Cattle producers know it, veterinarians know it and animal health pros know it. Proper dosage is important for medications and dewormers to perform efficaciously. The temptation to skimp on a dose or guess a calf’s weight is always there. Yielding to this temptation can negatively affect performance and health recovery. Writer Heather Smith Thomas offers a solid review of the … [Read more...]
Horses’ feet are miracles
Animal health pros who work with youth or new equine owners will appreciate this. Understanding the mechanics of the horse hoof helps horse enthusiasts better appreciate its complexity. The equine foot is a marvel of joints, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, blood vessels and bone encased within a horny capsule that is vital to the horse. See what Stephen O’Grady, DVM, likes to … [Read more...]
Cattle eat what humans don’t
Critics of beef production often point to pigs, poultry or fish as having better feed conversions than cattle. They frequently leave out a critical point; cattle eat things we cannot. They turn grass, corn stalks, wheat straw and byproducts such as distillers’ grains and cottonseed meal into high-quality protein for human consumption. At the recent Academy of Veterinary … [Read more...]
VFD, one year later
To explore firsthand experiences and client challenges through the first year of the VFD rules, John Maday asked a group of bovine veterinarians from around the country to summarize their experiences. Mike Appley, DVM, believes the VFD has helped generate collaboration between veterinarians and clients in developing better disease-prevention protocols including vaccinations, … [Read more...]
Pain control product for cattle released
The first U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved product for pain control in a food-producing animal was released last month by Merck Animal Health. Banamine Transdermal (flunixin transdermal solution) is approved for pain associated with foot rot and fever resulting from bovine respiratory disease and is applied as a pour-on. The product requires a prescription from a … [Read more...]
8 fun scent games dogs love
Smell is the most powerful sense dogs possess. It is fully developed at birth. Dogs have up to 300 million sensors compared to six million in humans. The part of the dog brain that analyzes smells is 40 times bigger in dogs than humans. As pet owners, we frequently forget to include scent games as part of activities with our animals. Steve Duno shares some that owners can play … [Read more...]
5 signs of canine boredom
Rather than whine around the house complaining there’s nothing to do, dogs who stay at home alone sometimes decide to amuse themselves with activities that are not funny to their owners. Teoti Anderson share five signs of dog boredom that are easily shared on websites or social media. Source: Modern Dog. Anderson shares five typical signs of dog boredom, as well as what … [Read more...]
Separation anxiety – a comprehensive package
Veterinary Medicine Essentials packages cover diagnostic steps, treatment plan guidance and the latest updates, plus resources to share with team members and animal owners. This collection of articles focuses on veterinary teams, yet it offers solid information for animal health sales pros. Source: Veterinary Medicine, June 15, 2017. The DVM360 team curated the best, most … [Read more...]
Groomer fired for rough dog handling
A Katy, Texas, dog groomer was fired by PetSmart last week after a viral video captured her rough treatment of a dog. Terah Leder, a customer, recorded the video on her cellphone and reported the mistreatment to the store manager and called PetSmart’s corporate offices. Source: Washington Post, February 3, 2018 (paywall), Houston Chronicle, February 2, 2018. In Leder’s … [Read more...]
VMX 2018 was no small undertaking
Almost as if produced by Disney, the VMX conference is certainly XXX-sized. So are the smiles of participants and exhibitors as both seemed willing to engage. The only drawback of a large footprint venue is that many participants are not ready for the amount of walking required. You know the tradeshow is huge when golf carts are used on main thoroughfares to transport attendees … [Read more...]
Opinion – Local delivery may be an option
During a seminar explaining pet owner purchasing behaviors and confidence indicators, a colleague leaned over to me and said, “Florists deliver flowers locally, also pizza and now groceries, why don’t DVMs deliver pet supplies the same way?” His observation interrupted thoughts throughout the day alongside memories of how we used to do things before specialized small package … [Read more...]
Nearly all pet owners bought food in stores in 2017
Physical stores are not dead, despite industry fears of e-commerce taking over. 88 percent of dog owners and 93 percent of cat owners bought products in the category in a retail location in the past 12 months, according “Pet Food in the U.S., 13th Edition,” a report from Rockville, Md.-based market intelligence firm Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com. The … [Read more...]
Learn to say, “No.”
If you say, “no,” to irrelevant things every day, you can spend more time on work that truly matters. Leaders must be willing to say, “no,” to time-wasting activities so they can say, “yes,” to valuable work. Here are some prime candidates for a “no” response. Source: Women@Forbes, January 30, 2018. With your own team, ask each of your direct reports to make at least two … [Read more...]
Back-to-back conventions offer learning and conversation opportunities
Convention season is here. Many industry personnel will be crisscrossing the country for convention activities, continuing education, customer interactions or group meetings aligned with the events. The same is true for AHD team members. Rick Purnell, AHD editor will join AHD founder/president, Kirk Augustine at the Cattle Industry Convention and Trade show January 31 … [Read more...]
Microchips turn 30; adoption still slow
Great efforts have been poured into microchip technology. One can argue the chronology, but microchip technology has settled with dependable standards and equipment. Still, under 30 percent of dogs and fewer than 15 percent of cats are chipped. Various sources indicate that lost pets with microchips are returned to owners at rates two or more times higher than non-chipped … [Read more...]
3 reasons why you should bring your dog to work
Richard Moran discusses dogs at work in the context of them being good for our health. He speculates on the ups and downs of packs of dogs roaming a workplace compared to the hypothesis that dogs and work are a good combination and could lead to a happier and more productive culture. Perhaps love from a dog could help make the job better and make you more … [Read more...]
Attorneys fighting over sexed semen
A battle is brewing in the U.S. over new technologies designed to make sure only milk-producing cows are born. Most of America’s 9.4 million dairy cows are bred using artificial insemination from bulls with specific genetic traits, but there’s still a randomness about the sex of the offspring. So, more farmers are paying a premium for semen that contains only the X chromosomes … [Read more...]
NSAIDs are wonderful options (includes video)
The NSAID product category generally represents 12 percent to 18 percent of dispensed product revenue for veterinary practices. When it comes to pain relief tools in the veterinary practice, Matthew Brunke, DVM, CCRP, CVPP, CVA, sings the praises of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs class. Reminder! Given the number of prescriptions now filled outside the veterinary … [Read more...]
3 ways to improve your decision making
Walter Fricke shares that decision making requires prediction and judgment. He writes about the need to have a sense of two things: how different choices change the likelihood of different outcomes how desirable each of those outcomes is Source: Harvard Business Review, January 22, 2018. But how do you get better at either? Of the volumes published on this subject … [Read more...]
Flowchart helps you decide if meeting is needed
Our industry is plagued with meetings. In fact, most of us have been involved in meetings about whether we need a meeting. Elle Griffen offers an infographic to help decide if a meeting is worth throwing onto everyone’s schedule. Source: The Muse, January 24, 2018. Not only can meetings be a huge time and productivity suck, they’re also expensive! Add up the hourly wage of … [Read more...]
Opinion – 229 selling days left in 2018
For animal health pros who work five-day weeks, 21 selling days have already expired this year. That equals about 8.5 percent of your year already gone. Veterinary practices and retailers have 325 days remaining to reach goals. Now is a good time to assess whether you or your team(s) are working toward the main objectives and at the right pace. Our perfection drivers and … [Read more...]
Alexander Hamilton’s deep advice
Alexander Hamilton sent his son Philip the following letter in 1800. It laid out a set of rules that Philip should follow to make the most out of his legal training after his graduation from college. Impractical in society today? Maybe. But it is worthy of consideration for our children and for ourselves. Note the focus Monday through Friday and the weekend freedom from … [Read more...]
Vets must be part of decision to use supplements to help cats with arthritis
Arthritis is inevitable as cats’ life expectancy increases. In one study, researchers analyzed X-rays of the spines and limbs of 100 middle-aged or elderly cats living in U.S. homes. The images revealed that 90 percent of those cats over the age of 12 showed radiographic signs of arthritis. A variety of over-the-counter nutraceuticals have gained widespread popularity for … [Read more...]
Getting pets ready to move about the country
Brian A. DiGangi, DVM shares five top tips for traveling with animals. He recommends: Review travel regulations Explain the importance of preventative care Recommend permanent identification Identify and mitigate travel specific risks Discuss steps and protect behavioral health and welfare Source: Clinician’s Brief, January 2018. Clinicians play an … [Read more...]
46th annual Iowa Pork Congress sells out (slide show)
Iowa Pork Congress, one of the first livestock events of year takes place annually. The activities and seminars address the issues of the pork market, production challenges and often set the tone for the upcoming year. Among the notable topics Cheryl Day highlights are: Are we manure poor? Increasing the Pork Checkoff rate Trade and exports Pork and table fare … [Read more...]
11 common email mistakes everyone makes
Email etiquette is increasingly important! It's an integral part of how you communicate and develop relationships with people. Betty Liu compiled these tips to help avoid the most common email mistakes: Bad grammar/spelling Misdirected emails BCC too much Silence Saying 'To whom it may concern' Not changing the subject line Marking emails as unnecessarily … [Read more...]
5 email marketing trends to watch in 2018
Attention marketers and communicators! Email was the preferred communication method for brands to communicate with customers in 2017. It will be well into the future. Still, 2018 may hold some surprises for the 40-year-old communications standard that marketers should be aware of. Scott Heimes shares these five considerations for email in 2018. Personalization through … [Read more...]
Keep it clean
Disinfection is critical for biosecurity. In this article, Jennifer Ryan identifies these top tips for cleaning and disinfecting on location: Train employees on the farm standard for cleanliness Use the correct detergent for the job Select the appropriate disinfectant for target pathogens Consider the safety profile, environmental impact, cleaning properties (if … [Read more...]
Opinion – Defining telehealth in veterinary medicine
Telehealth, says the AVMA, has emerged as a prime opportunity for veterinarians to deliver health information and care to clients via technology. Emerged? Haven’t we been doing this for years? The key here is to define and segregate actions. Telehealth is an overarching term describing the delivery of health information, education or care REMOTELY. The AVMA has created an … [Read more...]
An ounce of prevention helps foals
“The first six months of a foal’s life have the greatest impact on his athletic ability and monetary value,” Amy Jergens, DVM, says. “Yet this stage is largely ignored, leading to a significant number of deaths and avoidable complications.” Source: Western Horseman. Jergens shares information in the following areas of early foal care: The first exam Instilling … [Read more...]