With all the hubbub Covid-19 has wrought, it is a good time to extend cleanliness routines to smartphones, tablets, laptops and keyboards. This article is a good reminder to clean these tools properly and often. Source: WIRED, March 4, 2020. Link. The science shows <link> that bacteria are very happy breeding on keyboards and smartphone screens, particularly when … [Read more...]
CDC to retail industry: dust off preparedness plans NOW
Whether it is COVID-19 or something else, proactive preparedness is important for businesses and communities. CDC recently highlighted four key preparedness areas for businesses and employers to consider during a conference call convened by the National Retail Federation: Continuity Protecting the workforce Customers Community Source: National Retail … [Read more...]
COVID-19 could be lemons or lemonade. We can make the difference.
March 2020: Update on SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 it causes Hundreds of coronaviruses circulate among animals including cattle, camels, bats, pigs, cats and dogs. Sometimes these viruses jump to humans (a spillover event) and may cause disease. SARS-CoV-2 virus is a betacoronavirus, like MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. All three have origins in bats. SARS-CoV-2 causes the disease … [Read more...]
Make Sunday night special. Don’t lose it to Monday prep
For high-performing animal health pros, Sunday night can become a pre-Monday period that shortens the weekend. Stephanie Thurrott makes a case for transforming the way your weekend winds down by surrounding yourself with family and friends and sharing a meal as a part of Sunday routines. Sunday suppers aren’t dinner parties. . . It’s the ritual that matters.” Source: NBC … [Read more...]
Fear-based management is ineffective
It is amazing that some in management and leadership positions resort to creating an environment of fear to get their people to work. Research consistently proves that fear-based leadership or management does not work. It may in the short-term, but the quality of work will be average at best and it is never sustainable in the long run. Source: Leadership First, October 12, … [Read more...]
BCS: low cost, big impact
VFD regulations are driving more productive interactions between livestock producers and their veterinarians. Routine site visits including face-to-face meetings are important to the success of this initiative and improve VCPR. <link> Matt Hersom is an advocate for body condition scoring (BCS). It has a low cost and high value that can help any cattle producer make good … [Read more...]
Tiny tapeworm mimics symptoms of liver cancer
Echinococcus multilocularis is well established in wild canids in southern Ontario. Researchers indicate the tapeworm is migrating, could enter the northern U.S. and is considered a zoonotic public health risk. Adult E. multilocularis infect wild carnivores, including foxes, wolves and coyotes, but may also affect dogs and cats. Rodents such as lemmings, voles, and deer mice … [Read more...]
When the end is near: discussing quality of life
Mary Gardner, DVM, discusses approaching quality of life conversations by bringing together the veterinary medicine expert and the client who is the expert on the pet. The end-of-life decision should be better informed and the outcome hopefully less burdensome to everyone involved she says. Source: DVM 360, February 25, 2020. Link. Gardner advocates for breaking the … [Read more...]
America’s pet spending nears a record $100 billion
U.S. sales of pet products and services hit $95.7 billion in 2019, the American Pet Products Association announced last week during Global Pet Expo. Pet food and treats is the largest spending category, followed by supplies; live animals and OTC medicine; vet care and product sales; and other services. Source: APPA, February 27, 2020. Link. “Scientific research from the … [Read more...]
Take a stretch break
Whether you sit at a desk, in a car or perform repetitive motion tasks Stephanie Mansour preaches the importance of stretching. Stretching not only helps your muscles warm up and recover from workouts, reducing your risk of injury, but also for posture, blood flow and mobility purposes. Source: NBC Better, February 23, 2020. Link. Counteract the effects of sitting with these … [Read more...]
Options for the conversationally challenged
Barry Davret shares tricks for rescuing a stalled conversation, and even turning it into a great one. You simply need to listen and ask the right questions. Source: Forge, February 17, 2020. Link. To keep conversations going, use open-ended questions that encourage detailed answers.” INSIGHTS: We liked Davret’s ping-pong analogy to describe keeping conversations moving by … [Read more...]
Talking money with animal owners (video option)
Veterinary team members frequently anticipate client objections to treatment recommendations before the conversation gets started, writes Wendy Hauser, DVM. She offers proactive recommendations to help handle money discussions, including team training. Source: Today’s Veterinary Business, February 2020. Link. A disconnect can arise between pet owners and veterinary teams … [Read more...]
Good VCPR important for all animals, even horses
David Ramey, DVM, shares experiences in managing the VCPR with horse clients. He focuses on the challenges of communications and reminds us that the P is what it is all about. . . . it seems that just about anything that I say to people about their horses comes with an undertone of apprehension. Given that people are asking me advice for how to care for their horses, I am … [Read more...]
National FFA Week in progress (video)
Agriculture is more than planting and harvesting. It involves science, business and more. There’s no doubt that some of today’s 700,000-plus FFA members are tomorrow’s future biologists, chemists, veterinarians, engineers and entrepreneurs. 2020’s National FFA Week (Feb. 22-Feb. 29) is a time for FFA members to host activities that raise awareness about the role of FFA in … [Read more...]
Talents don’t always mean performance
No matter how talented someone might be, there is no guarantee that their talents will translate into top performance. The science of human potential has generally illustrated that an individual’s overarching competence cannot be fully understood unless we also account for their emotional make-up, preferences, and dispositions. Source: Harvard Business Review, March 18, … [Read more...]
Customer service: Smiles are not enough
For repeatable, sustainable customer service excellence, you need systems and standards for the great people you hire, writes Micah Solomon. Standards are ways of delineating “how we do things around here.” Systems are slightly more elaborate; they are essentially groups of standards. Standards and systems are both important components to successfully serving … [Read more...]
366 days this year. Saturday is February 29th.
2020 starts a new decade and is also a leap year. Leap day falls on a Saturday, to boot. Here are ideas for the bonus day this coming this weekend: Take a 29-minute walk Spend 29 focused minutes and realign with your life objectives Reconnect with at least one person who you’ve been meaning to call Share time with your kids, significant other or remaining … [Read more...]
Fire ants can seriously hurt pets
The red imported fire ant can seriously sting and occasionally kill small animals. Young, caged or those with difficulty moving are most apt to be stung. The ants are especially attracted to open sores, hot spots and wounds making attacks even more dangerous to an already weakened animal. Effective fire ant control is possible with Antixx Fire Ant Bait <link> from AHD … [Read more...]
Why salespeople struggle at leading
The first of the year always brings changes in company hierarchies. Dina Gerdeman discusses sad scenarios that often play out. Top-performing salespeople get promoted to become sales managers, but don’t actually know how to manage. Unable to disconnect from the thrill of selling, the result brings productivity issues, disgruntled salespeople head for the door and the new … [Read more...]
PRRS made swine industry better
PRRS remains the number-one cause of economic impact in the U.S. swine industry. First described in the U.S. in the late 1980s < link >, PRRS has challenged swine veterinarians and producers to improvement all management practices. In addition to biosecurity advancements, PRRS made the swine industry better in five ways: Improved communication Fostered … [Read more...]
Helping foals survive in this pathogen-filled world
Christa Lesté-Lasserre, MA, reminds us that an uneventful arrival of a new foal isn’t a guarantee that all is going to be fine. She provides the green lights and red flags of neonatal health along with guidelines on how to handle the warning signs and what to expect if a foal’s health goes downhill. Source: The Horse, February 2020. Link. (paywall) Lesté-Lasserre discusses … [Read more...]
The Easter bunny has company
Farm stores are preparing for the classic Easter chicks and rabbits. Now, some sell miniature goats. Angela von Weber-Hahnsberg discusses goat farming with pygmy goats and other miniature goat breeds. The small size and unique traits of miniature goats attract children, newcomers to the world of goats, and veteran goat breeders alike. Miniature goats of all kinds are … [Read more...]
The emotional gauntlet of raising meat chickens and other livestock
One person’s chicken is another person’s dinner. It is an age-old challenge for animal owners who work hard at having healthy food animals. Consumers avoid visualizing a living, breathing animal as the source of the neat, plastic-wrapped package sliding over a scanner at the grocery. Marissa Ames provides thought-filled perspectives on raising animals for meat protein. She … [Read more...]
My cat has a cold sore (vivid photos)
Clients rarely notice their dog's or cat's oral ulcerations, says Dr. Jan Bellows. Oral ulcers arise from inside or outside causes and they are wounds that require treatment. Ulcer persistence depends on their etiology and the animal's ability to self- repair. Treating these painful lesions in dogs and cats requires figuring out what's causing them. – Jan Bellows, DVM, DAVDC, … [Read more...]
MeYeow! Trim those nails.
Now that declawing is not a standard recommendation, routine education about trimming cat nails is warranted. Trimming feline nails at home is less stressful for cats, cheaper and more convenient for cat owners. But, it doesn’t come without challenges. The least=stress nail trimming occurs when cat owners routinely handle their cats’ paws as a part of interacting with … [Read more...]
Opinion – Managing obesity? You have to count the treats.
In a recent post referencing the 2020 Banfield report <link>, I shared the experience of adjusting the diet for our Morkie. The discovery of the number of Kcals in his treats led me to seek resources that help animal health pros counsel pet owners on the impact of calories from treats. Treats are frequently mentioned in articles that give nutritional guidance, but limited … [Read more...]
Pet nutrition important to professional groomers and boarders
Groomers and boarders know more than hair. Nutrition is important, too and they discuss it often. Source: Understanding the nutritional needs of pets, Pet Boarding and Daycare, January/February 2020. Link. Content was provided by the Professional Pet Boarding Council < link > INSIGHTS: There are more than 25,000 persons engaged as professional groomers and in pet … [Read more...]
Dealing with procrastination
Eric Olszewski stopped putting things off when he learned to see life as one big deadline. A perpetual procrastinator, he would let time fly by until panic set in, at which point he finally buckled down and did whatever it took to get through the work he was avoiding. He learned he was suffering from too much freedom. . . . simply overwhelmed by the multitude of options in my … [Read more...]
It’s not your phone. It’s you.
Stanford communication scholar Gabriella Harari finds that it is personality that influences how people use their digital devices. Technology is a medium to channel our everyday behavior. Her research examines two broad questions and challenges previous theories: What do digital media reveal about personality? How might digital media change personality? Source: … [Read more...]
Quiz: Is your ego is hurting your success? (video)
Suzy Welch offers ways to determine if you are confident or arrogant. She says, “Success makes some people grow, and it makes some people swell.” Source: CNBC, July 2019. Link. Also see: Related posts from Animal Health Digest Me. Me. Stop talking so much about yourself, February 11, 2020. Link. This was the most read post from the February 13, 2020 Bulletin … [Read more...]