The 2018 dvm360 Student Debt Survey results showed that student debt loads are common through the years. The survey also sought to understand how DVMs are managing this debt and how they feel about it. Source: DVM 360, November 8, 2018. Link. INSIGHTS: Take a few minutes to understand the colors in legend. A significant number of DVMs are pinching pennies, not saving for … [Read more...]
How will you vote? Subclinical heart murmur case.
We believe these short case situations are good education for animal health pros in all positions. Consider the situation and see how you would proceed! The owner would like her female golden to produce one litter of puppies prior to being spayed. Source: Clinician’s Brief, November 2018. Link. A 12-month-old intact female golden retriever is presented for a wellness … [Read more...]
Job killing you? Do these things now.
Holiday schedules exacerbate issues with balancing work, family and personal commitments and needs. Stav Ziv offers advice from Jeffrey Pfeffer’s book, Dying for a Paycheck: How Modern Management Harms Employee Health and Company Performance—and What We Can Do About It. In the U.S., 120,000 deaths a year could be attributed to work environments. . . racking up about $180 … [Read more...]
More than backup needed for good computer security
There is no 100 percent guarantee to make computers and networks secure,. However, you can take steps to provide reasonable security, writes Joseph Axne. He offers seven areas to determine if your hospital or business has security gaps that need filling. Source: Today’s Veterinary Business, December 2018/January 2019, page 8. Link. Using a layered approach to computer … [Read more...]
AAHA updates its Standards of Accreditation
The standards are continually reviewed and updated by experts to ensure they promote cutting-edge best practices in practice management and veterinary medicine. AAHA Red provided some of the changes going into effect for accreditation evaluations scheduled January 1, 2019 and beyond. Source: AAHA Red, November 5, 2018. Link. Review the changes online … [Read more...]
Implementing change can be challenging
Why do the results of even good plans and strategies sometimes fall short of our expectations in the execution? The implementation can be far more difficult than the planning. The reason? People. People have different reactions and points of view, different interests and needs. Source: Veterinary Advantage, November 2018. Link. Buy-in is a powerful thing. It takes the … [Read more...]
Pet ownership continues to climb, AVMA findings
The 2017-2018 edition of the Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook found that nearly 57 percent of all U.S. households owned a pet at end of 2016. Of those, 38 percent owned one or more dogs, 25 percent owned one or more cats. More than 13 percent of U.S. households owned a specialty or exotic pet in 2016, a 25 percent increase from 2011. The incidence of poultry owned … [Read more...]
If it was your money, would you spend it like that?
Mike Figliuolo shares a summary of a survey about employee stewardship of resources. Twenty percent of respondents have issues with people being good stewards of their organization’s resources. A culture of waste can have a tremendous negative impact over time. Source: SmartBrief, October 9, 2018. Link. INSIGHTS: Consider making this a topic to discuss at the next staff … [Read more...]
Opinion: Not my problem: A moral philosophy
I’m including this as food for thought. At first, I thought maybe Jessica Wildfire was on to something that made sense. And it does, but only to a certain point. That point for me was when Wildfire wrote, “Sure, he might cause a major disaster. But that disaster isn’t your problem.” Constantly bailing out others might help your boss, or your company. But it doesn’t help … [Read more...]
Are you productive enough?
Elizabeth Grace Saunders discusses productivity, measurement and improvement and how to tell if you’re meeting expectations. She narrows the definition of “productive enough” to whether you are meeting the requirements of your job when operating at your personal peak performance. It’s a good perspective to consider as we begin holiday obligations. Source: Harvard Business … [Read more...]
Navigate the gray areas of what constitutes sexual harassment
Much negative reaction to women’s voices being raised about sexual harassment stems from a lack of understanding about what exactly constitutes harassment. Because there is a lot of gray area in determining mild to serious forms of gender-based offenses, Kathleen Kelley Reardon developed the Spectrum of Sexual Misconduct at Work (SSMW). It helps people define and differentiate … [Read more...]
Ways to use CliftonStrengths to improve your employee experiences
Employee satisfaction, advancement and retention are great challenges in the animal health business. Gallup identified seven life cycle stages during which employers can affect the employee experience the most. Applying a strengths-based* approach at each stage of the life cycle can ultimately result in an improved employee experience. It's up to managers and their leaders to … [Read more...]
Greenhouse gas is only part of the puzzle
Concern about the long-term sustainability of livestock production gets a lot of media attention. However, according to Al Rotz, there is fairly limited scientific information out there to support what is being said. When it comes to livestock and long-term impact, Rotz said, “I don’t see cattle being much of a contributor to global climate change.” . . . the greenhouse gas … [Read more...]
Equine fact, equine myth
Not all information is created equal. Crowdsourced internet answers are now available with a simple spoken question, “Alexa, will my horse get enough water by eating snow?” The most frequent horse care myth topics include nutrition, cold weather and colic, writes Natalie Voss. She turned to the University of Kentucky Extension service for this fact vs. myth article. Source: … [Read more...]
The latest from VetFolio
New course options are available for purchase or registration: The Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy. Link. Dr. Kathleen Cooney guides a ten-module course, participants explore topics including pre–euthanasia and anesthesia protocols, euthanasia techniques, pharmacology and physiology, caregiver considerations, challenging situations, team support, and more. … [Read more...]
Future is bright for veterinary technicians
There are plenty of doors waiting for you to open and explore, writes Ann K. Johnson, LVT. about opportunities for veterinary technicians. We agree! Veterinary medicine changes every day. Some days by leaps and bounds … others by micro-steps. There’s a place for veterinary technicians within all of these changes. Source: FIRSTLINE, June 2017. Link. Many technicians start out … [Read more...]
Shift your perspective at work by telling yourself a different story
We all tell ourselves stories about work. These stories shape the way we think, lead and make decisions. For instance, if the story that runs through your head all day is “Everything’s a battle in this office,” you’re more likely to expect hostility and be primed to attack. Negative stories like this one generally don’t help you, so consider shifting to a new … [Read more...]
Good manners make a difference in life and your career. Thank you!
Manners are the lubricating oil of any organization — or any society, for that matter. Good manners are not phony or forced. They are a habit that has been developed and nurtured so that they are an automatic response. The key to a good relationship at work can be as simple as saying “please” and “thank you”. . . Source: Star-Tribune, October 27, 2018. Link. Interpersonal … [Read more...]
Remain calm and lead on
Calmness inspires confidence. It’s a leadership style people want to follow. In most jobs you spend a lot of time with your boss. It’s only natural to want to feel comfortable about that — rather than having your stomach perpetually tied in knots. Source: forbes.com, September 18, 2018. Link. Employees respond well to calmness. Over the long term it’s a pleasant, easy … [Read more...]
Coaching for people who want to work with animals
Before you brush someone off about the challenges of becoming a veterinarian, share this article with them. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, certain positions in the veterinary field are growing quickly. There are a variety of employment opportunities within the veterinary profession that do not require you to become an actual veterinarian. Source: Tuft’s Catnip, … [Read more...]
Ethical conflict and moral distress widespread in veterinary practices
According to survey results, veterinarians report widespread ethical conflict and moral distress across many practice types and demographics. Most veterinarians have little to no training on how to decrease the impact of these problems. Source: Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, August 6, 2018. Link. Ethical conflict and resulting moral distress may be an important … [Read more...]
Considering blood pressure with routine exams
When it comes to veterinary patient care, blood pressure is seldom included in a routine preventive physical examination. Brenda Tassava, CVPM, CVJ, VLCE, discusses the benefits, challenges and establishing protocols. This is a great topic for a team meeting. Source: Veterinary Team Brief, October 2018. Link. Take Action notes: As a team, consider cases where BP … [Read more...]
This is how you are unknowingly making people happy (slide show)
It’s the little things that help the most. A phone call instead of a text. Looking someone in the eyes when speaking to them. Lending a helping hand without being asked. Remembering a birthday. And, saying thank you. Source: Our Life in Brief, October 29, 2018. Link. Sometimes only one small and simple act of kindness can bring much joy and happiness to those surrounding … [Read more...]
Winter hair growth in cattle signals time for lice control
Mark Hilton, DVM, discusses the two types of lice that live their entire life cycle on cattle. The growth of winter hair coats is a signal to cattle producers to consider lice control methods. He says injectable products that cover sucking lice need a pour-on to cover biting lice. He also cautions to be sure of dose requirements; one-dose or two-dose. Source: BEEF, October … [Read more...]
AQHA launches a new young-adult leadership development program
The American Quarter Horse Foundation announced a new program, AQHLead, designed for young adults, ages 19 to 34, to help support their development as young leaders in the equine industry. AQHLead grants of $5,000 will be awarded to 10 applicants for the inaugural class to offset participation costs. Participants will be partnered with a mentor from the American Quarter Horse … [Read more...]
Opinion – Determining how often sales reps should call on customers
J. Michael Marks tackles a frequently contemptuous topic about distribution sales representatives. . . . in my experience, most sales reps are market-servers, not market-makers. . . we’ve found that 95% of what customers buy from distributors they have bought before. The devil is in the details in this reference. How one defines sales really determines whether Marks’ … [Read more...]
AAHA expands accreditation to practice networks
Practice network accreditation refers to the accreditation of a single parent company that owns practices within a practice network. To achieve practice network accreditation, the company must have 90% of its practices accredited or pre-accredited by AAHA, with a goal of having 100% of its practices accredited. PetWell Partners was the first company to receive practice … [Read more...]
AAHA’s Newly Accredited Practices
Working to achieve the AAHA Accredited status is a significant milestone for veterinary clinic teams. The following veterinary hospitals met the accredited standards from September 14 to October 12. Congratulations to: VCA Battle Creek Veterinary Services, Salem, OR VCA Iris Animal Hospital, Keizer, OR Animal Hospital of Garland, Garland, TX Plaza Veterinary … [Read more...]
Sponsored content from AAHA Red, AAHA NEWStat
We’re sharing sponsored content from recent AAHA Red and AAHA NEWStat issues, two media offerings available from AAHA Press, the publishing arm of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). Stress less with the needle-less Bordetella protection, AAHA Red, October 22, 2018. Link. Forty percent of cat owners find veterinary visits personally stressful, AAHA Red, … [Read more...]
Know what to expect when a cat is expecting
Whether it’s a deliberate mating or an accidental encounter, a cat guardian needs to know what to expect when their cat’s expecting. Mother Nature dictates the kittens will put in an appearance once they’re ready and not before, usually in 63 to 68 days. Cat-owning clients will appreciate this week-by-week view of feline pregnancy. Consider it for social media posts, … [Read more...]