Dog owners purchase the majority of pet supplements, buying three times as much as cat owners. Packaged Facts identified these five trends as factors shaping the pet supplements market beyond what we already know: Joint health, digestive health and condition-specific supplements have opportunity to compete with formulated pet foods and treats Supplement marketers … [Read more...]
The equine vaccination guide
Horse owners can vaccinate their horses against a variety of infectious diseases. Unfortunately, they’re also confronted with a mix of advice from a plethora of sources — most of them sound and somewhat persuasive. David W. Ramey, DVM, writes about vaccination options for horses. Source: Horse Channel, April 7, 2017. ‘Core vaccinations’ is a term that the American … [Read more...]
Zero tolerance for bad tempered cows
Most cows respect their caregivers. For those of a different temperament, get them out of the pen. Cattlemen should have no room for killer cows. The same goes for bulls too. Source: Drovers CattleNetwork, April 17, 2017. Quit making excuses for bad-tempered cattle. Cattle that routinely challenge the producer should be sold. Cattle that are very aggressive and are put in a … [Read more...]
Train dogs to drop it
“Drop it,” can be one of the most useful things we can teach dogs to do. It can save them from illness or injury if they grabs something harmful. At minimum, dog owners will be happy if they can reduce the sometimes endless keep-a-way games. Source: Petcha, April 18, 2017. Most dogs learn early that the best way to gain attention is to take things they shouldn’t have. It is … [Read more...]
Lilies are toxic to cats
Spring brings lily season inside and out and with it dangers for cats. Every part of the plant is toxic. A cat who walks through lily pollen and then grooms his paws is at risk. The toxin (or toxins — there may be more than one) is unknown. Share this with clients. Source: Catster, April 11, 2017. The lily’s toxin(s) appear to be rapidly absorbed, so affected cats might … [Read more...]
Dealing with canine zoomies
Did zoomies catch your eye? It did ours. The picture it paints is recognizable to most dog people. Also known as "frapping," or frenetic random activity periods, zoomies are not limited to puppy energy, nor to the most energetic dogs. Dogs need play time, and they'll get it one way or another! Source: The Bark, April 11, 2017. Canine behavior specialists and trainers have … [Read more...]
Timing euthanasia and hospice (includes videos)
Mary Gardner, DVM, discusses the educational needs for pet owners as pets reach the time for hospice or euthanasia. “You have to make sure you educate the owner about the disease the pet is facing and the progress that the disease is going to present to the family and to the pet,” she says. Source: Firstline, April 12, 2017. Remember clients are experiencing an emotional, … [Read more...]
Dogs, kids and the hygiene hypothesis
A new study by Anita Kozyrskyj a pediatric epidemiologist of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, found further evidence of the dog-human linkage and how this lessens the development of everything from asthma to obesity. Source: The Bark, April 11, 2017. What they found was that within the households with pets, the children had a higher diversity of microbes in … [Read more...]
Include udders in culling decisions
"Preg" checking represents a primary evaluation period to make culling decisions. Beef cattle producers are not as likely to think about udder health and shape as are dairy producers, but this attribute affects cow productivity and should be considered. Source: Drovers CattleNetwork, April 10, 2017. An evaluation system for udder soundness has been developed and used by … [Read more...]
Pet insurance is a win for vets and pets
When veterinarians invest in learning about and recommending pet insurance, the result is a win-win-win — for pets, clients and the veterinary hospital. Source: Veterinary Practice News, March 28, 2017. The topic of pet insurance is confusing for many pet owners, so they often ask their veterinarian for help. When clients ask for advice, here are key things to convey: … [Read more...]
Easter is bad for bunnies
Widespread misunderstanding of domestic rabbits has made them the third most abandoned pets in the United States. As well, they are the third most popular pet in America, after cats and dogs, according to the Humane Society of the United States. Source: National Geographic, April 12, 2017. With proper care, rabbits live 10 to 12 years. Because many people think they’re … [Read more...]
NAVTA launches bi-weekly service
The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America recently launched a service tool named Animal Health Bi-Weekly for its members. The familiar format seeks to provide NAVTA members with a sampling of some of the more recent news stories that affect the profession and veterinary community. Source: NAVTA, April 11, 2017. INSIGHTS: NAVTA provides multiple … [Read more...]
New posts from Is My Practice Healthy?
Drs. Blach and Clark provide an interactive and educational venue to improve veterinary practice management. Many of their posts also relate to servicing clients as a representative or retail associate. Here are some recent posts we found valuable: Make sure your marketing fits your target market Focus on the customer Is this good for them or for you? Source: … [Read more...]
An overview of rabbits’ teeth
This series of articles provide a good overview of rabbit teeth. Rabbits use their incisors to slice food, while the molars grind it down. Rabbits have 28 teeth. The ones we see most often are the four incisors in the front of the mouth. Behind the top incisors are two smaller incisors known as peg teeth. The 22 remaining teeth are molars and premolars and are known as cheek … [Read more...]
Top 5 client pet peeves
Jessica Goodman Lee, CVPM, shares her perspective on how clients view practices and the annoyances that work against client satisfaction. Source: Veterinary Team Brief, April 2017, page 33. Lee’s top 5 client pet peeves: Lack of information Lack of education Failure to provide documentation Lack of caring Failure to delegate INSIGHTS: Note the take … [Read more...]
Is a rabbit the right choice? (includes video)
Too often, parents purchase a rabbit for a child. Easter is the most common time for this to happen. The child is excited, the rabbit is terrified, the child loses interest, the rabbit is ignored and the parents become disappointed and resentful. Consider sharing the information in this reference site on websites, blogs and in newsletters. Rabbits, families and children will … [Read more...]
Pigs – a hobby farmer’s view
Every breed is unique, but producers should know what they’re getting when raising pigs for market pork. Rodney Wilson shares how he learned this all-important first lesson in our lifelong education about feed conversion efficiency: pigs can loosely be lumped into two classes, bacon pigs and lard pigs. Source: Hobby Farms, March 20, 2017. Today’s new and prospective hog … [Read more...]
Changing pet owner perceptions of veterinary hospitals
AAHA Chief Executive Officer Michael Cavanaugh, DVM, DABVP (Emeritus), presented new research data during the opening session at the AAHA yearly conference. Pet owner perceptions of veterinary hospitals are declining, while awareness of veterinary hospital accreditation has increased. Source: AAHA Press Room, March 30, 2017. While the news of overall pet owner perception of … [Read more...]
Cage-free eggs come with costs
The majority of the U.S. egg supply will become cage-free within a decade, but the egg industry says the economics don’t make sense. “The ability for the industry to do this conversion is truly subject to the demand for cage-free eggs from the consumer,” said Jeff Coit, a poultry industry specialist at Farm Credit Services of America. “Today, we’re not there. The vast majority … [Read more...]
There’s something wrong in the neighborhood
Who you gonna call? Pest busters. Here’s a list of available products for parasite and pest management. Source: Beef, April 2017, page 20. Pest busters for 2017. … [Read more...]
Cross-selling is not a strategy
Ken Favaro shares that almost overnight, cross-selling has gone from a ubiquitous practice imbued with positive connotations to a politically incorrect word that’s redolent of corporate misbehavior. This could be a wonderful thing if it causes companies, including your own to rethink their approach. Source: Strategy + Business, March 21, 2017. You want your customers … [Read more...]
5 tips to improve conversion rates
The common thread in Michael Georgiou’s tips for improving conversion rates is that they all move toward building a positive and personal relationship with the customer. It starts from the beginning and moves through the whole process, bringing you to the end result: making the sale. Source: Entrepreneur, April 1, 2017. If you want to know how to close more sales, start … [Read more...]
Selling in the age of the connected customer
Tiffani Bova says the role of sales is experiencing a renaissance. However, sales reps must adapt and embrace new ways of doing their job. As we entered the 2000’s many thought advertising, mass media, the internet and e-commerce would replace the traveling salesman. Bova believes that the future of selling will be contextual. The hardest part of most sales today is that we … [Read more...]
Here come the mosquitos! (includes video)
Veterinary parasitologist Dr. Laura Kramer discusses the increased dispersion of mosquitoes in Europe. The phenomenon is mirrored in the U.S. She sees three factors: Climate change Infected dogs moving around more than in the past New mosquito vectors that can transmit heartworm disease Source: Veterinary Medicine, April 5, 2017. Stop to consider the second point … [Read more...]
5 reasons to monitor colostrum quality
You may think that we don’t need to discuss colostrum ever again. Phil Durst shares five reasons to routinely check test colostrum to better understand the variances in quality. Colostrum quality is the first step in making sure calves are protected and set up for success in life. Source: Dairy Herd Management, April 5, 2017. Why test colostrum quality? Here are some … [Read more...]
Increase feline heartworm prevention efforts
At an estimated prevalence of 0.4%, hundreds of thousands of cats in the United States are likely infected with heartworms. Given the difficulty in diagnosing infection at all clinically relevant parasite stages and lack of curative treatment options, efforts should be increased to ensure all cats receive heartworm preventive. Source: JAVMA, April 15, 2017. Results: … [Read more...]
Meet change head-on with customers
In this piece, Pam Foster shows how the distributor rep is a resource for customers. Her solid guidance is to look at each practice individually and not fixate on short-term interactions. Source: Veterinary Advantage, March 2017. Mike Hay, Abaxis (formerly Henry Schein) offers some pointers to help you stay on top of the latest innovations while also managing your daily “to … [Read more...]
Drs. Blach and Clark hammer key points
This installment of Is My Practice Healthy? focuses on customer care, the beginnings of forecasting inventory and financial literacy. Each post is worth reading. Source: Is My Practice Healthy?, April 3, 2017. Ismypracticehealthy.com (IMPH) was designed to provide an educational venue and community where stakeholders in the veterinary industry can go to learn about … [Read more...]
Be aware of the causes of bloating
Spring pastures are greening up. Cattle grazing these lush grasses, especially immature legumes, are susceptible to bloat. It can occur in as little as 15 minutes or nearly two days after grazing. It can also be painfully deadly. Experts from Purdue University’s agronomy and animal sciences departments offer 10 tips to help avoid bloat, as well as a video showing how to tube a … [Read more...]
Stressed now, lame later
International hoof care consultant Karl Burgi identifies three primary incidences that can trigger lameness events: heat stress any episode of cows standing too long transition Source: Dairy Herd Management, March 31, 2017. Heat stress affects the feet? Yes, said Burgi, because hot cows stand more to try to cool off. When cows are standing, blood does not flow as … [Read more...]