Managing parasites in goats often loses effectiveness over time. Lisa Seger shares how to keep worm treatments effective with these three valuable tools: FAMACHA scoring, fecal flotations/eggs counts, and body condition scoring. Used alone, any one of these markers is inadequate for gauging parasites. Used together, however, they provide the best picture of what … [Read more...]
Composting pets now a reality
All dogs go to heaven when they die, of course, but they leave behind bodies. Rooted Pet, a startup in Seattle, Washington, intends to help with that. Composting carcasses is not unusual. Farms often use it to get rid of dead livestock and some states use it to manage roadkill. So, Paul Tschetter, a Seattle entrepreneur, helped create a process that he says is, “adding … [Read more...]
Opinion – Vaccine refusals rising in many parts of the country
PLEASE, ignore the political bent. Please! Consider how human behaviors and standards are consistently presented to us as influencing pet care decisions. Then mull over the information on the vaccine refuser and vaccine hesitant groups of persons. Source: Vox, October 3, 2017. Most research shows that parents who reject some or all vaccines are more likely to be white, … [Read more...]
End never-ending email chains without being rude
A coworker sends an email to a dozen people with an open-ended question that doesn’t have any real consequences on anyone’s life. What follows is a predictable avalanche of responses that solve nothing. Source: The Muse, October 2017. Richard Moy shares an email template he uses to redirect the discussion and keep you from throwing your laptop against the wall. … [Read more...]
Vet Tech Week ends; the work continues (includes podcast)
The media coverage for National Vet Tech week was ramped up this year. Animal health pros across America celebrated the various contributions of this community of professionals. The lobby for changing their designation to veterinary nurse is well underway. We selected a group of articles on the subject of veterinary technicians or veterinary nurses. These include: The … [Read more...]
Should you believe the article you just read?
It only takes a single click to spread information like wildfire, says Nicole Palumbo, DVM. A 2012 University of Illinois graduate, Dr. Palumbo is clearly part of the social media generation. Her article offers animal owners guidelines on what is appropriate to share about veterinary medicine. Source: Dr. Andy Roark, September 9, 2017. Check your sources before spreading … [Read more...]
Be part of the AHD team
A special thank you goes out to our contributors listed on the AHD site. Their ongoing work help keeps you informed and our offerings fresh. You can contribute to our weekly email once or on an ongoing basis. If you want us to look for specific topics, please email us from the “contact us” section of the site. Better yet, write up a short summary of an article or other media … [Read more...]
AHD subscriptions arrive at no cost to you
Our industry provides millions of dollars in advertising and content development in the media from which we curate. Your feedback tells us that providing this service to animal health pros at no charge helps you do your jobs better. Sponsors receive consideration for their brands and activities when published content relates to their portfolios. Source: Animal Health Digest, … [Read more...]
AHD website tools make content easy to use
For animal health pros who need to find a post for any reason, the AHD website has several tools to help find it: BULLETIN Archive, keeps the last 20 BULLETINs easy to find and reference “Search the site” on the upper right, uses familiar key word search methods to find a topic Sponsor and Founder’s Circle logos all link to the respective company’s … [Read more...]
AHD Sponsor and Founder’s Circle support recognized
Two sponsors have helped AHD from early in its development. We are grateful for the financial support from: Ceva Animal Health U.S. Addison Biological Laboratory, Inc. Our Founder’s Circle cooperators are pivotal to help grow the readership and reach of AHD. Many thanks to: American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) FORAYS, Inc. Innovetive Pet Care RPR … [Read more...]
2000 posts in 2 years: AHD celebrates anniversary
The Animal Health Digest teams offers a sincere “thank you” for your readership and support the past two years. Our mission to “read for the animal health industry” remains in place. Each week, we scour more than 200 print and digital media sources for information relevant to animal health professionals at all levels. Our selections are delivered Thursday mornings via email … [Read more...]
Irish farm teaches reality to urban dwellers
It’s okay for kids not to know a sheep from a goat, a carrot from a parsnip or that cows really give milk. That’s the philosophy of Airfield Estate, a 38-acre farm just outside central Dublin, Ireland. In fact, teaching kids and others about the realities of agriculture and livestock. Source: National Geographic, September 5, 2016. Our mission is to inspire people to … [Read more...]
Manage your manager
Whenever I write about management, I get the sense that sales reps, vet techs, receptionists and other employees check out. Yet, the effective management of your boss, by you, has a great impact on your job satisfaction and ultimately on your happiness. This article provides great tips to help you get started managing your manager or supervisor. Source: Harvard Business … [Read more...]
AAHA NEWStat introduces guide to veterinary team wellness
NEWStat contains AAHA-generated content, sponsored content and articles of interest. This issue announces the launch of the Healthy Workplace Culture Initiative. The initiative will address wellbeing from an alternative perspective that utilizes a positive, proactive approach to help prevent or mitigate mental health issues in veterinary practice teams. Source: AAHA NEWStat, … [Read more...]
Preparing for Generation D
Julie Cook Ramirez writes on the career development needs millennials expect. Eighty-seven percent of them rate professional or career growth and development opportunities as important in a job, with 59 percent saying opportunities to learn and grow are extremely important when applying for a position. The employee-manager relationship is key to millennial development, … [Read more...]
Fear Free resources for the home (videos included)
The Fear Free movement continues to gain momentum. We stumbled on to Fear Free Happy Homes on Twitter. Housed on this website are videos and information to help pet owners create their own fear free environment. Consider registering and using the videos in social media, on websites and as part of school educational programs. Source: Fear Free Happy Homes, October 7, … [Read more...]
Opinion – Anti-vaccine movement gaining traction
Animal health pros focus on issues of One Health, zoonosis and disease control. It is not unusual to find material that portrays animal owners spending more on their pets’ care than their own health. We are going through a continuum of vaccination rationalization discussions. Then we find articles like this about the anti-vaccine movement in human health. Be assured, AHD has … [Read more...]
Should you believe that article you just read?
Nicole Palumbo, DVM, speaks out about internet articles, their sources and whether they are believable. Addressing pet owners, she cautions, “When it comes to social media, we all have to be careful with what we share and what we believe is to be true.” She offers some guidelines to influence you on what is appropriate to share about reporting on veterinary medicine. Source: … [Read more...]
Stop dogs from pulling on their leashes
There are never enough tips to help with common canine behavior problems. Pulling on leashes when using a neck collar can be damaging to the dog. Annie Phenix, CPDT-K, offers some force-free advice to the issues. Source: Dogster, September 21, 2017. I see walking the dog as an excellent way to get your dog (and you) moving, but a dog cares more about “pee-mails” and other … [Read more...]
Opinion – Adjust ROPs and EOQs for the holidays
The rise of e-commerce and the growing instant gratification consumer mentality has exacerbated the need for early and thoughtful peak season preparation. This article is a reminder to adjust inventory on-hand settings and replenishment timelines for critical items in animal health inventories. Halloween will not create much disruption, but it does signals the upcoming holiday … [Read more...]
Groom and bathe chickens right for best results
The backyard or pet chicken population is growing. What do you do with a dirty chicken? Jeremy Chartier offers a few tips you should know since birds naturally bathe in dust baths. Source: Countryside Daily, October 3, 2017. Bathing poultry before a show is very common in the world of 4-H and other youth shows. It is necessary to get birds wet when grooming and bathing … [Read more...]
Don’t avoid giving praise
Given how unpleasant giving critical feedback can be, it is no wonder providing feedback is one of the more difficult parts of a manager’s job. Yet, surprising findings show that people admitted that they avoided giving positive feedback. Apparently, leaders or managers vastly underestimate the power and necessity of positive reinforcement. Source: Harvard Business Review, … [Read more...]
October is National Pork Month (slide gallery)
The designation of October as pork month marks a time of year when hogs were traditionally marketed. The United States is the third-largest pork-producing country, following China and the European Union. Pork is safe, efficient, environmentally friendly and a superior source of protein. Source: National Hog Farmer, October 1, 2017. According to an analysis by the USDA, pork … [Read more...]
Incivility is killing us
Employee engagement is being touted as one of the great differentiators between companies that are great and the also-rans. Nothing has a greater impact on employee engagement than disrespect in the workplace. It impacts your performance at work, your quality of life outside work and even your health and longevity. Source: Quartz, September 15, 2017. Forty-seven percent of … [Read more...]
X-ray contest 2017 – winners and runners-up
Animal health pros across all segments of the market enjoy seeing the images and frequent absurdity of what animals eat. Bones, necklaces, hair bands, charms, drain plugs and foam bullets are few of the items found in this year’s contest photos and images. Source: Veterinary Practice News, September 29, 2017. The 2017 annual X-ray contest didn’t fail to deliver on the most … [Read more...]
Workplace rudeness is costly and takes toll on employees
Rudeness in the workplace can seem subtler than harassment or bullying. In fact, it may even seem routine. Mounting research, however, demonstrates that rudeness can harm employees’ well-being and work performance. If rudeness feels like a threat, it uses cognitive resources to focus attention on processing unpleasant interactions, according to Amir Erez, a management professor … [Read more...]
Audubon: beef, habitat, quail and songbirds
Audubon is introducing a certification program to benefit ranchers and grassland birds. The Audubon Conservation Ranching program links consumers to beef produced on farms that provide good grassland bird habitat. The goal is a profitable program for cattle ranchers. It also helps reverse steep population declines during the past half century by grassland birds, such as … [Read more...]
DMSO: a therapy in search of a condition?
David Ramsey, DVM, tackles the century long questions about Dimethyl sulfoxide. DMSO is an organic compound that also contains sulfur. It’s colorless, but not odorless. It is a by-product of papermaking and mixes well with many hence its popularity. Source: Horse Network, September 21, 2017. DMSO seems to be something of a therapy in search of a condition to treat: and … [Read more...]
Tips for a successful weaning/preconditioning program
Planning now for spring calf weaning and preconditioning makes sense before producers are taxed with the work of calving. Weaned and preconditioned calves can bring more dollars at sale time. As veterinarians meet with producers for VFD consultations, preconditioning is a topic that adds value to the compliance visits. Source: Beef, September 7, 2017. There are numerous … [Read more...]
NAVTA bi-weekly updates
Cannabinoid research, new tests for tick-borne diseases and reminders about Micotil 300 safety are among the content offered in this issue from NAVTA. See what material is important from the vet tech/nurse groups’ perspectives. Source: NAVTA Animal Health Bi-Weekly, September 26, 2017. INSIGHTS: Micotil 300 was introduced in 1992, so there is a need to re-educate today’s … [Read more...]