University of Kentucky Extension professionals say the role of veterinarians in the dairy industry is everchanging. The size and sophistication of dairies has reduced the hands-on need for exams and treatments. Now veterinarians play an intrinsic role in establishing protocols, especially as they relate to treatments with antibiotics, pain management and training farm employees … [Read more...]
50% of dog owners believe their pets have separation anxiety
Commentary To most animal health pros, study results revealed in People will come as no surprise. If anything, the WFH months has increased visibility to issues many pets were already experiencing and now owners want to address the issues. Results from the survey found that 53 percent of dog owners overall and 60 percent of hybrid workers believe that their dogs has … [Read more...]
Discuss treatment plans to avoid surprises
Emily Shiver, practice manager, CVPM, CCFP, shares proven tips to help present treatment plans and their financial components. Note the physical alignment, transparency, empathy, outcomes and acknowledgement elements she highlights. Presenting treatment plans with empathy and compassion helps to eliminate some of the stress of this delicate discussion. It also potentially … [Read more...]
VVCA Mark Five series compares telemedicine policies: AVMA, AAVSB, and VIC
Continuing his series about the dynamics of telemedicine in the veterinary space, Mark Cushing, JD, compares the policies of three organizations that set guidance for veterinarians. He first reminds us that the VCPR rules were established to create a legal basis for state boards to take disciplinary actions against a practitioner, NOT to protect animals under the care of … [Read more...]
Healthcare community learns about growth of telemedicine in veterinary care
The healthcare community is becoming more aware of the health value of pets for people. In a survey conducted by Xtelligent Healthcare Media, 11 percent of respondents identified pet ownership as a social determinant of health, five percent screen their patients for pet ownership and nine percent partner with organizations within the community to address the ups and downs of … [Read more...]
University of Georgia program teaching vet students about bees
One of the more uncomfortable side challenges with VFD rules remains the required interaction of veterinarians with apiarists when prescription drugs are needed. Dr. Jörg Mayer at the University of Georgia is leading the implementation of a first-of-its-kind program on bee medicine. Mayer recognizes many veterinary students have no relevant experience with some animals and that … [Read more...]
Talkatoo becomes AHD sponsor
Talkatoo, a specialized dictation application that allows for speech-to-text capability, joins the group of sponsors who support our weekly AHD Bulletins and post library. Talkatoo’s capabilities include difficult animal health vocabularies. Animal health pros will find this talk-to-type technology especially useful in easing daily workflows, recordkeeping and … [Read more...]
73 percent of pandemic adoptions at risk to be surrendered
Sound the alarms and call in the techs! A recent survey of new dog owners conducted by Merck Animal Health found 73 percent of those who brought home a pooch this year are considering rehoming the animal once the pandemic ends. This decision, Merck says, likely stems from a lack of knowledge about animal care. 25 percent of respondents claimed they do not have enough … [Read more...]
Manage change proactively in veterinary practices
Complimentary Commercial Content from Covetrus Software Services, North America Covetrus has created a how-to resource to help teams transform with the rapidly changes in today’s veterinary climate. Navigating What's Next: How to Manage Change in Your Veterinary Practice, offers tips and insights that will help you: Recognize the need for change and identify the signs … [Read more...]
New guide for sustainable acquisition and integration of veterinary practices
Complimentary Sponsored Content from Veterinary Integration Solutions The rapid growth in the demand for veterinary services, coupled with aging veterinary practice owners and changing expectations from veterinary employees, promises to fuel ongoing practice acquisition by … [Read more...]
TODAY, free webinar: Emergency and disaster response in a pandemic
Free webinar sponsored by Virox® Animal Health Members from the University of Florida’s Veterinary Emergency Treatment Service will share how their unit has responded to state disasters and local emergencies. They’ll also share what has changed since Covid-19. Lawrence Garcia, DVM, and Brandi Phillips will include how to prepare for a disaster that may affect your … [Read more...]
Conflict, stress for younger veterinarians is not limited to the US
Conflict and stress, identified as top causes for young veterinarian disgruntlement in the US, have now been identified in veterinarians in Poland. A recent study there analyzed conflict and conflict-causing factors in veterinary practices. Source: Irish Veterinary Journal, November 17, 2020. Link. Conflict in the course of work is most often experienced by young … [Read more...]
Who’s watching the kids?
Commentary Two articles and Thanksgiving experiences prompt this post. Whether rural, urban or suburban, parents are taxed. The effects of changing school schedules, daycare limitations, restrictions on gatherings and physical distancing play out in family lives and at work. Virtual care helps, but only goes so far. Even with optimum resources, parents are stressed to know … [Read more...]
Mark Five episode 5: the role of vet technicians, vet nurses in telemedicine
Complimentary content from VVCA Mark Cushing, JD, addresses the empowerment or restriction of veterinary technicians or vet nurses as telemedicine grows in veterinary practice. Although it is an area that has been widely debated, he clarifies areas to consider: The 3 NOs for vet techs/nurses Types of supervision of vet techs, vet nurses by DVMs Use of these … [Read more...]
Augustine, Clausen discuss inventory management on Inventory Nation podcast
Kirk Augustine has been following Nicole Clausen, CSSGB, CCFP, as she developed Veterinary Care Logistics. In ongoing communications, Clausen shared a current context that mirrored Augustine’s experiences in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Finding common ground, Clausen invited Augustine to be a guest on a recent Inventory Nation podcast. Clearly the lack of inventory … [Read more...]
Revenue growth, merit bonuses are alternatives to production-based pay in veterinary medicine
In 2018, Wendy Hauser, DVM, and Joy Fuhrman, DVM, MBA, CPA, challenged the historic production-based compensation for DVMs. This discussion remains timely with the growing demand for veterinary care, increasing use of telemedicine and practices struggling to fill staff positions in the face of the pandemic. The antidote for production-based pay is this: a hybrid program of … [Read more...]
Infectious respiratory disease in animal shelters
Commentary This discussion of respiratory disease in shelters and facilities where animals are commingled and frequently moved in and out is warranted and timely. Much to my surprise, disinfection disciplines were not mentioned. With pathogens are hard to identify and when immunity from vaccination of naïve animals takes 7 to 14 days to develop, disinfection is the core … [Read more...]
Why every veterinary clinic needs better branding
Complimentary commercial content from whiskercloud Jessica Vogelsang, DVM writes about the importance of branding, a veterinary clinic condition she calls Yesitis and avoiding the impossible task of promising to be everything to everybody. Source: Whiskercloud, December 1, 2019. Link. . . . almost every clinic markets themselves the same way. . . Seen as interchangeable … [Read more...]
The new manager challenge
The transition from individual contributor to manager is not an easy one. In many cases, the skills that got you a promotion will not be the same ones that make you effective as a manager. Source: Inc., August 7, 2017. Link. Emotional Intelligence is the ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourself, in others, and leveraging this awareness to manage your … [Read more...]
U.S. consumer sentiment ebbs; producer prices maintain steady rise
Economists expect consumer sentiment will trend lower despite promising developments on experimental Covid-19 vaccines. Consumer sentiment is an economic indicator that measures how optimistic consumers feel about their finances and the state of the economy. In the U.S., consumer spending makes up a majority of economic output as measured by Gross Domestic Product … [Read more...]
The secret struggles of introverts in a remote workforce
Commentary Covid-19 has upset nearly every routine at work and at home. Introverts are perceived to be enjoying the privacy, but research tells a different story. Between our kids on hybrid schedules, swing schedules at work and aging parents isolated in retirement facilities, Mitchell Demeter has provided each of us something to consider, introvert or not. Source: Fast … [Read more...]
Managing performance issues in a remote environment
Our culture of annual reviews, employee performance metrics and staffing decisions is palpable this time of year in animal health companies. This year has challenged every performance monitoring system. Employees may have developed performance issues amid the stress of the current work environment. Delivering proper feedback remotely is challenging for managers accustomed to … [Read more...]
VVCA in virtual care driver’s seat
Complimentary content The Mark Five: Policy Off Leash series continues with the third and fourth editions. In the third edition, Mark Cushing, JD, shares critical information about how the FDA views telemedicine. The discussion focuses on off-label prescriptions and traditional VCPR in the FDA regulations. The FDA rule is limited to extra-label drug prescriptions and was … [Read more...]
Carriers driving early Black Friday offers
Commentary The pandemic has changed Black Friday forever. Surcharges announced in August by the largest shippers are the penalty for not selling out early. The pandemic has caused shippers to fully reassess their supply chain strategy and their carrier mix. One way that delivery services hope to deal with the holiday crush is to push retailers to ship more packages early … [Read more...]
The first MiQLab diagnostic system placed at University of Pennsylvania
Complimentary commercial content “We are very excited to be placing our first completed commercial MiQLab system in the Penn Vet [school] microbiology laboratory for their evaluation. This is a tremendous step in delivering our technology into the veterinary market and beyond,” stated Dr. Jack Regan, LexaGene’s CEO and Founder. Designed for in-clinic, point-of-care, … [Read more...]
Drs. Weese and Anderson review Covid-19 in animals
In a series of blog posts, Scott Weese, DVM and Maureen Anderson, DVM review Covid-19 in animals by family. Industry pros are thankful for the efforts being made to help keep Covid-19 in perspective. Thank you Drs. Weese and Anderson!” Source: WormsandGerms Blog. Link. Worms & Germs Blog is an educational website coordinated by Drs. Scott Weese and Maureen Anderson of the … [Read more...]
Scott Weese, DVM, discusses mutating Covid-19 in mink
Weese and others have been forthcoming since January 2020 about the need to approach emerging diseases proactively by looking for potential problems and taking steps to control them early, rather than waiting for definitive evidence of a problem. Now with as many as five strains of Covid-19 virus identified in mink, the early warnings of viral mutation have become reality. How … [Read more...]
Emerging arboviruses manuscript collection
Collectively, the authors have assembled a manuscript collection to provide scientists up-to-date information on diverse pathogens and their respective insect vectors. It is estimated 60 to 75 percent of emerging infectious diseases in humans are of zoonotic origin. Up to one third of these emerging infectious diseases are caused by vector-borne pathogens, which cause more … [Read more...]
Up to scratch: Topical treatments for skin conditions
When the overnight temperatures drop below 600F, furnaces across the country get turned on. By day 3 of heated air, indoor humidity has often fallen by 20 or more percent signaling a change in skin care needs for ourselves and our pets. Conditions we’ve ignored or accepted during the humid summer months exacerbate. Approximately 10 percent of cats and dogs suffer from some … [Read more...]
The Bridge Club with Shawn Wilkie
Sponsored Content If you’re tired of entering medical records and notes, then this will be the discussion for you. Talkatoo’s Shawn Wilkie, we will discuss the evolution of transcription and current progress in veterinary medicine. He’ll review the average amount of time practices spend on transcriptions and how having the right system in place will save a practice time in … [Read more...]