As the number of homestead-like farms grows so does the number of goats. Researchers continue to study how they are affected by the production environment and how they see and interact with us. Goats may appear to have one-track minds, but they devote a lot of thought to social issues, too. Source: Countryside Daily, November 6, 2017. In 2017, we have seen published results … [Read more...]
Impostor syndrome sneaks up on everyone
It’s likely every animal health pro feels like a fraud from time to time. Ciera Miller, CVT, VTS, speaks to us all in her article on the imposter syndrome. Source: Firstline, October 26, 2017. Impostor syndrome, a concept where an individual is marked by an inability to recognize their accomplishments and lives with a constant fear of being a “fraud,” is extremely … [Read more...]
Work/life balance benefits work performance
One’s mind and the body health are optimized by balancing work life with personal life. Finding this balance is becoming harder, not easier. We no longer leave our work in the office. It follows us everywhere we go. The growth of 24/7 connectivity – impossible a decade ago, but normal now – brings with it challenging problems. Source: LinkedIn, November 6, 2017. Where … [Read more...]
Helmet saves equestrian’s life (graphic pictures)
Animal health pros often support the equine sports. Noel Williams shares her close call with death and reminds riders to wear a helmet. It’s a universal truth that if you’re going to ride horses, you’re going to fall off horses. You just never know when a young horse, or any horse really, is going to overreact or when their antics might cause them to lose their balance and … [Read more...]
Satisfy cat hunting instincts appropriately
Lisa Radosta DVM, Dipl. ACVB, reminds us that predatory behaviors that cats exhibit outside do not go away when they are kept indoors. She says indoor cats need stimulation and environmental enrichment. Some cats simply become bored at home, while others become frustrated by the inability to do what comes naturally: explore, exercise and hunt. That frustration can lead to … [Read more...]
Canine body language important for health, safety
Reading canine body language accurately is important for patient health and comfort, veterinary team safety and proper client education and consultation. Clues such as proximity preference, food acceptance, postures and expressions improve understanding of patient emotions. Source: Veterinary Team Brief, September 2017. The more relaxed a patient is, the more likely an … [Read more...]
Chicken anatomy 101: digestion (includes video)
Here’s a resource you can use to review your chicken knowledge. It also can be used to help educate new chicken owners, 4-H or FFA groups or staff members. Patrick Biggs, PhD, a flock nutritionist with Purina Animal Nutrition explains the journey from feed to egg. Source: Countryside Daily, November 6, 2017. Chickens are excellent converters of chicken feed, channeling … [Read more...]
Phone addiction has a dark side (includes video)
Philosopher Alain de Botton challenges the “lazy brain” argument about our relationship with our phones and how we rely on them. Instead, he proposes we use them as a tool for self-avoidance and have a genuinely unhealthy, addictive relationship with them. Source: Mindful, November 3, 2017. To say we are addicted to our phones is not merely to point out that we use them a … [Read more...]
Move sales conversations from safe to serious
Adam Kipnes shares a process for managing the innumerable contacts in our reach and move them toward becoming clients. The objective is not to sell everyone, rather move them progressively toward becoming a prospect instead of leaving them as a contact or suspect. Source: Forbes, November 5, 2017. The goal of the 4,3,2,1 model is to categorize each contact you have … [Read more...]
Telehealth; adjusting veterinary care to technology (video content)
I first experienced telehealth in the home of a Southwest Kansas feedlot veterinarian in 1996. The vet stood in his breezeway for 30 minutes questioning a producer about four potloads of light calves arriving 12 hours early after nearly 22 hours, 1,300 miles and a 50-plus degree reduction in ambient temperature during their trip. Fast forward 20 years and the topic of … [Read more...]
Opinion – What B2B can learn from B2C
Most animal health pros will recognize someone they’ve worked with as they consider the perspectives in this article. The best sales reps have been personalizing their messages for years to decision maker(s). Karen Olson says we can learn a lot from savvy B2C marketers. Customize your messages for your audience. Give me a reason to switch. Reward me for choosing … [Read more...]
Your feelings about work-life balance are shaped by what you saw your parents do
A popular TV ad sponsored by an insurance provider depicts aging adults becoming their parents. Research published by Ioana Lupu found that our upbringing has enduring influence on our work and career decisions — and that what we subconsciously learn from our parents plays an important role in how we think about and manage work-life balance. Source: Harvard Business Review, … [Read more...]
New video series promotes understanding of dairy management systems
A series of six new videos from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach have been created to help beginning dairy farmers learn about different types of dairy operations and management systems. Each video features a dairy farmer who discusses the different aspects of their operation. We agree these videos will also help generational succession changes required as older … [Read more...]
Pork facts (slideshow)
Pork is big business today. More than 2 billion pounds of it is produced annually in the United States. As the most versatile meat, it can be marinated, roasted, barbecued, pan-fried, stir-fried, grilled, dry rubbed, boiled and baked. No matter how you fix it, pork is a protein-packed treat. Cheryl Day shares some facts about pork that animal health pros may find useful and … [Read more...]
Peek inside a hoop beef facility (slideshow)
Progressive practices are best viewed in person, but when you can’t, articles like this one help animal health pros understand new approaches. Here, a Missouri father-son team shares experiences from their hoop feeding facility and the benefits they are seeing. Source: Beef, May 19, 2017. By taking the weather off their back, cattle are improving gains and feed … [Read more...]
Grandad’s tractor is not listed in today’s small farm tractor buyers guide
Resident acreages and small farms often need small tractors that have more functionality than riding lawn tractors. Jeremy Chartier walks through the modern choices that make granddad’s tractors out of date. Source: Countryside Daily, October 24, 2017. Manufacturers have developed new systems and unified many interfaces since the age of the Farmall, creating best small farm … [Read more...]
The internet is mobile. Period.
We now spend about 70 percent of our time on the internet using our mobile phones. That percentage will only grow. Source: Quartz, October 31, 2017. . . . based on estimates and forecasts for more than 50 countries covering two-thirds of the world’s population. By 2019, Zenith says this will rise close to 80%.” INSIGHTS: We all need to remember that the internet, social … [Read more...]
Been there, done that
On any day, at any level of an organization, an idea can surface to solve a problem, meet a need or generate value. It is easy to get discouraged if it seems like the idea is not new or revolutionary. Charlie Gilkey proposes that if novelty is what you are after, you’ve already lost the opportunity. Source: Thrive Global, October 30, 2017. Service trumps novelty. Rather … [Read more...]
Ask a Cat Lady belts out feline distemper (includes video)
Sarah Donner, the Ask a Cat Lady personality, shares feline distemper facts, including a song she composed and performs on video. Sometimes known as ataxia or the cat plague, FPV spreads through fluid or fecal contact, in utero or via fleas. This virus can survive years in a stable environment, and it can be devastating when it breaks out. Source: Catster, October 26, … [Read more...]
Quiz: Contemporary fluid strategies in the ICU
Recent research shows that positive water balance and weight gain are actually negative prognostic indicators. This has forced practitioners to rethink the approach to fluid therapy for critical patients. Source: Clinician’s Brief, June 2017. Amy Butler, DVM, MS, DACVECC presents a case-based approach to test your knowledge of current thought on fluid strategies for the … [Read more...]
Check smoke and carbon dioxide alarms as Daylight savings time ends
Seasonal changes have many furnaces already running. These changes can also alert animal health pros to check the functionality of smoke alarms and CO2 sensors. If you haven’t changed batteries or tested your alarms, now is the time to do so. Combine the alarm checks with resetting your clocks. Daylight Savings time ends Sunday, November 5, 2017, 2:00:00 am. Clocks are … [Read more...]
9 effective leadership reminders make leading easier
Leadership can be difficult, but I am always amazed by the number of people who make it harder than it needs to be by forgetting simple basics. Here are nine things to remember about leadership that will stop you from making it more difficult than it needs to be, and help you become a better leader. Source: Inc., October 2, 2017. As a leader, it is your job to put your … [Read more...]
Sponsored Content – New product redirects destructive cat scratching
“Veterinarians now have a way to stop destructive scratching in the home without declawing procedures or ineffective alternatives,” said Dr. Valarie V. Tynes, DVM, Dipl. ACVB, Veterinary Services Specialist at Ceva Animal Health in a statement released November 1, 2017. FELISCRATCH by FELIWAYTM, is clinically proven to stop and prevent both vertical and horizontal destructive … [Read more...]
Don’t fear Dr. Google
In a recent study, Trone Brand Energy found only 31 percent of pet owners highly trust online information sources. This compared to 81 percent of pet owners who highly trust their veterinarians. Forty seven percent of them highly trust their family and friends, which was the second most trusted source of information. In a related study, pet owners who rank in the top 25 … [Read more...]
7 things to help with Halloween safety for pets (includes video)
Trick or treat! You can already hear the dogs barking and neighbors yelling for their cats to return and Halloween’s not here yet. The AVMA offers tips for pet safety when the spooks, ballerinas, superheroes and goblins press against your door in the coming days. Source: AVMA, web content. Former AVMA EVP/CEO Dr. Ron DeHaven is featured in a Halloween safety video available … [Read more...]
Opinion – Unlearn toxic masculinity
There is no doubt the Harvey Weinstein revelations have pulled discussions of sexual assault and harassment to the front of water cooler discussions. These stories emphasize the negative consequences of what some call toxic masculinity. Left without context that is presented this article, mindsets are cemented and generalizations get perpetuated. Source: The Cut, October 23, … [Read more...]
Be stronger than yesterday: how to increase productivity
Recognize this? Your mind is commanding you to power through, but your body is slumped over your desk. You notice this behavior is happening every day and it’s becoming clear you’re mentally stuck in a rut wishing the week would just end. Bin Jeong offers a few tricks to break out of your rut and encourage a productive work environment. Source: Forbes, October 18, … [Read more...]
End never-ending email chains without being rude
A coworker sends an email to a dozen people with an open-ended question that doesn’t have any real consequences on anyone’s life. What follows is a predictable avalanche of responses that solve nothing. Source: The Muse, October 2017. Richard Moy shares an email template he uses to redirect the discussion and keep you from throwing your laptop against the wall. … [Read more...]
Use the right measures of success
Real success is about who you are and how far you’ve come. If you worry that you’re not as successful as you should be, you may be evaluating yourself against the wrong criteria. Sometimes you just need a reminder as to what you’ve really accomplished. Source: Pulse, October 2, 2017. You’ve learned that the only people who never fail are those who don’t try. When you fail, … [Read more...]
Training, SOPS, meetings help businesses run smoothly
Whether you run a clinic, a sales staff or a farm, helping employees get started right and keeping everyone informed of progress makes things run more efficiently than if you didn’t. Source: Progressive Dairyman, October 10, 2017. Give your employees the tools they need to succeed right off the bat. If everything is explained thoroughly from the start, you will reduce … [Read more...]