Robert Miller, DVM, knows horses. He explains that when working them, you have to understand the behavioral characteristics that are in the species’ DNA that was established through natural selection. Domestication might affect the characteristics, through artificial selection, but veterinarians and horsemen should attempt to understand the innate characteristics to better read … [Read more...]
Proper dosage critical to cattle performance
Cattle producers know it, veterinarians know it and animal health pros know it. Proper dosage is important for medications and dewormers to perform efficaciously. The temptation to skimp on a dose or guess a calf’s weight is always there. Yielding to this temptation can negatively affect performance and health recovery. Writer Heather Smith Thomas offers a solid review of the … [Read more...]
Horses’ feet are miracles
Animal health pros who work with youth or new equine owners will appreciate this. Understanding the mechanics of the horse hoof helps horse enthusiasts better appreciate its complexity. The equine foot is a marvel of joints, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, blood vessels and bone encased within a horny capsule that is vital to the horse. See what Stephen O’Grady, DVM, likes to … [Read more...]
Cattle eat what humans don’t
Critics of beef production often point to pigs, poultry or fish as having better feed conversions than cattle. They frequently leave out a critical point; cattle eat things we cannot. They turn grass, corn stalks, wheat straw and byproducts such as distillers’ grains and cottonseed meal into high-quality protein for human consumption. At the recent Academy of Veterinary … [Read more...]
VFD, one year later
To explore firsthand experiences and client challenges through the first year of the VFD rules, John Maday asked a group of bovine veterinarians from around the country to summarize their experiences. Mike Appley, DVM, believes the VFD has helped generate collaboration between veterinarians and clients in developing better disease-prevention protocols including vaccinations, … [Read more...]
8 fun scent games dogs love
Smell is the most powerful sense dogs possess. It is fully developed at birth. Dogs have up to 300 million sensors compared to six million in humans. The part of the dog brain that analyzes smells is 40 times bigger in dogs than humans. As pet owners, we frequently forget to include scent games as part of activities with our animals. Steve Duno shares some that owners can play … [Read more...]
Separation anxiety – a comprehensive package
Veterinary Medicine Essentials packages cover diagnostic steps, treatment plan guidance and the latest updates, plus resources to share with team members and animal owners. This collection of articles focuses on veterinary teams, yet it offers solid information for animal health sales pros. Source: Veterinary Medicine, June 15, 2017. The DVM360 team curated the best, most … [Read more...]
Groomer fired for rough dog handling
A Katy, Texas, dog groomer was fired by PetSmart last week after a viral video captured her rough treatment of a dog. Terah Leder, a customer, recorded the video on her cellphone and reported the mistreatment to the store manager and called PetSmart’s corporate offices. Source: Washington Post, February 3, 2018 (paywall), Houston Chronicle, February 2, 2018. In Leder’s … [Read more...]
Learn to say, “No.”
If you say, “no,” to irrelevant things every day, you can spend more time on work that truly matters. Leaders must be willing to say, “no,” to time-wasting activities so they can say, “yes,” to valuable work. Here are some prime candidates for a “no” response. Source: Women@Forbes, January 30, 2018. With your own team, ask each of your direct reports to make at least two … [Read more...]
Back-to-back conventions offer learning and conversation opportunities
Convention season is here. Many industry personnel will be crisscrossing the country for convention activities, continuing education, customer interactions or group meetings aligned with the events. The same is true for AHD team members. Rick Purnell, AHD editor will join AHD founder/president, Kirk Augustine at the Cattle Industry Convention and Trade show January 31 … [Read more...]
Microchips turn 30; adoption still slow
Great efforts have been poured into microchip technology. One can argue the chronology, but microchip technology has settled with dependable standards and equipment. Still, under 30 percent of dogs and fewer than 15 percent of cats are chipped. Various sources indicate that lost pets with microchips are returned to owners at rates two or more times higher than non-chipped … [Read more...]
3 reasons why you should bring your dog to work
Richard Moran discusses dogs at work in the context of them being good for our health. He speculates on the ups and downs of packs of dogs roaming a workplace compared to the hypothesis that dogs and work are a good combination and could lead to a happier and more productive culture. Perhaps love from a dog could help make the job better and make you more … [Read more...]
NSAIDs are wonderful options (includes video)
The NSAID product category generally represents 12 percent to 18 percent of dispensed product revenue for veterinary practices. When it comes to pain relief tools in the veterinary practice, Matthew Brunke, DVM, CCRP, CVPP, CVA, sings the praises of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs class. Reminder! Given the number of prescriptions now filled outside the veterinary … [Read more...]
3 ways to improve your decision making
Walter Fricke shares that decision making requires prediction and judgment. He writes about the need to have a sense of two things: how different choices change the likelihood of different outcomes how desirable each of those outcomes is Source: Harvard Business Review, January 22, 2018. But how do you get better at either? Of the volumes published on this subject … [Read more...]
Flowchart helps you decide if meeting is needed
Our industry is plagued with meetings. In fact, most of us have been involved in meetings about whether we need a meeting. Elle Griffen offers an infographic to help decide if a meeting is worth throwing onto everyone’s schedule. Source: The Muse, January 24, 2018. Not only can meetings be a huge time and productivity suck, they’re also expensive! Add up the hourly wage of … [Read more...]
Opinion – 229 selling days left in 2018
For animal health pros who work five-day weeks, 21 selling days have already expired this year. That equals about 8.5 percent of your year already gone. Veterinary practices and retailers have 325 days remaining to reach goals. Now is a good time to assess whether you or your team(s) are working toward the main objectives and at the right pace. Our perfection drivers and … [Read more...]
Alexander Hamilton’s deep advice
Alexander Hamilton sent his son Philip the following letter in 1800. It laid out a set of rules that Philip should follow to make the most out of his legal training after his graduation from college. Impractical in society today? Maybe. But it is worthy of consideration for our children and for ourselves. Note the focus Monday through Friday and the weekend freedom from … [Read more...]
Vets must be part of decision to use supplements to help cats with arthritis
Arthritis is inevitable as cats’ life expectancy increases. In one study, researchers analyzed X-rays of the spines and limbs of 100 middle-aged or elderly cats living in U.S. homes. The images revealed that 90 percent of those cats over the age of 12 showed radiographic signs of arthritis. A variety of over-the-counter nutraceuticals have gained widespread popularity for … [Read more...]
Getting pets ready to move about the country
Brian A. DiGangi, DVM shares five top tips for traveling with animals. He recommends: Review travel regulations Explain the importance of preventative care Recommend permanent identification Identify and mitigate travel specific risks Discuss steps and protect behavioral health and welfare Source: Clinician’s Brief, January 2018. Clinicians play an … [Read more...]
46th annual Iowa Pork Congress sells out (slide show)
Iowa Pork Congress, one of the first livestock events of year takes place annually. The activities and seminars address the issues of the pork market, production challenges and often set the tone for the upcoming year. Among the notable topics Cheryl Day highlights are: Are we manure poor? Increasing the Pork Checkoff rate Trade and exports Pork and table fare … [Read more...]
11 common email mistakes everyone makes
Email etiquette is increasingly important! It's an integral part of how you communicate and develop relationships with people. Betty Liu compiled these tips to help avoid the most common email mistakes: Bad grammar/spelling Misdirected emails BCC too much Silence Saying 'To whom it may concern' Not changing the subject line Marking emails as unnecessarily … [Read more...]
5 email marketing trends to watch in 2018
Attention marketers and communicators! Email was the preferred communication method for brands to communicate with customers in 2017. It will be well into the future. Still, 2018 may hold some surprises for the 40-year-old communications standard that marketers should be aware of. Scott Heimes shares these five considerations for email in 2018. Personalization through … [Read more...]
Don’t sell yourself short with merchandising
Dan Truffini brings his retail experiences back to the veterinary practice settings in which he grew up. He believes, many veterinary practitioners have incredible revenue potential sitting right in their waiting rooms. It’s not the patients. It’s the retail spaces they have yet to fully open for business. Source: Today’s Veterinary Practice, December 2017. Whether you like … [Read more...]
You may need to walk away from a passive-aggressive boss
A boss who is manipulative, passive-aggressive, credit-taking and overly critical adds to workplace challenges beyond the normal workload. We’re not talking Jekyll and Hyde but it is important to be clear on how to deal with immaturity in a person to whom you report. Source: Harvard Business Review, January 24, 2018. You have to decide if your job and your company hold … [Read more...]
Why people quit
People are more likely to quit when they have a horrible boss. But in a recent study, most people who left a job said they were mostly okay with their manager. The decision to exit was because of the work. They left when their job wasn’t enjoyable, their strengths weren’t being used and they weren’t growing in their careers. Source: Harvard Business Review, January 11, … [Read more...]
2018 is the year of the dog flu
Steve Dale tackles the topic of Canine Influenza Virus (CIV) and the information that shows CIV is expanding across the country more rapidly than ever. This is a topic for team meetings with veterinary teams, retailers and sales groups. Source: Steve Dale’s Pet World, January 22, 2018. The partners tracking dog flu are doing it right. The problem is that most clients don’t … [Read more...]
Keep New Year resolutions going strong
By February 1, many persons’ New Years’ resolutions are either a) not started, or b) already abandoned. New Year’s resolutions, derided though they often are, present a big opportunity for self-improvement, according to research on human behavior. On New Year’s, we look back on past failures to change and feel an uncommon surge of optimism. If you’re ready for a resolution … [Read more...]
Puppy Bowl XIV, Animal Planet on February 4 at 3 p.m. ET. (includes video)
Team Ruff vs. Team Fluff airs ahead of Super Bowl LII (6:30 pm ET) for the 14th year. This year will feature more puppies than ever – 90 players – from 48 shelters and rescues from 26 U.S. states and territories. The teams will compete for the coveted Lombarki Trophy. For the first time ever, Animal Planet will also premiere Puppy Bowl Presents: The Dog Bowl. The Dog Bowl … [Read more...]
Get ready for Gen Z
Patricia M. Buhler and Nicole Evans offer five keys to becoming Generation Z’s employer of choice. More than 61 million of them born after 1999 are poised to enter the workforce. These are not younger millennials, say the authors comparing the millennial entitlement to Gen Z expectations. One-size-fits-all career paths won’t appeal to Gen Z. These individuals won’t be … [Read more...]
7 ways to show customers you care
Members of Forbes Business Development Council share seven strategies for doing a better job of empathizing with customers. Their assertions are good. Still, it is important to avoid the words, “I understand,” as if you know the customers’ feelings. Remaining respectful, acknowledging and aligning with where the customer is in the decision process is critical. Stating what … [Read more...]