Homeopathic approaches can help swine producers reach a long-term reduction in antimicrobial use. Irene Camerlink, a researcher at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria, explains the first steps to reducing antimicrobials are to assess the quality of the environment and to mitigate stress. She then dives into specific homeopathic options that producers can … [Read more...]
Strategic deworming important to cattle management
“Controlling parasites is a proven practice to improve performance in all stages of cattle production while also giving a significant return on investment,” says Boehringer Ingelheim’s Joe Gillespie, DVM. He reinforces the importance of understanding parasite life cycles and strategic treatment to improve cattle performance in all stages of production. Source: Feedstuffs, … [Read more...]
Temperature-humidity index heavily affects dairies
Research from dairy scientist Sha Tao reveals two important takeaways about the negative impact of heat stress on milking cows and growth performance in dairy calves: When cows are exposed to a temperature-humidity index above 68, milk production levels begin to decrease Feeding large amounts of milk replacer twice per day, may not be a valid option to improve calf … [Read more...]
How-to videos educate dairy personnel
A series of how-to videos from Dairy Herd Management is available to help educate dairy personnel about key practices. Titles include: Culture to achieve a bacteriological cure Identify cows with mastitis Protect the cow after milking Properly attach milking units Prepare a cow for milking Get anovular cows pregnant Pay attention to injection … [Read more...]
Handle MLVs with care (includes video)
Modified-live vaccines must be handled and stored properly if they are to be efficacious. This article and a YouTube video cover basics that are helpful for newbies and old hands alike. Source: Bovine Veterinarian, July 3, 2019. Link. Incorrect storage, exposure to sunlight and delayed administration all can reduce or even eliminate the effectiveness of an MLV, cautioned New … [Read more...]
Back to basics: air, water, feed
Jon DeJong, PhD, reminds us that pigs have three basic needs: feed, water and air. These apply universally to all types of livestock and pets. These basics have not been firmly imprinted in some animal owners. One or more may go unnoticed. Source: PORK, August 13, 2019. Link. Also see: Follow these tips to succeed as a newbie pet parent, Inside Pet’s World, August 7, … [Read more...]
Plastic bags kill horses and cows
Single-use plastic bags can kill cows and horses if they eat them. Death can be slow or quick. Neither speed is pretty. The best bet is to not let them get loose in the first place. The second best bet is to pick up every one you see around corrals, stalls and pastures. Source: The Texas Tribune, August 14, 2019. Link. When West got to the pen, the colt had already swallowed … [Read more...]
Age not a factor with dog owners trying newer dog food brands
EVERYONE tries new pet food brands summarizes the findings presented in this article. Marketing towards a specific pet owner age group may reduce a campaign’s effectiveness, according to research published in the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. The key message is to not target narrowly and that brands should sell to all buyers of the category.” - Peilin … [Read more...]
E-Commerce Summit reconvenes in KC
Following the success of its 2018 inaugural gathering, NAVC Media will host the second annual E-Commerce Summit at The Westin Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri, September 17-18, 2019. The dynamic two-day conference will focus on changing consumer dynamics, retail trends, blending channels, emerging care models and best practices affecting business strategy. Source: … [Read more...]
Opinion – Transforming business; what and why
Animal health businesses have traditionally grown with a more-better-faster mindset. We’ve integrated computer, telephone and internet advancements to extend existing brick and mortar platforms. Now, a new generation of boundary-breaking entrepreneurs are following disruptive models that turn the way we traditionally ran businesses on its head, writes Rebecca Livesey. They … [Read more...]
8 tips for Facebook business pages
Make the most of your business presence on Facebook. The site is evolving quickly. It now treats business pages as mini-websites. If you invest the time to understand the complexity of business pages, you can increase exposure and grow your business. This list can help keep owners and site managers on track. Source: Park Marketing Link. Facebook is the most popular search … [Read more...]
Beyond heartworm treatment fundamentals
The American Heartworm Society offers heartworm disease treatment guidelines that consist of combination therapy with melarsomine, doxycycline and a macrocyclic lactone. Brian Herrin, DVM, PhD, recently shared treatment tactics recommended by veterinary experts and gave an overview of less extensive and less expensive alternatives. Source: Veterinary Medicine, July 26, 2019. … [Read more...]
New interactive rabies law map available
Rabies laws vary by state and change often. With more pets traveling and being relocated, animal health pros can use the new rabies law map to view what the laws are in the 50 U.S. states and District of Columbia. Source: Policy Surveillance Program. Link. The map includes data on state-level pre-exposure rabies vaccination laws for domestic dogs, cats, and ferrets across … [Read more...]
Study shows veterinary teams are stressed out
If you’re feeling stressed, you aren’t alone. A new study conducted by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, included a survey completed by more than 4,000 veterinary professionals. It shows that stress and diminished well-being are issues for all members of veterinary teams around the world. Source: Veterinary Practice, August 17, 2019. Link. “Our research – the … [Read more...]
3 economic trends affecting veterinary clinics (video)
Matt Salois, AVMA chief economist, reviews economic issues that challenge the veterinary profession. He offers perspective on three trends for veterinary hospitals, teams and owners: • Increasing demand for veterinary services • More pets, higher prices, but fewer visits • Increases in debt to future income ratios for graduating veterinarians Source: NAVC SPARK, August … [Read more...]
The power of thought
From the moment we awake until we fall sleep, we’re bombarded with a chatter inside our head that permeates our waking life. It’s the voice inside, the internal narrator that, if you pay attention, never really stops talking. Source: The Turknett Leadership Group, August 15, 2019. Link. The research here is robust: those who are happiest are not those with the most money, … [Read more...]
From “suits” to Luddites – the demise of office attire
Most any attire goes in some offices. This author attributes this to the rise of young founders commandeering successful tech companies, an increase in both remote work and flexible hours and the freelance economy. A recent study found that nearly half of managers said they were concerned employees dressed too casually, while 32% of supervisors named “too much skin” as one of … [Read more...]
Drinking is a big problem, but not for all big drinkers
David Freedman tackles the challenging subject of what can now be called “alcohol use disorder.” This diagnosis spans the two categories of problem drinking commonly known as alcoholism and alcohol abuse. A 2017 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 13 percent of adults suffer from “alcohol use disorder,” although the number could be … [Read more...]
National park data helps determine best times to visit
Some animal health pros may make plans to cross national park locations off their bucket lists of places to visit before year-end. Jordan Vincent’s new infographic uses visitor data from 54 national parks between 2013 and 2019 to show the peak visiting times for people using different types of lodging < link >. Source: Fast Company, August 12, 2019. Link. One way to … [Read more...]
Time savers that can add hours to a week
The headline is misleading. We actually have only 168 hours in any given week. There are only 120 hours if we try to get seven hours of sleep nightly. Kristen Granero asked experts to share ways they shave time in their weeks. Source: NBC Better, August 12, 2019. Link. Here are a few tips that caught our attention: Set a strict start time Do a brain dump every Monday … [Read more...]
Largest dairy locations shown in 2017 Ag Census
Serving the dairy industry is a big undertaking for animal health pros. The 2017 USDA Ag Census reported data on scores of ag statistics, including dairy cow inventory by county. For the first time, it included data on dairies with more than 5,000 cows. California and Idaho are tied with the most dairies with more than 5,000 cows. Texas has 25. Wisconsin and Minnesota rank … [Read more...]
DVM shares farm safety tips
Dairy veterinarian Kelly Reed reminds us how easily people can get hurt during routine farming activities. She promotes protocols to cover aspects a farmer may not typically consider. This includes when to treat a worker on-farm instead of calling emergency services and which supervisor to contact in off hours based on who can respond quickest to a specific location. In … [Read more...]
Hot topics in bovine veterinary medicine
Citing constant changes in bovine medicine, Brittany Bowman assembled past article on topics worthy of sharing again: Coccidiosis affecting young calves, Bovine Veterinarian, June 7, 2017. Link. Cattle rabies is no laughing matter, Bovine Veterinarian, November 12, 2018. Link. Prime the pump, Bovine Veterinarian, April 22, 2019. Link. “Purple gut” in calves can … [Read more...]
Kitten Lady launches book, promotes kitten fostering
Hannah Shaw’s passion for fostering kittens spawned ongoing and time-saving video projects that caught the attention of kitten lovers on the internet. She added an Instagram profile and a YouTube page for potential kitten adopters, then discoveredthere was little information about fostering kittens available. Shaw realized that the animal advocacy world was missing a champion … [Read more...]
Teach dogs to be calm and collected on walks
Tonya Wilhelm adds yet another resource to retraining dogs to stop lunging and barking on walks. The key, she says, is to identify his triggers and re-rain him not to react to them. She offers six steps to help committed owners set their dog up for success and suggests a ways to establish a training protocol. Buy the right walking gear Provide healthy treats and small … [Read more...]
A step-by-step guide to pet CPR
Pet owners need to know how to perform pet CPR. Only a few of them have taken a pet first aid class, writes Allison Faulkner. Her guide to performing CPR includes a video link from Pets America < link >. Faulkner’s guide is one of many videos about pet CPR. Consider using these resources in social media, newsletters and clinic websites. . . . emergencies like natural … [Read more...]
The Bridge Club continues community engagement
Bridge Club founders Brenda Andreson and Catherine Haskins have found a niche in building value from adding a visual dimension to a conference call setting. By combining live events at industry conferences with live video conferencing, The Bridge Club is growing in reach and participation, creating a virtual community for learning and sharing animal health pro experiences and … [Read more...]
Commercial content from AAHA NEWStat
We captured recent commercially sponsored content below as featured in the newly reformatted AAHA NEWStat. Source: AAHA NEWStat. Link. Pet diabetes and the role of insulin pens, Merck Animal Health, 8/1/2019. Link. The evolution of pain management in pets brings better options for relief, CareCredit, 8/1/2019. Link. Pet owner compliance a barrier to heartworm … [Read more...]
IPPC report does not say, “eat less meat” (includes video)
Recent media buzz (see second source below) claimed the newest Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPPC) suggested consumers eat less meat in order to curb climate change. The report < link > focused on land use and land use change, it didn’t tell consumers to eat less meat. Frank Mitloehner, UC Davis, says by focusing on eating less meat, consumers are being … [Read more...]
Teach aseptic technique in the kitchen, reduce salmonellosis
“The most formidable challenges of my veterinary career in food safety can be boiled down to the two primary foodborne pathogens of poultry: Salmonella and Campylobacter. I consider them my professional nemeses,” writes Foster Farms’ Robert O’Connor, DVM, MAM. He explains his approach to avoiding these pathogens in the kitchen. O’Connor reminds us that while chicken and other … [Read more...]