Realizing she needed to make changes that reoriented her brain from distraction-based impulses and toward periods of deep, sustained focus, Rebecca Ruiz shares her story and five tech habits to help us feel more in control and energized. Spend chunks of the day, even three-minute bursts, without your phone or device. To truly reorient the brain toward quiet and stillness, you … [Read more...]
Caffeine tolerance is real
Long hours, early mornings, late nights and ongoing challenges of Covid recovery have some of us reaching for more caffeine than usual. More than 80 percent of U.S. adults turn to caffeine sources for an extra boost to get through a groggy morning, to stimulate our brains or for an afternoon pick-me-up. If you’ve noticed growing need to increase your caffeine intake to … [Read more...]
Gonadectomy resources for veterinarians
Elective and often controversial, pet sterilization is an important part of pet owner decision making. As the risks and benefits of gonadectomy are re-examined, a renewed conversation about if and when to sterilize a pet is emerging. The AVMA stays on top of this topic and provides resources for veterinarians and pet owners as spay and neuter decisions are considered. As we … [Read more...]
Banks say consumers are in good shape. Cost of care opportunities?
Opinion, with Sponsored Content Believe it or not, top bankers say consumer spending is rebounding as we move past pandemic fears. Regardless of the bankers’ positions, veterinary teams and animal health businesses remain historically cautious when dealing with animal owners. Often criticized for prejudging pocketbooks, veterinary teams especially have opportunities every … [Read more...]
Latest well-being study reveals increased distress among veterinary professionals
It is no surprise the pandemic impacted many veterinarians and clinic staff, including veterinary technicians, veterinary assistants, practice managers and client service representatives. More than 90 percent of study respondents reported the shortage of qualified veterinary staff has been one of the biggest concerns throughout the pandemic. Sixty eight percent indicated … [Read more...]
Mark Cuban’s new online pharmacy. Will one for critters be next?
Opinion The online pharmacy business has a new option presented as a vertical channel strategy to eliminate the middleman. Cuban’s company launched the online pharmacy, Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug. Focusing on transparency, the pharmacy's prices reflect actual manufacturer prices, plus a 15 percent margin and a $3.00 pharmacist fee. Source: United Press International, … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – January 20, 2022
Last week’s most read post Lyme-carrying ticks live longer. What? Link. Last week’s AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, Jan 13, 2022. Link. =========================== The world’s largest wildlife crossing could have a spring groundbreaking Source: LAist, January 13, 2022. Link. The Liberty Wildlife Crossing has been impressive since its … [Read more...]
Defining when to help during calving’s three stages
Understanding the stages of birthing is critical to identify when or if we need to provide help during calving season. Producers and veterinary teams alike want to increase the likelihood a calf is born alive and off to a good start, writes Mark Z. Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension. With calving season just around the corner and labor challenges across the … [Read more...]
Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions for cow-calf producers
Michelle Arnold, DVM, covers 10 ways cow-calf producers can improve herd health and prevent as many problems as possible. Among them are quit believing Dr. Google and: Better records Improved water quality Test hay for quality before supplementing Involve a veterinarian and examine the herd vaccination program Improve biosecurity Source: BEEF, January 12, … [Read more...]
Background and research supports caffeine for high-risk calves
Zach Janssen, DVM, shares how producers came to use caffeine to stimulate at-risk calves that are the result of dystocia (difficult birth), hypothermia from being born in the cold or being run down from a stressful event such as disease or transport. While caffeine citrate has proven effective in humans, we are not able to feed this synthetically produced compound to animals … [Read more...]
Bird flu confirmed in wild duck in South Carolina
A wild American wigeon, a species of dabbling duck, was discovered with the highly pathogenic Eurasian H5 variant avian influenza. The virus was considered to pose a low risk of infection to humans, but APHIS issued warnings to poultry producers. Anyone involved with poultry production from the small backyard to the large commercial producer should review their biosecurity … [Read more...]
White-tailed deer can get Covid-19
A recent series of studies have showed white-tailed deer can become infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. Other studies show wild white-tailed deer can also become infected. Samantha Wisely, professor of wildlife ecology at the University of Florida, details how to keep disease transmission from deer to humans low. Source: University of Florida Extension, … [Read more...]
Foal Patrol season 5. Watch live foaling cams.
Foal Patrol is a one-of-a-kind collection of live cameras following the daily activities of in-foal mares produced by the National Museum of Racing. Millions of people throughout the world have viewed the popular webcam program since its inaugural season in 2018. Source: EQUUS, January 5, 2022. Link. Season 5 will feature a new education site at www.foalpatrol.com/education to … [Read more...]
Kinesiology tape on dogs? You decide.
This article is in the red flag category. Review the information with your team before an 80-pound Staffordshire terrier mix comes into the clinic taped up like an injured professional wrestler or Olympic gymnast. Proponents say that kinesiology tape can help a dog recover from chronic and acute sports injuries. At the same time, kinesiology taping is not a magic cure-all, … [Read more...]
Pets can be an important part of your business plan
More than 70 percent of U.S. households include a pet and 88 percent of them think of it as part of the family. Plus, according to an ASPCA survey, 23 million American households added a new pet since the beginning of the pandemic. Modern pet parents want housing, workplaces, products and experiences to recognize and integrate their animals. Put another way — if your … [Read more...]
The case against retractable leashes
Retractable leashes have no place in dog training, says Nancy Kerns. The biggest problem with countless situations is when a dog is more than a couple of feet from the owner. There is nothing that can be done to get him back to your side. Retractable products can retract only when there is no tension on the line.” – Nancy Kerns Source: Whole Dog Journal, March 21, 2019. Link. … [Read more...]
2021 year in Review: Animal disease awareness
“Storm clouds on the horizon” might best summarize this overview and it’s not all about bugs or viruses. Covid-19 isn’t the only disease creating problems for the global meat and poultry industry. Major reportable animal diseases made industry news headlines throughout 2021. African swine fever and avian influenza continued to spread, and atypical and classical bovine … [Read more...]
AAHA NEWStat’s top 5 posts of 2021
Grape toxicity, xylitol poisoning, man’s best friend could be a woman and more populate the Top 5 list from 2021 shared by Tony McReynolds. Source: AAHA NEWStat, January 4, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
HRB 2021 year in review infographic
Complimentary Commercial Content Harvard Business Review shares some intriguing metrics and factors affecting business and people today and looking forward. Here’s a sample: Over 200 million articles read Almost 17 million total hours on hrb.org 5 million podcast downloads Source: Harvard Business Review, January 18, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
5 scary consequences of neglecting pets’ oral care
Sponsored Commercial Content Every month and every visit to the veterinarian should include an oral care discussion about dogs and cats. The animal health industry parallels the dental months in human medicine with our own National Pet Dental Health Month in February supported by the AVMA. PetMD’s Dr. Hanie Elfenbein, DVM, PhD, reminds dog owners that poor oral hygiene … [Read more...]
Chatfields talk about CBD and pets — Episode 20
Complimentary Commercial Content So many questions. So much information. A lot of room for misunderstanding. The Chatfields visit with Cornell’s Joseph J. Wakshlag, DVM, PhD, to dig into what’s what. CBD? THC? Terpenes? WHAT?! Are all these the same? What are they? Did you know there are even different kinds of cannabidiol? Like CBDA? How much is safe for dogs? Cats? … [Read more...]
Rabies, lest we forget it’s importance
We often hear rabies is eliminated. It is true for canine rabies. It is NOT true for wildlife, especially bats. Scott Weese, DVM, recaps the 2021 rabies scene in the U.S. He shares details on the five human deaths due to rabies reported in 2021. This is the highest annual case count in the last decade. There’s limited penetration of rabies awareness education for the general … [Read more...]
New vision for animal services focuses on community wellness, professional certifications
Thank you to guest contributor, Brent Toellner, senior director of national programs, Best Friends Animal Society Tawny Hammond, national no kill leadership advancement director with Best Friends Animal Society, believes how we treat companion animals is a direct reflection of our communities’ overall well-being. She cites studies that support consistent, compassionate, … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – January 17, 2022
2021 trends in pet industry, social media and the pet industry, plastic neutral certification news, pet furnishing trends and more… Source: IBPSA Fast Bites, January 17, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
Quitter’s Day and finding a theme word that hits you right in the gut
What if resolutions complicate our lives and pressure us more than we realized? Research conducted by Strava using over 800 million user-logged activities in 2019 predicts the day most people are likely to give up on their New Year's Resolution is January 19, now coined as Quitter's Day. The resolution isn't the problem. Most people fail because of the way they try to … [Read more...]
12 tips for rediscovering the telephone’s gifts
Attacking the current habits of text-go-rounds, call screening and circular emails, Ken Goldstein reminds us we’ve fallen into very poor telephone conduct. A phone is hardly a phone anymore, he writes. It’s an email device, a web browser, a camera, a texting platform, and an app launcher. Yet, its initial, if not primary function we still call a telephone. Source: … [Read more...]
Neuroscientist recommends ways to stop a text from ruining your day
Text messages are some of the many interruptions people deal with each day. At some point, everyone has had their day ruined by a text. Amishi Jha shares her perspectives: An unpleasant text can cause anxiety, anger, or upset, leading to stress. To avoid stress preventing you from focusing, you need to accept you can't do anything about it. If you can't, there are … [Read more...]
Don’t reinvent the wheel
Imitation is the highest form of flattery. Here are five suggestions from successful executives that may help your business become more successful. Source: Forbes, January 11, 2022. Link. We are very good at saying no to lots of things.” - Daniel Ek, CEO, Spotify INSIGHTS: These five tips are the key to “see around the corner” … [Read more...]
Drucker still matters
We found the inclusion of Covid in a discussion of Peter Drucker’s management approach intriguing. Simon Caulkin writes, “Covid is an existential moment for management, amplifying existing challenges at the same time as it opens up a tantalizing vision of a different future.” The reason Drucker stands apart from most management writers is that he wasn’t primarily interested … [Read more...]
Jonathon Ayers honored by The Bridge Club, industry
The Bridge Club reignited its Industry Icon event January 15 during VMX by honoring industry legend Jon Ayers, former CEO of IDEXX. A crowd of industry leaders and colleagues gathered to honor Jon and his lifetime achievement. Jon stepped down from his role in 2019 after a bicycling accident left him paralyzed. Throughout his recovery, Jon has invested his time and energy … [Read more...]