Our industry is being challenged to address suicide and job satisfaction challenges previously unrecognized. James Altucher asserts, Here’s the truth: you can’t fail as a kid. He sometimes gets messages like, “I’m 23 and I failed and now I don’t know what to do.” No, you didn’t fail. Yes, you do know what to do. Just do the next thing. That’s all you have to … [Read more...]
Leopards help keep rabies in check in Mumbai
Mumbai residents can likely thank leopards for reducing the number of potential rabies cases and perhaps even saving lives according to a paper publishing in the Ecological Society of America Journal last week. Researchers suggest that leopards roaming the nearby Sanjay Gandhi National Park hunt and kill dogs in and around villages; enough so that dogs make up about 40 percent … [Read more...]
Old kangaroo gets cryotherapy
A 15-year-old Kangaroo in the Bronx Zoo is getting some pricey cryotherapy treatment for arthritis. Zoo director Jim Breheny says the treatment is but one course of healing the 200 medical experts at the zoo use to treat 7,000 species. Source: Associated Press, March 11, 2018. Dave’s saga with localized cryotherapy treatment will be documented by Animal Planet’s latest … [Read more...]
How to tell a coworker their personal habits are disgusting
It’s inevitable. Bad habits creep into workplaces. Liz Ryan addresses a question from a reader whose coworker uses her desk as an extension of the bathroom. Maybe it is time for all of us to double-check our habits. Source: Forbes, March 9, 2018. Speak up, regardless of how socially awkward the situation., Ryan says. She shares 10 things never, ever to do at your … [Read more...]
New style bee hive is attractive to old and new beekeepers
Solving the challenges of harvesting honey without donning an uncomfortable bee suit, smoking out the bees and going through steps that could kill bees in the process, the popular Flow Hive is bringing bees and beekeepers to backyards. Considering bees fall under the VFD rules, understanding this technology is important for animal health pros. Source: Fast Company, March 9, … [Read more...]
Pay attention to antibiotic use in bees
Beekeepers and their veterinarians must pay close attention to how they use antibiotics in bees, says the FDA. The agency released recommendations for using antimicrobial drugs in question-and-answer form last year. The document is written to help DVMs and beekeepers in using approved VFD prescription products. Source: Infectious Disease Special Edition, January 12, … [Read more...]
Amazon embraces chaos for its efficiency
Amazon is an eight-ton gorilla that animal health pros watch, fear; yet use for personal purchases. Sara Kessler writes about the company’s elaborate systems that have completely redefined warehouse efficiency and customer convenience. Much of the efficiency is supported by technology, robotics and ultimately moving product to people, rather than moving people to the products … [Read more...]
Nasal discharge in dogs could be more than one thing. (diagnostic guide)
Douglas Palma, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM), has a special interest in respiratory medicine. He trains interns and residents in internal medicine and is residency director for ACVIM. His educational experiences show in this diagnostic chart to help animal health pros move quickly toward a diagnosis when a dog is presented with nasal discharge. Source: Clinician’s Brief, February … [Read more...]
Opinion – The era of the buyer is underway
Consider this article in the context of telehealth and telemedicine for both B2B and B2C entities in animal health. But, think about B2C telemedicine in the digital context of voice-activated systems on counters in homes instead of a phone on your desk. Once again, I ask veterinary team members to accept sales as the creation of a transaction. Jay Malowney asserts, … [Read more...]
Bridge Club sells out with veterinary nurse initiative topic
The Bridge Club’s March 12th topic, Veterinary Technician or Veterinary Nurse: Answers to why the credentials and title are evolving, drew a sell-out crowd to listen to Ken Yagi, MS, RVT, VTS (ECC, SAIM) and Heather Prendergast, RVT, CVPM, SHPH, co-chairs of The Veterinary Nurse Initiative. They presented rationales for changing the professional titles and an overview of the … [Read more...]
Loyalty is a two-way street
Employers seek loyalty and dedication from their employees. However, they sometimes fail to return their half of the equation. This can leave millennial workers feeling left behind and unsupported. Professional relationships are built on trust and commitment. Working for a boss who supports you is vital to professional and company success. Source: Forbes, December 8, … [Read more...]
Sponsored Content: Pheromones; the nose knows.
Our recent post about the Flehman response in cats led me to further investigate the pheromone topic. Googling produced several references on semiochemicals and their use in insect control. Most important was information provided by AHD sponsor, Ceva Animal Health, which helps clarify some of the confusion about pheromones and pheromone products: Pheromones are naturally … [Read more...]
Bridge Club gains momentum
No playing cards are needed to be part of this club. Participants join from their desks, living rooms and kitchen tables using their computers and cell phones. The venue replicates the roundtable discussions familiar to animal health pros at conventions and meetings. The Bridge Club has attracted interest and support from community partners. Dr. Dani McVety recently shared … [Read more...]
7 powerful things you should always be able to say about yourself
There are elements within ourselves that can either sabotage our success or lead us to greatness, shares Lolly Daskal. Whatever your role or aspirations in leadership, you should always be able to look at yourself in the mirror and voice these statements as truth, she writes. I am confident. I trust my intuition. I am honest. I am courageous. I am … [Read more...]
Dairy calves are naturally optimistic or pessimistic
Some calves are inherently optimistic or pessimistic, as are humans, a University of British Columbia study has found. The study also assessed fearfulness through standard personality tests and found that it and pessimism are closely related. Source: Science Daily, February 18, 2018. Sometimes we are tempted to see only the herd, even though this herd consists of different … [Read more...]
Study proves that dogs are good judges of character
A study recently published in the journal, “Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews,” found that dogs can tell when someone is being rude or mean to another person. Like humans, dogs then use this information to decide how to treat people. Source: Simplemost. Dogs in the study reacted negatively to humans who refused to help their owners. “We discovered for the first time … [Read more...]
Be a good coworker. Do more than say hello
As the workplace becomes increasingly social, coworker relationships are important to build a productive workplace. Michael Volkmann offers five ways to be a become a better coworker: Really get to know the new guy/gal Follow through Show gratitude Invest in spending time together Respect boundaries Source: Life Hacker, February 27, 2018. At the end of the … [Read more...]
Feral cattle creating issues in California national monument
Sand to Snow National Monument lies approximately 50 miles north, northwest of Palm Springs, California, and about 50 miles east of San Bernardino, California. Rising from desert lowlands, its mountainous high desert and cascading streams create panoramic views, tranquility and solitude. But, recent visitors have been surprised by members of a herd of 150 feral cattle that are … [Read more...]
Size doesn’t matter; pigs are still pigs
Sara Brown addresses the teacup, or miniature pig fad. Some people bought the pets, not realizing that miniature pigs can grow to be 40 lbs. to 300 lbs. And they still have natural pig instincts. Rooting and raiding cabinets were just two examples of pig behavior for which people weren’t prepared. Source: Pork, February 27, 2018. The Humane Society of Missouri is asking … [Read more...]
4 habits help you learn new skills
Mike Kehoe has seen the effects of learning and development on career mobility. He has also seen what leads people to let it fall by the wayside. He found that four crucial habits can make a tremendous difference: Focus on emerging skills Get synchronous Implement learning immediately Set a golden benchmark Source: Harvard Business Review, January 31, 2018. I … [Read more...]
Raise the cull line to match the falling milk price
If a cow cannot pay for her own feed, then there is no return to your land or crop enterprise. A cow should also be paying for her own replacement. Jim VanDerlinde challenges the majority on culling decisions and explains his rationale. He shares a quick, user-friendly template to find the culling sweet spot for a dairy. Source: Progressive Dairyman, February 22, 2018. The … [Read more...]
The price is not always right
“If you don’t know the difference between margin and mark-up,” says Daniel Truffini, “Your revenue might be taking a hit. Don’t let anyone tell your otherwise, it’s all about the margin at the end of the day.” Trufinni makes the cost compared to. value distinction and offers three formulas to help animal health pros calculate them. Source: Today’s Veterinary Business, … [Read more...]
Inconvenient truth: sterilization increases dog obesity
Patty Khuly, VMD, MBA, addresses our decades-old position on sterilization and the inconvenient truth that dog sterilization leads to fatter dogs. Agree or disagree, this is content that animal health pros need to read, discuss and consider. Source: Veterinary Practice News, February 16, 2018. Khuly asserts that health and overpopulation are two separate issues and need … [Read more...]
Speaking of smells
Fun results from research. While exploring semiochemicals , Kirk discovered references identifying smells humans find most pleasant or repulsive. Jacob Shelton’s list is designed to sort by age, sex and region. For example, cinnamon rolls are ranked in the top five in any U.S. region but are ranked 18th internationally. Source: The best smells in the world, … [Read more...]
Stop talking and listen
The best way to sway others is not to tell them your answer, but to arrive at an answer — together. Listening is the key pathway to go from your idea to our idea. Listening reshapes the idea as needed, and ultimately creates the kind of shared ownership that is needed for any idea to become a new reality. Source: Harvard Business Review, February 6, 2018. To listen is to … [Read more...]
Latest topics from Journal of Dairy Science
This journal and others may intimidate us because they are, after all, scientific and require more than casual review. I’ve found using the Interpretive Summaries sort tool makes it easy to skim topics. From this issue we note the following abstracts: Associations between management practices and within-pen prevalence of calf diarrhea and respiratory disease on dairy farms … [Read more...]
Beef checkoff continues to enjoy strong approval
The most recent survey on the beef checkoff shows a higher percent of cattle producers approve of the program. often controversial, overall, beef producers are pleased with the performance of the checkoff, says Burt Rutherford, editor: 76% say the beef checkoff has contributed to a positive trend in beef demand 78% say the checkoff has value even when the economy is … [Read more...]
Stockmanship: natural talent or learned skill?
Raising livestock has become a skilled trade with the advent of more technology being deployed in livestock operations. Cheryl Day discusses the challenges and opportunities of training a new swine industry work force in the art of stockmanship. Source: National Hog Farmer, February 13, 2018. Looking at textbook definitions, animal husbandry is the science of breeding and … [Read more...]
2 toxic thoughts you accidentally think every day
We may not think we have a morning ritual, but we do. Guilty as charged! "I didn't get enough sleep." "I don't have enough time." Lynne Twist, author of The Soul of Money, says we unwittingly think those two scarcity themed thoughts every day, before we do or think about anything else. "Before we even sit up in bed, before our feet touch the floor, we're already … [Read more...]
Dog and cat behavior myths debunked
Amy L. Pike, DVM, and Jessey Scheip, LVT, tackle common misconceptions about our dog and cat behaviors that still are being propagated, despite scientific evidence to the contrary: Myth No. 1: The human needs to be dominant to the pet to maintain proper structure and obedience. Myth No. 2: Misinterpretation of body language Myth No. 3: Misunderstandings with … [Read more...]