Using disinfectants once a week could increase the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by as much as 32 percent according to a 30-year study by Harvard University and the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm). The everyday use of bleach currently has no specific health guidelines, but the researchers hope this will be … [Read more...]
Your dog doesn’t need the gluten-free menu
Jackie Parr, DVM, discusses all things gluten, human and pet, in this Q/A article. She reminds us that dogs and cats do not get Celiac disease and generally don’t need a gluten-free diet. Source: Dr. Andy Roark, April 29, 2017. So when would I avoid feeding gluten: You happen to see a very rare case of gluten sensitive enteropathy in an Irish Setter puppy You are … [Read more...]
Therapy chickens help nursing home residents
The therapeutic value of taking dogs to visit hospitals, special needs centers, schools and nursing homes is well-known. Even docile cats are now sometimes used as therapy animals. But therapy chickens? Source: Backyard Poultry, August 30, 2017. Today therapy chickens are used around the world to help those in nursing homes improve their mobility and have fun. Residents are … [Read more...]
Biodiversity important for goat farming
Using lessons from the dairy producers, goat farmers are urged to maintain genetic diversity in their herds, rather than breed for production-specific traits. By not doing so, animals may become ill-equipped to adapt to changing conditions or fight new diseases. The United Nations is so concerned that more than 100 countries are already signed up to monitor genealogies and … [Read more...]
Protecting chickens from aerial predators (includes video)
Free-ranging and backyard chickens are easy prey for animals like foxes, raccoons, skunks and neighbors’ free-roaming cats and dogs. In addition, the lack of protection overhead makes them a likely meal for hawks. Pam Freeman offers ways to protect backyard chickens from aerial predators. Source: Backyard Poultry, August 30, 2017. To protect backyard, free-ranging chickens … [Read more...]
Feeding puppies for the best health possible
How much to feed new puppies is a common question of dog owners regardless of how many they have raised. Denise Flaim reminds owners to feed for slow, steady growth. Studies show that slow, steady growth – with no dramatic growth spurts – is ideal for puppy health, especially his developing skeletal system. Source: Whole Dog Journal, September 2017. Pet-nutrition consultant … [Read more...]
6 things that offend cats
Lauren Cheal provides insights into why cats are offended in home environments. This list makes one wonder who is really in charge, but then, we already know the answer to that. Source: Modern Cat, August 31, 2017. Are you guilty of these feline faux pas? Staring Over-petting Poor litter box placement Lazy litter box cleaning Cutting off play time at the … [Read more...]
Opinion: Help for aging animal health pros
I offer this article on turning back time and dealing with our perceptions of aging in this industry. I found persons in their 30s eager to engage and discuss our industry at the recent CVC Kansas City. Instead of thinking “been there, done that” I found myself asking questions of these young pros to see how their todays resembled some of my yesterdays. The results were about … [Read more...]
Women lead in the KC Animal Health Corridor
A dozen women who hold leadership roles in the animal health industry talked about their careers, challenges and corporate life in a panel discussion during Global Animal Health Week in August. Different than discussions like this just a decade ago, the group agreed it is important to forget the gender differences and focus on showing team members what you can do or … [Read more...]
What you wear at the clinic matters
Veterinary teams will appreciate the discussion presented in this article. Consider using this for a team meeting to discuss dress codes and what professional attire means. Source: Vetanswers, August 10, 2017 via NAVTA. At the end of the day, you are a veterinary professional, working with your clients in a well-equipped veterinary practice where you deliver a professional … [Read more...]
Why technicians leave—and what you can do about it
Julie Carlson’s overview of veterinary technician work dynamics is important, especially in with the new veterinary nurse direction and how salespersons interface with technicians and office staff. Practice owners and managers need to look at this from a retention management perspective. Sales and marketing persons will find opportunities in the comments on respect, inclusion … [Read more...]
6 steps to effective communication
We’ve included many posts dealing with interpersonal connections recently. So, how can we communicate more effectively in the myriad ways we exchange information? Denise Yosefat offers an acronym CHOICE to represent the six steps to being effective communicators. Source: leadercommunicator™ blog, February 1, 2017. Here are the six steps Yosefat offers: C is for … [Read more...]
Spike in Salmonella comes from backyard chickens
As we noted in this post last June, hugging and kissing chickens can cause exposure to Salmonella, which has killed one person in the U.S. this year. Young children are the most vulnerable to this bacteria. Source: NBC News, August 22, 2017. Nine hundred sixty one people have tested positive for Salmonella this year. That’s more cases than in all of 2016. It’s been found in … [Read more...]
Lone star tick is rapidly migrating
Lone star ticks have been implicated in a handful of zoonotic illnesses (not Lyme disease) that are serious to humans and animals. Experts in human allergy, parasitology, and entomology joined to discuss the lone star tick, its geographic spread and the zoonotic diseases it can transmit during the AVMA 2017 convention in Indianapolis. Source: Veterinary Practice News, August … [Read more...]
Working with bad listeners
It’s a challenge to work with people — peers, junior colleagues, customers, or even bosses — who just don’t listen. Rebecca Knight offers some dos and don’ts in this discussion of distracted and distracting communications. Source: Harvard Business Review, August 24, 2017. Here are some strategies for working with colleagues who never seem to be listening: Consider work … [Read more...]
Put down the phone
Wendy Myers suggests ways to get clients and staff members to hang up their phones and listen. Addictive cellphone use is a growing problem and contributes to declining listening and retention skills. Try a collaborative rather than confrontational approach when dealing with smartphone use. Source: Veterinary Practice News, August 23, 2017. Distracted clients may be … [Read more...]
Precondition beef calves regardless of weaning time
Preconditioning calves helps ease the stressful transition from being with mama cows to being with peers in the feedlot. North Dakota State University’s Kris Ringwall offers some pointers. Source: Drovers Cattle Network, August 7, 2017. No perfect preconditioning program, no perfect time to vaccinate, no perfect time to market exists, but producers, with the help of good … [Read more...]
6 reasons salespersons win or lose a sale
Research by Steve Martin dug into sales effectiveness. The project goals were to understand how customers perceive the salespeople they meet with, explore the circumstances that determine which vendor is selected and learn how different company departments and vertical industries make buying decisions. Source: Harvard Business Review, June 23, 2017. Martin shares six key … [Read more...]
Pets seen as starter children
Forty four percent of millennials see their pets as “practice” for the real deal, with 21 percent citing that as the main reason for welcoming an animal into their homes. Another 23 percent said it was at least part of the reason. These are just three key points animal health pros can take home from a recent study conducted by the business consultancy, GALE. Source: Ad Week, … [Read more...]
August is a great time to promote pet vaccination awareness
For a long list of reasons, many pet owners do comply with recommended vaccine guidelines. Veterinary healthcare teams are the most critical link to get dogs and cats and the disease protection they need when they needed. August is National Immunization Awareness Month and is a great time to reinforce the importance of protecting pets against disease, just like we do our … [Read more...]
AAHA/VMG Chart of Accounts now available for free
This free tool is a first success for the AVMA's Economic Advisory Research Council, which is tasked with "organizing and efficiently using the veterinary profession's scarce resources.” Kudos to all involved in providing this resource to all veterinary practices. Source: DVM 360, June 30, 2017. The chart of accounts will allow practitioners to better organize their … [Read more...]
Speaking of tapeworms
Sometimes there’s more to the human-animal bond than we want to admit. More interactions with wildlife as our cities expand into their habitat increase opportunities for new challenges, including a wide variety of Echinococcus spp. tapeworms. Dogs act as an intermediate host between wildlife and humans in some species. Source: Clinician’s Brief, July 2017. Surveillance in … [Read more...]
Understand feline sexual aggression
There are good reasons to neuter a male cat during the first six months or so of his life. In addition to population control, neutering eliminates or at least reduces the occurrence of some undesirable sex-related behaviors. Source: Catster, August 2017. Nicholas Dodman, BVMS, notes that about 10 percent of neutered cats will continue to display unwanted behaviors. “Owners … [Read more...]
Sales is all about doing
You can apply Jeffrey Gitomer’s perspectives on acting on what you know. In sales, “thought conversion” is critical. Convert the lessons you hear, the things you observe, and the things you know and believe to be true, into positive action. He shares seen keys to convert listening and knowing into doing. Source: Ingram’s Magazine, November 2016. In your personal … [Read more...]
Tackling antimicrobial resistance in livestock
Antimicrobial resistance is a hot topic worldwide. Helen Ward reviews recent research from the United Kingdom and discusses some of the issues and on-farm stewardship results. Source: Feed International, August/September 2017, page 24. Antimicrobial policies have been generated around four key principles: Disease reduction strategies Correct use of medicines … [Read more...]
Effective opening statements help make meetings matter
The number of producer meetings I have attended over the last two decades are innumerable. Unfortunately, most have been a waste of your time and a waste of your company’s money unless your sole objective was to create goodwill. If you have watched the mergers and acquisitions in our industry, you know that goodwill is the value of a business not related to assets or … [Read more...]
Animals can get bored
Animals can feel boredom, according to Charlotte C. Burn, a biologist at The Royal Veterinary Collge of the University of London. Her essay in the August issue of Animal Behavior, explains that boredom is felt by some animals left alone for long periods. Source: NPR, August 10, 2017. We need to look inward too, at our own homes. “As for the pets we live with,” Burn says, … [Read more...]
How to leave work on time
Jennie Maier shares her scheduling technique that helps manage time proactively. For those not into strict time planning, she also shares some easy-to-do starting steps. Source: The Muse, August 2017. The trick to making this work is sticking to the schedule after you’ve created it. To be honest: There have been plenty of days when I’ve had to change it up. But overall, … [Read more...]
Gain more experience in less time
We all recognize the importance of job and life experience. Yet, for many new leaders, experience can be hard to come by. Naphtali Hoff shares ways to shorten the normal timeline of gaining experience in today’s fast moving employment and leadership environments: Go for training Volunteer Find a mentor/peer group Read/watch leadership experts Reflect and take … [Read more...]
NAVTA bi-weekly topics
As lobbying continues for veterinary technicians to be called veterinary nurses, NAVTA returns to topics for its members in this edition. We found the reference to Should electronic pet records be accessible online? an interesting read and another issue-rich platform to discuss. Source: NAVTA Animal Health Bi-Weekly, August 15, 2017. … [Read more...]