Automation, robotics and AI in dairy farming are taking off. As sustainability, efficiency and consumer transparency become more critical, technological advancements targeting automation, data decision-making, animal welfare and more shape the future of modern dairies. It’s a game changer, writes Andrew Hunt. Source: The Bullvine, October 10, 2024. Link. Key … [Read more...]
Allogrooming serves an important function in horses
It’s believed that grooming areas on the body that they can’t reach establishes and maintains social relationships, and may also foster trust and cooperation in horses. It also helps remove sweat, dirt, mud, lice, fleas and ticks and distributes natural oils throughout the coat. Sources: More than scratching an itch, The Paulick Report, October 4, 2024. Link. A … [Read more...]
Euthanasia. A horse owner’s final act of care.
Some of the more difficult horse ownership decisions come as the animal nears its end of life. Saundra Tenbroeck, University of Florida Extension horse specialist, provides reasoning for euthanasia or natural death, carcass disposal and thinking with your head and heart. Source: UF|IFAS Extension Panhandle Ag e-News, October 4, 2024. Link. Tenbroeck offers: Euthanasia, … [Read more...]
How to use dog food toppers
Includes Commercial Content It seems every trip to the pet retailer reveals an ever-expanding inventory of pet food toppers. It is challenging to understand how to use them effectively to enhance dogs’ diets and not disrupt their basic nutritional needs. Toppers can enhance a dog’s meals, offering additional flavor, variety and nutritional benefits. Renee Streeter, DVM, … [Read more...]
How long is kennel cough contagious?
There is no black-and-white answer to how long kennel cough is contagious, writes Debra M. Eldredge, DVM. She advises pet owners to keep the dog out of his activities for a week after the last cough. Kennel cough, now called CRDC, can be caused by various bacteria and viruses. Kennel cough is highly contagious and can be spread via droplets, dog-to-dog and coughs that mist … [Read more...]
Keeping canine cognitive dysfunction at bay
Mental sharpness in dogs can decline over time. Some suffer from a serious condition called canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome. CDS is a neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer’s disease in people and is more common than originally suspected. What is important for dog owners and veterinary professionals is to recognize changes that aren’t part of normal aging. Source: … [Read more...]
Vet Techs play critical role in pet healthcare
Commentary Celebrating veterinary technicians during National Veterinary Technician Week is important for individual and team morale. Handshakes, pizza lunches and bagels aside, animal-owning clients need help understanding the roles these experienced and educated animal healthcare professionals provide in a clinic or telehealth setting. Consider sharing the ASPCA® Pet … [Read more...]
Shelter dog behavior after adoption
Little is known about long-term dog behavior after adoption. Research published in PLOS ONE followed 99 dogs at 7, 30, 90, and 180 days after adoption, revealing a high prevalence of certain behaviors among the adopted dogs. Understanding how shelter dogs typically adjust to new homes over time can help set realistic expectations and guide interventions to support successful … [Read more...]
Dogs may be entering a new wave of domestication
Commentary Brian Hare says, “In just a generation, we humans have abruptly changed the rules on our dogs.” Maybe . . . maybe not. Yet his assertions are worthy of thought and, as animal health pros, our influence. Humans need to breed and train more puppies like service animals.” Source: The Atlantic via Microsoft Start, October 14, 2024. Link. INSIGHTS: There is little … [Read more...]
The rise of the small animal pet market
Commentary The popularity of small pets continues to grow. In pet retail, this growth opens up many opportunities to cater to these feathered, furred and scaled animals, writes Lindsay Beaton. However, for veterinary and pet services businesses, specialty pets may prove challenging. Regardless, the metrics are worthy of review. They may generate some questions about … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – October 14, 2024
Supporting pets affected by Helene, rapid growth projected in pet sitting market, company culture, timing difficult conversations, pet owner spending and more . . . Source: IBPSA, October 14, 2024. Link. … [Read more...]
Digitail announces CE course series on Technology for Veterinary Professionals
Complimentary Content The new Digitail Academy is a series of free RACE and CVPM CE-approved webinars designed to help veterinary professionals sharpen their tech skills, enhance patient care, and run financially healthy practices. The series offers a chance to learn from top industry leaders, gain insights into the latest tech trends, and take actionable steps toward … [Read more...]
Cold calling still works today
Cold calling remains effective today for several key reasons, writes Nicole Attias. It is easy to avoid making the calls on the phone or in person, but the strategy is time-proven even as digital marketing and the use of AI increases. She shares these top three reasons to make the call: Immediate feedback Direct human rapport Targeted outreach Source: Selling … [Read more...]
Getting to YES
Every practice employee is an ambassador for that practice and, as a result, has a responsibility to aid in the sales process. Source: Veterinary Advantage, October 2024. Link. “(Inaction bias) is a little devil driving the tendency to do nothing because the risk of making a wrong decision feels too high,” says Brian Sullivan. INSIGHT: Think of it as leadership – helping … [Read more...]
NO Rx required; FDA approves the first at-home test for Covid-19 and the flu
Commentary Home-based diagnostics are a growing trend. These technologies will continue to provide preliminary intelligence for individuals without the knowledge of healthcare professionals. As home-based technology expands, one must consider the effects on the quality of care and the parallels to animal healthcare. Authorization of a Covid-19 and flu test expands the … [Read more...]
Dealing with a toxic employee as a manager
Sharing a balanced approach to addressing challenging behaviors, Vincent Sanderson advises managers to start by being mindful of how they’re defining toxic behavior. Then engage one-on-one with a focus on understanding rather than dictating. Source: Fast Company, October 8, 2024. Link. One bad apple unfortunately can spoil the lot. But if you focus on the cause of the … [Read more...]
Simon Sinek: What Noah taught me about leadership (true story)
Simon Sinek shares a true story of his experience with a barista named Noah which taught him an interesting lesson about leadership. In under three minutes, Sinek shares the importance of leadership creating the right environment. Throughout the day managers will walk past me, ask me how I am doing and if I need anything . . .” Source: Live2Lead, YouTube, Simon Sinek, … [Read more...]
5 red flags that show you don’t understand your Gen Z employees
Gen Z is shaking things up, writes Cheryl Fields Tyler. She shares five signs of ineffective engagement and ways for companies to improve: Not realizing Gen Z is more skeptical of AI than millennials Assuming you can attract them without strong company values Treating DEI as old news and not essential Failing to harness Gen Z’s enthusiasm toward their employers … [Read more...]
Tracking veterinary technicians. 116 years of development.
Clinician’s Brief’s historical snapshot of the developing role of veterinary technicians is a good read and offers perspectives as our industry continues to struggle to define how these important pros are considered and positioned in veterinary teams and regulatory systems. This week is the 31st National Veterinary Technician Week and our AHD Team acknowledges the critical … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – October 9, 2024
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, October 3, 2024. Link. Most read posts from the October 3rd AHD Bulletin – “Social license to operate” topic drives equine gathering agenda. Link. Probiotics, prebiotics for feline digestive health. Link. Non-antibiotic approaches to canine recurrent UTIs. Link. Plain speak matters. Link. … [Read more...]
NAVC Gives awards $10,000 to the Veterinary Industry Giving Tree
The funds from NAVC Gives will support veterinary families in need, including those affected by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina and other areas affected. Source: PR Newswire, October 8, 2024. Link. … [Read more...]
Ollie acquires DIG Labs, rolls out new Foodback Loop™ to elevate health services
Ollie, a subscription-based fresh dog food company, has acquired DIG Labs, an AI-powered diagnostic company, providing real-time, image-based pet health screenings across stool, weight management, skin and coat, dental care and more. The company shared its Foodback Loop™ is a revolutionary, closed-loop, and proprietary process that leverages over 20 million first-party data … [Read more...]
Instinct Science reports on state of emergency and specialty veterinary care
Instinct Science’s second annual State of Emergency and Specialty Veterinary Care Report highlights positive shifts in morale and teamwork in this sector of veterinary services. Among the findings, a) patient volume and wait times have eased, b) staffing shortages have decreased slightly, and c), morale and job satisfaction have improved across the sector. Along with the … [Read more...]
To mask or not in the swine barn for flu?
Montse Torremorell, DVM, shares the risks from bidirectional transmission of influenza A virus between pigs and people. He says the frequent spillover of human-origin seasonal influenza viruses to pigs is a main driver for flu diversity, resulting in new reassortant viruses that threaten pig health, productivity and public health. Results from a recent study evaluating masks … [Read more...]
New products from World Dairy Expo
Mark Moore shares new products that garnered attention at World Dairy Expo that took place in Madison, Wisconsin, from September 28th to October 4th. Featured are management products that promise to help streamline some of the processes on farm. For animal health pros working with dairies, learning about new products outside your own offerings can be beneficial during a … [Read more...]
Worker safety includes teaming with veterinarians
Working with livestock always includes opportunities for someone to get injured. National Safety Month is behind us, but attention to safety requires continual attention. Every day, about 100 agricultural workers suffer a lost-work-time injury. Two articles from the NCBA BQA library are timely as fall cattle work progresses. Understanding the animals, as well as the best … [Read more...]
Larval therapy decreases layup time for coffin bone infection
A post from the Rood & Riddle Equine Podiatry unit is shared in the article here. The case described shares a thoroughbred with a recurrent abscess. Instead of debriding the infection and starting the horse on regional perfusions and systemic antibiotics, the doctors used larval therapy to debride the diseased tissue. The larval therapy technique involved a shorter layup … [Read more...]
Explaining why cats chatter
Victoria Atkinson shares possible reasons to explain the quiet chattering noise cats sometimes make. There are no current studies investigating this behavior, however, cat owners and researchers have some possible explanations for the chattering behaviors. Cats can be seen and heard chattering in the You Tube video shown above <Link>. [6:29] Source: LiveScience, … [Read more...]
Gracie, Glacer National Park’s B.A.R.K. Ranger
Gracie a 10-year-old Border Collie is an official “Wildlife Working Dog.” Twice a week in the summer, she and owner-handler Mark Biel patrol Montana’s Logan Pass in Glacier National Park in an effort to curb wildlife encounters, especially bighorn sheep or mountain goats. Source: Thrillist, September 30, 2024. Link. B.A.R.K. stands for: Bag your pet’s waste Always … [Read more...]
Theories on why dogs do what they do
Many dog behaviors are inexplicable, but they have meaning. Experts share some theories on why dogs tilt their heads, eat grass, lean on us and more. Animal health pros can use this article for social media or newsletters to help dog owners attempt to decipher and understand their dogs' idiosyncratic behaviors. Source: Better Help. Link. Related: Educating pet owners on … [Read more...]