In a perfect world, all animals would have equal access to veterinary care. But this is not reality. Multiple factors keep pet owners from seeking the veterinary care their animals need. There ARE solutions writes Amanda Landis-Hanna, DVM. Access barriers can include language,transportation, education, culture, socioeconomics, medical or mental illness,and rural or urban … [Read more...]
Favorite 2018 posts featuring Addison Biological Laboratory
Addison Biological Laboratory has helped fund AHD’s development and growth as a 2018 sponsor. As we come to the end of the year,we’ve chosen these favorite posts referencing the company. Source: Animal Health Digest. Sponsored Content – Pinkeye Cofactors, Animal Health Digest, June 24, 2018. Link.This post features the printable .pdf of New Findings with Bovine Pinkeye … [Read more...]
Favorite 2018 posts featuring Ceva Animal Health U.S.
Ceva Animal Health has helped fund AHD’s development and growth as a 2018 sponsor. Some favorite posts referencing Ceva are shown below. Source: Animal Health Digest. Sponsored Content: Pheromones; the nose knows. AHD, March 6, 2018. Link. As we seek to be better animal stewards, pheromone science will certainly provide options to reduce the negative effects of … [Read more...]
Add margin verification to year-end inventory activities
As 2018 closes, many teams are getting ready for a full, year-end inventory count. Some have already completed cycle counts of key items. They’ve discovered duplications, hidden outdates and found things they forgot they had. Once the counts are done, computer records will require adjustment. As computer counts are reset, it is a good time to review the margin settings for … [Read more...]
Being a vet and a drug dealer
With all the news about who will be selling what to whom these days, Mark Hardesty, DVM, writes about selling drugs, ethics and competitive trends from the perspective of a rural veterinarian and father. The article is historically timeless, as livestock practitioners have been adjusting to OTC and direct pressures for 30 or more years. What’s valuable is Hardesty’s account of … [Read more...]
Your attention span is shrinking
Cognitive decline is real and can begin as young as age 45 even if you are healthy. Cynthia Green, PhD, offers advice for rebuilding our attention span and our ability to focus. Constantly switching between activities and attempting to multi-task (which no one is really good at) is exhausting for the brain, draining it of the energy needed to focus. Result: We make … [Read more...]
Tufts, the future of feline health
More than 90 percent of cats seen in clinics are the result of random breeding. Jerold S. Bell, DVM, reviews common feline diseases and notes that many of them are the result of genetic predispositions and will most likely appear in other cats unless we take long-term measures. Pressure needs to be put on the cat breeding community so that it recognizes that the consumer is … [Read more...]
Clean hands save lives
A crucial element of preventive health for all species is hand washing. In fact, the World Health Organization considers hand hygiene as the pillar of infection control. While this abstract targets equine health, the information is a good reminder for all animal health pros. Although the principles and benefits of proper hand hygiene have been recognized in the healthcare … [Read more...]
Proper onboarding pays off
Onboarding is the series of processes for transitioning a new hire into a productive employee. Without a strategy and defined processes, new hires can flounder and not reach their potential. Source: Agri Marketing, October 2016, page 16. Link. Erika Osmundson provides guidance in 6 milestones for developing an effective on-boarding program. Pre-arrivalFirst impressions … [Read more...]
Virtual work skills we all need
It is routine that some interactions are virtual for all animal health pros. Examples include: Field sales phoning to manage an order with an inside sales personInside sales contacting a customer to verify a size, quantity or promotional offer before shipping an orderClinic personnel contacting animal owners to verify appointmentsTelemedicine tools Training via … [Read more...]
John Deere, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever announce partnership
A new partnership promises to help promote wildlife habitat and discover innovative ways to help farmers, ranchers and landowners turn marginal, unproductive acres into more beneficial wildlife habitat. This bodes well for songbirds, wild mammals and soil conservation efforts. Pheasants Forever, Inc. is an organization dedicated to the conservation of pheasants, quail and … [Read more...]
How often should I wash my office water bottle?
Susan Whittier, director of Columbia University’s Clinical Microbiology Lab said, “Water bottles and coffee mugs should be cleaned with soap and water at the end of each day. . .” She also recommends cleaning the mugs and bottles during the day, too. Source: Science of Us, November 27, 2018. Link. Keep the lid on as much as possible, to protect against the crumbling, moldy … [Read more...]
How to decide whether to relocate for a job
Whether or not to relocate for a new role is a big decision, professionally and personally. Animal health pros are routinely faced with relocation decisions as companies merge. The same is true for associate veterinarians and veterinary nurses looking to advance their careers. Author and professor Jennifer Petriglieri offers some ideas to help think through whether the move … [Read more...]
Telemedicine surging in U.S. Yet, it is still uncommon.
Monitoring the development and use of telemedicine between human doctors and patients is important to animal health pros who seek to implement telemedicine approaches to animal care. Once animal owners begin using telemedicine with their doctors it will become easier to engage them regarding their animals’ health. Although telemedicine visits have increased sharply in the U.S. … [Read more...]
Manage cataracts in horses as they age
Dr. Amber Labelle addresses equine cataracts. Most horses, as do dogs and humans, get degrees of cataracts as they age, also called them senile cataracts. Note the download that many AQHA members may use as a reference. Source: AQHA, November 28, 2017. Link. The good news is that cataracts do not appear to affect horses' vision the way they affect our human vision! For … [Read more...]
Double-check broodmares in early winter
Up to 15 percent of broodmares who were checked safe-in-foal at 45 to 60 days lose their pregnancies by late fall, says Thomas Lenz, DVM. It’s a good idea this time of year to recheck all of your mares by ultrasound or palpation to confirm that their pregnancy is progressing normally, he says. Too often, a mare owner doesn’t know a mare lost her pregnancy until she doesn’t … [Read more...]
Texas landowners get feral hog reporting tool
Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute has released a new online tool <link> to help in the growing effort to control the feral hog population in the state. The wild pig website offers Texas landowners and homeowners an easy-to-use tool to report sightings of feral hogs and the damage they may have caused. Source: National Hog Farmer, November 29, 2018. … [Read more...]
The silky, Milky, totally strange saga of the spider goat
This is not click bait! It’s a transgenic story of something that seems to be going right and a potential source of natural fibers that are stronger than Kevlar. The only outward difference between spider goats and your garden-variety ruminants is in their milk: It contains elements of golden orb spider silk. Source: Modern Farmer, September 2013. Link. This special silk is … [Read more...]
Why dogs slobber
Catherine Ashe, DVM, explains what drool is and why dogs do it. She also discusses normal and abnormal drool in a format that can be used on social media, in e-newsletters and with clients whose dogs slobber. Source: Whole Dog Journal, November 28, 2018. Link. Unfortunately, if you’ve adopted a large or giant breed dog with floppy lips, slobber is going to be a regular part … [Read more...]
How to exercise an overweight cat
Marty Becker, DVM, reminds us to introduce exercise to obese cats gently and gradually. He recommends nocturnal activity and the simple method of splitting food into four or more places. This article is timeless and can be used with social media posts, e-newsletters and directly with clients whose felines are past pudgy. Source: Vetstreet, March 2014. Link. The easiest cat … [Read more...]
Pheromones effective at decreasing feline aggression
Hiss, yowl, sphftt, thump, pow, schzip! In multi-cat households the sounds often remind owners of superhero TV. Owners now have a stress-reducing options. A recent study in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery looked at the effectiveness of using pheromone diffusers for aggression in multi-cat households. They discovered that cats exposed to feline-appeasing pheromones … [Read more...]
Declaw free practice reviews results
Four things impressed me about this article: Going declaw-free was done more than four years ago before negative press about declaw issues was prevalent Amy Zellweger made the decision after engaging the practice team to gather evidence about declaw issues The practices have continued to grow financially Because of the educational focus, the practice now has … [Read more...]
Tick, tick, tick-tick, TICK! . . . continued
Americans have unwelcome eight-legged visitors from the East, and they're here to stay. The Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, is a indigenous to Asia. This tick species has already turned up in Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, where it's been found on domestic animals and wildlife, … [Read more...]
New invasive tick threatens humans and animals
The Asian longhorned tick is the first invasive tick in the U.S. in about 80 years. It was found on an Icelandic sheep in New Jersey and has since been found on pets, livestock, wildlife and people in Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. The CDC reports there is no evidence the tick has spread pathogens to humans, … [Read more...]
Plan B when your presentation goes awry (includes video)
You’ve done the work, gotten the speaking gig or the appointment and zap – your technology fails. Whether it’s a bad internet connection, the streaming portion in the PowerPoint stops or your Windows slides don’t play on the old Mac, it is time to implement plan B. It happens to nearly all of us at some point. See how Steve Jobs handled a malfunctioning clicker in the video … [Read more...]
How to respond if you keep getting interrupted at meetings
Whether during a group meeting or during a one-on-one conversation, getting interrupted is frustrating and sometimes demoralizing. The impact of being interrupted tends to be most negative when it prevents you from finishing a thought. Preparation for interruptions is key, shares Tania Luna. She offers ways to navigate the various norms in different situations. Source: Fast … [Read more...]
Follow Animal Health Digest on LinkedIn
Our AHD team invites you to follow AHD on LinkedIn <link>. Each week we provide three posts featuring the current AHD Bulletin, the most-read current post and the most-read posts from the same week one and two years previously. It’s not our intent to overwhelm social media with myriad posts. Rather we strive to be judicious in providing current and historically relevant … [Read more...]
Would you treat your mother that way? (includes podcast)
As a customer service expert, Jeanne Bliss has spent her career helping major companies learn how to behave in the best interests of the consumer. She recently explained how increased competition makes customer service more important than ever for businesses that want to grow. “We’re finding that the more high-tech we get, the more humanity we need.” Source: Knowledge at … [Read more...]
FDA approves Pexion for canine noise aversion
Prescription help for dogs with noise aversion challenges is on the way. The FDA has announced approval of Pexion® (active ingredient: imepitoin) by Boehringer-Ingelheim to treat noise aversion in dogs. The drug was approved in 2013 in the EU for reducing the frequency of seizures associated with idiopathic epilepsy. Imepitoin is similar to Valium (diazepram) and other … [Read more...]
Generosity is rewarding
Conventional wisdom holds that to make it to the top, you need to be a bit greedy—that constantly focusing on other people compromises time spent on yourself and your own advancement. But is selfishness really the key to high earnings? A new study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggests otherwise. Link. Source: Quartz at Work, November 18, … [Read more...]