A study recently published in the journal, “Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews,” found that dogs can tell when someone is being rude or mean to another person. Like humans, dogs then use this information to decide how to treat people. Source: Simplemost. Dogs in the study reacted negatively to humans who refused to help their owners. “We discovered for the first time … [Read more...]
Be a good coworker. Do more than say hello
As the workplace becomes increasingly social, coworker relationships are important to build a productive workplace. Michael Volkmann offers five ways to be a become a better coworker: Really get to know the new guy/gal Follow through Show gratitude Invest in spending time together Respect boundaries Source: Life Hacker, February 27, 2018. At the end of the … [Read more...]
Stem cell therapy has potential, but with cautions
Meredith Rogers, MS, CMPP, reviews the advances in stem cell therapies in veterinary medicine. She notes that clinical trials are few and most evidence of efficacy comes from anecdotal reports. Rogers says the biggest obstacles preventing more frequent use of stem cell therapy are access and cost. Beyond this, no guidelines currently exist with respect to stem cell therapy, … [Read more...]
Telehealth, is reality
Telehealth, or telemedicine, is not a specific service. It is a collection of resources to enhance care and education delivery. The term, telemedicine is often used to refer to traditional clinical diagnosis and monitoring that is delivered by technology. However, the term, telehealth is now more commonly used. It better describes the wide range of diagnosis and management, … [Read more...]
Size doesn’t matter; pigs are still pigs
Sara Brown addresses the teacup, or miniature pig fad. Some people bought the pets, not realizing that miniature pigs can grow to be 40 lbs. to 300 lbs. And they still have natural pig instincts. Rooting and raiding cabinets were just two examples of pig behavior for which people weren’t prepared. Source: Pork, February 27, 2018. The Humane Society of Missouri is asking … [Read more...]
One-health approach addresses obesity in pets, people
Obesity is a tough subject for human and veterinary doctors. This article highlights the findings of "Preventing Obesity in People and their Pets: A One Health Approach," from November 2016. The conference paired speakers from human and veterinary medicine to discuss obesity in humans and companion animals. These statements stuck in our review of the content: Physical … [Read more...]
Survey shows what horse owners want from veterinarians
Citing insights from a rare online survey with 8,069 horse owner participants, David Rame, DVM, shares horse owner perceptions regarding equine veterinary care. The treatment received by the horse was overwhelmingly the most satisfying part of the veterinary visit (64.91 percent), followed by the veterinarian’s skill (50.16 percent), the veterinarian’s bedside manner (38.12 … [Read more...]
Raise the cull line to match the falling milk price
If a cow cannot pay for her own feed, then there is no return to your land or crop enterprise. A cow should also be paying for her own replacement. Jim VanDerlinde challenges the majority on culling decisions and explains his rationale. He shares a quick, user-friendly template to find the culling sweet spot for a dairy. Source: Progressive Dairyman, February 22, 2018. The … [Read more...]
Veterinarians may be liable if they certify support animals for travel
As the popularity of traveling with support animals increases, so too have instances of travel with apparently fraudulent ones. By claiming their pet is a support animal, people avoid the rules and fees imposed on ordinary pets. United Airlines and Delta Airlines have implemented policies that ask veterinarians to vouch for an animal's behavior before it is allowed on board. … [Read more...]
Sympathy and empathy are vastly different
Imagine you are in a jungle and happen upon someone who has fallen into quicksand. Sympathy is jumping in with them and agreeing this is bad. Empathy is acknowledging their situation is bad and then getting a vine to help pull them out of the predicament. Source: Rework, February 14, 2018. That's empathy - seeking to understand someone else's perspective and how their … [Read more...]
Inconvenient truth: sterilization increases dog obesity
Patty Khuly, VMD, MBA, addresses our decades-old position on sterilization and the inconvenient truth that dog sterilization leads to fatter dogs. Agree or disagree, this is content that animal health pros need to read, discuss and consider. Source: Veterinary Practice News, February 16, 2018. Khuly asserts that health and overpopulation are two separate issues and need … [Read more...]
Nationwide offers free household pet toxins infographic
From antifreeze to dishwasher detergents, our houses hold innumerable items that are poisonous to pets. Nationwide offers a high-resolution PDF and HTML code of an informative infographic that is perfect for e-newsletters, printed newsletters, social media, websites and counter handouts. Source: Nationwide. These common household chemicals can cause serious injury to your … [Read more...]
Stop talking and listen
The best way to sway others is not to tell them your answer, but to arrive at an answer — together. Listening is the key pathway to go from your idea to our idea. Listening reshapes the idea as needed, and ultimately creates the kind of shared ownership that is needed for any idea to become a new reality. Source: Harvard Business Review, February 6, 2018. To listen is to … [Read more...]
Latest topics from Journal of Dairy Science
This journal and others may intimidate us because they are, after all, scientific and require more than casual review. I’ve found using the Interpretive Summaries sort tool makes it easy to skim topics. From this issue we note the following abstracts: Associations between management practices and within-pen prevalence of calf diarrhea and respiratory disease on dairy farms … [Read more...]
Beef checkoff continues to enjoy strong approval
The most recent survey on the beef checkoff shows a higher percent of cattle producers approve of the program. often controversial, overall, beef producers are pleased with the performance of the checkoff, says Burt Rutherford, editor: 76% say the beef checkoff has contributed to a positive trend in beef demand 78% say the checkoff has value even when the economy is … [Read more...]
Stockmanship: natural talent or learned skill?
Raising livestock has become a skilled trade with the advent of more technology being deployed in livestock operations. Cheryl Day discusses the challenges and opportunities of training a new swine industry work force in the art of stockmanship. Source: National Hog Farmer, February 13, 2018. Looking at textbook definitions, animal husbandry is the science of breeding and … [Read more...]
Cats need to knead
Kneading is but one of the common, quirky behaviors of cats. It is a motion cats make by pushing in and out with their paws, alternating between right and left. Some cats knead with claws completely retracted, while others will extend their claws as they push in and retract as they pull back. It’s an instinctive behavior that likely helps calm the cat. It is important for … [Read more...]
Dog and cat behavior myths debunked
Amy L. Pike, DVM, and Jessey Scheip, LVT, tackle common misconceptions about our dog and cat behaviors that still are being propagated, despite scientific evidence to the contrary: Myth No. 1: The human needs to be dominant to the pet to maintain proper structure and obedience. Myth No. 2: Misinterpretation of body language Myth No. 3: Misunderstandings with … [Read more...]
Focus and passion fuel Lucky Dog show host’s success
The CBS Dream Team programming features six high-definition half-hours with pro-social messaging. Each show offers inspiring and educational messages on subjects that interest teenagers. The Lucky Dog host Brandon McMillan is an animal behaviorist whose training came from family lineage plus experience. Larue Palmer shares the interactions Pet Product News had when shadowing … [Read more...]
How dogs process people’s emotions
Karen London, PhD, updates information on how dogs process and respond to our emotions. Previous studies showed that dogs use different sides of the brain to process information, depending on the emotions involved. As we develop and advance Fear Free initiatives, this information can help evaluate how we interact with dogs. Source: The Bark, February … [Read more...]
Kindest Care for wildlife
Bonnie Chasteen offers tips for dealing with baby wildlife as spring births are just around the corner. She cautions people to be aware of what lives around you, to avoid drawing animals close to your home and to remember that your family can get sick when handling baby wildlife. This is basic information. Posting it on social media, in websites and in newsletters will … [Read more...]
Children, sandboxes, pin worms and pets
Here are the facts about the neighbors’ cats using the sandbox, even though my mother and grandmother told me differently: Human pinworms, such as Enterobius vermicularis are nonzoonotic intestinal parasitic worms of human hosts. Humans are considered to be the only hosts of E vermicularis; therefore, human pinworms cannot originate from pets or other animals and vice … [Read more...]
Farm deer in Pennsylvania breeding farm test positive for Chronic Wasting Disease
Disease monitoring in wildlife herds is critical to wildlife management and to identify potential zoonotic risks. New positive tests in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, represent the latest in 46 positives since 2012. Although Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a contagious fatal disease among deer and elk, research suggests that humans, cattle and other domestic livestock are … [Read more...]
Oral health matters to pets’ quality of life (video)
In this Spark video, dental experts share perspectives and benefits of a focused dental care strategy for veterinary hospitals, animal owners and pets. There is consensus that oral health affects pets differently and why veterinary dentists believe radiographs are critical in dental treatment. Source: NAVC Spark, February 16, 2018. Oral health disease is probably the most … [Read more...]
A new case for animal ID in beef industry
Greg Henderson tackles the important issue of traceability in the beef markets. He notes the impact of the Chipotle fiasco and the impairments that reluctance to trace activity places on exports and vertically integrated meat supply chains. Steve Williams, JBS USA head cattle buyer, names three rationales for animal identification standards: Export customers demand ID; a … [Read more...]
Create success when you disagree
Whether you are a frontline person, supervisor or middle manager, sometimes you get a decision handed down with which you do not agree. What you do at that point says a great deal about you and your ultimate success or failure. Source: Harvard Business Review, February 9 2018. To convince yourself of the decision, put yourself in the shoes of someone who believes deeply in … [Read more...]
Pet insurance getting better
Writer Cynthia Foley noticed improvements in what the various insurance companies cover since Whole Dog Journal looked at pet insurance in September 2015. She notes rate competitiveness, outlines each plan and provides a list of things to pay attention to when comparing pet insurance plans. For animal health pros, this article can help save time and help animal owners make … [Read more...]
Exotic baby animals need unique milk formulations
Animal health pros who care for exotic animals will appreciate the efforts described here. Milk for each species is unique. The team at Wombaroo in Australia is developing powdered milk formulas for exotic baby animals, including lions, kangaroos, koalas and pandas. It is one of few organizations conducting research in this area. The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, … [Read more...]
Sponsored Content: Colorado no longer requires import entry permit for GlobalVetLINK customers
KUDOS to GlobalVetLink (GVL) and the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) – Animal Health Division for their successful collaboration to integrate record-keeping platforms to streamline paper trails and data entry for livestock entering Colorado. The integration migrates data from the GVL system directly into USAHERDS in real time. It allows for efficient and accurate … [Read more...]
A case for micro-leading
Micromanagers are not helpful in the long run, says Steve Keating. But, his perspective changes when it comes to developing new or inexperienced team members. Keating proposes a new term: micro-leading. It is simply closely supervising someone for their own development and learning. Leaders must also understand that good judgment comes from experience. If your people lack that … [Read more...]