Broken tails represent an animal welfare concern and result from improper handling. While the acceptable threshold for broken tails in adult dairy cows listed in the National Dairy FARM Program standards is five percent, a recent study found nearly half of cows had broken tails. The study results are telling of an industry management issue that needs further attention, said … [Read more...]
Animal Health International’s online resource site for GFI 263
Complimentary Content AHI’s new online resource center seeks to help animal health professionals prepare for the upcoming OTC to Rx transition, also known as GFI 263. It contains a robust FAQ section, a condensed timeline of the history of FDA action on antimicrobial resistance, a list of manufacturer products designated for prescription labeling and more. Source: Animal … [Read more...]
Cultivating veterinarian and producer relationships, the veterinarians’ perspective
Surveying a large group of rural, large animal veterinarians about what makes a great relationship between a veterinarian and livestock owner, Meredyth Jones, DVM, MS, DACVIM, found 10 common themes worth noting. Consider sharing this article and list with producer customers. It will strengthen expectations and the veterinary-client relationship and benefit the animals.” – AHD … [Read more...]
High priced eggs could make incubators more popular
About 40 million egg-laying hens were lost to avian flu disruptions <Link> in 2022 and the layer population won’t recover overnight. The growth in popularity of backyard flocks may continue to grow as consumers seek to reduce the costs of eggs. Egg prices at the grocery store were elevated throughout 2022 due to outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) among … [Read more...]
AAEP Commission for Equine Veterinary Sustainability created (video)
The AAEP has formed the AAEP Commission on Equine Veterinary Sustainability as part of a campaign to transform and sustain equine practice intended to reverse downward trends. The Commission will develop, oversee and assist with the execution of programs designed to increase the sustainability of equine practice for the betterment of the equine veterinarian and the welfare … [Read more...]
CT scans of headshaking horses studied
Potential conditions that could provoke headshaking include dental diseases, osseous and articular disease, and sinusitis, says Nancy S. Loving, DVM. She reviews the findings from a retrospective study of 103 cases of headshaking. CT findings, targeted treatments and treatment success were evaluated. In her summary, Loving says 94 horses had relevant pathologic findings. The … [Read more...]
UC Davis researchers study telemedicine for cats
A team of UC Davis researchers measured how cats reacted to in-clinic appointments versus those conducted by webcam. The objective was to evaluate if telemedicine could increase access to care for an estimated 45.3 million feline-friendly households in the United States. A summary of the research results show: Researchers find that cats showed signs of increased stress … [Read more...]
Let’s get INTEGRATED! What is integrated medicine?
Complimentary Sponsored Content Drs. Jenifer and Jason Chatfield discuss integrated medicine with Michele Broadhurst, DC*, in the Chatroom. We noted the conversation at 30:40 about combining common prescription pain inhibition with animal-specific physical movement and adjunct treatments. . . . so would it be fair to say the prescription approach hides the pain where … [Read more...]
Pet wearable market to grow to $6.88 B by 2030
Pet owners’ concern for their pets’ welfare is boosting pet wearables market growth opportunities, according to Grand View Research. Despite being in its infancy, the pet wearable industry growth is evolving with the spread of artificial intelligence, rising internet usage and the creation of low-cost sensors, smartphone applications, GPS and other technologies. Source: Pet … [Read more...]
Association of Shelter Veterinarians launches updated guidelines
The second edition of the Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters has been updated to include expanded research and information in the field of shelter veterinary medicine. The Guidelines provide a trustworthy resource for the housing, husbandry, medical and behavioral care of animals living in animal shelters. This edition shifts its framework from the Five … [Read more...]
United States Postal Service announces price changes
USPS is changing prices on some mailing and shipping products on January 22. The new rates include a 3-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 60 cents to 63 cents. Some Priority Mail flat-rate retail product prices will be reduced compared with the temporary rate adjustment currently in place, and Priority Mail commercial rates will increase by 3.6 … [Read more...]
Seasonal affective disorder is. Here are the signs.
For millions of Americans, this time of year is tough. As the days get shorter and colder, they suffer from sadness and struggle. What affects them is winter pattern season affective disorder, or SAD. It’s more than just the winter blues and can last up to five months. This article offers sources believed to cause SAD, its signs and ways to get relief. Source: The Washington … [Read more...]
People aren’t taking this seriously. Experts say U.S. Covid surge is big risk.
Commentary If the photos and videos from VMX are any indication, mask-free animal health professionals may fall into the group of Americans who are “collectively forgetting” or hopefully, have stayed current with boosters. Moving into the fourth year, Covid-19 is again spreading across America. It is being driven by the recent holidays, fewer precautions and the … [Read more...]
Important small talk
"How are you," are the three most useless words in the world of communication. The person asking doesn't really want to know, and the person responding doesn't tell the truth. Be interested instead of trying to be interesting.” – Patrick T. Malone Source: CNBC, November 11, 2020. Link. The key to making the most out of small talk, according to Harvard researchers, is to … [Read more...]
Considering access to veterinary care
Veterinarian shortages in the workforce and animal owner access to veterinary care will remain significant issues in coming years. Mark Cushing, JD, shares new and encouraging initiatives and experiments underway to solve access to care at a fundamental level beyond the plethora of call-to-action slogans. Cushing shares survey results from APG/O’Hara that indicate upgrading … [Read more...]
Galaxy Vets shares list of 60 veterinary conferences in 2023
Galaxy Vets released a comprehensive list and an interactive map of veterinary conferences for 2023. There are 60 events listed with descriptions, pricing and CE hours. Most events went back to the offline format, with no virtual options. AHD will keep this listing as a place keeper in the Worth a Glance section of the AHD Bulletin for your convenience and … [Read more...]
The new normal is, in fact, the old normal
These two reports from the National Retail Federation are good reads for animal health pros as strategies for 2023 get implemented and refined. NRF’s 2023 Big Show in New York City featured a live, free-flowing discussion between Walmart’s John Furner and Harvard Business School's James Cash. They covered change, the importance of long-term perspective, faith, perseverance, … [Read more...]
Consistency critical to manage marijuana and workplace policies
Maintaining a drug-free workplace increasingly challenges employers. While marijuana remains a Schedule I illegal drug at the federal level, medical marijuana is legal in 38 states with recreational use legal in 21 of those states. Choosing an approach to marijuana testing can only be successfully defended if it is consistently enforced and well-known to employees. Adequate … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – January 19, 2023
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, January 12, 2023. Link. Most read posts from January 12th AHD Bulletin – Social media users more inclined to browse than post content. Link. Place keeper:2023 Veterinary Conferences provided by Galaxy Vets. Link. ====================================== New strain of bird flu kills hundreds of snow … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – January 12, 2023
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, January 5, 2023. Link. Most read posts from January 5th AHD Bulletin – Handling tardy clients. Link. Clarifying the recission of the FDA VCPR waiver. Link. Does post-transport, pre-processing rest make a difference in calf growth performance. Link. Virus hunters spotting threats in new … [Read more...]
Umbilical infections taking a toll on dairy calves
David Renaud, DVM, PhD, considers navel infections to be the most under-diagnosed disease in dairy calves, particularly in the first two weeks of life. Sharing research and on-farm experiences, Renaud and Matthias Wieland, DVM, say the symptoms of diarrhea and pneumonia are often readily seen but umbilical infections are rarely noticed. Renaud encourages veterinarians and … [Read more...]
Calving season begins
Calving season brings promise and challenges to producers and the veterinary teams who support them. An early calf born in Missouri reminds us of the need to help producers get ready for late winter and spring calving. Here are several calving resources we’ve shared in AHD posts over the last seven years. Source: Search results for: calving, Animal Health Digest. Link. … [Read more...]
Music therapy reduce stress in hospitalized cats
Researchers sought to evaluate the use of music compared with no music, to reduce stress in cats during hospitalization. Cat-specific music and classical music were tested. Both styles had some benefit to hospitalized cats. Source: Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, October 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
Oral care; a New Year’s resolution for veterinary teams, pet owners
Opinion and Sponsored Content Asserting the importance of oral care is as important as discussing vaccines and flea, tick and heartworm prevention. Pet oral care is a critical component of healthy pet stewardship. Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment (COHAT) remains an opportunity for veterinary clinics to educate pet owners on the importance of oral care at … [Read more...]
Lifescient, Inc., developing long-acting injectable drug delivery platform
Complimentary Commercial Content Seeking to relieve the challenges of daily dosing of prescription medications, Kamalesh Rao and his team at Lifescient have developed a promising drug delivery platform to administer medication via a long-acting injectable for companion animals. LAIs will offer: Freedom from the stress and commitment required of daily dosing … [Read more...]
A better way to calculate a dog’s age in human years
Complimentary Content The long standing 7 to 1 ratio for calculating dog age in human years is flawed, writes Brooke Bundy. She shares some variables for making age comparisons and a new dog age calculator to understand the different stages of a dog's life. The tool also provides insights like average life expectancy, weight and height for more than 100 dog breeds. Try … [Read more...]
Talk with Terry at VMX about streamlining paperwork, saving time
Sponsored Content Talkatoo is an affordable, subscription-based, HIPAA-compliant dictation software, made for veterinary clinics to save time entering medical records. It works in all practice management software, in any browser, on any email platform and beyond. Veterinary teams are spending more time with patients and less time typing, thanks to Talkatoo” – Talkatoo … [Read more...]
CE – Tailoring services to clients’ needs
Sponsored Content – earn RACE-approved CE Credit Wendy Hauser, DVM, presents an online course that examines how to identify what clients value, and ways to create a tailored approach to create alignment and meet the needs of veterinary teams and pet owners. Client expectations have been evolving over the past decade. The ‘fit’ between veterinary hospitals and clients isn’t … [Read more...]
5 conditions affecting the pinnae
Pet care services personnel are often first to notice changes in skin conditions on pets in daycare and boarding facilities or when presented for grooming. The pineal margins and pinnae of dogs and cats can be affected by many dermatologic diseases and disorders. Andrew Rosenberg, DVM, DACVD, shares five common conditions that affect only the pinnae, are most severe on the … [Read more...]
BuddyID™ announces a Partnership with FirstVet & the launch of BuddyID™ collar tag
Complimentary Commercial Content Microchip ID Systems, a leader in the animal microchip and companion pet registry industry, is announcing its partnership with FirstVet. FirstVet will provide telehealth services to Microchip ID Systems customers that register their companion animals to the BuddyID™ registry and sign up with FirstVet. The company is launching a … [Read more...]