Older pets are just as loving and loyal as their younger counterparts. Plus, adopting a senior animal companion comes with some cool advantages: Grown-up pets don’t require the constant monitoring and training that puppies and kittens do. Many are already housetrained. Since senior pets are fully grown, you’ll be immediately aware of important information like … [Read more...]
Pork facts (slideshow)
Pork is big business today. More than 2 billion pounds of it is produced annually in the United States. As the most versatile meat, it can be marinated, roasted, barbecued, pan-fried, stir-fried, grilled, dry rubbed, boiled and baked. No matter how you fix it, pork is a protein-packed treat. Cheryl Day shares some facts about pork that animal health pros may find useful and … [Read more...]
Peek inside a hoop beef facility (slideshow)
Progressive practices are best viewed in person, but when you can’t, articles like this one help animal health pros understand new approaches. Here, a Missouri father-son team shares experiences from their hoop feeding facility and the benefits they are seeing. Source: Beef, May 19, 2017. By taking the weather off their back, cattle are improving gains and feed … [Read more...]
Natural remedies for treating hock pain in horses
Arthritis is a commonly diagnosed problem of the hock and many vets recommend joint injections to treat the problem. But, joint injections carry the risk of infection and joint degeneration, among other things. Neutraceutical options aren’t miracle workers, but they can make a difference for horses with mild to moderate hock pain. Source: Horse Network, October 26, … [Read more...]
Carbon paw-print from feeding meat to pets
We’ve studied the environmental impact of cow flatulence, water source contaminations from livestock and myriad other environmental effects of animal production. Now a 2014 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has surfaced to expose the carbon paw-print from feeding meat to pets. Source: Los Angeles Times, August 4, 2017. In short, Gregory Okin … [Read more...]
The internet is mobile. Period.
We now spend about 70 percent of our time on the internet using our mobile phones. That percentage will only grow. Source: Quartz, October 31, 2017. . . . based on estimates and forecasts for more than 50 countries covering two-thirds of the world’s population. By 2019, Zenith says this will rise close to 80%.” INSIGHTS: We all need to remember that the internet, social … [Read more...]
Ask a Cat Lady belts out feline distemper (includes video)
Sarah Donner, the Ask a Cat Lady personality, shares feline distemper facts, including a song she composed and performs on video. Sometimes known as ataxia or the cat plague, FPV spreads through fluid or fecal contact, in utero or via fleas. This virus can survive years in a stable environment, and it can be devastating when it breaks out. Source: Catster, October 26, … [Read more...]
Training cats (includes podcast)
Animal health pros often get questions about the validity of training cats. Feline behavior specialist Sarah Ellis explains how you can train your kitty to come on command, take medicine and stop waking you up in the middle of the night. Source: NPR, October 27, 2017. The common wisdom about pets is that you can train a dog, but you can't train a cat. Today's guest says you … [Read more...]
Check smoke and carbon dioxide alarms as Daylight savings time ends
Seasonal changes have many furnaces already running. These changes can also alert animal health pros to check the functionality of smoke alarms and CO2 sensors. If you haven’t changed batteries or tested your alarms, now is the time to do so. Combine the alarm checks with resetting your clocks. Daylight Savings time ends Sunday, November 5, 2017, 2:00:00 am. Clocks are … [Read more...]
Affordability is the hottest topic in veterinary medicine
Dr. Patty Khuly discusses the cost of care challenges and an assessment of pet insurance and other payment options. She opines that some animals from lower-income households will need to accept a lower standard of care. It is part of the conundrum she discusses. Source: Veterinary Practice News, October 23, 2017. We all know veterinary care has gotten pricier. And there are … [Read more...]
Neglect allegations force dog blood bank closing
The Pet Blood Bank, a Cherokee, Texas, supplier of canine blood for veterinary transfusions has closed following allegations by an animal rights group that the company neglected about 150 greyhounds for which it was caring. The San Saba County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Texas Greyhound Association found no evidence of abuse or neglect. Source: Washington Post, October … [Read more...]
Sponsored Content – New product redirects destructive cat scratching
“Veterinarians now have a way to stop destructive scratching in the home without declawing procedures or ineffective alternatives,” said Dr. Valarie V. Tynes, DVM, Dipl. ACVB, Veterinary Services Specialist at Ceva Animal Health in a statement released November 1, 2017. FELISCRATCH by FELIWAYTM, is clinically proven to stop and prevent both vertical and horizontal destructive … [Read more...]
7 things to help with Halloween safety for pets (includes video)
Trick or treat! You can already hear the dogs barking and neighbors yelling for their cats to return and Halloween’s not here yet. The AVMA offers tips for pet safety when the spooks, ballerinas, superheroes and goblins press against your door in the coming days. Source: AVMA, web content. Former AVMA EVP/CEO Dr. Ron DeHaven is featured in a Halloween safety video available … [Read more...]
Sustainably manage parasites in goats
Managing parasites in goats often loses effectiveness over time. Lisa Seger shares how to keep worm treatments effective with these three valuable tools: FAMACHA scoring, fecal flotations/eggs counts, and body condition scoring. Used alone, any one of these markers is inadequate for gauging parasites. Used together, however, they provide the best picture of what … [Read more...]
Composting pets now a reality
All dogs go to heaven when they die, of course, but they leave behind bodies. Rooted Pet, a startup in Seattle, Washington, intends to help with that. Composting carcasses is not unusual. Farms often use it to get rid of dead livestock and some states use it to manage roadkill. So, Paul Tschetter, a Seattle entrepreneur, helped create a process that he says is, “adding … [Read more...]
Cull the right cows without keeping records
What? no records? Cattlemen are often told to keep individual records on each cow and calf. Burt Teichert contradicts that and thinks that it is a waste of time. He says, you don’t really select cows. You eliminate or cull the ones you don’t want. You select bulls. Source: Beef, September 1, 2017. How do we cull the right cow without any paper or computerized records? It … [Read more...]
It is okay to NOT shoe horses
If you understand why people shoe their horses, you can help solve the problems, rather than criticize the solutions. Reasons include: nutrition, competition, traction, environment, health issues and genetics. Source: Horse Network, October 11, 2017. Nancy Rich-Gutierrez manages her husband’s farrier company. She shares 5 ways to encourage bare hooves on horses. … [Read more...]
Don’t flush that fish
Pet fish aficionados in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex have a new hero in Eli Prachar. She and a partner have teamed up to create DFW Fish Rescue to take in unwanted water pets. In its first week, the pair has taken in nearly 200 fish and they’re working on a deal with a local animal shelter to expand capacity. Source: nbcdfw.com, October 19, 2017 and Dallas Morning News, … [Read more...]
Opinion – Vaccine refusals rising in many parts of the country
PLEASE, ignore the political bent. Please! Consider how human behaviors and standards are consistently presented to us as influencing pet care decisions. Then mull over the information on the vaccine refuser and vaccine hesitant groups of persons. Source: Vox, October 3, 2017. Most research shows that parents who reject some or all vaccines are more likely to be white, … [Read more...]
November 2017 JAVMA
The recent hurricanes and related flooding displaced many pets. Multiple canine parvovirus outbreaks have been reported. We note the paper linked below in this issue of JAVMA. It is a timely retrospective case series and case-control study. Evaluation of mortality rate and predictors of outcome in dogs receiving outpatient treatment for parvoviral enteritis. Source: … [Read more...]
Vet Tech Week ends; the work continues (includes podcast)
The media coverage for National Vet Tech week was ramped up this year. Animal health pros across America celebrated the various contributions of this community of professionals. The lobby for changing their designation to veterinary nurse is well underway. We selected a group of articles on the subject of veterinary technicians or veterinary nurses. These include: The … [Read more...]
Learning from dentists
Dental and chiropractic medical practices are frequently referenced as similar to veterinary practices. Bob Lester shares ways the dental industry adapted to become a prevention business. In his analysis, team-based health care delivery is a win-win. We help more pets, our teams are empowered and we reap the financial rewards. Source: Today’s Veterinary Business, September … [Read more...]
WSAVA unveils first global veterinary dentistry guidelines, rejects anesthesia-free
We’ve known for decades that dentistry is important in small animal medicine. Recently, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) launched global veterinary dentistry guidelines. A key theme is WSAVA’s rejection of anesthesia-free dentistry, which it describes as ineffective and a cause of unnecessary stress and suffering to patients. The guidelines seek to support … [Read more...]
Study finds dairy has anti-inflammatory effect (includes video)
“Dairy products, particularly fermented dairy products, have anti-inflammatory properties in humans not suffering from allergies to milk,” said Bradley Bolling, citing research from University of Wisconsin during the World Dairy Expo. Source: Dairy Herd Management, October 5, 2017. A UW study involving 132 women over nine weeks, yogurt provided some anti-inflammatory … [Read more...]
Irish farm teaches reality to urban dwellers
It’s okay for kids not to know a sheep from a goat, a carrot from a parsnip or that cows really give milk. That’s the philosophy of Airfield Estate, a 38-acre farm just outside central Dublin, Ireland. In fact, teaching kids and others about the realities of agriculture and livestock. Source: National Geographic, September 5, 2016. Our mission is to inspire people to … [Read more...]
Hoof trimming not always understood
Managing hoof care can be challenging. Often, the horse is not the issue. Horse owners sometimes have varying levels of knowledge and different backgrounds. Nancy Rich-Gutierrez shares why farriers often must explain what they’re doing and why. Source: Horse Network, October 1, 2017. Horses in the wild don’t need their hooves trimmed because they walk all day and wear them … [Read more...]
Antimicrobial stewardship guidelines now available
“Key Elements for Implementing Antimicrobial Stewardship Plans in Bovine Veterinary Practices Working with Beef and Dairy Operations” is the title of a new document recently created by AABP. It was compiled to help veterinarians with best practices for designing, implementing and monitoring antimicrobial stewardship programs with clients and to help beef and dairy operations … [Read more...]
The invisible emotional burden of caring for a sick pet
Researchers are discovering the dynamics of overlooked or minimized impacts on animal owners with sick animals. “I wouldn’t equate pet caregiving with human, and certainly don’t want to minimize what family caregivers go through,” said lead author Mary Beth Spitznagel, a clinical neuropsychologist at Kent State University, “but we are seeing similar patterns in terms of a … [Read more...]
While uncommon, owners may have Leptospirosis risk
We hear a lot about zoonotic risks where disease in animals can infect animal owners. George E. Moore, DVM, and Michael R. Lappin, DVM, have written clear instructions for animal owners and team members to help prevent zoonotic infection from Leptospirosis sp. Source: Clinician’s Brief, September 2017. Infection appears to be uncommon for owners of dogs with leptospirosis … [Read more...]
Sponsored Content – Protect horses from the five core diseases
Dr. Kevin Hankins, DVM of Zoetis technical services group, asserts the threats from deadly equine diseases like West Nile and rabies is closer than we think. Don’t leave horses exposed. Help protect them with annual vaccinations against the five core equine diseases: Eastern and Western Equine Encephalomyelitis Rabies Tetanus West Nile Source: AQHA, October 5, … [Read more...]