NAVC’s Today’s Veterinary Business is extending its educational efforts to include a handy one-stop website. The Today’s Veterinary Business Resource Library is the next generation of the Vet-Advantage Resource App, part of the Vet-Advantage acquisition by the NAVC in early 2017. More than 30 companies currently have information available on the website including product … [Read more...]
AAFP releases first cat-specific anesthesia guidelines
The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) has released the profession’s first feline-specific anesthesia guidelines. According to the AAFP, a standardized, evidence-based approach for administering anesthesia helps ensure a patient’s safe and predictable perioperative response and recovery. Empirical evidence shows that cats undergoing anesthesia have a higher … [Read more...]
Crying at work doesn’t need to be a big deal
Crying at work is like the kiss of death for professional women, writes Jeneva Patterson. . . . to cry in front of colleagues, especially male peers or bosses, ranks as one of the most humiliating professional experiences. Patterson explains the crying response rates between men and women and the likelihood that women in the workplace will naturally react to some situations … [Read more...]
Resources available for those considering veterinary nursing careers
Animal health pros regularly get questioned about where to get a veterinary nursing degree. NAVTA found this resource that indicates Michigan State University, Purdue University and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln as building good career foundations. Source: NAVTA Animal Health Bi-weekly, September 11, 2018. Link. . . . the choices of where to study veterinary technology … [Read more...]
September is National Service Dog Month
September is National Service Dog Month which celebrates guide dogs, seeing-eye dogs, service pets and other assistance animals, including military working dogs. Part of the month’s focus is to help people become familiar with service dog challenges, etiquette and more. Source: Healthy Paws Pet Insurance and Foundation, September 1, 2018. Link. Service animals are defined … [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...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
Grit: the power of passion and perseverance (includes video)
We know very little about developing grit, says Angela Lee Duckworth. “What if your ability to do well in school and life depends on much more than your ability to learn easily and quickly?” she asked. “IQ was not the only difference between my best and worst students.” In all those different contexts, one characteristic emerged as significant predictor of success: It was … [Read more...]
Survey shows digital-native Gen Z prefers in-person interaction with brands
Just when we thought we were catching up, research shows Gen-Z actually has a complex relationship with technology. And the lesson not to rely on generalities hold true. Some that marketers associate with millennials are not true for Gen-Zers. Research . . . reveals Gen Z’s paradoxical relationship with social media. As the latest survey shows, they don’t overshare and are … [Read more...]
Pet medical insurance is growing, group says
Whether as a member of a veterinary team or as a pet owner, pet insurance is becoming a more prevalent consideration in managing both life quality and financial risk when owning a pet. The number of insured pets increased climbing to 1.83 million last year, up about 16% from the previous year. That’s only 1% of dogs and cats, but insurers expect the expansion to … [Read more...]
Key items that make a successful lunch and learn
Whether working to advance team skills or increase knowledge about a topic, engaging team members is critical. An effective Lunch & Learn involves more than an introduction and a demonstration over lunch. No team member will leave lunch feeling confident about performing a new skill without actually performing the skill him- or herself. Source: Veterinary Team Brief, … [Read more...]
Strong sales managers coach well
A friend who is a sales manager recently sent me an article titled, “There are too many bad salespeople,” with the suggestion that this could serve as an inspiration for a future column. My friend will be pleased to discover that it worked, but perhaps not in the way she intended. Source: Vet-Advantage – Companion Edition, August, 2018. Link. Real coaching occurs when … [Read more...]
Opinion – Human hospitals will be required to post their prices online
I have no political agenda in posting this. However, I believe it is important for animal health pros to see this legal action and consider how it might play out in animal health. One thing for sure, the ability to differentiate services, skills and value-adds may become further homogenized in this environment. The rule, finalized Thursday by the Centers for Medicare and … [Read more...]
September at The Bridge Club
Brenda and Catherine recently sought topic feedback from all-access members and past participants. The result is a robust set of topics for upcoming months. Here’s a look at what’s coming. August 30th, Noon MST, VMAE Member Exclusive Event: Momentum Book Club – Part 1. This is a closed event for VMAE Members. For more information, contact Catherine Haskins @ … [Read more...]
VHMA annual meeting and conference kicks off October 18
VHMA principles are finalizing the 2018 VHMA annual meeting and conference, “Discovering, Transforming, and Progressing Together.” It will take place October 18 – 20 in Baltimore, Maryland. Great managers understand that progress is dependent on a thorough and deliberate process. At VHMA 2018...discover the practices that the best practice managers rely on to thrive! Note … [Read more...]
9 things to know about dogs in heat
Writer Jackie Brown presents some facts about dogs in heat and the importance of spaying female dogs. Her article helps answer some questions new owners of female dogs may have about heat and reproduction. A dog heat cycle only happens once or twice a year. A puppy can go into heat sooner than you think. Dogs in heat should stay away from intact male dogs for 3 to … [Read more...]
Infections from a dog lick are a risk but very rare
Jennifer McQuiston is one of the nation’s leading experts on capnocytophaga, the bacteria at the center of recent news stories revealing amputations and deaths from these bacteria. According to the CDC, 74% of dogs have capnocytophaga detected in their mouths The bacteria are often found in dog and cat saliva "and on occasion, you can even find this bug in human saliva." When … [Read more...]
Opinion – KC Animal Health Corridor; biggest year ever (includes videos)
As an attendee beginning with the the first KC Homecoming event, it has been great to experience the phenomenal growth and reach of the KC Animal Health Corridor initiatives over the past decade. The addition of the KC Animal Health Investment Forum has created a future-focused pulse to the celebration. And, for the past three years, animal health pros have received market … [Read more...]
Tips for reading the room before a meeting or presentation
Meeting rooms often have feelings or conversations going on that are not fully in the open. Yet, paying attention to the cues can reveal where there is tension, fear or even recalcitrant participation. Rebecca Knight offers these principles to remember that any meeting attendee, presenter or salesperson can use to keep a group headed toward the positives: DO: Consider the … [Read more...]