The December 7th update of veterinary clinic consolidations provides a snapshot of market consolidation. Based on the open-access data, at least 661 veterinary hospitals have been consolidated during 2022, including acquisitions of corporately owned practices by other consolidators. Source: Veterinary Integration Solutions, December 7, 2022. Link. The report features updated … [Read more...]
In a downturn, focus on existing customers not potential ones
You Mon Tsang shares strategies that can translate to veterinary hospitals and retailers in the animal health market. Companies that relentlessly focus on existing customers can ride through uncertain times with the least disruption. Not only is retention less vulnerable than acquisition to the short-term swings of a bad economy, but the rule of thumb that it costs five times … [Read more...]
VetWatch® Commentary for Week 48 thru December 7th
Opinion The numerical trends in the VetWatch updates can appear to be minimal. However, considering the average annual value of a cat at about $400 and the average annual value of a dog is at least $900, retaining and engaging clients is critical to long-term practice revenue, healthier pets and happier clients. Simple math shows a veterinarian with 4000 active clients of … [Read more...]
Pet parents are your teammates
“Pet parents may not be medically trained but they know their pets better than anyone,” asserts Dana Varble, DVM. “Listen to them when they have concerns.” She advocates treating owners as home healthcare providers who serve as an extension of your own clinic team every day. Source: Today’s Veterinary Practice, October 10, 2022. Link. Trust, communication, and education … [Read more...]
Antibiotics for livestock become prescription-only in 2023. Are you ready?
Sandy Stuttgen reviews the changes when the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine plan for supporting veterinary antimicrobial stewardship will be fully implemented. As of January 1, 2023, all remaining over-the-counter antibiotics are switched to prescription-only status. The VCPR is the key that unlocks the medicine cabinet. Source: Swineweb, December 2, 2022. Link. Under … [Read more...]
Potential effects of a long, hard drought on subsequent calving season
Karla H. Wilke shares how drought affects cow health and hardiness ahead of calving season. She covers body conditioning, vitamin and mineral depletion, energy stores, as well as the effects on colostrum and calves born from post drought cows. Drought can have far-reaching implications, more so than just reduced grazing capacity for cattle production. Source: Angus Beef … [Read more...]
Defining water quality in swine barns
Understanding water quality and how to interpret water test results is valuable for producers, managers and consultants. A new publication from the Iowa Pork Industry center highlights the parameters pork producers should focus on when testing drinking water in pig barns: Water Quality in Swine Barns – How Do We Define It? <Link> Source: National Hog Farmer, November … [Read more...]
Updates on equine anesthesia safety (video)
Bryce Dooley, DVM, MS, DACVAA, explains the categories considered as the latest advancements in technology, equipment and ways to ensure horses recover successfully from anesthesia. Source: DVM 360, December 3, 2022. Link. (2:48 minute video) … [Read more...]
Avian flu is like a kid in a candy store
Richard Webby is hopeful the avian flu prevalence is not the new normal for the U.S. He shares the virus shows no sign of going away. The bird populations haven't seen viruses like this before, so in terms of their immune response, they're all immunologically naïve to this influenza virus.” - Richard Webby Amy Hagerman shared that this time we didn't see virus circulation … [Read more...]
What a cat friendly veterinary experience looks like
Note: Kudos to the Vet Candy team who summarized the recently published Cat Friendly Guidelines and to the almost 3,700 clinics and practices across 57 countries who have achieved official ‘Cat Friendly’ status. The cat’s veterinary experience includes their journey to the clinic, their interactions with team members, the social environment, as well as the physical … [Read more...]
Let’s review: Drugs used to prevent heartworm in dogs and cats
Lindsay A. Starkey, DVM, PhD, DACVM, tackles what has become a plethora of drugs available to prevent heartworm. She reviews the macrocyclic lactone-based drugs the Food and Drug Administration approved for prevention of heartworm disease and Environmental Protection Agency approved mosquito repellents. Source: Clinician’s Brief, October 2022. Link. INSIGHTS: We recently … [Read more...]
The top pet products of 2022
Pet Business’ annual Industry Recognition Awards highlights the products and vendors that drove innovation in the pet industry over the past year. In addition to new beds, leashes, treats and CBD/hemp products, here are examples we noted: Animo GPS - Merck Animal Health; an activity monitor for dogs with GPS tracking Recovery Double Sleeves - Suitical International … [Read more...]
Jonathan the tortoise celebrates 190th birthday
Commentary Jonathan, the Seychelles giant tortoise, is estimated to be 190 years old and the world’s oldest land animal, according to Guinness. The giant tortoise is blind and can’t smell, but his hearing is great. He lives a pampered life on St. Helena Island, a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean which lies about 1,200 miles west of the … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – December 5, 2022
Pet spending growth increased $8.65B in 2021 to $23.81B, says John Gibbons; interactive toy opportunities, pet care on capitol hill, cross-promotion marketing tips and more Companies in a cross-promotion partnership need to be on the same page with clearly defined, common goals including when to end the arrangement.” Source: IBPSA Fast Bites, December 5, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
Find happiness at work instead of quiet quitting
Craig Barkacs focuses on the real, underlying issue at hand when people talk about quiet quitting: unhappy employees. Workers in that situation have four options: Do nothing Quit Quiet quit Do something to improve the situation, so they can be happier. Barkacs advocates taking time and space before acting using an acronym, S-P-A-C-E, which stands for Sincerity, … [Read more...]
Thank you!
Gratitude at work has been linked to higher rates of employee satisfaction, motivation and engagement. Source: Gratitude in the workplace, Turknett Leadership Group. Link. Turknett leaders share what gratitude looks like in the workplace and how leaders can develop and leverage it to benefit all stakeholders. In an APA study 93 percent of employees who reported feeling … [Read more...]
Small companies, big discoveries
Kristi Fender covers the expanding landscape of new advancements in animal health from startups and partnerships in a variety of developing categories, describing it as an innovation explosion. She highlights differences in the people now working in biotech and the need for a commitment to standards. Source: Vet Advantage, December 2022. Link. Only a handful of animal health … [Read more...]
Micro-thin “smart bandage” monitors wound healing while repairing tissue
Commentary Our curation sometimes uncovers advances on the human side that we may see or hope come to animal health. The smart bandage developed by researchers at Stanford University, now in proof-of-concept, represents a promising possibility for medical communities and managing chronic wounds. When administered to a patient, the bandage monitors temperature as well as … [Read more...]
Research trend: Outcomes research in animal health and veterinary medicine
Outcomes research is becoming more prevalent in animal health circles. An outcomes research approach considers an element of value along with an outcome of interest which sets it apart from traditional research approaches. It is an approach that evaluates more than the benefits of practices and interventions for veterinary patients. Value can be measured by many … [Read more...]
Compounding webinar outlines FDA final guidance #256
Regulatory education FDA Veterinarian Amber McCoig examines the policies included in this guidance and what they mean for veterinarians and their teams in the webinar. She also discusses how the agency’s final guidance tries to balance the risks of compounding animal drugs from bulk substances when there is no FDA-approved drug available, and why the FDA can’t assure the … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – December 1, 2022
Last week’s most read posts – The power of questions. Link. Last AHD Bulletin - Animal Health Digest Bulletin, November 22, 2022. Link. 'Mpox' is the new name for monkeypox, the WHO says Source: LiveScience, November 28, 2022. Link. Citing scientific inaccuracy and racial stigmatism, the term monkeypox will be phased out over the upcoming year, … [Read more...]
Ranch Safety Guide released by Noble Research Institute
The Noble Research Institute and the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef have released “Ranch Employee Safety: Working Cattle and Related Facilities and Equipment,” a free, downloadable PDF. Source: Noble Research Institute, November 2022. Link. This Ranch Employee Safety provides information related to reducing hazards and risks associate with working beef cattle . . … [Read more...]
Alginate hydrogel beads show promise during pig transport
Seeking ways to support pigs during the stresses of transport, a group from Texas Tech University studied possible benefits of providing pigs electrolytes and a glucose source in alginate hydrogel beads*. During transport, AHB pigs had more lying activities than those pigs not exposed to beads. After transport AHB pigs sat more and tended to move more than the pigs not exposed … [Read more...]
Transition cows. It’s tough being the new kid
Maureen Hanson shares takeaways from a recently published collection in the Journal of Dairy Science authored by Kathryn Proudfoot and Juliana Huzzey. Highlights include: Primiparous cows face new experiences outside of their control during transition. Primiparous and multiparous cows have different social, feeding and lying behaviors. When regrouped, primiparous … [Read more...]
Genetics drive conversation for profitability of commercial cattlemen
Picking and managing best traits has long been part of the art of livestock production. Still, doing something new may be right to add value through genetics and marketing programs. A panel at the 2022 Angus Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, shared tactics and thought processes commercial cattlemen can use to grow their operation during the November 5th event. . . . the gap … [Read more...]
Proper ventilation lends itself to healthier calves
One of the most important issues directly associated with the health of calves is proper ventilation. Ensuring that calf barns and hutches are not completely closed and that calves are housed in a draft-free environment are two key elements to proper ventilation. As temperatures fall below 50°F, calves deplete their own energy making daily adjustments to calf conditions … [Read more...]
What drives colostrum yield, quality?
Researchers are working to uncover cow-specific and environmental factors associated with colostrum yield and quality. Colostrum yield was associated with a range of cow-specific factors including the sex of the calf, whether the calf was a stillbirth, gestation length, dry period length, parity, previous lactation length and previous lactation 305-day mature-equivalent milk … [Read more...]
Ramey: Can horses have mental illness?
There's no objective way to tell if a horse might have mental illness, writes David Ramey, DVM. While he thinks it's possible, it is admittedly hard to tell. Source: The Paulick Report, August 22, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
Winter hoof care
Every winter is different. Thus, it is always important to remind horse owners to ensure horse and hoof health through the colder months. The AFJ team compiled a checklist of the dos and don’ts for horse owners who experience even the mildest winters. The Winter Hoof Care Checklist is saved in the AHD library for convenient access <Link>. Source: American Farriers … [Read more...]
You can lead a horse to water . . .
Amy Parker, MS, PAS, reminds us that horses are 70 percent water. She shares the importance of hydration to overall horse health and how it varies with different nutrition and activity. Understanding what stimulates thirst and how to increase consumption or create circumstances under which the horse will continue to drink is what’s important.” Source: The Horse, November 28, … [Read more...]