Tips like this are good reminders for new associate DVMs, technicians and for representatives to share. Source: Clinician’s Brief, April 17, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
Positive Pet Care Guide seeks to define, strengthen the veterinary team-client partnership
Commentary Setting expectations for team members and animal owners is basic to positive experiences and better animal health. The tenets of this new guide are relevant and appropriate for this period in our animal health industry. The key will be for veterinary teams of alll species to adopt and sustain the discussion of expectations internally and externally with animal … [Read more...]
Fowl Play: veterinarians talk biosecurity and backyard chickens
Complimentary Sponsored Content Attention animal health pros! Consider investing an hour of your time to learn from this timely discussion. Karen Grogan, DVM, MAM, ACPV, joins the Chatfields for an informative and realistic discussion of backyard chickens, biosecurity and the threat of high path avian influenza. After you’ve held them and they’re cute please go wash your … [Read more...]
10 ways to reduce job search anxiety
There are healthy ways to deal with job search anxiety, writes Caroline Castrillon. She shares ways to deal with search anxiety during the process of finding a new opportunity including: Remember you are more than your job Find support Maintain a schedule Embrace the rejection Know when its time to rest Source: Forbes, April 16, 2023. Link. INSIGHTS: Some … [Read more...]
Morning routines that improve productivity
A good morning routine can make a positive difference in your days. It provices structure, stability and improves focus on the most important tasks. Taking the time each morning to do things that help nourish the body, clear your mind, and make progress on goals can create a productive routine that sets you up to have an efficient day. Source: The Outdoor Wear, March 17, … [Read more...]
NAVC seeks input on veterinary community issues needing advocacy
Veterinarian voices matter! NAVC’s Embrace, a grassroots advocacy initiative, zeroes in on issues that are important to the profession and the pet community and enables veterinary professionals to know and provide input on issues important to the profession. Source: Today’s Veterinary Practice, April 14, 2023. Link. Visit navc.com/embrace to sign up to receive advocacy … [Read more...]
Burnout at work isn’t just about exhaustion. It is also about loneliness.
Months before the pandemic and Galaxy Vet’s insightful investigations into our industry’s burnout, Emma Seppälä and Marissa King wrote about burnout and the accompanying loneliness felt by those dealing with individual challenges. Source: Harvard Business Review, June 29, 2017. Link. Burnout’s link to loneliness suggests that greater human connection at work may also be key … [Read more...]
Pause to say, “Good Job” to veterinary teams
Commentary – Complimentary Content While already into 2-Q-2023, the most recent Vet Watch Monthly Insight report shows veterinary teams have stayed the course to meet the demands of pet owners and rebalance some of the previous negative trends. Vet Watch numbers remain consistent down to a regional level. Individual practices are advised to look at their own practice results … [Read more...]
Why Americans care about work so much
Commentary Derek Thompson challenges us to consider the importance of work and how we got there. Currently, he says the history of work takes only six words: from jobs to careers to callings. It’s what comes next that intrigues him, including anticipating the fourth revolution in work. Today, work and workism are facing a double-barreled revolution—the remote-work … [Read more...]
Interest in miniature cattle continues to surge
Demand for miniature cattle is strong. They are the result of generations of selective breeding and choosing selected genetics to reduce size, while promoting the best breed qualities, conformation and temperament. They are 1⁄2 to 1⁄3 the size of full-size cattle and require less space than regular-size cattle. Two or three miniatures can be kept in an area normally required … [Read more...]
Keep the cat, manage the allergens
Cats are thought to be the third most common cause of indoor allergies, yet over 80 percent of cat owners ignore advice to give up their cat to help manage allergies. So, animal health pros often get questioned about reducing allergens, albeit not that directly. This article explains allergen sources and several ways to reduce their effect on the cat owner and family. Note … [Read more...]
Vet pharmacist. Marijuana intoxication in dogs (video).
Complimentary Content Marijuana intoxication in dogs doesn’t make them high, it makes them incredibly ill. Keep all of those products up and out of the reach of our favorite pets.” – Elaine Blythe, Source: Veterinary Pharmacy Education, Instagram, April 10, 2023. Link. (2:00) Also available on Facebook. Link. Marijuana is toxic to dogs, cats and horses. There is no antidote … [Read more...]
Professional Animal Care Certification
Commentary There’s no doubt animal training improves care and stewardship while helping to increase the quality of life for our pets. It seems every week we see another person or organization launching some level of training. While imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, duplication has its own challenges. Third-party training is available for pet care personnel … [Read more...]
Certified Veterinary Assistant Program summer session starts May 15
For some interested in working in veterinary medicine there is a stigma around the education requirements to become a veterinary technician or veterinarian. The Certified Veterinary Assistant Program is an excellent way for such a person to get started intentionally with entry level skills that benefit the practice and confirm the interests of the student. The Certified … [Read more...]
Don’t leave home without the right amount of cards, cash and ID
Are wallets still necessary? As wallets get thinner, people are rethinking how much they still need to carry in cash, cards and identification. F. Martin Ramin queried financial advisers to get recommendations for what to carry. Carry at least two but no more than three credit cards, a small amount of cash, a government ID and a card with your phone number in case the wallet … [Read more...]
Suicide attempt survivor writes “How Not to Kill Yourself”
Clancy Martin tried dying by suicide more than a dozen times. Using what he learned from those attempts, the philosophy professor with the University of Missouri-Kansas City wrote a new book, How Not to Kill Yourself, A Portrait of the Suicidal Mind. It can be helpful for anyone, but given the high rate of suicide in the veterinary profession, the book can be a lifesaver for … [Read more...]
A 2-minute burn out check up
Burnout is the result of chronic stress and, at work, that stress tends to accumulate around your experiences of workload, values, reward, control, fairness and community. Chris Bailey’s short assessment can help you gauge whether you’re on the path to burnout, and where you should focus your attention to make beneficial changes. Source: Harvard Business Review, April 9, … [Read more...]
Busy work
Self-generated busyness can crowd out the important things we need to do in our personal and professional lives. Source: Fast Company, March 20, 2023. Link. Letting go of distraction can feel difficult at first because it requires courage and determination. INSIGHT: Identify your business and social KPIs. Then determine what activities impact them positively. Prioritize … [Read more...]
The virtual vet will see you meow
A lot of us embraced virtual visits with our doctors during the pandemic. Some of us still prefer them. Pet owners’ adoption of veterinary telemedicine has not kept pace. A recent survey of more than 1,200 American cat owners showed that 72 percent of respondents used telemedicine for themselves, yet only three percent used it for their cats. Source: The New York Times, … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – April 13, 2023
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, April 6th, 2023. Link. Most read post(s) from March 30th AHD Bulletin – Hauser: Reverse the downward trend of pets missing vet care. Link. JVECC makes a case for quality improvement in vet med. Link. Finding the optimal pattern of a customer journey. Link. Place keeper: 2023 Veterinary Conferences … [Read more...]
Why white-tailed deer don’t get Lyme disease
White-tailed deer are important to the survival of deer ticks but they are not involved with transmitting the Lyme bacteria. The serum component of white-tailed deer blood kills Lyme bacteria. Whatever it is in the deer that’s killing the germ is part of the innate immune system, a part that precedes antibodies, shares Stephen Rich, MS, PhD. Although deer, such as white-tailed … [Read more...]
U.S. bans big cat ownership
A bill outlawing unlicensed people from owning, breeding and transporting big cats in the United States was signed last December. The Big Cat Public Safety Act, which identifies lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, cougars and hybrids of these species, goes one step further, banning licensed exhibitors from allowing public petting of big cats and their cubs. Source: … [Read more...]
Prioritize canine influenza vaccines based on animals at risk during shortages
Scott Weese, DVM, shares ways to determine which dogs need the canine influenza vaccines most since our industry continues to see shortages in flu vaccine supplies. Dogs considered to have increased risk of severe disease include seniors, pregnant, immune compromised, brachycephalic and those with significant cardiac or respiratory disease. Canine influenza is one potential … [Read more...]
How to spot a fake website
Even if one is a cautious user of digital technology, fake websites often catch us off guard. Spotting a fake website is quite easy but many people still fall for these scams every day. This article explains some of the different ways you can tell if a website is fake. Source: Simply Geeky, July 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
414 short inspirational quotes when motivation is needed
Whether you want to find a new perspective on a challenging problem, stop procrastinating and do the important work in front of you, or light an inner spark to start something new and magical, this list may have the right words for yourself or the situation. Source: Four Minute Books, April 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
You don’t have to be the boss to be a leader
Matt Mayberry shares three actions that hone leadership skills to help become a highly respected and influential team member: Devote time to daily growth Discover and embrace your personal strengths Improve your ability to connect with people Source: Harvard Business Review, February 13, 2023. Link. Introverts, ambiverts, extroverts . . . anyone can learn how to … [Read more...]
Documentary highlights life and work of Temple Grandin
A documentary film about the world-renowned Dr. Temple Grandin recently completed shooting. The film, Open Door, features interviews with Grandin, her colleagues, industry professionals and those she has influenced throughout her career as a champion of human treatment of livestock, autism rights and inclusive neurodiversity. The production team includes eight current Colorado … [Read more...]
Managing compassion fatigue
The reality for most people working in the animal healthcare industry is that you will get compassion fatigue. The only question is do you manage it or allow it to control you? Source: AVMA. Link. . . . build a self-care plan that charts the path you think is best designed to help bring your life back into balance.” INSIGHT: Be compassionate with yourself first. Then your … [Read more...]
The gender pay gap in vet medicine is real
More women in veterinary medicine does not equal gender equality, writes Kristen Green Seymour in the latest issue of AAHA Trends. She covers gendered expectations, pay transparency, negotiating salary from day 1, abolishing the motherhood penalty, adjusting KPIs, practice ownership and more. Despite the field skewing strongly female, the average male income is significantly … [Read more...]
LSU develops patent-pending wild pig bait
Commentary Feral hog control is an issue for ALL animal health pros. Wild pigs reproduce rapidly and cause damage to farms and suburban properties from the southern U.S. and into Canada <Link>. They also pose a growing threat to the environment, people and other animals. If an animal disease like African swine fever or hoof-and-mouth gets into these animals, it will be … [Read more...]