A relief fund has been set up by the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation to help cattleman affected by wildfires in the state. The need will only grow as wildfires continue to burn there and in Colorado, Kansas and Texas. Source: Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, March 7, 2017. Make checks payable to Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation and put “Fire Relief” in the memo line and … [Read more...]
Deal with it!
Most big problems are ones that were ignored in hopes they would go away or magically resolve themselves. Conflict avoidance occurs in many industries. Veterinary medicine is not immune to its impact. Thus, using the FIGHT strategy to deal with issues before they grow is likely helpful. Source: CharlesMarshall.net January 2017. Courage isn’t the absence of fear but the … [Read more...]
Horses understand human facial expressions
New research shows that domestic horses have the ability to read the expression on a person’s face. This capacity has only ever previously been demonstrated in dogs. Source: The Atlantic, February 29, 2017. A University of Sussex research team, led by Amy Smith alongside the veteran animal-behavior scientist Karen McComb, showed a group of 28 horses large photographs of a … [Read more...]
Coprophagia season coming
As temperatures warm in parts of the U.S. so do the winter deposits of fecal material in yards and parks. For some dogs who are coprophagic, this is akin to an Easter egg hunt for tasty treats. This article offers some insight on the subject. Source: Clinician’s Brief, July 2015. (partial access) Coprophagia, the consuming of fecal matter, is a frequent complaint by dog … [Read more...]
Toxic teams hurt patient care
Ask sales reps about their in-practice or retail store experiences and you’ll likely hear about some pretty tense business settings. The dvm360 toxic team survey reveal that stressful environments not only hurt employees and dissuade animal owner visits, but the environment is harmful to animals as well. Source: Vetted, February 2017. Toxic veterinary teams are a problem, … [Read more...]
Pet food nutrition: protein hype and digestibility
Differentiating one pet food from the next gets harder every day. Nutritionists say regardless of what is in the prepared diet, getting essential nutrients in the ingredients actually absorbed into the body during digestion is most important. Recent studies dug into the issues of protein and digestibility. Source: Petfood Industry, February17, 2017. Two studies on pet food … [Read more...]
There are surprising benefits when keeping hens with horses
Casie Bazay shares her experiences with free-range chickens and horses. She describes a symbiotic existence that reduces flies, feed waste and breaks down manure so that it dries faster. Source: Horse Network, February 21, 2017. In addition to the bug-eating behaviors, Bazay shares these benefits: Chickens will eat the tiniest piece of grain or other feed dropped on … [Read more...]
March issue of JAVMA
There continues to be a lot of attention paid to probiotics. Among the papers in this issue is Use of probiotics in small animal veterinary medicine. Animal health pros will appreciate it as well as with the others presented. Source: JAVMA, March 2017. (abstract access only) … [Read more...]
Leadership requires physical, mental strength
Effective leadership requires much – vision, strategic thinking, tactical skills and the list goes on. We sometimes overlook the physical and mental requirements to be truly effective. We previously focused on the physical health requirement and would like to move to the mentally strong leader. Source: Vet-Advantage, February 2017. Confidence is often described as being … [Read more...]
Involve dog owners to screen for cancer
The “Big C” often strikes fear in humans. When it involves their pets, the results can be devastating. Rodney Page, DVM, says owners must take responsibility for prevention of cancer. Annual physical exams, screening bloodwork and urinalysis are recommended for dogs more than seven years of age or from breeds prone to develop cancer. Source: Modern Dog, February 16, … [Read more...]
Latinos have changed our game
Latinos are key players when it comes to food product purchasing power, including dairy products. They also play strong roles when it comes to pet store spending. They’re willing to spend for food. Data from the HIS Global Insight Groups reveals Hispanics spent $103 billion on food at home. This is expected to grow 35 percent over the next five years, compared to 20 percent … [Read more...]
Guide helps eliminate busywork
“Busywork has a double negative impact," Renee Cullinan says. "It consumes time that could be better spent on other things, and it drains energy. Longer term, it breeds a work culture that values activity over results and busyness over effectiveness." Source: Fast Company, January 27, 2017. Cullinan says busywork often fits one of these three scenarios: You don’t know … [Read more...]
Generation X more addicted to social media than millennials
A Nielsen report released last week shows that Americans from 18 to 34 are less obsessed with social media than some of their older peers are. Smartphones are driving activity in all age groups. Source: New York Times, January 27, 2017. The report also broke out which social networks were most popular on smartphones, finding that Facebook still dominated on mobile, with … [Read more...]
DIY marketing for parasite-free pets
Remember "stop, look and listen?" They were potentially life-saving actions drilled into us by our parents and teachers when we are about to cross the road. Our AHD team urges you to stop, look and listen to the advice Jane Harrell offers regarding marketing parasite prevention yourself. Research shows that clients view the education you give them about their pet’s health as a … [Read more...]
Kids prefer pets to siblings
While many families have pets, there hasn’t been much research done on the importance of child-pet relationships. Researchers with the University of Cambridge wanted to shed more light on these relationships by developing a system to test them. The study was published online in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology and will appear in the March 2017 print … [Read more...]
Walmart working on high-tech food safety initiatives
A technique from the financial industry, blockchain technology, may help improve food chain safety. The initiative is being deployed in China to improve the transparency and traceability in pork production and in the U.S. on a produce project. Source: Meat + Poultry, February 2017, page 66. Pilot projects developed by Wal-Mart, IBM and Tsinghua University will use … [Read more...]
Make emails give the right impression
Every email you send affects your professional reputation. Avoid these all-too-common mistakes in your communication: emails too long for anyone to digest including way too many people dashing off incomplete thoughts burying the lede Source: Harvard Business Review, February 6, 2017. Take a close look at your sent folder. Everything you need to know about your … [Read more...]
The NDC number explained
Corina Posey explains the origins and meanings of the National Drug Code numbers we see on products. There is a lot of information in those unique 10-digit, three-segment NDC identifiers. Source: Animal Health Solution, February 2017, page 60. … [Read more...]
Cattle eat weird things and it is OK
Consumers may be surprised to learn that cattle are able to eat many things that are considered waste and not allowed in the human consumption market. When foods begin to spoil, they cannot be sold for human consumption but some of them can be used in cattle feed. Source: High Plains Journal, January 30, 2017. Pumpkins, potatoes, oranges, sugar beets, and pinto beans can … [Read more...]
Coaching is the key to success
With society's inward focus, the concept of helping others succeed may not seem to be the answer to the perennial question, "What's in it for me?" Yet, when one stops long enough to contemplate the commonality of the success around us, we begin to see how coaching others to succeed plays a central role in our individual success. Source: Evan Carmichael 2014. If you want to … [Read more...]
Joining an organization can help animal health pros
Multiple organizations advocate for the animal health profession and provide an array of services and benefits to members. Keith Loria sorts out the acronym alphabet soup and explains who is who and who does what. Source: Veterinary Practice News, January 31, 2017. Veterinary professionals, regardless of specialty or job path, can join an association—or multiple … [Read more...]
Swine Health Information Center helps producers and veterinarians
The four main categories of the Swine Health Information Center mission are: Preparedness, Response, Monitoring, and Analysis. “Education is key to preparedness,” said Dr. Paul Sundberg, executive director of the SHIC. In 2016, SHIC produced nine additional swine disease fact sheets, bringing the total number of fact sheets to 33. Source: Pork Network, January 30, … [Read more...]
15 life hacks that could help you
Sara Todd writes, small, seemingly mundane changes you make to your daily routine can deliver returns. They can work for busy veterinary practices and seven-day-a-week retail employees. Source: Quartz, December 2, 2016. Here is a sample of the hacks Ms. Todd shares: I started planning my outfits for the week on Sundays I stopped mindlessly scrolling through my … [Read more...]
Stay calm, listen to the dogs
Dogs are not fully colorblind. They have limited color vision, similar to humans with red-green colorblindness. They’re particularly good at seeing shades of blue, although they don’t have the same range when it comes to seeing shades of gray. When it comes to dogs’ metaphorical vision, they live in a world that is entirely black and white, says Cesar Milan. Source: … [Read more...]
Kentucky Horse Park celebrates Man o’War centennial
2017 marks the 100th birthday of Man o’War, and the Kentucky Horse Park is honoring the legend with a yearlong series of events celebrating his centennial. They kick off March 29, the date Man o’ War was foaled. Source: Horse Network, January 25, 2017. Man o’ War is a true American icon, born in Kentucky before going on to capture the country’s imagination by winning 20 of … [Read more...]
Thinking offensively or defensively matters
Kevin Eikenberry offers several contrasting statements that you can use to determine if you're attacking opportunities or reacting to situations. If you don’t challenge yourself with it, you will operate from your habits now and in the long-term. This may not give you the results you want most. Source: Leadership and Learning, January 2, 2017. If you choose to focus on … [Read more...]
3 hard words. “I don’t know.”
The best leaders use these three hard words, “I don’t know!” Lisa Kohn suggests we expect our leaders and ourselves to be infallible. It’s a huge – and impossible – mantle to carry. Instead we need to: Admit when we don’t have the answer Surround ourselves with smart people Be open to other perspectives Find people who’ve walked this road before But remember … [Read more...]
11 pet food trends forecast for 2017
Experts believe pet owners will increasingly demand the same qualities in pet food they want in their own meals, such as familiar ingredients, sustainability and nutrition. Our AHD team believes some of these trends will greatly affect veterinary teams and retail associates. Review this list and consider how you may address these trends as they appear in your … [Read more...]
Eagle gets cancer operation at 46
Jess, a 46 year old wedge-tailed eagle, had a growth on his eyelid. It was considered harmless when discovered in 2015, but it recently flared up and required surgery. Learn how ophthalmologist Dr. Andrew Turner and his team operated and treated this squamous cell carcinoma. Source: The Age, January 16, 2017. There's a good chance Jess is the first wedge tailed eagle to … [Read more...]
Swine industry audits ensure safe pork
Consumer demand continues to grow for certified safe foods. The National Pork Board responded to these demands by developing an extension of the Pork Quality Assurance Plus certification called the Common Swine Industry Audit. Source: National Hog Farmer, January 2017. The CSIA, certified by the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO) in October of … [Read more...]