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...]
Vetfolio announces urinary tract training
Vetfolio’s newest course, Urinary trouble in dogs and cat,s sponsored by Hill’s is currently open for registration and will be available for free access from September 19 through October 9. This study addresses various types of urinary diseases in both cats and dogs, along with nutritional and environmental solutions. Dr. Lewis will also cover how veterinarians can properly … [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...]
5 tips for choosing a stethoscope
Amara Estrada, DVM, DACVIM, offers tips for choosing a stethoscope for those who decide to upgrade: Choose the best, not the most expensive Be familiar with the features Do not neglect the earpieces Position patients properly Take time to listen for arrhythmias Source: Veterinary Team Brief, August 2018. Link. Take time to choose your stethoscope and … [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...]
4 ways telemedicine is changing human healthcare
Many animal health pros are taking a wait and see approach to telemedicine. However, the practice of non-physical health interactions is already morphing toward virtual health on the human side. Alan Pitt, MD, envisions a future “about building space with the idea that people may need to provide care to a patient in that space," rather than forcing them to travel when they … [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...]
AAHA releases new publication promoting preventive care protocols
The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) is pleased to announce a new publication, developed with the support of an educational grant from IDEXX, Promoting Preventive Care Protocols: Evidence, Enactment, and Economics. Veterinary practices are rapidly shifting from firefighting to attentive monitoring, so disease can be caught and addressed as early as possible. … [Read more...]
Exploding wild horse and burros population straining BLM
The Bureau of Land Management's Wild Horse and Burro program is at a crossroads. Too few wild horses and burros are placed into private homes each year. At the same time, herds on public lands continue to increase rapidly. There were 81,951 animals on 26.9 million acres of public rangelands and 44,730 animals in corrals or pastures as of mid-2018 . . . . . . perspective, 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...]
Add by subtracting
Sometimes, to become successful and get closer to the person you can be, you don’t need to add more things — you need to give up some of them. There are certain things that are universal, which will make you successful if you give up on them. Source: Thrive Global, August, 2018. Link. If you never try and take great opportunities or allow your dreams to become realities, … [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...]
Vet suicides are real. Help is out there.
This week’s post, “How do veterinarians die,” highlights the challenges some veterinarians face keeping clinics operating, treating patients and ensuring clients stay happy. A disproportionate number turn to suicide as a result of problems. Pet owners in Santa Barbara, California, know all too well the realities of this crisis. Within a few months, they lost two beloved … [Read more...]
How do veterinarians die?
Veterinarians have a unique relationship with death, due to their close proximity to it, and many have cited this as a reason they consider suicide, writes Ada McVean. Studies find that veterinarians are between 4 and 8 times more likely to take their lives than the general population. This isn't the case for their human treating counterparts, nor for other graduate degree … [Read more...]
Veterinary teams handling crazy cases (includes videos)
Like clips from reality TV, Brief Community is working to receive and present videos of crazy veterinary cases to expand the sharing of knowledge between practices. For animal health sales pros, this is an excellent area to witness challenges being met by veterinary teams and build more perspective about what goes on in a veterinary practice behind the front desk. Source: … [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...]
Harvard, 6 things that make people live longer, happier lives
The Study of Adult Development is a rarity in medicine. Quite deliberately it set out to study the lives of the well, not the sick. In so doing it has integrated three cohorts of elderly men and women - all of whom have been studied continuously for six to eight decades. Whether we live to a vigorous old age lies not so much in our stars or our genes as in ourselves. Source: … [Read more...]
Screens kill your eyeballs and now we know how
Here’s the latest information on blue light’s rap sheet. Beyond messing with circadian rhythms, it can kill photoreceptor cells, according to a new experiment. We believe all of us need to stay informed on this topic. Source: Popular Science, August 10, 2018. Link. Physicians have drawn attention to the relationship between our favorite devices and eye problems, ranging … [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...]