Self-awareness is so key to our listening practices. We all have personal blockers to staying present and empathetic in conversation. However, when we get to know ourselves, we can more easily be there for others, writes Ximena Vengoechea. No matter the question you ask, remember that silence is your friend.” - Ximena Vengoechea Source: Next Big Idea Club, June 11, 2021. … [Read more...]
Reacting versus responding. There is a difference.
Veterinary media sources are full of articles about stress, overwork and meeting those challenges. Brad Stulberg’s article on reentry stress is relatable to more situations. The only real constant in life is change. And when confronted with it, most people respond or react, says Stulberg. Responding tends to be advantageous. You rarely regret deliberately responding to a … [Read more...]
Assessing the value of service learning for veterinary students
Guest Contributor - John Weale, DVM MS Finding better ways to educate veterinary students is currently a hot topic in animal health. The Tufts at Tech Clinical Rotation at Cumming Veterinary School of Medicine was the site of a study to assess student confidence levels working in accessible care before and after participating in a service-learning-based community veterinary … [Read more...]
Forget the rookies, bring up the reserves
Alyssa Mages, BS, CVT, advocates for the dependable and experienced veterinary team members. She suggests focusing first on retention and advancement, including training allowances to advance skills. Then the team will be stronger to bring on and train the rookies, she says. Find out each team member’s Why. Give them the materials, the resources & the means to go get the … [Read more...]
Talk frankly with clients about anesthesia
Some clients fear for their pets when anesthesia is required. Starting with preoperative blood work is a key step that allows for client education and gives them confidence the pet will be okay. Lynda Paul, LVT, VTS, CVPP, shares common concerns from pet owners and how to help them understand the processes involved in treating their pet. Source: Today’s Veterinary Nurse, … [Read more...]
Using cross-species vaccination approaches to counter emerging infectious diseases
The last two decades have seen multiple animal health business units spun off from traditional pharma company ownership. In this paper, the authors highlight a ‘One Health vaccinology’ approach. They present key areas of synergy in human and veterinary vaccinology that could be exploited to accelerate the development of effective vaccines against shared health … [Read more...]
AHD welcomes IBPSA members
Members of the International Boarding and Pet Services Association will begin receiving the weekly Animal Health Digest Bulletin in July. Pet boarding and daycare is a multi-billion-dollar business segment. The IBPSA is the pet boarding and daycare industry’s only professional business association. More than 1,000 businesses are members, including 140 veterinary … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – June 24, 2021
Last week’s most read post(s) – two posts tied for most-read Confidence requires a PLAN, Source: AHD, June 15, 2021. Link. Udder conformation, increasing concerns for farmers, Source: AHD, June 15, 2021. Link. Vaccine workshop leads veterinarians in foot-and-mouth disease planning Source: Feedstuffs, June 17, 2021. Link. The vaccine exercise was part of … [Read more...]
Salmonellosis in horses (includes podcast)
In summer, it is typical to see increased prevalence of Salmonella sp. in horses, says Brandy Burgess, DVM, MSc, PhD, DACVIM (LAIM), DACVPM. Scientists think it is related to a sort of stress, such as heat stress. It is found everywhere. Different strains wax and wane in different areas at different times of the year. A large proportion of horses shed the bug … [Read more...]
Regenerative medicine for the equine athlete
Helping equine athletes reach their full potential and maintain optimal health is the goal of sport horse medicine, writes Tori Bilas. Horses can reap the benefits of self-derived biologic treatments well before a serious injury occurs that could derail training or require a lengthy recovery. Regenerative medicine is used to treat or prevent joint disease and soft tissue … [Read more...]
Honeybees on the move
The USDA report on bee movement adds an additional dimension to beekeeping and survival as more animal health pros are engaged in bee health initiatives. Similar to food animals, bees experiences stress during transportation and more risks as they are deployed in monocultures. Honeybees fall into veterinarians' purview because of the VFD rule and changes in FDA policy on … [Read more...]
Rabid dog imported into U.S. sparks multi-state investigation
One of 33 dogs and one cat imported by an animal rescue organization from Azerbaijan to O’Hare International Airport in Chicago on June 10 has tested positive for rabies. Health officials are checking on the other animals in the shipment and are still tracking down the pets’ new owners. Tthe investigation is focused on Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey and New … [Read more...]
Turn down the volume on pets’ firework and thunderstorm fears
Complimentary Commercial Content Don't ignore your pet's fear out of the mistaken belief you will reinforce it and make it worse, writes Marty Becker, DVM. The key is to stay calm and not get all worked up yourself, but instead provide calm attention like how you normally interact with him. Becker has updated his previously published article for 2021. Source: Dr. … [Read more...]
Bright Minds nominations sought by The Bridge Club
Complimentary Content To honor the best thinkers, innovators and paradigm shifters in veterinary medicine, The Bridge Club is launching Bright Minds, an event celebrating innovation in veterinary medicine during the 2021 WVC Convention. Nominations end June 30, 2021. Source: The Bridge Club. Link. Nomination Categories: Out of the Box Thinker - an individual who … [Read more...]
Early registration ending for WVC Annual Conference
Complimentary Commercial Content The 2021 WVC Annual Conference is scheduled for September 6 – 9, 2021 in Las Vegas. Live and supplemental virtual opportunities will gather animal health pros to collaborate, network and learn. Early registration discounts end June 30, 2021. We are excited to get people back to learning in-person and celebrating the Veterinary Industry. Our … [Read more...]
Antelligence, ATS to reintroduce Animal Health Industry Training
Complimentary Commercial Content This unique educational opportunity is designed for individuals who are relatively new to animal health and will benefit from a comprehensive overview of the entire industry. Initially the program will be offered virtually. Live programs will be available as venues open post-Covid. Source: Antelligence, June 18, 2021. Link. The program … [Read more...]
Preparing for show season
For animal enthusiasts, livestock shows and fair events will kick off within the next six weeks. While veterinary teams provide health checks and certifications, animal health pros’ expertise will be valued beyond services and tactics. Given the increasing popularity of backyard rabbits, chickens and goats, the audience for show season preparation is not solely livestock … [Read more...]
Creating boundaries in our everyday work (podcast)
The animal health industry is rightly concerned about mental health and stress in the veterinary work environment. When you’re struggling with these issues, the day-to-day routines of a work environment can be a lot, but recognizing and enforcing boundaries help navigate work and stress. This podcast is a conversation with author and activist Roxane Gay about work and mental … [Read more...]
We’re colleagues. Sometimes friends, but not family.
Justin Pot says, “Your company isn’t a family, and I think pretending otherwise is unhealthy and unproductive. Family loyalty isn’t based on performance because that would be absurd.” Companies are different. They don’t employ people out of love or loyalty because companies, by definition, can’t feel those things. Your company employs you because what you do is valuable—at … [Read more...]
Manage or coach?
Somewhere along the way, we learned that giving employees free snacks, a meditation room and allowing a day to bring one’s pet to work was the new enlightened workplace. The result is that only 20 percent of fulltime employees worldwide are engaged in their work. Source: Gallup, May 27, 2021. Link. Imagine if all businesses worldwide could double real employee engagement … [Read more...]
CNN; Covid-19 pandemic magnifies workforce crisis in veterinary field
Opinion CNN’s Alec Snyder assembled a good situational summary of where the veterinary field is in 2021. Same story, different day? Yes. However, Synder combines different elements and challenges to end with some positivity. Between the lines and quotes are opportunities to embrace change, adapt, empower and leave a history of recalcitrant attitudes behind. Consider and … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – June 17, 2021
Last week’s most read post 2021-2022 APPA National Pet Owners Survey reveals important post-pandemic changes for the pet care industry Source: Animal Health Digest, June 8, 2021. Link. U.S. bans importing of dogs from 113 countries due to rise in false rabies records Source: NPR, June 14, 2021. Link. Veterinarians are praising the decision. 36 … [Read more...]
Udder conformation, increasing concerns for farmers
Opinion, including Complimentary Commercial Content Dairy cows are expected to last 10 seasons. But New Zealand dairy producers are culling cows that should have been in their prime. Their udders simply aren’t holding up. Udders are blowing out, and some cows have had poor suspensory ligaments which became evident when they got a bit of age, shared producer Reg … [Read more...]
Hot chicken: good on a plate, dangerous in the coop
Heat exhaustion, heat stroke or even death are real dangers to chickens when temperatures rise. They don’t sweat like humans and are limited in their ability to cool down. Lots of shade and cool water help immensely. The effects of heat exhaustion are cumulative, says Lisa Steele. Several days of temperatures above 80 degrees, especially with high humidity, can negatively … [Read more...]
No kidding. A review of caprine health concerns
As of January 2021, there were 2.58 million goats in the U.S. The 2012 map shown gives us a good picture of where the goats are. Herds of fewer than 500 animals make a majority of the numbers. Population disbursement, the popularity of goats in urban and ruralpolitan settings, as well as increasing numbers of pet goats make goat information important across the country. Here … [Read more...]
Why does my puppy growl at strangers?
At its core growling is about communication writes, Stephanie Gibeault, MSc, CPDT. It is a warning, a symptom of your puppy’s discomfort. Rarely an indication of aggression initially, growling at strangers is a sign that something is wrong. The most likely explanation is the puppy is fearful of people they don’t know. Source: AKC, January 19, 2021. Link. Whenever your puppy … [Read more...]
CIRDC. Does a new name make it easier?
Opinion Two excellent articles are included as Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex sources for this post. Adjusting the nomenclature to represent a variety of cofactors is logical scientifically and diagnostically. Pragmatically, though, many of the known CIRDC pathogens are NOT included in core vaccines, including two well recognized pathogens: Canine … [Read more...]
Engage pet owners to monitor respiratory rates in dogs and cats
The animal health industry is finding value when owners become active participants in their pets’ care. The human–animal bond and client–veterinarian relationship is strengthened and pet patients are observed in a normal home environment. Brian A. Scansen, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Cardiology), shares pet owners can be trained to measure, record and track their pet’s resting … [Read more...]
Talkatoo wins VMX Pet Pitch Competition
Sponsored Content Congratulations to AHD Sponsor, Talkatoo, for being awarded as the winner of the Startup Pet Pitch Competition during VMX in a live pitch competition resembling an episode of the TV show Shark Tank. This is our industry; these are our people and now a lot more of them are going to know about Talkatoo and what we can provide them. It’s a big deal!” - Shawn … [Read more...]
Confidence requires a PLAN
Without a plan, confidence is simply arrogance. While your arrogance will get you hurt, your confidence will inspire others to join you in pursuit of that common goal that will benefit everyone involved. Duke University’s Coach Mike Krzyzewski, or Coach K, shares a story of confidence with the plan. Source: Inc., June 4, 2021. Link. But when you do not believe in yourself -- … [Read more...]