Images of screwworm infestations in newly born kittens, ferrets and rabbits before 1966 still bring nightmares. Clear are the memories of tiny, near-hairless, days-old animals lying across my palm while we systematically removed screw worms from holes nearly the size of a pencil eraser. Fly control product stations were everywhere on our farm. We bought ducks to help clean … [Read more...]
JAVMA, May 15th Issue
Questions about prolonging an animal’s life, economics of a veterinary degree awareness about a veterinary career, summary of the Merck Animal Health Veterinary Wellbeing Study and features of horses treated for recurrent colic are some great items in this issue. Source: JAVMA, May 15, 2018. Link. INSIGHTS: Equine animal health pros will want to review the recurrent colic … [Read more...]
Amarillo to get new Texas Tech vet school
The Amarillo, Texas, city council approved an arrangement last week that guarantees a concept for a new Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine will become reality. The city will support an Amarillo Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) pledge of up to $69 toward the $90 million project. This will be the first new veterinary school in the U.S. in 40 … [Read more...]
Fading kitten syndrome is real. Not all born alive will live.
There is now a scientific explanation for kittens born alive, but don’t live long. Dr. Eric Barchas says it is fading kitten syndrome. He explains, a staggering proportion of kittens succumb to fading kitten syndrome before they reach nine weeks of age. Fifteen percent to 27 percent die before nine weeks of age even in well-managed catteries. Source: Catster, May 10, 2018. … [Read more...]
Vet tech nerd book works as a second brain
Julie Carlson, CVT, was tasked by her lab teacher to make a nerd book while in vet tech school. It is essentially a portable cheat sheet for day-to-day veterinary technician life in a note-card sized binder that fits in scrub pockets. Firstline has partnered with Carlson to start a series which will offer free, downloadable PDFs to use to put your own nerd book … [Read more...]
Veterinarian’s cat-handling tutorial goes viral (includes video)
Dr. Uri Burstyn, medical director of Arbutus West Animal Clinic and Vancouver East Veterinary Clinic, posts online instructional videos about caring for cats. His most recent video, “How to pick up a cat like a pro – Vet advice on cat handling,” has become a surprise hit, with nearly three million views on YouTube Source: Global News Online, May 14, 2018. Link. Burstyn … [Read more...]
Fear Free tips to handle big dogs
Mikkel Becker offers some tips to avoid injury while handling, lifting, restraining and caring for large and giant-sized canines. She says to consider the following strategies: Avoid the wrestling match. Evaluate your default. Dig for the root. Do your future self a favor. Replace restraint. Pharmaceuticals could be your friend. Treat yo’ patient. … [Read more...]
Gen Z puts brands on notice
This spring’s high school graduates are the first Gen Z persons to enter the work force or colleges. Gen Z is bypassing the traditional political system and focusing on consumerism as a channel for change, according to a recent study. This generation is expecting brands to use their platform for good, especially as they feel the political system and politicians has let them … [Read more...]
Dogs and their owners may live forever
George Church, a biologist at Harvard Medical School, thinks he might be able to help dogs live longer lives and bring age-defeating treatments for humans to market at the same time. In fact, he has cofounded the company Rejuvenate Bio, to do it. It claims preliminary tests on beagles make animals “younger” by adding new DNA instructions to their bodies. Source: MIT … [Read more...]
Better be early
I have a magic pill to sell you. It will help you make more money, be happier, look thinner, and have better relationships. It’s a revolutionary new pharmaceutical product called Late-No-More. Just one dose every day will allow you to show up on time, greatly enhancing your life and the lives of those around you. Source: Forbes, August 2, 2015. Link. There’s a reason we set … [Read more...]
Erin Brenneman sharing farm life with a new generation
Our industry is blessed to have passionate advocates like Erin Brenneman, the city girl turned pig farmer and social media maven. Her story is lived out across the country on farms and livestock production locations, but few dedicate themselves to educating a new generation. This is a must-read for animal health pros. Brenneman’s passion helps people from all backgrounds … [Read more...]
Pet owners are alarmingly unaware about flea and tick dangers
Despite herculean efforts over more than two decades, a new study reveals 72 percent of pet owners don't research flea and tick prevention. Only half say they treat their pets year-round. Source: Pet Product News, May 9, 2018. Link. A new consumer study, conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Merck Animal Health, reveals that there are knowledge gaps among U.S. pet owners … [Read more...]
Opinion – The boundary you didn’t know you were missing
“Sir, yes sir!” We hear these words in movies with military references. This do-it-or-die attitude has crept into our approaches to management, education and employee empowerment. As in other industries, our newest, brightest animal health pros are super achievers who sometimes find themselves in new jobs that become routine. I’m oversimplifying but consider the efforts we … [Read more...]
How to manage insecure employees
Insecure employees are “hard to evaluate, hard to coach, and hard to develop,” says Ethan Burris, an associate professor at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas, Austin. “The challenge is that insecure people are so concerned with how they look and how they are perceived that they either fail to solicit critical feedback or completely ignore it when it’s … [Read more...]
5 self-hate moves we mistake as self-love
Kris Gage takes on self-hate and self-love. She summarizes loving ourselves looks the same as loving others — through actions. Over time. And with their true best interest in mind. Source: Medium, May 4, 2018. Link. Gage lists these behaviors as self-hate vs. self-love: Chasing things we don’t want or that don’t want us Checking out of our own lives Talking … [Read more...]
Top cows avoid health problems, cycle quickly
Research has shown that a good fresh period is essential for cows. Hopefully, they begin milking, avoid health problems and start cycling quickly. According to Milo Wiltbank, this task is more easily accomplished if cows gain weight during the transition period that includes the 21 days before and after calving. Source: Hoard’s Dairyman, May 7, 2018. Link. According to … [Read more...]
Top considerations to soothe skin disease in cats and dogs
Whether it’s from allergies, bacterial infections, or external parasites, pruritus is easily among the top 10 problems veterinarians see in dogs and cats. Because meds for managing pruritus vary in mechanism of action, patient restrictions, and more, each individual case dictates which drug is used for treatment. Source: Veterinary Practice News, May 1, 2018. Link. Some … [Read more...]
Stem cell therapy for cats shows promise
The Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery recently published the results of a study about the present and potential clinical applications of mesenchymal stem cell therapy in cats. The study focused on the emergence of this new therapeutic strategy and the current understanding of the biology and immunology of mesenchymal stem cells. Researchers summarized promising outcomes of … [Read more...]
Clear up misconceptions about regenerative medicine (includes video)
Regenerative medicine has become more common in the veterinary market. So has pet owners’ misunderstanding. David Dycus, DVM, MS, DACVS-SA, offers clarification and speaks to the differences of rich plasma and stem cell therapies. Probably a lot of the public's misconception is that we're simply trying to regenerate new tissues, which, while there may be some regeneration, … [Read more...]
17 tips for camping with dogs
It’s the time of year when folks head to campgrounds all over the country. Fido is often in tow, which can make for a great camping experience. Writer Jen Reeder shares basic tips to help ensure fun camping trips that include dogs. Source: AAHA. Link. Here are some suggestions to help create an outstanding experience: Let your dog check out the gear. Visit the … [Read more...]
What I wish groomers looked for
Part of what keeps me grounded in the veterinary profession is realizing that many pet care service providers—including dog groomers, and owners and employees of pet stores, kennels and boarding facilities—are in higher demand than veterinarians, writes Courtney Campbell, DVM. She acknowledges that pet owners frequently visit some of these service providers and wishes teams … [Read more...]
29 dogs sleeping in hilarious positions (includes slideshow)
Animal health pros and their customers love their dogs. Dog owners are often seen showing pictures of their dogs to friends and family sometimes before they show photos of their children. Pawsome compiled some photos of canines whose need for sleep has them in funky positions. Source: Pawsome, May 2018. Link. Dogs will nap literally anywhere they want as long as they are … [Read more...]
3 pie charts walk into a bar
Most animal health pros are familiar with the 80:20 rule or Pareto’s law. The 80:20 rule represents that 80 percent of your income comes from 20 percent of your customers. Terry Pageler playfully takes the analysis further to uncover challenges to consider in any business. Source: LinkedIn, May 1, 2018. Link. If you'd like actual pie charts for the sequence, they're … [Read more...]
Kevin O’Leary: brutal honesty pays (includes video)
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary, the "Mean Shark" and "Mr. Wonderful," is known for his brutal criticism of bad ideas. He believes this is one of his many admirable traits. Source: NBC Better, May 7. Link. Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary: Why it pays to be brutally honest INSIGHTS: We’re sharing this because of the popularity of the Shark Tank TV series. For most animal health … [Read more...]
Sponsorship programs could undermine women
A mother/daughter research team sought to gauge the efficacy of two isolated ideas related to sponsorship: the idea that being personally chosen by a sponsor as a protege could serve as an important vote of confidence the idea that linking sponsors’ compensation to their proteges’ outcomes might serve as further motivation to the proteges The results indicate certain … [Read more...]
Smithfield: every pig, every pen, every day (includes video)
Consumer pressure and perceptions routinely challenge animal care and food production practices. To support the release of the Animal Care section of its "2017 Sustainability Report," Smithfield released a new 360-degree virtual reality video, which transports viewers to one of the company's wean-to-finish hog farms. The company recently used the technology to take viewers … [Read more...]
The demise of cold calling
A colleague in the animal health industry recently asked, “Has door-to-door prospecting in the veterinary world reached obsolescence?” He was serious, explaining that he sets appointments and uses cold calls to fill in the gaps. Finally he admitted, “I rarely get any response or success from a cold call.” This answers his question. Why continue an activity that doesn’t produce … [Read more...]
Dress appropriately
Mary Barra, chief executive of General Motors, is straightforward. Having lived through corporate bankruptcy and restructuring, she knows what managing culture is like. As a lifelong GM employee, she knew she had to change it. She started with the dress code that, when enforced, empowers managers to do what they think is right for the company. It’s a strong lesson from which … [Read more...]
Get to know ticks
Heidi Goethert, ScD, presents an image gallery showing the ticks of the northeast United States, though their range may extend throughout much of North America. The ticks were photographed on the author's hand to show scale. A close-up view is included to show details useful for identification. Source: Clinician’s Brief, April 2008. Link. A clinician's ability to make an … [Read more...]
A pictorial journey of the effects of heartworm infection
It just takes one bite. Still clients and veterinary teams struggle with year-round heartworm prevention. Stephen Jones, DVM, challenges animal health pros to understand how heartworm disease begins long before clinical signs develop and progresses as long as heartworms are present. Source: Veterinary Medicine, April 19, 2018. Link. Remember: by the time a dog is diagnosed … [Read more...]