One of the hardest things to do in leadership, and life, is to filter out BS. Source: AXIOS, June 29, 2023. Link. You need one or two people (intimate truth-tellers) who know your warts and worst instincts. INSIGHT: Balance – you are not as bad as your critics claim, nor as good as your supporters believe. … [Read more...]
Brief Media is now VetMedux™
Brief Media has a 20-year history serving the veterinary business. Its anchor brands, Clinician’s Brief® and Plumb’s™ have consistently met the needs of veterinarians and veterinary teams. Acknowledging the changing needs of its constituency, VetMedux represents the evolution of a media company into a point-of-care partner operating alongside veterinarians to guide the most … [Read more...]
Straight talk about veterinary workforce issues
Dr. Lori Teller, AVMA president, addressed some of the major issues affecting the veterinary workforce during the AVMA convention. The article here provides a summary of her comments, including perspectives on what is termed as an abundance of misinformation currently driving conversations about veterinary supply and demand. Teller notably mentioned: Normalizing trends … [Read more...]
UPS is preparing contingencies ahead of looming strike. ARE YOU?
Commentary The impending UPS strike is a signal for veterinary hospitals to plan ahead. While we can hope the strike ends without delivery disruptions, adjusting inventory levels sooner rather than later is a solid strategy ahead of the August 1st strike date. For “A” and “B” products critical to day-to-day functions, moving reorder points to create a 30-day to 45-day … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – July 13, 2023
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, July 6th, 2023. Link. Most read post(s) from July 6th AHD Bulletin – Check your assumptions at the door to avoid medical gaslighting. Link. The hard truth. Link. Bear cam livestream returns for salmon run. Link. Place keeper: 2023 Veterinary Conferences provided by Galaxy … [Read more...]
100 years and a whole lot of Hereford bulls
Hereford World’s Herd Bull and Reference Edition celebrates 100 years of tracking and cataloging the best of the bald-faced Hereford breed. . . . a lot has changed in the last 100 years, but the Hereford breed remains strong and of interest to cattlemen worldwide. . . “ Source: Hereford World, July 2023. Link. NOTE: Photos courtesy of Hereford World. Description of bulls … [Read more...]
More on blue-green algae
The term blue-green algae is a misnomer, as this organism is, in fact, a single-celled organism called cyanobacteria. Here are some key takeaways from an article by Angie Krause, DVM, CVA, CCRT: Cyanobacteria can have almost any color although many bodies of water affected by this toxic organism have a pea-green color. The toxic strains of blue-green algae contain … [Read more...]
Viticus Group announces two new 2023 WVC Academy courses
Complimentary Commercial Content New WVC Academy courses have been announced by Viticus Group. The courses provide hands-on CE, learning from top instructors and skill development to meet the needs of patients in everyday practice. The new courses announced are: Feline Medicine, October 9-10, 2023. Participants receive hands-on training in relieving urethral … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – July 10, 2023
AI in the pet industry, contributions of pet nutrition to economy, Brooke Shields enters pet CBD PR world, emerging plant toxins, marketing ideas from WhiskerCloud, avoiding overcommunicating as a leader and more. . . Source: IBPSA Fast Bites, July 10, 2023. Link. Also see: Telling the U.S. pet food market’s growth story, PETFOOD Industry, July 7, 2023. Link. The U.S. pet … [Read more...]
Morris Animal Foundation celebrates 75 years of helping animals (video)
Morris Animal Foundation is celebrating 75 years of helping dogs, cats, horses and wildlife through scientific research. Spend five minutes to understand the history, importance and contributions this organization has and continues to provide to our industry. Source: Morris Animal Foundation, YouTube, June 13, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
New study reveals the states where vets are most in demand
Colorado has the highest demand for veterinarians and animal hospitals in America according to an analysis of Google searches by PetLab Co. Michigan, West Virginia, North Carolina and Arizona complete the top 5. These findings highlight not only the pivotal role of vets but also the reliance on digital means in finding pet care.” Source: PetLabCo, July 6, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
States outlaw noncompete agreements
Some states are banning noncompete agreements which leaves employers to grapple with a patchwork of state-level requirements, as well as pending federal rule changes. Leah Shepherd shares what companies need to do now and considerations for the future to protect trade secrets. Source: SHRM, July 10, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
Updates from the KC Animal Health Corridor
Learn what’s coming to the KC Animal Health Corridor. Source: The KCAHC Connector, June 2023. Link. INSIGHTS: Want to learn more about the KC Corridor and ThinkKC? <Link> … [Read more...]
What happens at an in-person VMG meeting?
Rebecca Kilmartin shares what practitioners can expect when attending a live VMG meeting. Sessions generally feature at least one expert speaker that shares valuable insights on professional development topics. Recent discussions have covered areas such as hiring and staff satisfaction, practical accounting tips, efficient supply sourcing, and improving vision and leadership … [Read more...]
A new federal pregnancy law is now in effect; what HR needs to know
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act went into effect on June 27, requiring employers to provide “reasonable accommodations” to pregnant workers from pregnancy through the postpartum period, including time off to recover . . . unless such accommodations would lead to an “undue hardship” on the part of the employer. Employees no longer must prove they should be accommodated. … [Read more...]
Artificial intelligence in veterinary medicine
Complimentary Content Offering perspectives on the hot topic of artificial intelligence, Meghan E. Burns, DVM, covers the current capacity of AI. She continues with a view of developing and future possibilities that can benefit animal health and veterinarian teams in time. Her perspectives are a good read for animal health pros trying to digest all the buzz on AI. Source: … [Read more...]
Retailers set higher bars for free shipping as delivery costs surge
The variable costs of fulfillment challenge margins for companies that serve B2B and B2C segments. Thus, it is no surprise to see free shipping policies change to account for unpredictable supply chain costs. Shipping costs are up, distribution center costs are up, fuel is up across the board . . . companies must either pass it to the consumer through price increases or … [Read more...]
Looking back while charging forward
As the third quarter of 2023 begins, the animal health industry continues to adapt to ever-changing new norms. Dr. Google’s influence may be diminishing as new information sources expand in the B2C sector capitalizing on major publications’ use of their databases from other markets. It is important to remember media sources still influence animal owners’ understanding and … [Read more...]
Establish a sales trigger for cattle during drought
It’s not unusual for producers, their vets and bankers to collaborate on business efforts. This is a good article for those discussions. Recent rains in the Midwest gave only temporary drought relief. There’s a point where you can’t grow or buy your way out of a drought.” – Wesley Tucker Source: Missouri Ruralist, June 26, 2023. Link. Consider some aggressive culling to … [Read more...]
Six degrees of connection: a new mathematical take on social ties (video)
The next time you connect with someone, remember you’re not just making a new acquaintance, you are participating in a universal human formula. Researchers recently showed that the simple human behavior of weighing the costs and benefits of social ties is related to the roots of the six degrees phenomenon by studying social ties in digital networks. The research suggests that … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – July 3, 2023
Note the flash sale this week on the IBPSA Emergency Action Plan, Private Label Manufacturers Association trade show features private labels, pet insurance opportunities in retail, free small business apps, challenging the value of pets in human health care, gut health research results and more . . . Source: IBPSA Fast Bites, July 3, 2023. Link. INSIGHTS: Boarding and pet … [Read more...]
Veterinarian personality, job satisfaction and well-being
There does not appear to be a specific personality profile for veterinarians and most personality types are unrelated to their well-being. The personality trait neuroticism is the exception. Like other neurotic individuals, neurotic veterinarians experience more negative affect, less positive affect, and lower life satisfaction . . .” Source: Advances in Small Animal Care, … [Read more...]
The hard truth
The biggest lie we tell ourselves is: We crave truth. But the truth is hard and often uncomfortable. Being honest with someone is actually more respectful than holding back. Source: AXIOS, June 22, 2023. Link. INSIGHTS: Be blunt, respectful, factual and actionable Also see: How to deal with people who pretend to know more than they do, Fast Company, June 28, 2023. … [Read more...]
Check your assumptions at the door to avoid medical gaslighting
Commentary Medical patients around the country are complaining about a phenomenon known as medical gaslighting. Most doctors aren’t intentionally trying to gaslight their patients, nor do they even realize they’re doing it, according to Karen Lutfey Spencer, PhD. But there can be serious consequences including loss of trust. It is logical to extrapolate the consequences of … [Read more...]
Seven times, seven ways
Speaking to the challenges of modern communications, Matthew Kirchner shares how today’s myriad modes of communication make memory and recall more difficult. He reminds us that few people will remember an instruction, request or message delivered only one time as recent research indicates our attention spans are getting worse. Kirchner explains his mantra of seven times, … [Read more...]
New heat stress app for pig producers
Heat stress in pigs costs the U.S. swine industry an estimated $481 million annually in revenue losses. HotHog, a new smartphone app that predicts heat stress in pigs is now available from USDA’s Agriculture Research Service. HotHog is available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Hogs don’t sweat. They cope with heat through panting, while the caregivers adjust … [Read more...]
BVDV in wild hogs
Wild pigs can carry a number of infectious diseases including zoonotic diseases. A high seroprevalence rate of bovine diarrhea virus in wild pigs has been found in several U.S. states, according to a recent study by investigators at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in Auburn, Alabama. Cattle are known as the dominant source of BVDV infection for pigs. … [Read more...]
The two horse worlds
Although acknowledging some overlap, David Ramey, DVM, describes what he calls two horse worlds. The pleasure versus performance designations have a lot to do with the expectations of owners. Ramey asserts the owner of a horse that’s valued because he’s a very special individual who makes his human’s life better just by being there may look askance at the owner of a horse … [Read more...]
Dog food has become 40 percent more expensive since 2020
The cost of ingredients is one of the causes to blame for the price increase. These costs are heavily impacted by factors such as drought and transportation costs according to research by veterinarians.com. The research revealed that dry dog food has risen by 41% in cost compared to 2020, as well as: 55 percent of respondents said they had to cancel subscriptions for pet … [Read more...]
The 5 love languages of cats
Cats offer so many levels of emotion akin to humans, writes John Woolf. They show their affection in a multitude of ways, he says sharing subtilties and five ways cats express affection for owners. Reading a cat is different, to be sure, than reading a dog.” – John Woolf Source: John Woolf, Linkedin, June 26, 2023. Link. The love of a pet is one of the greatest joys a human … [Read more...]