graduate hires. Organization and planning skills, as well as teamwork, were also identified as … [Read more...]
Let’s stop calling them soft skills. They’re interpersonal skills. Leadership skills.
American author and former dot com business executive Seth Godin, says organizations pay less attention to soft skills when hiring because we’ve persuaded ourselves that vocational skills are impersonal and easier to measure. He asserts we stop referring to soft skills and use real skills instead. Godin says real skills can’t replace vocational skills but what they can do is … [Read more...]
Lines between retail stores and veterinary practices becoming more blurry
Gathering comments from several brands, Kathleen Sturgeon shares perspectives on the impact of new big-box retailers entering the veterinary services market. Source: Pet Business, April 2024. Link. … [Read more...]
Tips for building strong rapport with customers
Rapport goes beyond routine customer service; it’s about making a genuine connection with the person you’re helping, by showing interest and understanding their needs. Source: CSM, March 2024. Link. Good rapport is not just about resolving the immediate issue at hand . . . with patience, attentiveness, and sincerity, you can turn even challenging service interactions into … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – March 28, 2024
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, March 21, 2024. Link. Most read post(s) from the March 21st AHD Bulletin – AAFP updates position statements on the responsible breeding and indoor/outdoor lifestyle of cats. Link. Silent communication. Link. No excuses to skip prevention with cash cattle markets nearing historic highs. Link. … [Read more...]
AAHA’s free webinar schedule for 2-Q-2024
AAHA Learning is providing free access to these courses for animal health pros. RACE continuing education credits are available with registration. Membership is not required. Feline diabetes and choosing SGLT2 inhibitors: May 27th recording may be available Fostering cultural competency in veterinary medicine Stay, please: The path to improved retention in veterinary … [Read more...]
Covetrus® adds next-generation, online prescription management solution to VetSuite
According to a recent Covetrus study, practices can double revenue and profitability by offering clients the convenience of in-clinic plus online pharmacies. This capability is important as consumers increasingly expect convenient ways to buy pet medicines and products. Covetrus vRxPro™ represents an evolution of the company’s current prescription management offering. It is … [Read more...]
ACVIM, MentorVet and Chewy Health to launch mentorship program for new diplomats
MentorVet Lead is the result of collaboration between The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Chewy Health and MentorVet, an organization that uses evidence-based approaches to empower veterinary professionals. Source: BusinessWire, March 25, 2024. Link. The program is tailored to meet the specific needs of new ACVIM Diplomates and was initially developed to … [Read more...]
ABC Intelligence launches next-generation market intelligence platform
ABC is introducing MarketGenus, a next-generation market intelligence platform into its VetGenus suite of products. MarketGenus matches products and services to patients that would benefit most from the product and service offerings is enabled by ABC’s proprietary DataGenus technology. Source: ABC Intelligence, March 25, 2024. Link. MarketGenus, can be used in the … [Read more...]
Properly prepared beef is safe to eat; HPAI is not a food safety threat
“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and USDA food safety experts, properly prepared beef is safe to eat,” said Meat Institute’s Julie Anna Potts. Source: Drovers, March 25, 2024. Link. HPAI cannot be transmitted to humans by eating <properly prepared> meat or poultry products.” … [Read more...]
HPAI confirmed in Texas, Kansas dairy cows
Unpasteurized, clinical samples of milk from sick cattle collected from two dairy farms in Kansas and one in Texas, as well as an oropharyngeal swab from another dairy in Texas, have tested positive for a strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza. The USDA said that affected dairy cows do not appear to be transmitting the virus to other cattle within the same herd. Source: … [Read more...]
The anti-meat discussion returns to rapid emissions reduction
Commentary The next big climate deadline is for meat and dairy, writes Kenny Torella sharing information from the December 2023 United Nations Climate Change conference. He quotes Harvard’s Helen Harwatt who says, “We need to see major changes in livestock production and consumption . . . really deep and rapid changes over the next decade.” Beyond the obvious reduction in … [Read more...]
Poll: Reading horse feed tags
A recent poll asked readers about their confidence when reading and interpreting the nutritional information on a horse feed tag. While only 221 persons participated, about 26 percent indicated they were not very confident or not at all confident. A majority of 42.5 percent said they were somewhat confident. The article reminded us of Austin Davis’ article on demystifying … [Read more...]
Study: Even a short round of common antibiotics can change the equine gut microbiome
A new study from the Gluck Equine Research Center at the University of Kentucky showed the effect of antimicrobials on equine gut microbes. The study begins addressing the growing recognition of the susceptibility of the equine gut microbiota to antibiotic-induced disturbances, which can lead to adverse, and occasionally severe, consequences. Source: Equine Science Update, … [Read more...]
A majority of horse owners feel some sort of anxiety about horse expenditures
A Synchrony/Care Credit study published in April 2023 estimated the lifetime cost of horse ownership ranges from $300,000 to $924,000 <Link>. The lifetime costs of owning a horse can be four times higher than expected <Link> and calculating costs can be complicated. Pat Raia shared ways to budget and learn about the cost of owning a horse in August 2023 … [Read more...]
A closer look into cryptococcal fungal infections in pets
Cryptococcal fungi are most naturally found in warm and humid environments, particularly where soil, decaying organic material, such as wood, leaf litter, compost and bird droppings are present. Dogs and cats can develop serious, even life-threatening, cryptococcal infections when they inhale the spores of the fungi, writes Sara Lawhon, DVM, PhD, DACVM. Infections are more … [Read more...]
To crate or not? It’s complicated.
Dogs aren’t wired to instinctively love their crates. Kelly Conaboy shares advice from experts about helping them adjust and why some never will. Source: The Washington Post, March 20, 2024. Link. “<Crate> benefits are contingent on the crate being introduced correctly, and whether the dog truly feels calm and comfortable when inside.” - Kate Anderson, DVM, … [Read more...]
Ernie Ward, DVM, talks pet obesity and prevention
The increasing number of overweight and obese pets is far more complex than people offering too much table food and the effects on life quality, longevity and health. Ernie Ward, president of The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, and Steve Dale, program host, discuss treating obesity as a disease, spay/neuter timing and the efforts addressing body conditioning. The … [Read more...]
New pet products earn top honors at Global Pet Expo
Global Pet Expo’s Best in Show awards were awarded across 13 product categories, including aquatic, bird, boutique, cat, dog, dog food/treats, natural, reptile, small animal, pet sustainability, pet tech innovation, point of purchase and the modern pet. Source: Pet Product News, March 2024. Link. … [Read more...]
9 types of difficult colleagues, how to handle them
It takes extra effort to deal with the dynamics of situations involving difficult people. Sharing nine types of difficult colleagues or clients, Nick Robinson explains simple, direct strategies to deal with them. Among them were these three: The worrier The dark strategist The people pleaser Source: Fast Company, March 20, 2024. Link. “The best way to deal with a … [Read more...]
Practicing with care for the emotional well-being of animals
Slick floors, padding for exam tables and seeing posters from an animal’s perspective were among topics when Temple Grandin, PhD, MS and Fear Free’s Marty Becker, DVM addressed Fetch dvm360 conference attendees recently. Not everyone gets to attend these events, so we’re sharing an overview from Kristen Coppock, MA. Source: DVM 360, March 17, 2024. Link. “Creating and … [Read more...]
5 key pet industry trends to watch from 2024 to 2028
Sharing takeaways from an in-depth Packaged Facts webinar titled, “US Pet Market Outlook 2024: Opportunities in a Mixed Growth Landscape, Sarah Schmidt offers a summary of key trends: Impact of inflation on pet owner spending Economic challenges facing younger pet owners Shift to lower-cost products and services Decline in the dog population Continued pet … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – March 25, 2024
Small business debt, retail employment segment, purpose-driven company culture, growing costs of owning pets, pet allergies and more . . . Source: IBPSA Fast Bites, March 25, 2024. Link. … [Read more...]
Re-entering practice after a hiatus (podcast)
We found the podcast discussion from Alyssa Watson, DVM, Beth Molleson, DVM, and guest Katie Berlin, DVM, especially timely and relevant as our industry deals with balance, equity and equality issues <Link>. Source: Clinician’s Brief: The Podcast, March 2024. Link. (46:21) … [Read more...]
When what’s possible isn’t an option, enter the spectrum of care
Not all veterinary clients can afford the gold standard and sometimes a pet’s health situation has limitations. Mark Thill reviews how the rising bar for “standard of care” comes with ethical and practical challenges. He shares perspectives from various leaders about “care creep” and how some veterinary students are being introduced and taught to deal with care … [Read more...]
Nearly 50 percent of women skip preventative health appointments
This article is appropriate for Women’s History Month 2024, especially for busy animal health pros. In it, Julia Ries shares disturbing results from recent Ipsos research. She prioritizes the most important checkups to avoid missing beginning with blood work and working to create a custom plan with the primary care physician. Source: Health, March 9, 2024. Link. “Nearly … [Read more...]