We continue to watch developing feral hog management challenges. They probably do more than $1.5 billion damage nationwide each year, according to the USDA. The problem is only getting bigger. From 1982 to 2012, the invasive species spread from 17 states to 36. It turns out that feral hogs are tasty. Their popularity is growing for a few slaughterhouses that supply chefs and … [Read more...]
Sponsored Content – 6 milestones for backyard chickens
The backyard chicken craze is growing rapidly. Veterinarians and retail associates are frequently challenged to help new chicken growers succeed. Purina offered this content promotionally, but we found the life stages information worthy of referencing. Source: Morning Ag Clips, April 25, 2017. As we get started on the journey with baby chicks, it’s important to look forward … [Read more...]
The next crises in rural America may be mental health
Mental illness isn’t confined within city limits. One in five residents of nonmetropolitan counties in the U.S. had some form of mental illness in 2015, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. Plus, 1.4 million non-metro residents had serious thoughts of suicide in the same year. Increased opioid addiction and prescription drug abuse are just two … [Read more...]
Scarce or abundant?
In today’s competitive society there are winners. If there are winners, there must be losers. Couple that mentality with the focus on “me” and you have the ingredients for the paucity of effective leadership in business, government and society. Effective leaders, while rare, exhibit a remarkable similarity in behavior. Source: LinkedIn Pulse, April 29, 2017. Collectively, … [Read more...]
Your customized news feed could make you dumber
Much of the information you consume on the internet is filtered. For example, Google and Facebook have algorithms that attempt to figure out what things you like and are most likely to click on. This affects the sorts of search results and newsfeed items you see. If we’re only served up stuff we like, could it mean that the internet increasingly massages our ideological and … [Read more...]
Understanding the stocker
Stocker, or backgrounding, provides vital production and marketing system values to the beef industry. Stocker production happens in a variety of situations and environments throughout the country. As such, the stocker sector is an essential shock absorber for the beef industry but little data exists to analyze the segment. Source: Drovers CattleNetwork, March 29, … [Read more...]
Time-lapse cameras improve dairy feeding
“Moo,” you’re on candid dairy camera. It brings up silly images, but time-lapse photography is proving valuable for monitoring and correcting feed delivery to dairy cows. What Todd Franz has found isn’t pretty. “Only one out of 20 farms or one out of 30 is not letting cows run out of feed,” he says. “Our current on-farm record for cows with no feed is 11 hours.” Source: … [Read more...]
Saturated fat does not clog the arteries
Unclogging pipes works wonders for a sink that doesn’t drain quickly. It’s next to useless in human medicine. So is the conventional wisdom that eating foods containing saturated fat and cholesterol inevitably lead to coronary heart disease. A meta-analysis of literature — such as the peer-reviewed journals Nature, the British Medical Journal and the American Journal of … [Read more...]
Back to the future; the case for slow-growth chickens
In a world that is changing at breakneck speed, chicken producers are being pushed to raise chickens that take longer to grow and will cost more at the meat counter. The paradoxical situation parallels the consumer-driven animal welfare platform that is pushing the transition toward free-range or cage-free eggs. Source: New York Times, May 1, 2017 (paywall). The Global … [Read more...]
Wisconsin sees shortage in large animal veterinarians (includes video)
A true veterinarian shortage in rural areas remains. Dr. Lisa Hansen shared perspectives in a video interview from her practice in Barron, Wisconsin. She hopes the Veterinary Medical Loan Repayment Program can help students afford a veterinary degree and serve an area in need of their services. Source: WKOW, April 26, 2017. The United States Department of Agriculture is … [Read more...]
First the fires then snow: Kansas in distress
Recent blizzards have potentially devastated the western Kansas wheat crop. This is significant because Kansas grew one of every five bushels of U.S. wheat last year. Its farmers specialize in winter wheat, which is planted in the fall, goes dormant during the winter and sprouts again in the spring. Winter wheat accounts for two thirds, or more, of the U.S. crop each … [Read more...]
AAHA accredited practice count grows
AAHA has welcomed 41 new veterinary hospitals that have achieved AAHA accreditation in 2017! These teams have met the highest standards in veterinary medicine. Check out the lists in the links below and be sure to congratulate your colleagues or customers on this achievement: Practices evaluated from January 15–February 14, 2017 – 13 new accreditations Practices … [Read more...]
Balance empathy and authority
Effective communication skills are essential to achieve effective leadership results. Sending mixed signals creates confusion and often creates paralysis within the organization. Remember, words make up 10 percent of our in-person communication. Thus, it is important to ensure our voice and body language are in concert with the words we choose and that all three are appropriate … [Read more...]
4 things YouTube makeup tutorials taught me about vet med
Lauren Smith, DVM, relates learning how to use makeup applies to veterinary medicine. She shares a solid, cross-topic reference worthy of reading past the whimsical title. She talks about: A solid base is key Use the right tools Personalize your colors Loosen your grip Source: Dr. Andy Roark, April 18, 2017. There are lessons to be found everywhere, even in … [Read more...]
How to work with non-team players
Carolyn O'Hara shares perspectives on the dynamics of a team member who acts as if they are not on the team. This isn’t simply frustrating. It can affect your entire group’s performance. Source: Harvard Business Review, April 21, 2017. Ignoring the issue often ends up only making it more acute. When working with the person and team here are some principles to … [Read more...]
Trichobezoars debunked
Hairballs are disgusting, especially when you step on one with a bare foot. Dr. Eric Barchas discusses hairball myths and fallacies. This article would make good content for a website, newsletter, social media or blog post. Source: Catster, April 23, 2013. Swallowing hair in and of itself is not what causes hairballs. They’re occurring because the gastrointestinal tract … [Read more...]
Don’t overlook pain management for gastrointestinal conditions
Gastrointestinal conditions are common, but associated pain management in these patients is often overlooked. Refresh your memory about treatment options with this article. Consider using it as a team exercise at an upcoming staff meeting. Source: Clinician’s Brief, September 2015. The clinical manifestations of abdominal pain in dogs and cats can be subtle and easily … [Read more...]
Rabbits, ferrets, sugar-gliders, hamsters and ? – oh my!
I often wonder how veterinarians serve animals considered in exotic. The relatively few encounters has to be a limiting factor. But, my eyes were opened by this article about preparing a practice specifically for the exotic companion mammal sub-group. The numbers of alternative pet types is growing and with it a new specialty from the Association of Exotic Mammal … [Read more...]
Don’t wait to be asked: Lead
Leadership skills are needed at all levels of interactions inside companies as well as with customer engagement. It is easy to point a finger at what is wrong or needs improvement. The real solutions to problems come when the finger-pointers start offering solutions. Professor Harry Kramer says leadership doesn’t require direct reports or a long tenure at an organization. You … [Read more...]
Carprofen: fast facts
The history of carprofen dates back to January 1997 when Pfizer Pharmaceuticals first introduced Rimadyl® (Carprofen) to veterinarians. The generic for Rimadyl, Carprofen, was marketed much later. Consider the number of veterinarians, vet technicians and staff persons in your location that graduated after 2007. Then share this information and your experiences with them at a … [Read more...]
Stop apologizing for delayed email responses
“With email, we treat everything as if we’re in a hurry,” behavioral economist Dan Ariely explained. “There’s a huge difference between important and urgent.” Source: Science of US, April 18, 2017. How many people who email you are truly expecting an instant reply? Sometimes people make this clear, explicitly noting that they need an answer by the end of the day, or week, … [Read more...]
Leaders also follow
The roles of leader and follower are interchangeable and depend entirely on the situation at hand. In most successful practices, the person closest to an issue at hand regularly provides the leadership when it falls into their area of expertise. In other situations, that same person is the follower. Effectiveness at both disciplines is one of the keys to a practice’s overall … [Read more...]
NAVTA launches bi-weekly service
The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America recently launched a service tool named Animal Health Bi-Weekly for its members. The familiar format seeks to provide NAVTA members with a sampling of some of the more recent news stories that affect the profession and veterinary community. Source: NAVTA, April 11, 2017. INSIGHTS: NAVTA provides multiple … [Read more...]
Top 5 client pet peeves
Jessica Goodman Lee, CVPM, shares her perspective on how clients view practices and the annoyances that work against client satisfaction. Source: Veterinary Team Brief, April 2017, page 33. Lee’s top 5 client pet peeves: Lack of information Lack of education Failure to provide documentation Lack of caring Failure to delegate INSIGHTS: Note the take … [Read more...]
Update your LinkedIn profile
How to update your LinkedIn profile based on what you've done and where you want to go. Source: The Muse, March 2017. Figuring out what story to tell at different points in your career can be a challenge. But, you need more than keywords to impress on LinkedIn. Get creative as you update your profile and capture your “So what?” factor using elements that others tend to … [Read more...]
Changing pet owner perceptions of veterinary hospitals
AAHA Chief Executive Officer Michael Cavanaugh, DVM, DABVP (Emeritus), presented new research data during the opening session at the AAHA yearly conference. Pet owner perceptions of veterinary hospitals are declining, while awareness of veterinary hospital accreditation has increased. Source: AAHA Press Room, March 30, 2017. While the news of overall pet owner perception of … [Read more...]
How mindful are you?
In our information-saturated workplaces, mindfulness is becoming as important as emotional intelligence and technical skills. Research shows that people spend almost 47 percent of their waking hours thinking about something other than what they’re doing. This impairs their creativity, performance, and well-being. Source: Harvard Business Review, March 29, 2017. Take the … [Read more...]
Live by Ancora Imparo
“In retrospect,” often begins a story about missed opportunities, augmented with regrets. The story ends with the admonition to “not make that mistake.” Occasionally, “in retrospect” will yield worthwhile advice that contains one real nugget. “6 Pieces of Advice Leaders Wish They Could Tell Their Younger Selves” is this kind of piece. Source: Forbes, September 19, … [Read more...]
Swine Science Online offers opportunity for students, current producers
Leading universities are collaborating to ensure the pork industry is led and managed by individuals who have broad educational and production experiences that prepare them for these roles. The effort, Swine Science Online, teaches scientific principles and management skills involved in pork production for an efficient and sustainable operation. Source: National Hog Farmer, … [Read more...]
Transitioning at work
With the acceptance of transgender people on the rise, more employers are adopting specific policies for workers who are transitioning. Julie Cook Ramirez shares one person’s story and discusses the trends in dealing with blurred gender-line realities. According to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2017 Corporate Equality Index, 82 percent of all Fortune 500 companies … [Read more...]