Jackie Brown investigates pet supplements and finds a lot of questions remain. While certain supplements can have a place in joint disease management, some veterinarians are concerned about how they might be perceived by pet owners. Source: Veterinary Practice News, August 23, 2018. Link. Sam Franklin, MS, DVM, PhD, DACVS, DACVSMR, tells clients, “. . . if they can afford to … [Read more...]
Animals served by nonprofit spay-neuter clinics often not vaccinated for rabies
The latest JAVMA is out. The paper <link> profiling spay-neuter clinic clients and pets is of profound interest to animal health pros who sometimes refer to these locations as price competitors. Note the high percentage of animals without basic rabies protection. Respondents indicated that 49% of dogs and 77% of cats had not been examined previously by a veterinarian, … [Read more...]
AAFP releases first cat-specific anesthesia guidelines
The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) has released the profession’s first feline-specific anesthesia guidelines. According to the AAFP, a standardized, evidence-based approach for administering anesthesia helps ensure a patient’s safe and predictable perioperative response and recovery. Empirical evidence shows that cats undergoing anesthesia have a higher … [Read more...]
The biggest financial shocks for pet owners
This article paralleled the announcement of AAHA’s Promoting Preventive Care Protocols: Evidence, Enactment, and Economics <link>. Jean Chatzky discusses how to avoid letting a big veterinary bill destroy a family budget. Source: Better, September 6, 2018. Link. . . . while there’s no way to completely eliminate the possibilities of a health catastrophe for your pet, … [Read more...]
Free videos available to help businesses accommodate service animals
Persons using service animals are sometimes denied access to restaurants, hotels or other services because of their animals. American Humane and Mars Petcare recognized this was happening to U.S. veterans. An American Humane survey showed that nearly seven in 10 of retail employees say they never received training on questions they are legally allowed to ask customers to verify … [Read more...]
September is National Service Dog Month
September is National Service Dog Month which celebrates guide dogs, seeing-eye dogs, service pets and other assistance animals, including military working dogs. Part of the month’s focus is to help people become familiar with service dog challenges, etiquette and more. Source: Healthy Paws Pet Insurance and Foundation, September 1, 2018. Link. Service animals are defined … [Read more...]
AAFP survey finds successes for practices certified as Cat Friendly Practices
According to Elizabeth Colleran, DVM, MS, DABVP, AAFP co-chair of Cat Friendly Practices (CFP), this was a long time coming. The CFP program is a collaboration of feline experts who provide guidelines to ensure a more positive and less stressful veterinary experience for cats and their owners. . . . when cats panic and their cortisol levels skyrocket, the quality of the exam … [Read more...]
As CWD spreads in cervids, states also monitor humans
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a disease that kills deer, elk, reindeer and moose or, cervids. Misfolded prion proteins can spread among cervids through saliva and excrement. These proteins may remain viable in environments for decades. The parallels to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease has scientists monitoring CWD more closely as it has spread to 20 or more states in the wild deer … [Read more...]
African swine fever advances. NPPC releases paper.
African swine fever (AFS) is advancing worldwide. It continues to be present in Europe and has now entered China, the world’s largest pork producer. Despite near eradication in Europe in the 1990s, ASF has been spreading rapidly. This current outbreak began in central and eastern Europe in 2014. German farmers are calling for a cull of 70 percent of the wild boar population, a … [Read more...]
Understanding the Frito feet smell on dogs’ feet
Lots of pet owners notice their dogs’ paws smell like corn chips. In an interview with Huffington Post, Veterinarian Dr. Robert J. Silver explained that the root cause of so-called Frito feet is bacteria! Why do dogs' paws smell like Fritos? More importantly, why do I love to smell my dogs' paws? These are a couple of life's big questions... Carrie Underwood … [Read more...]
Facilitate BQA training . . . NOW!
Livestock veterinarians and sales personnel have an opportunity to help cattle producers improve their production outcomes and meet BQA standards in the coming months. Work with your customers to get them to various BQA training programs such as: BQA Transportation Stockmanship and Stewardship Dairy Farm Program Source: BQA. Link. Nearly every state in the U.S. … [Read more...]
September 2018 Journal of Veterinary Dentistry available online
We’ve linked below to the table of contents of the journal and highlighted one study for your review: Validation of Quantitative Light-Induced Fluorescence for Quantifying Calculus on Dogs’ Teeth <link> This study demonstrated that QLF is a sensitive and precise method for quantification of calculus on dogs’ teeth. It removes the subjective element of human examiners … [Read more...]
Opinion – Experiencing dogs as economic animals
Portia Stewart, DVM 360 editor and team channel director, deserves respect for her initiative to see another side of the canine world at a dog auction. It is where the dogs are bought and sold like livestock without the fuss and prim that are part of family member paradigms. For some of us reared in rural areas, animal auctions are part of reality. For Portia, I’m pleased this … [Read more...]
Online browsing habits of dog and cat owners are fun and useful
Informative and sometimes laughable insights about dog and cat owners are the results of a study following 100 million devices to search the interest. Curious about the customer experience journey for pet owners, The Digital Consumer <link> pitted dog people against cat people and examined data from Jumpshot’s 100-million-device panel <link> to get a sense of the … [Read more...]
Horse owners trust veterinarians
Horse owners are relying on their veterinarians more and more for vaccination and deworming program recommendations, according to the 2018 "American Horse Publications" (AHP) online survey of 9,000 horse owners. Source: Feedstuffs, August 14, 2018. Link. “The percentage of respondents who said they discuss American Association of … [Read more...]
Sponsored Content – Home dental care now in WSAVA Global Dental Guidelines
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association Global Dental Guidelines were updated August 1, 2018. They now include a section on dental home care. The two major types of home plaque control are active and passive. Both types can be effective if performed correctly and consistently. Active homecare is currently the gold standard. Active homecare involves the … [Read more...]
Expectation to check work email after hours hurts health, relationships
The results of a recent study are a loud warning. Monitoring email after hours is not a primary reason for our existence. Researchers from Virginia Tech surveyed 108 employees working at least 30 hours per week, 138 significant others and 105 managers and found that the sheer expectation of monitoring work email, rather than the amount of time spent doing so, led to increased … [Read more...]
VHMA examines the importance of employee retention
Finding and keeping great animal hospital employees has become increasingly difficult and is essential to providing outstanding patient care and client service, practice growth and financial success. VHMA’s August 2018 Insiders’ Insights survey focused on issues related to employee retention. Employee engagement is a murky and multi-faceted topic and isn’t the same as … [Read more...]
It takes effort to retain clients
Various sources predict 20 to 25 percent of clients will disappear during a normal year. Pet deaths, job moves and pet owner deaths are the largest causes. Beyond these reasons, retaining viable clients takes effort. A loyal client is a repeat client. This is especially important for veterinary practices. Studies show that it costs at least five times more to gain a new client … [Read more...]
Collaborating isn’t the only option
We often find that to make progress on our most important and difficult challenges, we need to work with people whose perspectives and positions are different from ours, writes Adam Kahane referencing his book, Collaborating with the Enemy. Working with diverse others doesn’t have to mean compromising your values. But if you just can’t do it, there are other ways to solve … [Read more...]
Salmonella is helpful to poultry intestinal health
The consumer pressure to reduce or eliminate antibiotic use in poultry has resulted in an increase in intestinal disease, writes Charles L. Hofacre, DVM. In a recent US survey, veterinarians reported a significant increase in the number of broiler flocks that are experiencing intestinal disease associated with a higher incidence of coccidiosis. At the same time, the public … [Read more...]
Manage chicken coop smell to keep neighbors happy
Smell issues go with chickens as much as poop-filled yards go with big dogs. Jeremy Chartier discussed why chicken coops smell and how to reduce the problem before neighbors complain. . . . the most likely culprit is ammonia. Ammonia is a natural byproduct found in poultry manure and when in vapor form, smells incredibly strong and foul. Consider this article for posts, … [Read more...]
Some vegetables are good for dogs
Vegetables can be a great addition to your dog’s diet if you stick to those that are safe and hand out an appropriate amount writes Wendy Newell. As omnivores, dogs can digest plants as well as meat. Source: Whole Dog Journal, August 13, 2018. Link. Newell discusses which vegetables are good and not good for dogs: Good: Leafy greens Root vegetables Stalks … [Read more...]
Hand rub and chlorhexidine gluconate scrub equally reduce bacterial population on dogs’ skin
This white paper proved interesting. OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of application of an alcohol-based antiseptic (80% ethyl alcohol) hand rub (ABAHR) with that of a 2% chlorhexidine gluconate scrub (CGS2) for immediate reduction of the bacterial population on the skin of dogs. Source: AVJR, September 2018. Link. (abstract only) Application of both products significantly … [Read more...]
Vetfolio podcast series: Treating bacterial dermatitis
Vetfolio launched an educational podcast series that details treatment strategies for a variety of diagnosis scenarios veterinary teams face daily. The series is sponsored by Dechra and includes: Episode 1: Why Topicals are Important for Your Practice Episode 2: Trouble Shooting Chronic Otic Cases Episode 3: How to Incorporate Supplements in to Your Dermatology … [Read more...]
Equine shipping fever may indicate something more serious
Travel is stressful for horses. A horse’s environment during transport may not be dustier than his home barn, but if he can’t readily lower his head, airborne particles may take a greater toll on his health. If horses get a respiratory infection after transport, like people with colds, they usually just get over it. Sometimes, however, a fever and cough that start soon after … [Read more...]
How to end your four most common work conversations
Too often we hesitate when it comes to the “ask.” We let our words hang in the air–and hope that our listeners pursue the next steps. Source: Fast Company, August 17, 2018. Link. Judith Humphrey shares how to tell your listeners how you want your message to be acted upon. She covers the call to action in the following scenarios: Networking conversation Corridor chat … [Read more...]
Survey shows digital-native Gen Z prefers in-person interaction with brands
Just when we thought we were catching up, research shows Gen-Z actually has a complex relationship with technology. And the lesson not to rely on generalities hold true. Some that marketers associate with millennials are not true for Gen-Zers. Research . . . reveals Gen Z’s paradoxical relationship with social media. As the latest survey shows, they don’t overshare and are … [Read more...]
Pet medical insurance is growing, group says
Whether as a member of a veterinary team or as a pet owner, pet insurance is becoming a more prevalent consideration in managing both life quality and financial risk when owning a pet. The number of insured pets increased climbing to 1.83 million last year, up about 16% from the previous year. That’s only 1% of dogs and cats, but insurers expect the expansion to … [Read more...]
Strong sales managers coach well
A friend who is a sales manager recently sent me an article titled, “There are too many bad salespeople,” with the suggestion that this could serve as an inspiration for a future column. My friend will be pleased to discover that it worked, but perhaps not in the way she intended. Source: Vet-Advantage – Companion Edition, August, 2018. Link. Real coaching occurs when … [Read more...]