Most mammals are susceptible to infection, writes Ashley DiPrete, RVT, VTS, (SAIM). As humans expand their environmental footprint, encroachment on wildlife becomes a greater issue, and people, pets and wild animal reservoir hosts cross one another’s paths more frequently. The importance of leptospirosis sp. is underscored by its status as the most prevalent zoonotic disease … [Read more...]
A horse’s leg is like a paperclip and other performance horse problems
With concerns surrounding horse deaths at Santa Anita Race Track < link >, horse owners will be ready to consider veterinarian David Ramey’s four biggest problems that affect performance horses. If they can avoid these things, the battle is at least half won, he says. They’re overtrained They’re bored and annoyed Owners assume that performance problems are … [Read more...]
The Bridge Club, November events start tonight
Tonight, Brenda and Catherine will join Animal Policy Group’s Mark Cushing, thought leader and animal care advocate Dr. David Haworth, and Idexx Laboratories’ Dr. Sherri Rigby to discuss data on the very real dog shortage in the U.S., its pet health and practice economics implications, and potential solutions. The conversation is live on-site at New York Vet. See other … [Read more...]
Opinion – Listening with the intent to reply
Do you hear or listen? One thing that frustrates me is how news anchors or sportscasters continuously speak over someone. It happens even when the person speaking over the other is getting an answer to the very question they just asked. Listening is NOT a competitive sport.” - Anonymous Source: Forbes, October 29, 2019. Link. Most people do not listen with the intent to … [Read more...]
Leading change
There are salespeople who seem programmed to think if they can overcome, handle or minimize a customer’s negative points of view, the customer will drop their resistance and the salesperson’s goals will be achieved. In other words, the belief seems to be, “If I prove my point, you will you drop yours.” Source: Vet-Advantage Magazine, October 2019. Link. Start by thinking of … [Read more...]
Avoid these 7 social selling mistakes
Social media is the new global marketplace and an opportunity to find new clients and make new sales. However, companies often mistakenly focus on selling and promotions and not on developing relationships. If your social media strategy is failing, a new Forrest report suggests it may be for one or more of seven reasons. They include treating social networks as promotional … [Read more...]
Should influencers tell audiences they’re getting paid?
How times change! The whole point of influencer market has traditionally been based on the perceived neutrality of influencers. However, new research suggests that the likelihood of viewing a brand positively following an influencer’s recommendation was roughly the same whether or not a relationship between the brand and the influencer had been disclosed. Source: HBR Ascend, … [Read more...]
Younger pet owners’ pet food and care decisions don’t rely on tradition
Younger consumers are independent, do-it-yourselfers, and less reliant on traditional authority figures and similar experts, writes Debbie Phillips- Donaldson. She describes factors that may explain changing influences on pet owner decision making. In the old paradigm, consumers trusted veterinarians and major brands backed by vets, as well as large pet specialty … [Read more...]
5 trick interview questions, be prepared
Experienced recruiters use questions like the ones below to trick you into divulging details you hadn’t planned on sharing during interviews. Prepare to answer these five questions in the context of what the employer is seeking to learn during the interview: Tell me about yourself. Translation: Why are you a good fit? What do you know about us? Translation: Are you … [Read more...]
Blue jackets descend on Indy
Nearly 70,000 FFA members, advisers and supporters will attend the 92nd National FFA Convention & Expo October 31 through November 2 in Indianapolis. FFA members will celebrate their accomplishments and find inspiration for their next steps. In addition to coverage on the FFA convention website < link >, RFD-TV will be providing coverage on RFD-TV, on Country Club, … [Read more...]
Caring for cold-stressed calves
Cold weather will add stress to newly born calves in both dairy and beef operations. Taylor Leach reminds us that the most critical, and most expensive, period of calf growth in raising dairy calves is the pre-weaning period. She offers some tips to address cold weather stress during the first weeks of a calf’s life. Source: Dairy Herd Management, October 28, 2019. Link. One … [Read more...]
Study demonstrates benefits of wintering dairy cows outdoors
Recent research from the Journal of Dairy Science < link > suggests that outdoor housing through the winter might be cleaner and healthier for the cows than indoor housing. The University of Minnesota study compared organic cows housed on an outdoor straw pack with wind protection to cows housed indoors on a compost-bedded pack barn. Source: Hoard’s Dairyman, October … [Read more...]
World Dairy Expo 2019, not all black and white (pictorial)
We often think of dairy cows as Holsteins, but this recap of the recent World Dairy Expo shows the variety of breeds that produce milk. Delilah became the second Brown Swiss ever to claim back-to-back World Dairy Expo Supreme Champion titles. Sixty-two thousand people from 94 countries attended the five-day event in Madison, Wisconsin. Visitors from Canada, Mexico, Italy, … [Read more...]
You can’t disinfect a turd, but disinfectants work
We can learn a lot from practical biosecurity protocols used by swine veterinarians and their clients. The approaches practiced in swine production apply across species as we expand our thinking about zoonoses and One Health. Biosecurity must be a mindset and lifestyle. . . it must be ingrained and adhered to, and we also need to trust all employees to do the right thing even … [Read more...]
5 animal health topics beyond African swine fever to think about
Behind the scenes, animal health officials are working on behalf of producers and the livestock industry, writes JoAnn Alumbaugh. She shares five topics of interest discussed during a recent meeting of the National Assembly of State Animal Health Officials in conjunction with the 2019 U.S. Animal Health Association (USAHA) annual meeting: Flurry of activity on antibiotic … [Read more...]
Identifying and treating gastric ulcers
There are many possible reasons why horses develop gastric ulcers, writes David Ramey, DVM. He says most of them are related to how people manage their horses. Diet, confinement and medication are three areas where horse management may induce ulcers. The most thoroughly tested ulcer treatment is omeprazole, which is absorbed into the small intestine and works systemically by … [Read more...]
Rodeo, a tough sport with rich heritage
Rodeo has been around as long and demands as much or more from its athletes than do urban sports, writes Jonathon Reed. He shares the history, development and challenges of rodeo as a competitive sport. . . . young competitors learn their skills on the farm or ranch, as part of everyday chores or seasonal cattle work. Horsemanship and general equine knowledge get worked in … [Read more...]
Advancements saving damaged corneas in pets and horses
Veterinary ophthalmologists at Cummings Veterinary Medical Center < link >have started using corneal crosslinking to help spare animals’ eyes or avoid surgery. Corneal crosslinking was developed to treat a condition called keratoconus in people which animals don’t get. Veterinary ophthalmologists have found the crosslinking approach valuable in treating dogs and horses … [Read more...]
Making an Easter surprise profitable
Four to six months after Easter, some rabbit owners are faced with choices. If Laverne and Shirley turned out to be Lenny and Shirley, there is likely an abundance of bunnies. One choice is to begin raising meat rabbits. Dennis Douthart offers a how-to in this updated article including: Production objectives Feeding Housing Breeding Health Meat processing … [Read more...]
Steve Dale on the ferret debate; domestic or wild?
It is illegal to own a ferret in California, writes Steve Dale. The debate over who has jurisdiction explodes from there. California legislators, who have little expertise or interest, could legalize ferrets but don’t, because the Fish and Game Commission continues to classify domestic ferrets as wild. Although Dale is impassioned, there are some interesting facts he … [Read more...]
Q&A with Alexandra Horowitz
Best-selling author, researcher and professor Alexandra Horowitz sees a lot of contradiction in how we live with dogs. She talks with Claudia Kawczynska following the publishing of her third book, Our Dogs, Ourselves < link >. Source: Bark, October 2019. Link. Humans who accompany dogs have never been my focus, but . . . I’ve studied whether our anthropomorphisms are … [Read more...]
2019 They Ate What?! X-ray contest winners
Judges had a difficult job as they viewed the entries for this year’s contest. It is amazing what animals swallow. DON’T FORGET TO VOTE! Voting for the People’s Choice award runs from October 1 to November 30. Review our winner, runners-up, and honorable mentions, then go to our voting page to make … [Read more...]
Best Friends Roadhouse and Mercantile now open
Travelers and their pets have a new lodging option in Southern Utah. It also represents another reason to ensure pets are vaccinated. Best Friends Animal Society has opened Best Friends Roadhouse and Mercantile <link>. The 40-room property is designed to be pet friendly and focuses on pets. Furnishings are built 18 inches or higher to avoid entrapment. Nightstands have … [Read more...]
5 important feline emergency procedures
Justine Lee, DVM, DACVECC, DABT says there are five important feline procedures that every veterinarian should learn to perform. Practice is needed to build confidence says Lee. She explains why these procedures are critical and offers tips for improving skills: Gaining venous access Thoracentesis and abdominocentesis FAST and TFAST ultrasound Placing a … [Read more...]
Cat virus could be linked to feline cancer
Domestic cat hepadnavirus (DCH) has been found in certain types of hepatitis and liver cancer in cats, suggesting it might be the cause of the diseases. DCH was identified last year by researchers at the University of Sydney < link >. The virus is similar to hepatitis B in humans. We don’t know what causes most types of cancer, but if we know it’s triggered by a virus, … [Read more...]
Turning the corner on FIP (podcast)
Niels Pedersen, BS, DVM, PhD, has made solving feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) a career goal. Steve Dale spoke with Pedersen recently on Dale's Pet World radio show. They discuss the latest about FIP. Source: Steve Dale Pet World, October 18, 2019. Link. Pedersen shares how departing from vaccine research to take advantage of anti-viral drugs has resulted in promising … [Read more...]
25-pound cat takes over internet (video)
Videos of Cinderblock, an 8-year-old gray domestic shorthair, has captured the attention of social media users. A Facebook video of Cinderblock meowing while lazily using a treadmill has been seen more than 2.2 million times. The cat was relinquished by its owner to Britta Kiffney, DVM, at Northshore Veterinary Hospital in Bellingham, Washington < link > who posted the … [Read more...]
Functional foods’ effects on dog, cat health summarized (slideshow)
Pet owners are often faced with new information about the best way to feed their dogs and cats. Following human trends, pet food offerings are diverse and confusing. We share this article series for perspectives on pet food inputs, reasoning and trends. Source: Pet Food Industry, October 27, 2019. Link. A meta-analysis of functional foods research summarized 17 peer-reviewed … [Read more...]
CVPM focuses on client experience, retention to compete (video)
Dana Short, MS, CVPM, discusses how focusing on the client experience works in the practice she manages. For some practices, geographic practice saturation is a relevant situation and a limiting factor to practice growth. Customer experience management is a strategy this practice deploys to retain clients and their pets. Source: VHMA Practice Tips, October 2019. … [Read more...]
We need less I and more WE
We have become fascinated with strong individuals: ninjas, rock stars and 30 under 30s. We hail unicorns and disruptors, and we mock those on the decline as dinosaurs or people who couldn’t see the writing on the wall. Celebrating individual achievements is fine, but not if we forget about the importance of community. Source: The Message, October 10, 2019. Link. Care more … [Read more...]